Colorful

Gr 9 Up–Translated to English for the first time, Mori’s award-winning novel will inspire and engage teens to look at their life from a new perspective. The story begins with a lost soul meeting a psychopomp shortly after its body’s death. The psychopomp offers the soul an incredible gift, saying he’s the winner of a lottery. Apparently, he committed a monumental transgression while alive, resulting in his expulsion from the reincarnation cycle. However, thanks to the lottery, the soul will be tested and given a chance to rejoin the reincarnation cycle. The soul is transported into a high schooler’s body. After facing the possibility of an eternity of misery, the soul is absolutely delighted to have a chance to be alive again. After learning his host body was suicidal, the soul is shocked and cannot understand why the high schooler felt so depressed and overwhelmed. Although his life isn’t perfect, the soul finds much to be grateful for. The soul also learns that everything he feels is connected and that the people in life make living more enjoyable. Learning to appreciate a person’s faults along with their positive attributes allows the soul to appreciate how colorful life is.