INDIGO GIRL

Aiko spends the summer in rural
Japan with her biological father in this sequel to Gadget Girl (2013).

Aiko Cassidy feels like she doesn’t
fit in with the perfect family her mother has created with her Latinx stepfather
and their new baby. Aiko is biracial (her mother is white) and has cerebral
palsy. Hoping for a sense of belonging and some inspiration for her manga, Gadget Girl, she accepts her biological
father’s invitation to spend the summer with his family on their indigo farm in
Japan. Aiko attends school with her half brother, goes on tours with her father
and his wife, and tries to please her disapproving Obaachan. As long-buried
family secrets emerge, Aiko’s view of her entire family changes. Kamata has
created another engaging coming-of-age story about finding one’s place in the
world. The inclusion of the Japanese language and cultural details adds richness
to Aiko’s journey of self-discovery. Past disasters that have deeply affected Japan—atomic
bombs, earthquakes, and tsunamis—are in turn shown to influence Aiko’s view of
the world. So much happens in the book that some elements are not fully
developed, and readers may be left wanting more resolution. However, overall
the storylines weave together beautifully.

A lovely sequel that focuses on
finding strength in one’s self and maintaining hope when all seems lost. (Fiction.
12-17)