The Color of Water

So, reading The Maze Runner kind of got put on hold when our class had to begin reading The Color of Water, but it doesn't really matter because, either way, I'd still be reading a fantastic book. The Color of Water is a very interesting book and I especially love it because it is a memoir. Memoirs are some of my favorite books to read because, even if they are "enhanced" a little to make it more interesting, I always find it fascinating how it was actually someone's life, not just a made-up story coming out of the reader's imagination. Also, I love how the author can share how they feel about certain situations not only at the time that it was happening, but also how they feel about it looking back at it. This allows the author to convey a specific message or lesson that they had learned from all of their amazing experiences. As the reader, I sometimes have to remind myself that what I am reading actually happened to this person because some things that happened are so amazing and life-changing that it seems like they came right out of the author's head.

Anyways, back to The Color of Water. This book is so greatly written, in a way that is realistic, yet unbelievable. All of the events that have happened so far in his life are eye-opening to what a black person with a white mom had to go through in this time period. But James' life is not the only one with obstacles to jump over and surprises at every turn. His mother, Ruth has an even more shaky and unstable back story, that is revealed from her point of view every other chapter. The idea of, little by little, unraveling Ruth's past in between James' is extraordinary. It is so helpful to get to know Ruth from her own point of view because it helps you to understand why Ruth does the things she does now because her past has impacted her in every aspect. Also, it is much more interesting for the reader to get another perspective throughout the book, rather than just listening to James the whole time. This book is a great read so far and I think it may be the first book we have to read for school that I actually enjoy reading!