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This popped up in my social media feed, and I’m always a sucker for a good graphic memoir. But this one is a lot deeper than I was expecting. I think instead of YA, I would categorize this under “New Adult,�� a genre one of my local bookstores has that deals with the issues of folks who are legally an adult but still finding their place in the world.

While I am not a biracial person, I can identify a little bit with how Mari never felt that she fit in anywhere. My father’s family is Jewish, but we weren’t raised in the religion or the culture. However, I was bullied quite a bit for being Jewish, and I never really fit in anywhere as a kid or a teenager. It wasn’t until I became quite a bit older that I realized that it really doesn’t matter whether I fit in, and that it was fine just making friends who appreciate me for who I am.

My heart went out to Mari when she went through a heavy depressive episode. It’s common for young people to feel all the weight of the world, but it hit Mari especially hard. This part of the memoir may be difficult for people who have themselves struggled with depression and self-harm. I am so very glad that Mari had her grandparents nearby in Japan so that she had a loving home to retreat to.

Even in the darkest hours, dawn comes again. And even after the darkest of winters, spring always arrives and the cherry trees bloom once more.