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The Color Project
Bernice Aurora Wescott has one thing she doesn't want anyone to know: her name. That is, until Bee meets Levi, the local golden boy who runs a charity organization called The Color Project.
Levi is not at all shy about attempting to guess Bee’s real name; his persistence is one of the many reasons why Bee falls for him. But while Levi is everything she never knew she needed, giving up her name would feel like a stamp on forever. And that terrifies her.
When unexpected news of an illness in the family drains Bee's summer of everything bright, she is pushed to the breaking point. Losing herself in The Color Project—a world of weddings, funerals, cancer patients, and hopeful families that the charity funds—is no longer enough. Bee must hold up the weight of her family, but to do that, she needs Levi. She’ll have to give up her name and let him in completely or lose the best thing that’s ever happened to her.
Levi is not at all shy about attempting to guess Bee’s real name; his persistence is one of the many reasons why Bee falls for him. But while Levi is everything she never knew she needed, giving up her name would feel like a stamp on forever. And that terrifies her.
When unexpected news of an illness in the family drains Bee's summer of everything bright, she is pushed to the breaking point. Losing herself in The Color Project—a world of weddings, funerals, cancer patients, and hopeful families that the charity funds—is no longer enough. Bee must hold up the weight of her family, but to do that, she needs Levi. She’ll have to give up her name and let him in completely or lose the best thing that’s ever happened to her.
464 pages, Paperback
First published August 17, 2017
56 people are currently reading
11k people want to read
About the author
Sierra Abrams
2books457followersAt 7 years old, Sierra Abrams decided that one day she would publish a book. For over a decade, in between exploring other career options, she kept coming back to that very first dream. Now her life consists of writing books of all kinds... Kissing books, angsty books, killing books, whimsical books, and sometimes books that are all of the above. When she's not writing, you can find her reading, traveling, consuming sushi, or daydreaming about Henry Cavill.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 262 reviews
July 27, 2017
IMPORTANT NOTE FOR EVERYONE WHO PREORDERED A COPY OF THE COLOR PROJECT -
Oh, my friends. There has been a HUGE and very unfortunate mistake on my publisher's part. They've taken full responsibility and are being amazing to take care of everyone. If you preordered TCP, you have likely received or will receive a misprint copy. There was a confusion of dates, deadlines, and documents - about which, I was not informed until it was too late. I'm so so sad about this, BUT there is a way to get everyone a new copy! If you will click on the link below, you will find instructions on who to email about getting a new, finished copy.
Thank you all for your support and help and encouragement through all of this. I'm trying to stay positive through it all. I hope everyone gets an updated copy so they can read the book at its very best! <3
Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns about all of this. I'm so thankful for you all!!
~
official ARCs (with the cover) are being printed and there are only 94 days left until pub day. *SHRIEKS*
~
GUESS WHO HAS A FEW PROOF COPIES OF THIS BAD BOY WAITING AT HOME?!?!?!
~
YOU GUYS! THE OFFICIAL BLURB IS LIVE! *flailing*
~
I wrote this book last year, and now it's going to be published! *CUE FREAKING OUT* I'm so excited to share this book with you guys. So, so excited!
Oh, my friends. There has been a HUGE and very unfortunate mistake on my publisher's part. They've taken full responsibility and are being amazing to take care of everyone. If you preordered TCP, you have likely received or will receive a misprint copy. There was a confusion of dates, deadlines, and documents - about which, I was not informed until it was too late. I'm so so sad about this, BUT there is a way to get everyone a new copy! If you will click on the link below, you will find instructions on who to email about getting a new, finished copy.
Thank you all for your support and help and encouragement through all of this. I'm trying to stay positive through it all. I hope everyone gets an updated copy so they can read the book at its very best! <3
Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns about all of this. I'm so thankful for you all!!
~
official ARCs (with the cover) are being printed and there are only 94 days left until pub day. *SHRIEKS*
~
GUESS WHO HAS A FEW PROOF COPIES OF THIS BAD BOY WAITING AT HOME?!?!?!
~
YOU GUYS! THE OFFICIAL BLURB IS LIVE! *flailing*
~
I wrote this book last year, and now it's going to be published! *CUE FREAKING OUT* I'm so excited to share this book with you guys. So, so excited!
July 5, 2017
4.5 stars
I think I have a new fictional crush. LEVI, OH LEVI.
Full review to come soon!
Review copy provided by author in exchange for an honest review.
I think I have a new fictional crush. LEVI, OH LEVI.
Full review to come soon!
Review copy provided by author in exchange for an honest review.
January 23, 2018
This had all the potential in the world to be a really sweet, semi-deep contemporary on first loves and major losses and family and adulthood BUT instead it turned out to be a whole lot of disappointment.
January looks like it’s gonna be a month of bleh for my reading career
- It was cute but cringey in the sense that these are literally 18 and 19 year old kids but they talk like middle graders
- I kid you not A LARGE portion of the book was just the mc talking about how beautiful and adorable and perfect and beautiful and adorable and perfect levi is
- And he’s pretty adorbs bc of how caring and sweet and pure he is (I love my son) but not THAT adorable THAT YOU HAVE TO MENTION EVERY SENTENCE BINCH GET A GRIP
- Ever heard the statement, “less is more� bc that FRICKEN APPLIES WHEN THESE KIDS ARE KISSING EVERY TWO SECONDS STOP WE GET IT
- This book was a pizza that served me a whole lot of unordered cheese
- I was interested to see how the grief and loss aspect would play on the plot but it was introduced so late in the book that it only caused to FURTHER THE ALREADY LONGER THAN NECESSARY BOOK n O
- 450 pages is too long for a contemporary !!!! this should be a law
- I felt like this book was trying really hard to tackle a lot of complex topics but it just fell short bc the characters didn’t really fit into the setting, they literally act like 8 year olds idk if im making any sense rn
- I liked the family dynamics of the book, that was cool (we should have gotten more of them lbr)
- But the mc is kinda�.really extra. Like she’s HIDING her name from EVERYONE (her name is revealed quite early on to the reader) and it’s a really normal name BUT SHES SO DRAMATIC I CANT WITH HER
- I have to admit the mc is weird in a dorky, likeable way but ONLY IN THE BEGINNING
- STOP 👏 BREAK UPS 👏 AS 👏 PLOT 👏 DEVICES 👏 2K18 👏
- It was so bloody juvenile omg just thinking about it makes me feel hafkjdahfka
- I wish it was condensed down to 250 pages and then I would have loved it so much :(
- It was easy to read tho and has a lot of potential to be a really fabulous book, but all we got was cheese 😭 😭
2.5 stars!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
on principle, i feel like contemporaries shouldn't be over 400 pages but hey i'm willing to give this a shot.
also the cover is so soft and smooth, it's beautiful :')
I am light and stardust in his hands.
- It was cute but cringey in the sense that these are literally 18 and 19 year old kids but they talk like middle graders
- I kid you not A LARGE portion of the book was just the mc talking about how beautiful and adorable and perfect and beautiful and adorable and perfect levi is
- And he’s pretty adorbs bc of how caring and sweet and pure he is (I love my son) but not THAT adorable THAT YOU HAVE TO MENTION EVERY SENTENCE BINCH GET A GRIP
- Ever heard the statement, “less is more� bc that FRICKEN APPLIES WHEN THESE KIDS ARE KISSING EVERY TWO SECONDS STOP WE GET IT
- This book was a pizza that served me a whole lot of unordered cheese
- I was interested to see how the grief and loss aspect would play on the plot but it was introduced so late in the book that it only caused to FURTHER THE ALREADY LONGER THAN NECESSARY BOOK n O
- 450 pages is too long for a contemporary !!!! this should be a law
- I felt like this book was trying really hard to tackle a lot of complex topics but it just fell short bc the characters didn’t really fit into the setting, they literally act like 8 year olds idk if im making any sense rn
- I liked the family dynamics of the book, that was cool (we should have gotten more of them lbr)
- But the mc is kinda�.really extra. Like she’s HIDING her name from EVERYONE (her name is revealed quite early on to the reader) and it’s a really normal name BUT SHES SO DRAMATIC I CANT WITH HER
- I have to admit the mc is weird in a dorky, likeable way but ONLY IN THE BEGINNING
- STOP 👏 BREAK UPS 👏 AS 👏 PLOT 👏 DEVICES 👏 2K18 👏
- It was so bloody juvenile omg just thinking about it makes me feel hafkjdahfka
- I wish it was condensed down to 250 pages and then I would have loved it so much :(
- It was easy to read tho and has a lot of potential to be a really fabulous book, but all we got was cheese 😭 😭
2.5 stars!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
on principle, i feel like contemporaries shouldn't be over 400 pages but hey i'm willing to give this a shot.
also the cover is so soft and smooth, it's beautiful :')
July 15, 2017
➳BUDDY READING THIS BABY AND MY HANDS ARE ITCHING OF EXCITEMENT!
➳ARC kindly provided by the author in exchange for an honest review
➳Follow Me On:
� � �
➳ARC kindly provided by the author in exchange for an honest review
➳Follow Me On:
� � �
January 4, 2018
mY fEeLiNgS
July 16, 2017
Thing You Should Know About The Color Project #83: The first half of the book will make your heart swell to three times its normal size
I've been looking forward to this book for ages, and now I've finally read it! And it was all kinds of wonderful, but I also had a few issues with it.
Here are some things that I liked about The Color Project:
� The whole thing where Levi tries to guess Bee’s name was really cute, even though it got old after a while.
� Levi himself. I mean, as mentioned in the book, he is such a Precious Heart. I would call him a Precious Cupcake myself, because he does so much for other human beings.
� The Color Project is an organisation to provide for people who really need the money � to put a kid through college, or to pay hospital bills. Boom, just like that, they’re given a check, no strings attached, everyone happy. Especially the case where Bee goes out of her way to help plan a wedding in two weeks� time was really lovely.
� My favourite part of the entire book was probably Albert, a character whose sole purpose is to glitterbomb people.
� I loved the fact that Bee worked at a florist’s, and reading about her putting together bouquets was actually really lovely, because her love for the art shone off the pages.
� This book celebrates donuts.
� It is stupidly adorable.
� Describes strong friendships and great family relationships.
� The word "sister-pretzel."
Thing You Should Know About The Color Project #293: The second half of the book will then grab your heart and dance on it
Here are some things that I didn't like so much:
� It felt unnecessarily long. ŷ tells me that the paperback is 464 pages, and boy you really feel that after a while. As a result, things that were cute in the beginning (like the name thing) got old, and I started to struggle with it a little. For me, this story could have been about 50-100 pages less and it would have been perfect.
� This also means that things got really dragged out every now and then.
� It’s kind of a slow-burning romance, but when they do get together, there’s a LOT of cheesy encounters and so much kissing. Which got annoying to me, but will probably be a great joy to other readers.
Overall, though, I would definitely recommend The Colour Project to those who like kissing books, or are fans of contemporary in general. You will smile, you will tear up, and you will have read a lovely story.
Thank you to the author for providing me with an ARC
I've been looking forward to this book for ages, and now I've finally read it! And it was all kinds of wonderful, but I also had a few issues with it.
Here are some things that I liked about The Color Project:
� The whole thing where Levi tries to guess Bee’s name was really cute, even though it got old after a while.
� Levi himself. I mean, as mentioned in the book, he is such a Precious Heart. I would call him a Precious Cupcake myself, because he does so much for other human beings.
� The Color Project is an organisation to provide for people who really need the money � to put a kid through college, or to pay hospital bills. Boom, just like that, they’re given a check, no strings attached, everyone happy. Especially the case where Bee goes out of her way to help plan a wedding in two weeks� time was really lovely.
� My favourite part of the entire book was probably Albert, a character whose sole purpose is to glitterbomb people.
� I loved the fact that Bee worked at a florist’s, and reading about her putting together bouquets was actually really lovely, because her love for the art shone off the pages.
� This book celebrates donuts.
� It is stupidly adorable.
� Describes strong friendships and great family relationships.
� The word "sister-pretzel."
Thing You Should Know About The Color Project #293: The second half of the book will then grab your heart and dance on it
Here are some things that I didn't like so much:
� It felt unnecessarily long. ŷ tells me that the paperback is 464 pages, and boy you really feel that after a while. As a result, things that were cute in the beginning (like the name thing) got old, and I started to struggle with it a little. For me, this story could have been about 50-100 pages less and it would have been perfect.
� This also means that things got really dragged out every now and then.
� It’s kind of a slow-burning romance, but when they do get together, there’s a LOT of cheesy encounters and so much kissing. Which got annoying to me, but will probably be a great joy to other readers.
Overall, though, I would definitely recommend The Colour Project to those who like kissing books, or are fans of contemporary in general. You will smile, you will tear up, and you will have read a lovely story.
Thank you to the author for providing me with an ARC
June 11, 2017
A book that reminded me of Lizzie McGuire so much and here's the thing: I LOVED Lizzie McGuire.
First of all, I really couldn’t sum this book up in a few sentences because it was mainly about a part of our protagonists, Bee and Levi’s life. It was like they were sharing some of their sweet and bitter memories with us. Now looking back at it, The Color Project had become a beautiful piece of memory for me instead of just a story.
The Color Project began with a seventeen-year-old girl named Bernice Aurora Wescott, a.k.a. Bee, who lived quite an ordinary life in California. One day, her car broke down with not one, but TWO flat tires, so she went to her brother’s friends� car shop and saw the gorgeous, bright-yellow-sweater guy who had her undividable attention immediately.Well, I’d call it love at first sight if it weren’t for the amazing development between the two later on.
It wasn’t until a few days later when Bee had to pick up her car that she finally MET and TALKED to the guy-who-wore-colorful-shirts and learned that he was THEnotoriously good BOY with a cute name, Levi. Basically, everything about this OTP was adorable. That’s all you need to know. *wink*
As Bee and Levi’s romance slowly building, she got to know about his glorious work (beside car fixing)—The Color Project—and was fascinated by how it worked right away. Therefore, they naturally got more time together and again, the love blossomed perfectly.
A couple of weeks later, Bee’s dad revealed some shocking news about his health condition and that he needed to undergo chemo treatments. In the meanwhile, Bee and Levi encountered their very first hardship in their relationship and both of them learned something important during the process. Anyway, it was still a happy ending for me despite the inevitable incident.
Alright, it’s finally time to share my opinions with you!
[The Romance]
To begin with, I had to say my FAVORITE part of the story was Bee and Levi’s slowly-built, well-developed romance . Seriously, the first 60~70% of the book featured their lovely relationship and the sexual tension between the lovebirds was definitely something to behold in this book. Needless to say, their romance was the kind that’s going to make you swoon over and over again, while melting your heart into goo. Levi was such a sweetie who always put not only his girlfriend but literally everyone else first and also had a big heart. He was the most compassionate, considerate and caring person I’ve ever seen and that undoubtedly made him top my book boyfriend list. Levi and Bee’s relationship was too natural and beautiful and fairytale-like to be true but I still shipped them a ton. #RelationshipGoal.
[The Characters]
Another thing I loved about this book was the characters. Aside from our protagonists, Levi and Bee, I adored Bee’s girl best friend, Gretchen a lot. Even though she lived far away from Bee, they kept in touch daily and talked aboutall things girly almost everything. Her role in this book was cherry on top for me since we already had the promising future for Bee and Levi’s relationship as well as the lovable interaction in Bee’s huge family. What’s more, I also enjoyed Bee and her friends� sense of humor; well, if memory serves, there were more hilarious scenes in the first few chapters than the rest of the book.
[The Color Project]
Speaking of The Color Project, it was actually the name for Levi’s master “project� (duh), on which he spent most of his time after work at the car shop. To be honest, I had a love-and-hate relationship with TCP because I really thought the idea of it was BRILLIANT. Like, volunteering for something greater than one could possibly achieve in your leisure time. However, since Levi was merely 20 years old and Bee 17, I didn’t think they should put that much effort in a volunteering work.Anyway, I was just being practical and more realistic, nothing else. Though I did appreciate that Bee served as a floral designer by day because that was exactly where she belonged and could finally use her talents. Seeing her do something she was passionate about warmed my heart immensely and it was the same feeling as watching Levi organize TCP.
[The Twists!?]
Honestly, I didn’t think there was a real, unexpected twist that surprised me in this book. (I’m not sure if this is a spoiler but I’ll just cover it just in case!)
[The Ending]
Thankfully, since I didn’t like the previous section of the story, which was at about 80~95% of the book, the last 5% of it wrapped up the story splendidly. In a nutshell, Bee delivered an opening speech in a TCP ceremony and her heartfelt words made up for the unsatisfying parts! I loved that ending so, so, so much that my previous rant was totally negligible. And then once again, Bee and Levi and everyone else in this book led a delightful, happy, merry life full of rainbows, unicorns and sunshine.
BONUS: PLAYLIST
Had I mentioned that there was a meticulously selected and organized which went really well along with the book? Well, there was! The titles of the songs also happened to be those for each chapter so if you didn’t want to be spoiled, don’t click the link! Otherwise, it was a good choice to listen to them while reading.
To sum up, The Color Project was a light-hearted, quick, fun read for everyone and the cheerful vibe in this book would bring you alive! Highly recommend to anyone who seeks happy endings, playful, memorable characters and a heartwarming romance.
P.S. The paperback is SOOOOO pretty that you’ll regret if you don’t get one for your bookshelf!!!
**Thanks to the author for kindly sending me an e-copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.**
First of all, I really couldn’t sum this book up in a few sentences because it was mainly about a part of our protagonists, Bee and Levi’s life. It was like they were sharing some of their sweet and bitter memories with us. Now looking back at it, The Color Project had become a beautiful piece of memory for me instead of just a story.
The Color Project began with a seventeen-year-old girl named Bernice Aurora Wescott, a.k.a. Bee, who lived quite an ordinary life in California. One day, her car broke down with not one, but TWO flat tires, so she went to her brother’s friends� car shop and saw the gorgeous, bright-yellow-sweater guy who had her undividable attention immediately.
It wasn’t until a few days later when Bee had to pick up her car that she finally MET and TALKED to the guy-who-wore-colorful-shirts and learned that he was THE
As Bee and Levi’s romance slowly building, she got to know about his glorious work (beside car fixing)—The Color Project—and was fascinated by how it worked right away. Therefore, they naturally got more time together and again, the love blossomed perfectly.
A couple of weeks later, Bee’s dad revealed some shocking news about his health condition and that he needed to undergo chemo treatments. In the meanwhile, Bee and Levi encountered their very first hardship in their relationship and both of them learned something important during the process. Anyway, it was still a happy ending for me despite the inevitable incident.
Alright, it’s finally time to share my opinions with you!
[The Romance]
To begin with, I had to say my FAVORITE part of the story was Bee and Levi’s slowly-built, well-developed romance . Seriously, the first 60~70% of the book featured their lovely relationship and the sexual tension between the lovebirds was definitely something to behold in this book. Needless to say, their romance was the kind that’s going to make you swoon over and over again, while melting your heart into goo. Levi was such a sweetie who always put not only his girlfriend but literally everyone else first and also had a big heart. He was the most compassionate, considerate and caring person I’ve ever seen and that undoubtedly made him top my book boyfriend list. Levi and Bee’s relationship was too natural and beautiful and fairytale-like to be true but I still shipped them a ton. #RelationshipGoal.
[The Characters]
Another thing I loved about this book was the characters. Aside from our protagonists, Levi and Bee, I adored Bee’s girl best friend, Gretchen a lot. Even though she lived far away from Bee, they kept in touch daily and talked about
[The Color Project]
Speaking of The Color Project, it was actually the name for Levi’s master “project� (duh), on which he spent most of his time after work at the car shop. To be honest, I had a love-and-hate relationship with TCP because I really thought the idea of it was BRILLIANT. Like, volunteering for something greater than one could possibly achieve in your leisure time. However, since Levi was merely 20 years old and Bee 17, I didn’t think they should put that much effort in a volunteering work.
[The Twists!?]
Honestly, I didn’t think there was a real, unexpected twist that surprised me in this book. (I’m not sure if this is a spoiler but I’ll just cover it just in case!)
[The Ending]
Thankfully, since I didn’t like the previous section of the story, which was at about 80~95% of the book, the last 5% of it wrapped up the story splendidly. In a nutshell, Bee delivered an opening speech in a TCP ceremony and her heartfelt words made up for the unsatisfying parts! I loved that ending so, so, so much that my previous rant was totally negligible. And then once again, Bee and Levi and everyone else in this book led a delightful, happy, merry life full of rainbows, unicorns and sunshine.
BONUS: PLAYLIST
Had I mentioned that there was a meticulously selected and organized which went really well along with the book? Well, there was! The titles of the songs also happened to be those for each chapter so if you didn’t want to be spoiled, don’t click the link! Otherwise, it was a good choice to listen to them while reading.
To sum up, The Color Project was a light-hearted, quick, fun read for everyone and the cheerful vibe in this book would bring you alive! Highly recommend to anyone who seeks happy endings, playful, memorable characters and a heartwarming romance.
P.S. The paperback is SOOOOO pretty that you’ll regret if you don’t get one for your bookshelf!!!
**Thanks to the author for kindly sending me an e-copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.**
December 29, 2016
I love this book.
---
ITS GONNA BE A REAL BOOK YOU GUYS IM SO PUMPED
---
ITS GONNA BE A REAL BOOK YOU GUYS IM SO PUMPED
Shelved as 'not-interested'
March 4, 2017Marked as 'not interested' because of what I read in this thread:
Want to read
September 9, 2016I'M SO PUMPED FOR THIS BOOK!!!! SIERRA IS SUCH AN AMAZING PERSON AND I'M SUPER EXCITED FOR HER :-)
Want to read
September 4, 2016MY BEAUTIFUL FRIEND IS PUBLISHING HER FIRST NOVEL ASKSDFRTSJDN;CDKLFJE!!! So excited for THE COLOR PROJECT! (*pssst you should add it to your TBR too, just sayin'*)
September 17, 2018
I'm sure many of you followed my whiny updates about this book and I shall be kind and review it for you so as to not keep you in suspense over my thoughts. XDD
1.
- a unique narrating voice of the mc, Bee, in first person. Very personal sounding, using a ton of parentheses too lol
- she's a character that is ... full. I cannot explain the definition of that but she is real in a sense that she has so many facets and sides and quirks and details to her that ... wow this character is marvelously developed.
- she's a florist's assistant and the details about her work was so much fun
- she reads a lot of books - particularly John Green and Maggie Stiefvater
- she has fear/anxiety/nervousness problems
- self-worth issues
- she loves her family so so so much (and her best friend)
- she's this quirky and dorky and emotional little thing
- ummmm but she thinks waaaaaay too much about how hot Levi is -_-
- Bee's family is lovely. She has a brother (Tom) and two sisters (Millie amd Astrid), and two wonderful and loving parents. Sure they all fight sometimes and mock at each other but at the end of the day they are all there to hold each other tight.
2.
- Levi is a golden boy
- He's the second most dynamic character, and also very well developed
- He runs this local charity called The Color Project and he himself wears colorful sweaters
- He's absolutely bursting forth with life and goodness and kindness and fun
- He came dangerously close to being just one more cliche perfect stereotype boyfriend - super tall, and super "beautiful", and super interested in the girl from the very first time they met, and an absolute sweetheart and head over heels in love, and practically perfect in every way ...
- His saving grace was the amount of other details and quirks about him XDD
3.
- To be honest, I feel that characters were nailed spot on in this book. I loved everyone - Bee's beautiful family, her best friend Gretchen (one of those over enthusiastic, slightly boy crazy, ever confident best friends), Tom's friends at the garage (like brothers they were XD), the workers at TCP (absolutely hilarious and adorkable), Bee's boss (everyone needs a boss like that), Levi's mom (a sweetheart too ^-^), and ... even Levi's dad (who was basically the only villain) was well done (and obviously he was a "jackass" XD).
4.
- The setting was darling, what else can I say??
- The writing was very ... conversational, if you know what I mean. Like Bee talking straight to you ... or herself, actually.
- The plot was mostly good. It moved rather slowly, I suppose, stretching over 54 chapters or so (?!).
-I loved the beginning, how Bee is introduced and how she meets Levi and how they become friends.
-I liked the parts in the middle where she gets involved in TCP, plans a wedding, gets promoted in her work, and just ... all the cool things that happen (aside from #majorissue I shall touch upon later)
- The last third of the book is the hardest, the most serious - where the monster rears its head and where the seemingly bright future and all the happiness come crashing down on their heads; when the fighting and breaking starts; where the conflict comes to surface; where the characters hurt and cry, and where we want to hurt and cry with them (I, not we, sorry *ahem*)
5.
The amazing elements include...
- Bee wears glasses. CAN I SHRIEK OVER MY APPROVAL PLEASE. SINCE WHEN HAVE YOU READ ABOUT HEROINES WITH GLASSES. AND WHERE THE GUY IS LIKE your're gorgeous DESPITE IT. COME AND PRAISE THE AUTHOR FOR THIS.
- Levi wears contacts. (yay and hurray, the fourth fictional male character with impaired eyesight that I've seen - impressive)
- Gretchen is a darling, and even though it's a long distance friendship (CAN WE ALSO APPLAUD THAT PLEASE AND THANKS) she is so close to Bee AND even becomes great friends with Levi (#brilliant)
- THERE'S A LOT OF MUSIC IN THIS BOOK OKAY? At the beginning of each chapter there's a new song (and its artist(s)) mentioned/recommended! You could literally create a playlist for this book from the music mentioned. Also! Bands and artists are just generally discussed in the story like it's everyday conversation, which duh - IT OBVIOUSLY IS
- The Color Project (the charity not the book) is just brilliant and marvelous and brilliant and can we all volunteer at one pls
- Bee and Gretchen write lyrics on her bedroom walls
- florist's shop and lots ABOUT FLOWER ARRANGEMENTS
- wedding planning + other cool ceremonies
- a boy who throws GLITTER
- book appreciation and READING AT THE BEACH (well... for half the time :P)
- naming cars XD and yep, Levi works at a garage too!!
- Bee reads Crime and Punishment to her dad
- Bee'a family ADORES Levi
- lots of crying
6.
- Now for the part you have all been waiting for - #annoyingissues #mecomplainingmore
- I had problems with the romance. Like A LOT of problems. I docked two stars because of it *grimance* and romance was a HUGE chunk of the book.
- First, it was cliche in a ton of ways. Insta-love, for one. And let's discuss the ideal cliche perfect boyfriend. Since when do you recall a boyfriend in contemporary not being GORGEOUS and heart melting HOT?? Plus, they are alllllllllllll sooooooooo taaaaaaaallllllllllll. Ever hear of a short boy in YA? Oh yeah and, how many of these hot guys do you see being ridiculously friendly and interested in the mc for no other reason than OH YEAH HEY LOOKY IT'S THE FUTURE BOYFRIEND...??? Then looking on a bit further, UMMM YEAH GUESS WHAT HE IS LITERALLY FLAWLESS except for some sad past and family problem -_- and then when the CLIMATIC BREAK UP occurs... it is never his fault!!! Point your fingers at the random jerk who caused it or the girl herself!!
... Uhhhh yeah, this is Levi to a tee. Like I said though, thankfully there were a few other sides to him as well.
- Problem number two, some elements got obnoxiously repetitive.
A) Bee's obsession with Levi's looks
-_-
*rapid blinking*
please no.
No. No. No.
PLEASE STOP STOP STOP I GET IT I GET IT HE IS BEAUTIFUL AND GORGEOUS AND PRETTY
AND FLAWLESS AND FINE! STOP TELLING ME!! I GET IT!!
Repetitive-ness gets so annoying.
B) The amount of kissing....................................................... this just got sick. To me. You think kissing is cute and makes us say "aww" and "I ship it" and will melt my heart?? I hate to break it to you but there are OTHER ROMANTIC ELEMENTS YOU CAN USE AS WELL. Kissing is all very well and fine IN MODERATION but lol pls don't saturate your book in it because I had to skim all the sections about it. I don't need to know the twenty different ways he kissed you whether it was light or quick or deep or slow or agonizing or sweet or WHATEVER. JUST STOP ALREADY.
It just ... wasn't about "appropriate-ness" anymore, in fact - it was plain painful and repulsive
because SO MUCH.
LIKE I DRANK A CUP OF SUGAR.
- Number three - I had problems with how the romance developed. So fast. Excuse me but how long have you known each other? One month? Great. Why are you making out so much now? Oh and now after you've been boyfriend/girlfriend for a few months you start fighting over what was it again? Oh yes, now I remember - because you, Bee, don't want to tell Levi your real name and you, Levi, didn't tell Bee your birthday and because Bee feels like she isn't doing enough for you and she isn't worthy of you and doesn't love you enough .......... I feel like that could have been avoided by you NOT RUSHING INTO THIS RELATIONSHIP HEADLONG. You are not married okay? Do you have tell each other everything? and I recall clearly one of you saying you wanted EVERYTHING about the other. Why? Why so fast? I know "young love" (emphasis on the quotation marks) is all very strong and wild and blah blah blah BUT HELLO ARE YOU GETTING MARRIED TOMORROW ALREADY OR WHAT. TAKE YOUR TIME. (I distinctly recall a quote that says, *love that burns too fast and strong, soon burns to waste* or something like that :P) PLEASE STOP ACTING LIKE YOU NEED TO HAVE THIS RELATIONSHIP ABSOLUTELY PERFECT AND WHOLE AND TOGETHER ALL THE TIME because the main point of dating is sort of to get to know the person well enough so you can decide if you want to spend your whole life with them NOT TO, you know, ACTUALLY KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT THEM. And hello, but why do you feel like you don't express your love towards the guy enough in action?? Yes I get how you feel because HE IS SO DARN GOOD but ... you have your entire life ahead of you to learn so please stop with these expectations.
- And finally -- I think that it did send some unrealistic messages that might be ... harmful? Almost? Bee has made this unusual but honorable decision that she won't have sex before marriage and she tells Levi and he's 100% okay with it (bravo, guys) but ... uhh ... do they like do anything to implement this boundary or to enforce it or to protect and guard themselves from temptation? hahahahahahahha nooooooo. No. Making out in every other chapter won't help. Spending one or two entire chapters lying around next to each other won't help. Oh and Bee, going to sleep next to him in his bed just because you heard some bad news in the middle of the night isn't going to help either. (Is this the Hunger Games or what?) And one last thing, they came really close to ... breaking that agreement of theirs and were they like ... regretful and wiser for it and did they decide to keep more distance between themselves as a precaution?? LOL NAH. So ... I mean I think this could give teens the impression that you can go very far without going all the way and that making out and etc isn't at all dangerous and don't worry, you'll have enough self-control in the end. -_- From what I've seen, this isn't wisdom. It's playing with the fire and expecting not to get burned, if you get the idea.
7. SO IN CONCLUSION -
I think this book was a brilliant contemporary in every other aspect except the romance. If you are a romance lover then ... ehhh, I suppose you'll love this. If you can put up with said annoying elements above, then, give it a go. If you love squeaky clean fiction then NO SORRY DON'T TOUCH THIS ONE.
*** content warning:
- some crude jokes/innuendo
- some language and swearing present (how much? mid-scale, according to my experience)
- above described romantic content
- one character reads smut (and aloud, on occasion)
1.
- a unique narrating voice of the mc, Bee, in first person. Very personal sounding, using a ton of parentheses too lol
- she's a character that is ... full. I cannot explain the definition of that but she is real in a sense that she has so many facets and sides and quirks and details to her that ... wow this character is marvelously developed.
- she's a florist's assistant and the details about her work was so much fun
- she reads a lot of books - particularly John Green and Maggie Stiefvater
- she has fear/anxiety/nervousness problems
- self-worth issues
- she loves her family so so so much (and her best friend)
- she's this quirky and dorky and emotional little thing
- ummmm but she thinks waaaaaay too much about how hot Levi is -_-
- Bee's family is lovely. She has a brother (Tom) and two sisters (Millie amd Astrid), and two wonderful and loving parents. Sure they all fight sometimes and mock at each other but at the end of the day they are all there to hold each other tight.
2.
- Levi is a golden boy
- He's the second most dynamic character, and also very well developed
- He runs this local charity called The Color Project and he himself wears colorful sweaters
- He's absolutely bursting forth with life and goodness and kindness and fun
- He came dangerously close to being just one more cliche perfect stereotype boyfriend - super tall, and super "beautiful", and super interested in the girl from the very first time they met, and an absolute sweetheart and head over heels in love, and practically perfect in every way ...
- His saving grace was the amount of other details and quirks about him XDD
3.
- To be honest, I feel that characters were nailed spot on in this book. I loved everyone - Bee's beautiful family, her best friend Gretchen (one of those over enthusiastic, slightly boy crazy, ever confident best friends), Tom's friends at the garage (like brothers they were XD), the workers at TCP (absolutely hilarious and adorkable), Bee's boss (everyone needs a boss like that), Levi's mom (a sweetheart too ^-^), and ... even Levi's dad (who was basically the only villain) was well done (and obviously he was a "jackass" XD).
4.
- The setting was darling, what else can I say??
- The writing was very ... conversational, if you know what I mean. Like Bee talking straight to you ... or herself, actually.
- The plot was mostly good. It moved rather slowly, I suppose, stretching over 54 chapters or so (?!).
-I loved the beginning, how Bee is introduced and how she meets Levi and how they become friends.
-I liked the parts in the middle where she gets involved in TCP, plans a wedding, gets promoted in her work, and just ... all the cool things that happen (aside from #majorissue I shall touch upon later)
- The last third of the book is the hardest, the most serious - where the monster rears its head and where the seemingly bright future and all the happiness come crashing down on their heads; when the fighting and breaking starts; where the conflict comes to surface; where the characters hurt and cry, and where we want to hurt and cry with them (I, not we, sorry *ahem*)
5.
The amazing elements include...
- Bee wears glasses. CAN I SHRIEK OVER MY APPROVAL PLEASE. SINCE WHEN HAVE YOU READ ABOUT HEROINES WITH GLASSES. AND WHERE THE GUY IS LIKE your're gorgeous DESPITE IT. COME AND PRAISE THE AUTHOR FOR THIS.
- Levi wears contacts. (yay and hurray, the fourth fictional male character with impaired eyesight that I've seen - impressive)
- Gretchen is a darling, and even though it's a long distance friendship (CAN WE ALSO APPLAUD THAT PLEASE AND THANKS) she is so close to Bee AND even becomes great friends with Levi (#brilliant)
- THERE'S A LOT OF MUSIC IN THIS BOOK OKAY? At the beginning of each chapter there's a new song (and its artist(s)) mentioned/recommended! You could literally create a playlist for this book from the music mentioned. Also! Bands and artists are just generally discussed in the story like it's everyday conversation, which duh - IT OBVIOUSLY IS
- The Color Project (the charity not the book) is just brilliant and marvelous and brilliant and can we all volunteer at one pls
- Bee and Gretchen write lyrics on her bedroom walls
- florist's shop and lots ABOUT FLOWER ARRANGEMENTS
- wedding planning + other cool ceremonies
- a boy who throws GLITTER
- book appreciation and READING AT THE BEACH (well... for half the time :P)
- naming cars XD and yep, Levi works at a garage too!!
- Bee reads Crime and Punishment to her dad
- Bee'a family ADORES Levi
- lots of crying
6.
- Now for the part you have all been waiting for - #annoyingissues #mecomplainingmore
- I had problems with the romance. Like A LOT of problems. I docked two stars because of it *grimance* and romance was a HUGE chunk of the book.
- First, it was cliche in a ton of ways. Insta-love, for one. And let's discuss the ideal cliche perfect boyfriend. Since when do you recall a boyfriend in contemporary not being GORGEOUS and heart melting HOT?? Plus, they are alllllllllllll sooooooooo taaaaaaaallllllllllll. Ever hear of a short boy in YA? Oh yeah and, how many of these hot guys do you see being ridiculously friendly and interested in the mc for no other reason than OH YEAH HEY LOOKY IT'S THE FUTURE BOYFRIEND...??? Then looking on a bit further, UMMM YEAH GUESS WHAT HE IS LITERALLY FLAWLESS except for some sad past and family problem -_- and then when the CLIMATIC BREAK UP occurs... it is never his fault!!! Point your fingers at the random jerk who caused it or the girl herself!!
... Uhhhh yeah, this is Levi to a tee. Like I said though, thankfully there were a few other sides to him as well.
- Problem number two, some elements got obnoxiously repetitive.
A) Bee's obsession with Levi's looks
-_-
*rapid blinking*
please no.
No. No. No.
PLEASE STOP STOP STOP I GET IT I GET IT HE IS BEAUTIFUL AND GORGEOUS AND PRETTY
AND FLAWLESS AND FINE! STOP TELLING ME!! I GET IT!!
Repetitive-ness gets so annoying.
B) The amount of kissing....................................................... this just got sick. To me. You think kissing is cute and makes us say "aww" and "I ship it" and will melt my heart?? I hate to break it to you but there are OTHER ROMANTIC ELEMENTS YOU CAN USE AS WELL. Kissing is all very well and fine IN MODERATION but lol pls don't saturate your book in it because I had to skim all the sections about it. I don't need to know the twenty different ways he kissed you whether it was light or quick or deep or slow or agonizing or sweet or WHATEVER. JUST STOP ALREADY.
It just ... wasn't about "appropriate-ness" anymore, in fact - it was plain painful and repulsive
because SO MUCH.
LIKE I DRANK A CUP OF SUGAR.
- Number three - I had problems with how the romance developed. So fast. Excuse me but how long have you known each other? One month? Great. Why are you making out so much now? Oh and now after you've been boyfriend/girlfriend for a few months you start fighting over what was it again? Oh yes, now I remember - because you, Bee, don't want to tell Levi your real name and you, Levi, didn't tell Bee your birthday and because Bee feels like she isn't doing enough for you and she isn't worthy of you and doesn't love you enough .......... I feel like that could have been avoided by you NOT RUSHING INTO THIS RELATIONSHIP HEADLONG. You are not married okay? Do you have tell each other everything? and I recall clearly one of you saying you wanted EVERYTHING about the other. Why? Why so fast? I know "young love" (emphasis on the quotation marks) is all very strong and wild and blah blah blah BUT HELLO ARE YOU GETTING MARRIED TOMORROW ALREADY OR WHAT. TAKE YOUR TIME. (I distinctly recall a quote that says, *love that burns too fast and strong, soon burns to waste* or something like that :P) PLEASE STOP ACTING LIKE YOU NEED TO HAVE THIS RELATIONSHIP ABSOLUTELY PERFECT AND WHOLE AND TOGETHER ALL THE TIME because the main point of dating is sort of to get to know the person well enough so you can decide if you want to spend your whole life with them NOT TO, you know, ACTUALLY KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT THEM. And hello, but why do you feel like you don't express your love towards the guy enough in action?? Yes I get how you feel because HE IS SO DARN GOOD but ... you have your entire life ahead of you to learn so please stop with these expectations.
- And finally -- I think that it did send some unrealistic messages that might be ... harmful? Almost? Bee has made this unusual but honorable decision that she won't have sex before marriage and she tells Levi and he's 100% okay with it (bravo, guys) but ... uhh ... do they like do anything to implement this boundary or to enforce it or to protect and guard themselves from temptation? hahahahahahahha nooooooo. No. Making out in every other chapter won't help. Spending one or two entire chapters lying around next to each other won't help. Oh and Bee, going to sleep next to him in his bed just because you heard some bad news in the middle of the night isn't going to help either. (Is this the Hunger Games or what?) And one last thing, they came really close to ... breaking that agreement of theirs and were they like ... regretful and wiser for it and did they decide to keep more distance between themselves as a precaution?? LOL NAH. So ... I mean I think this could give teens the impression that you can go very far without going all the way and that making out and etc isn't at all dangerous and don't worry, you'll have enough self-control in the end. -_- From what I've seen, this isn't wisdom. It's playing with the fire and expecting not to get burned, if you get the idea.
7. SO IN CONCLUSION -
I think this book was a brilliant contemporary in every other aspect except the romance. If you are a romance lover then ... ehhh, I suppose you'll love this. If you can put up with said annoying elements above, then, give it a go. If you love squeaky clean fiction then NO SORRY DON'T TOUCH THIS ONE.
*** content warning:
- some crude jokes/innuendo
- some language and swearing present (how much? mid-scale, according to my experience)
- above described romantic content
- one character reads smut (and aloud, on occasion)
December 12, 2018
Mini review:
Minor spoilers ahead!
Trigger warning: Death, abusive parent, and car accident.
I received this E-ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review. I heard about this book through the author's twitter. I am happy to say that I enjoyed it!
This book is written in first person limited following Bea. There are Facebook messages, a song for a chapter title, chapter numbers, and there's a section titled 'Things You Should Know About Me'. I really liked the atmosphere! It was really fluffy and cute.
I loved the family dynamics! Bea's family was so cute. And they were all close. I also really liked Levi's mom. And Bea's brother's friend. Who worked with Levi. Levi's interaction with Bea's family was amazing as well. And of course all the side characters who worked on the color project were awesome as well.
Bea's crush on Levi was sweet to read about. Levi himself was a really good guy. The two made such a cute couple! Bea actually worked in a flower shop which I really enjoyed! This is the first time I've read about a character working in a flower shop.
The color project was cool too! I'm really impressed that Levi founded the whole thing, and the success the characters achieved. It was a charity type of thing, so they were able to help lots of people. Which was so nice to read about!
I did have some problem's with Bea. While I think that this book was written well, I felt that Bea was so immature. She really annoyed me at first. Like in the beginning with the car accident. It wasn't her fault but her reaction to a certain thing bothered me. As I continued to read Bea really grew on me and I liked her.
With the romance I felt that Bea was being really wishy-washy towards Levi. I completely understood her reasons when her father passed away. It was her behaviour before that annoyed me. However I understood her fears as I read on. Like I said Bea really grew on me.
Overall I enjoyed this! I recommend.
Minor spoilers ahead!
Trigger warning: Death, abusive parent, and car accident.
I received this E-ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review. I heard about this book through the author's twitter. I am happy to say that I enjoyed it!
This book is written in first person limited following Bea. There are Facebook messages, a song for a chapter title, chapter numbers, and there's a section titled 'Things You Should Know About Me'. I really liked the atmosphere! It was really fluffy and cute.
I loved the family dynamics! Bea's family was so cute. And they were all close. I also really liked Levi's mom. And Bea's brother's friend. Who worked with Levi. Levi's interaction with Bea's family was amazing as well. And of course all the side characters who worked on the color project were awesome as well.
Bea's crush on Levi was sweet to read about. Levi himself was a really good guy. The two made such a cute couple! Bea actually worked in a flower shop which I really enjoyed! This is the first time I've read about a character working in a flower shop.
The color project was cool too! I'm really impressed that Levi founded the whole thing, and the success the characters achieved. It was a charity type of thing, so they were able to help lots of people. Which was so nice to read about!
I did have some problem's with Bea. While I think that this book was written well, I felt that Bea was so immature. She really annoyed me at first. Like in the beginning with the car accident. It wasn't her fault but her reaction to a certain thing bothered me. As I continued to read Bea really grew on me and I liked her.
With the romance I felt that Bea was being really wishy-washy towards Levi. I completely understood her reasons when her father passed away. It was her behaviour before that annoyed me. However I understood her fears as I read on. Like I said Bea really grew on me.
Overall I enjoyed this! I recommend.
February 28, 2020
4/5 Stars
SO thankful I got recommended this book! I picked this up for my July TBR aka the first of many where I read my subscribers recommendations and shout them out. I want you guys to really be a part of my channel from all my social medias b/c you guys always have the best recommendations!!
Southern Sagittarius aka K. Elizabeth recommended me this book on Twitter and I fell in love.
Such an enjoyable and sweet contemporary. At first the plot wasn't as driving as I think I was initially expecting but it let us as readers get to really learn the characters first and see who they truly are making the plot more emotionally impacted! I loved it, Sierra Abrams is such an amazing writer, WOW!!
SO thankful I got recommended this book! I picked this up for my July TBR aka the first of many where I read my subscribers recommendations and shout them out. I want you guys to really be a part of my channel from all my social medias b/c you guys always have the best recommendations!!
Southern Sagittarius aka K. Elizabeth recommended me this book on Twitter and I fell in love.
Such an enjoyable and sweet contemporary. At first the plot wasn't as driving as I think I was initially expecting but it let us as readers get to really learn the characters first and see who they truly are making the plot more emotionally impacted! I loved it, Sierra Abrams is such an amazing writer, WOW!!
July 13, 2017
Excuse me book! Who said you could make me stay up till 1 am in the morning and cry silent tears for a good hour WHAT IS THIS SORCERY.
Man I am so luckily I know so amazing people and snagged an early egalley of this book, its so good and ughhh I am running on pure caffeine right now.
The Color Project is esentially a story about Bee, her loves, her family, discovering what she wants to do. Bee’s first summer after school she doesn’t really know what she wants to study or do so she starts a job at a florist, quickly discovering her love for flower arrangement and creating different combos. Bee’s part of a largish family and adored them all!
MORE PARENTS IN YA PLEASE AND THANK YOU! Bee’s family is amazing, give me all the supportive, caring Brothers. I absolutely adored Bee’s brother and their friendship, they were really there for each other no matter the problem and their relationship felt really genuine.
There is no shortage of emotion in this whole book, the love interest runs a charity that helps anyone in need in the community, Bee’s parents are adorable and communicative (with each other at least) Bee and her best friend have a long distance relationship at the moment but the girl love was my jam.
I admit the second half of the book broke me, I stayed awake till 1am on a work day sobbing quietly so I wouldn’t wake by partner up, it just hurt me so much and I loved it. PSA be careful reading this one in public (or at least be wearing water proof mascara).
Bee frustrated me at times and I wanted to shake her and steal her donuts but hey we can’t have it all.
The charity, the love interest being SO CARING, seriously he’s such a sweetie I want to go grab some donuts with him and wear matching colourful sweaters. Amazing family relationships, amazing friendships, it’s everything I want in a YA.
4/5 stars
Man I am so luckily I know so amazing people and snagged an early egalley of this book, its so good and ughhh I am running on pure caffeine right now.
The Color Project is esentially a story about Bee, her loves, her family, discovering what she wants to do. Bee’s first summer after school she doesn’t really know what she wants to study or do so she starts a job at a florist, quickly discovering her love for flower arrangement and creating different combos. Bee’s part of a largish family and adored them all!
MORE PARENTS IN YA PLEASE AND THANK YOU! Bee’s family is amazing, give me all the supportive, caring Brothers. I absolutely adored Bee’s brother and their friendship, they were really there for each other no matter the problem and their relationship felt really genuine.
There is no shortage of emotion in this whole book, the love interest runs a charity that helps anyone in need in the community, Bee’s parents are adorable and communicative (with each other at least) Bee and her best friend have a long distance relationship at the moment but the girl love was my jam.
I admit the second half of the book broke me, I stayed awake till 1am on a work day sobbing quietly so I wouldn’t wake by partner up, it just hurt me so much and I loved it. PSA be careful reading this one in public (or at least be wearing water proof mascara).
Bee frustrated me at times and I wanted to shake her and steal her donuts but hey we can’t have it all.
The charity, the love interest being SO CARING, seriously he’s such a sweetie I want to go grab some donuts with him and wear matching colourful sweaters. Amazing family relationships, amazing friendships, it’s everything I want in a YA.
4/5 stars
July 17, 2017
YOU GUYS!!!!
This book was so fantastic that it completely blew me away. Sierra's writing is so real and vibrant and often poetic. I love Bee and Levi and their romance *swoons* and Bee's entire family! There is not one single thing I didn't love about this book! The pacing was fantastic. There's real pain, heartbreak, first love, strong familial love, donuts, glitter, and the perfect next addition to your book boyfriend list. I promise you'll fall in love with Levi ❤️
I am in awe of Sierra!
This book was so fantastic that it completely blew me away. Sierra's writing is so real and vibrant and often poetic. I love Bee and Levi and their romance *swoons* and Bee's entire family! There is not one single thing I didn't love about this book! The pacing was fantastic. There's real pain, heartbreak, first love, strong familial love, donuts, glitter, and the perfect next addition to your book boyfriend list. I promise you'll fall in love with Levi ❤️
I am in awe of Sierra!
September 13, 2016
The Color Project is one of those books that takes you by surprise. You're expecting a sparkly, heartwarming contemporary about a girl who finds purpose and a guy with great hair.
And you definitely get sparkly (let's just make throwing glitter at rude people a thing, okay?), and you definitely get great hair (LEVI'S HAIR SKILLS ARE 2000x BETTER THAN MINE), and it's about charity work so you can safely assume a journey about purpose (and inspiration for your home/apartment's interior design). Right there, the book is amazing and would be worth buying for yourself and putting on your favorite shelf.
But the Color Project doesn't stop at that.
This book goes deep into insecurity, identity, confusion, hurt, emotional walls, contrasting family dynamics, mortality, meeting expectations, fear, and purpose. And it does so elegantly, never sacrificing the story or the legitimacy of each character (did I mention they all feel like actual human beings? Well, they do.) in order to handle these concepts.
The Color Project will make you cry. And it will make you cry, not just because the plot is emotional, but because you will see yourself in these people, you'll realize just how flawed and imperfect they are and how flawed and imperfect you are--and how much hope there is for you, how much value each of them have. How much you have.
There's a lot of normal reasons to read this book. The writing is absolutely stunning: sometimes it's straight up hilarious wit, sometimes it's effortlessly poetic, sometimes it's like reading your own mind. The characters are amazing, and Levi is a precious cinnamon roll of *let me hug you*, but like, a cinnamon roll with great hair. And Bee is funny, well-rounded, and real.
Plus, the story will most likely make you cry (a-lot), and that's definitely a bonus.
But there's a lot of beyond-normal reasons to read this book. It shows an actual reality that balances pain and happiness. It inspires you to go out and make meaning of your life. It shows the human connection that brings that meaning. And it gives hope in the discovery of self worth.
Read it. kk?
And you definitely get sparkly (let's just make throwing glitter at rude people a thing, okay?), and you definitely get great hair (LEVI'S HAIR SKILLS ARE 2000x BETTER THAN MINE), and it's about charity work so you can safely assume a journey about purpose (and inspiration for your home/apartment's interior design). Right there, the book is amazing and would be worth buying for yourself and putting on your favorite shelf.
But the Color Project doesn't stop at that.
This book goes deep into insecurity, identity, confusion, hurt, emotional walls, contrasting family dynamics, mortality, meeting expectations, fear, and purpose. And it does so elegantly, never sacrificing the story or the legitimacy of each character (did I mention they all feel like actual human beings? Well, they do.) in order to handle these concepts.
The Color Project will make you cry. And it will make you cry, not just because the plot is emotional, but because you will see yourself in these people, you'll realize just how flawed and imperfect they are and how flawed and imperfect you are--and how much hope there is for you, how much value each of them have. How much you have.
There's a lot of normal reasons to read this book. The writing is absolutely stunning: sometimes it's straight up hilarious wit, sometimes it's effortlessly poetic, sometimes it's like reading your own mind. The characters are amazing, and Levi is a precious cinnamon roll of *let me hug you*, but like, a cinnamon roll with great hair. And Bee is funny, well-rounded, and real.
Plus, the story will most likely make you cry (a-lot), and that's definitely a bonus.
But there's a lot of beyond-normal reasons to read this book. It shows an actual reality that balances pain and happiness. It inspires you to go out and make meaning of your life. It shows the human connection that brings that meaning. And it gives hope in the discovery of self worth.
Read it. kk?
Want to read
November 7, 2016Sierra's first novel is going to get published, and I couldn't me more excited!! I'm sure it's going to be awesome, just like her!! Can't wait for this book!!<3
July 8, 2017
It's 2am and I couldn't put this book down without finishing it. Such a cute, heartwarming, painful, and beautiful book.
Full review to come on my blog:
Full review to come on my blog:
April 16, 2019
I AM IN LOVE. I owned this book for over a year before I read it, but I'm convinced I was meant to read it right now
Things Liked-
-IT WAS SO RELEVANT to me rn!!! just,,the parallel between it and my life rn is SO uncanny
-I loVE Bee!! and her use of titles and parantheses and SHE IS SO CUTE
-ALSO Gretchen: THEY ARE FRIENDSHIP GOALS
-and of couRSE Levi LEVI LEVI LEVI OMGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG also the Color Project is literally the best thing ever also Sierra wrote a character that is based solely around this post (per my own connection) and I LOVE IT
-I really loved the touches to like, modern day things, like Spotify, and FB Messenger, and Maggie Steifvater, and John Green, and AH it just made it that much more relatable
-Also I really really loved how close-knit the family was! Not sure how realistic a family who still kisses each other is (since that's not how my family is like), but IT WAS SO CUTE and it fit in the story so well
-that name motif IS THE BEST OMG just. It was cute at the beginning, and then it got to be a lot, and then at the end it all peaked and then wrapped up and I LOVED IT
-it was a long book but it was such an easy read (I read it in an afternoon/evening/late into the night), and it was just the perfect amount of fluffy contemporary with depth and heaviness and sorry
-the romance was so true-to-life I saw people complaining about how it was insta-love and etcetc, but I really loved it, and I felt like it progressed at a good speed. also I love how Bee and Levi are the perfect sweet lovey honey-mooning new couple, but they each have their own issues!! and they work through it!!
-the "I love you more" "I love you most" thing is THE SWEETEST
Things Disliked-
-There was some mild language? not enough to bother me, and always aptly done, but some people might not be okay with it (a couple s-words is the most extreme it gets)
tl;dr: READ IT READ IT READ IT ESPECIALLY IF YOU LIKE CONTEMPORARY YOU WILL BAWL DON'T SAY I DIDN'T WARN YOU
Quite possibly my favorite book of 2019 so far?
Things Liked-
-IT WAS SO RELEVANT to me rn!!! just,,the parallel between it and my life rn is SO uncanny
-I loVE Bee!! and her use of titles and parantheses and SHE IS SO CUTE
-ALSO Gretchen: THEY ARE FRIENDSHIP GOALS
-and of couRSE Levi LEVI LEVI LEVI OMGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG also the Color Project is literally the best thing ever also Sierra wrote a character that is based solely around this post (per my own connection) and I LOVE IT
-I really loved the touches to like, modern day things, like Spotify, and FB Messenger, and Maggie Steifvater, and John Green, and AH it just made it that much more relatable
-Also I really really loved how close-knit the family was! Not sure how realistic a family who still kisses each other is (since that's not how my family is like), but IT WAS SO CUTE and it fit in the story so well
-that name motif IS THE BEST OMG just. It was cute at the beginning, and then it got to be a lot, and then at the end it all peaked and then wrapped up and I LOVED IT
-it was a long book but it was such an easy read (I read it in an afternoon/evening/late into the night), and it was just the perfect amount of fluffy contemporary with depth and heaviness and sorry
-the romance was so true-to-life I saw people complaining about how it was insta-love and etcetc, but I really loved it, and I felt like it progressed at a good speed. also I love how Bee and Levi are the perfect sweet lovey honey-mooning new couple, but they each have their own issues!! and they work through it!!
-the "I love you more" "I love you most" thing is THE SWEETEST
Things Disliked-
-There was some mild language? not enough to bother me, and always aptly done, but some people might not be okay with it (a couple s-words is the most extreme it gets)
tl;dr: READ IT READ IT READ IT ESPECIALLY IF YOU LIKE CONTEMPORARY YOU WILL BAWL DON'T SAY I DIDN'T WARN YOU
Quite possibly my favorite book of 2019 so far?
September 10, 2017
Five Things About The Color Project
1) ASFJGRIFJRIFJEOKFOEJFIEHFURHGIEJOFKWOMCOSKCIDJGHRIGJEOCCKSOCKOSKCOSKDOEKOFKOEJGROKKFODKVOEKFOKEF
Ehem. Sorry. Now I will be coherent.
1) this book is a magical work of art. It fills you with the most warm feelings ever. It makes you laugh. It makes you cry. It's the perfect book to snuggle up with on a rainy day with a cup of coffee. I can't wait to own a copy of it and just snuggle it and hold it and take pictures with it and get tear stains on the pages.
2) Bee is such a wonderful, relatable narrator. She's got her flaws, and they shine in a way that just make you love her more. I did want to grab her by the shoulders and give her a good shake at times, but I understood her actions and her fears. It made her so REAL. And I love that.
3) Levi.
Levi.
LEEEEEVIIIIIII.
Precious human bean. My starfish Levi. This bean is perfect. For the book, for Bee, for me *coughs loudly* EHEM sorry what? No I didn't say anything. POINT OF THIS IS: if you don't want to read this book (which I don't know why that would be but it might be possible from someone strange) then STILL READ IT JUST FOR LEVI. LEVI IS WORTH IT. Even if the plot was the worst ever (which it's totally not) and the story world was crummy (which it's totally not) EVEN IF EVERYTHING ABOUT THE BOOK WASN'T AS GOOD AS IT IS, I'D STILL READ IT MULTIPLE TIMES. FOR LEVI. BECAUSE HE HAS CAPTURED MY HEART.
#levirantover
4) Can I just say I love the town this takes place in? I love the feeling I get about Bee's house. I love the Color Project. I love the beach. Love Levi's house. I really love the donut shop. And the flower and car shop. EVERYTHING.
5) just everything about this book, guys. Everything. It's so warm and worms into your soul. It is most definitely a story of the heart, and you can feel Sierra's passion flooding into the characters and setting and themes and making them alive.
10000000 STARS. GO READ IT. NOW. I don't care if you don't read contemporary because I don't usually either. This book is the exception. SO GO READ IT.
1) ASFJGRIFJRIFJEOKFOEJFIEHFURHGIEJOFKWOMCOSKCIDJGHRIGJEOCCKSOCKOSKCOSKDOEKOFKOEJGROKKFODKVOEKFOKEF
Ehem. Sorry. Now I will be coherent.
1) this book is a magical work of art. It fills you with the most warm feelings ever. It makes you laugh. It makes you cry. It's the perfect book to snuggle up with on a rainy day with a cup of coffee. I can't wait to own a copy of it and just snuggle it and hold it and take pictures with it and get tear stains on the pages.
2) Bee is such a wonderful, relatable narrator. She's got her flaws, and they shine in a way that just make you love her more. I did want to grab her by the shoulders and give her a good shake at times, but I understood her actions and her fears. It made her so REAL. And I love that.
3) Levi.
Levi.
LEEEEEVIIIIIII.
Precious human bean. My starfish Levi. This bean is perfect. For the book, for Bee, for me *coughs loudly* EHEM sorry what? No I didn't say anything. POINT OF THIS IS: if you don't want to read this book (which I don't know why that would be but it might be possible from someone strange) then STILL READ IT JUST FOR LEVI. LEVI IS WORTH IT. Even if the plot was the worst ever (which it's totally not) and the story world was crummy (which it's totally not) EVEN IF EVERYTHING ABOUT THE BOOK WASN'T AS GOOD AS IT IS, I'D STILL READ IT MULTIPLE TIMES. FOR LEVI. BECAUSE HE HAS CAPTURED MY HEART.
#levirantover
4) Can I just say I love the town this takes place in? I love the feeling I get about Bee's house. I love the Color Project. I love the beach. Love Levi's house. I really love the donut shop. And the flower and car shop. EVERYTHING.
5) just everything about this book, guys. Everything. It's so warm and worms into your soul. It is most definitely a story of the heart, and you can feel Sierra's passion flooding into the characters and setting and themes and making them alive.
10000000 STARS. GO READ IT. NOW. I don't care if you don't read contemporary because I don't usually either. This book is the exception. SO GO READ IT.
June 27, 2017
i loved this book to bits and pieces. it was overflowing with all kinds of emotions until the very end. i laughed and cried (SO HARD) and almost threw the book across the room a few times (BUT DIDN'T). it's one of those contemporary novels that will consume you with all these emotions that you feel from the main character's (Bee) POV and take you on a heartfelt journey throughout the book.
**4.75/5 stars (as a critical review that will come later)
10000/5 stars (as a dear friend and huge supporter of Sierra)
**(full review to come closer to the release date, which is July 18, 2017)**
**4.75/5 stars (as a critical review that will come later)
10000/5 stars (as a dear friend and huge supporter of Sierra)
**(full review to come closer to the release date, which is July 18, 2017)**
January 16, 2022
this book is amaaaazzinnnnnggg!!! i cant wait to read it again!!
>>>>>(2021) TCP took me forever only because i’ve read it already and i knew Matt’s death was coming and when... it was rough for me to finish it. i got through though and read his death on an airplane and cried but that’s ok. the ending to this book is possibly the most perfect ending and i’m in love all over again!
>>>>>(2021) TCP took me forever only because i’ve read it already and i knew Matt’s death was coming and when... it was rough for me to finish it. i got through though and read his death on an airplane and cried but that’s ok. the ending to this book is possibly the most perfect ending and i’m in love all over again!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 16, 2017
Your book made me cry Sierra! 😭 The Color Project is such a great story of first love, loss, second chances and family shenanigans. Loved it!
December 27, 2016
WOW. Maybe even 4.5 stars?
I didn't think I'd like this book this much. Not even close. But I did, and I'm very, very impressed.
I didn't think I'd like this book this much. Not even close. But I did, and I'm very, very impressed.
January 4, 2024
4.5 stars!
I'll link my review here when it's live. <3
Here's my review, it's spoiler free!
I'll link my review here when it's live. <3
Here's my review, it's spoiler free!
February 25, 2018
I received this book for free from Author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Five Reasons Why You Should Drop Everything on July 18 and Read The Color Project
Lately I've been in a reviewing funk/slump, so I am back again with another list of reasons why you should totally drop everything, and I mean everything(except for homework and other real-life priorities despite the fact you'd rather read all day)on July 18 (WHEN THE BOOK COMES OUT!) and read Sierra Abrams's debut novel.
The Use of Apps- I think this is a reallyminor detail, but I almost never see books that actually uses smartphone apps, and Abrams incorporates the use of at least one app I think almost everyone uses on a daily basis if not more.
Gorgeous Writing- I currently don't have the copy with me by side as I'm writing this review, but Abrams has some amazingdescriptors in her novel (most of which having to do with stars and constellations, which I adore). Have I mentioned the chapters are based on songs?!
Family and Friendship- Aside from the obvious romance, family and friendship plays an important role in The Color Project, and I lovedhow Abrams incorporated those two elements together seamlessly with romance.
So Much Emotional Feels- If anyone knows me well enough, I am notan emotional person when it comes to the books I read and the movies/TV shows I see. The Color Projectbrings out my emotional side, and I had so many tears as I got closer to the end of the novel. (Granted, I might have been watching far too many Boys Over Flowersepisodes and reading about three other contemporary novels at the same time, but I never cryyy.)
Cute Characters- I am alllfor adorable characters. Imperfect Chemistryis valid proof of that, along with many others I've been reading lately (from I Believe in a Thing Called Loveto When Dimple Met Rishi). Bee and Levi are so adorable, I just want to pick them up from The Color Projectand adopt them.
It was an absolute delight to read Bee's and Levi's story in The Color Project,and is perfect for those looking for a contemporary novel that has gorgeous writing and bring so much emotion.
Five Reasons Why You Should Drop Everything on July 18 and Read The Color Project
Lately I've been in a reviewing funk/slump, so I am back again with another list of reasons why you should totally drop everything, and I mean everything(except for homework and other real-life priorities despite the fact you'd rather read all day)on July 18 (WHEN THE BOOK COMES OUT!) and read Sierra Abrams's debut novel.
The Use of Apps- I think this is a reallyminor detail, but I almost never see books that actually uses smartphone apps, and Abrams incorporates the use of at least one app I think almost everyone uses on a daily basis if not more.
Gorgeous Writing- I currently don't have the copy with me by side as I'm writing this review, but Abrams has some amazingdescriptors in her novel (most of which having to do with stars and constellations, which I adore). Have I mentioned the chapters are based on songs?!
Family and Friendship- Aside from the obvious romance, family and friendship plays an important role in The Color Project, and I lovedhow Abrams incorporated those two elements together seamlessly with romance.
So Much Emotional Feels- If anyone knows me well enough, I am notan emotional person when it comes to the books I read and the movies/TV shows I see. The Color Projectbrings out my emotional side, and I had so many tears as I got closer to the end of the novel. (Granted, I might have been watching far too many Boys Over Flowersepisodes and reading about three other contemporary novels at the same time, but I never cryyy.)
Cute Characters- I am alllfor adorable characters. Imperfect Chemistryis valid proof of that, along with many others I've been reading lately (from I Believe in a Thing Called Loveto When Dimple Met Rishi). Bee and Levi are so adorable, I just want to pick them up from The Color Projectand adopt them.
It was an absolute delight to read Bee's and Levi's story in The Color Project,and is perfect for those looking for a contemporary novel that has gorgeous writing and bring so much emotion.
September 17, 2016
If you have not added this to your Anticipated Release list yet, you're wrong.
Please do.
Please do.
July 8, 2017
You can find this reivew and more on
I receivedan earc ofThe Color Projectby Sierra Abrams for review as part ofThe Color ProjectBlog Tour. This has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book.
I've been looking forward to this one for quite some time. It sounded like my type of contemporary novel. What I didn't expect was to cry like a baby and grin like an idiot at the same time.The Color Projectis a whirlwind of emotions, you are taken for a ride and it's a little crazy.
The Color Projectfollows protagonist Bee as starts a new job, meets a new boy and has her life changed forever. Bee has only started working at the flower shop when her car breaks down, but when she goes to get it fixed, she is transfixed by someone new - Levi. Levi likes to wear bring shirts and when no at the repair shop, all his time goes into The Color Project. When then someone in her family gets sick, and everything falls apart.
Bee was a very interesting character to read along with. I felt that I could connect with her in a lot of ways. We liked a lot of the same things and I felt that if we knew each other in real life - we would be great friends. In saying this I also felt that Bee was very stubborn and that really hindered me liking her at times. I just wanted to shake her all about and knock some sense into her. However, I felt that Bee had a really nice character arc and I enjoyed seeing her journey.
Levi, please can he be mine? He was adorable, strong and just made my heart skip a beat. I loved getting to know Levi, he had many layers that I liked finding out about. However, at times I felt that he only looked at things one way and that took away from him.
The romance in The Color Project was totally adorable. I liked seeing Levi and Bee fall for each other. It was slow and nice to see, two young characters fall like they did. At times I did cringe, not because it was bad. But, because I could see things coming between then.
The Color Projecthad a massive focus on family and friends. And although there was a little bit of 'the bad family,' there was also so much love. I loved the dynamics of Bee's family and how at a time of need they were all there. It was beautiful.
Although I did really like The Color Project, I did feel that the writing was lacking a little. That doesn't mean it was bad. I just wanted someone more. I feel as Sierra Abrams novels go on, her writing will only become better and better. It's a great start and I cannot wait to see more. I wasn't a massive fan of all the talking that Bee did to us. Nevertheless, I think there ispotential.
Overall, I really enjoyedThe Color Project.I feel in love with the characters and where they wanted to go. It's a really good debut novel from a young author.The Color Projectexplores the notions of family, friendship and first love. It's heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time, it's real and raw.
I receivedan earc ofThe Color Projectby Sierra Abrams for review as part ofThe Color ProjectBlog Tour. This has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings about the book.
I've been looking forward to this one for quite some time. It sounded like my type of contemporary novel. What I didn't expect was to cry like a baby and grin like an idiot at the same time.The Color Projectis a whirlwind of emotions, you are taken for a ride and it's a little crazy.
The Color Projectfollows protagonist Bee as starts a new job, meets a new boy and has her life changed forever. Bee has only started working at the flower shop when her car breaks down, but when she goes to get it fixed, she is transfixed by someone new - Levi. Levi likes to wear bring shirts and when no at the repair shop, all his time goes into The Color Project. When then someone in her family gets sick, and everything falls apart.
Bee was a very interesting character to read along with. I felt that I could connect with her in a lot of ways. We liked a lot of the same things and I felt that if we knew each other in real life - we would be great friends. In saying this I also felt that Bee was very stubborn and that really hindered me liking her at times. I just wanted to shake her all about and knock some sense into her. However, I felt that Bee had a really nice character arc and I enjoyed seeing her journey.
Levi, please can he be mine? He was adorable, strong and just made my heart skip a beat. I loved getting to know Levi, he had many layers that I liked finding out about. However, at times I felt that he only looked at things one way and that took away from him.
The romance in The Color Project was totally adorable. I liked seeing Levi and Bee fall for each other. It was slow and nice to see, two young characters fall like they did. At times I did cringe, not because it was bad. But, because I could see things coming between then.
The Color Projecthad a massive focus on family and friends. And although there was a little bit of 'the bad family,' there was also so much love. I loved the dynamics of Bee's family and how at a time of need they were all there. It was beautiful.
Although I did really like The Color Project, I did feel that the writing was lacking a little. That doesn't mean it was bad. I just wanted someone more. I feel as Sierra Abrams novels go on, her writing will only become better and better. It's a great start and I cannot wait to see more. I wasn't a massive fan of all the talking that Bee did to us. Nevertheless, I think there ispotential.
Overall, I really enjoyedThe Color Project.I feel in love with the characters and where they wanted to go. It's a really good debut novel from a young author.The Color Projectexplores the notions of family, friendship and first love. It's heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time, it's real and raw.
June 21, 2017
The Color Project is absolutely everything that I look for in a contemporary novel. With a fantastic main character, a beautiful story, and one seriously swoony book boyfriend, this is one summer release you absolutely cannot miss.
I fully expected to enjoy this book going into it, but I absolutely fell in love with it. I can't wait for everyone to read about "The Color Project" itself, because it is such a beautiful, philanthropic concept and something I wish there was more of in this world of ours. It also happens to be run by the sweetest book boyfriend that I have ever had the pleasure of encountering. I just dare you to try read this book and not fall in love with Levi.
Bee is such a great main character. She is navigating her way through that challenging transition between teen to adulthood and trying to make all those major, life-altering decisions we're confronted with during that time. Watching her discover who she really is and what she really wants was so much fun. She is a very relatable character and so charming. Reading this book from her perspective was an absolute joy.
Abrams also includes such strong depictions of families in this story. From Bee's beautiful, loving family, who must face one of the most difficult things a family can be faced with, to Levi's mostly absent and usual abrasive dad and his fun and affectionate mom, Abrams really does a great job of exploring the idea of what it truly means to be part of a family and all the wonderful and difficult emotions that come along with it.
This book made me laugh out loud, it made me cry, it made my sigh, and it made me smile. It packs all the feels, folks. And I just have to say that I 100% support Abrams' use of glitter in this story. Glitter certainly contributes to a happier world in my opinion.
Bee just happens to be a book pusher, and so am I! So do yourself a favor, you guys, and READ. THIS. BOOK!
I fully expected to enjoy this book going into it, but I absolutely fell in love with it. I can't wait for everyone to read about "The Color Project" itself, because it is such a beautiful, philanthropic concept and something I wish there was more of in this world of ours. It also happens to be run by the sweetest book boyfriend that I have ever had the pleasure of encountering. I just dare you to try read this book and not fall in love with Levi.
Bee is such a great main character. She is navigating her way through that challenging transition between teen to adulthood and trying to make all those major, life-altering decisions we're confronted with during that time. Watching her discover who she really is and what she really wants was so much fun. She is a very relatable character and so charming. Reading this book from her perspective was an absolute joy.
Abrams also includes such strong depictions of families in this story. From Bee's beautiful, loving family, who must face one of the most difficult things a family can be faced with, to Levi's mostly absent and usual abrasive dad and his fun and affectionate mom, Abrams really does a great job of exploring the idea of what it truly means to be part of a family and all the wonderful and difficult emotions that come along with it.
This book made me laugh out loud, it made me cry, it made my sigh, and it made me smile. It packs all the feels, folks. And I just have to say that I 100% support Abrams' use of glitter in this story. Glitter certainly contributes to a happier world in my opinion.
Bee just happens to be a book pusher, and so am I! So do yourself a favor, you guys, and READ. THIS. BOOK!
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