Thursday, April 2, 2015

Review: THE COLOR OF HAPPINESS by K.P. Gazelle


Faith just can't seem to do anything right.

"While I enjoyed hanging out with friends on weekends, my parents wanted to hear nothing of it. While I liked wearing long skirts and full sleeve tops, sometimes even on the hottest of days, people outside my family constantly badgered me about why I didn’t wear short shorts or skimpy tank tops like other girls my age did. It seemed that no matter what I wanted to do or who I wanted to be, something else was always expected from me and of me. All I wanted was for people, my family included, to accept me as who I was without judgment." (8)

What began as shallow teasing soon becomes too much. When did simply being yourself suddenly become an invitation for punishment? For Faith, being herself is a constant battle, but yet she trudges on.

The best thing about Faith is that she doesn't succumb to the superfluous "necessities" of high school life, like the "need" to go to a Sadie Hawkins dance. Of course, that kind of changes when she meets Alex, the cool jock whom she stereotyped at not being "book smart." At times, Faith was a little too silly, but Alex reveled on it, praising her and encouraging her for it.

So what is the color of happiness? My guess is whatever you make it.

Filled with a cast of harebrained, generic characters, the story is a quick stroll through the high school monotony and teenage angst that plays along with Faith's desire for dance. Even though I'm not into dance, it still doesn't sway the fact that this is a wholesome dedication to anyone struggling through the barriers of peer pressure and stereotypes. The message: It's okay to be you and do what you like.

 
My rating: 3.5 stars







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