This book hurt me in all the best ways. It has great friendships, a warm family, a swoon worthy boy, yet also deals with a long distance relationship, grief, loss, finding yourself. It has a lot of heavy topics but written in a softer way.
The Color Project is one of those books that will stay with you for a long time. It’s Sierra Abram’s debut novel, but it’s packed full of love, laughter, heartbreak and hope. Sierra has such a gorgeous writing style, so descriptive, so imaginative, and while it might have taken me over a week to read, that was never a bad thing. I very rarely savour my books, or feel the need to keep reading for longer than necessary, but I did with The Color Project because it is so beautiful. Bee and Levi will fill you with all kinds of hope, and the whole Westcott family is a family you want to be part of, believe me.
For so long, it seems like The Color Project is a love story. That it’s about Bee and Levi, as they slowly fall in love with each other, but it’s so much more than that. The Color Project, Levi’s charity that offers hope and money to people who desperately need it, is a lifeline where they live, helping tons of couples achieve their dreams and it’s the heartbeat of this book. To know, at 19, that you want to help others is a massive, massive thing and Levi is just the kindest person you’ll ever meet, ever. I was truly blown away with his selflessness, and it’s to the point, as the book wears on, that to Bee it’s something that causes frustration (read it and you’ll see) but I was never sick of Levi’s kindness. The world needs more Levi’s in this world.
I absolutely adored Bee. You know, from the very beginning, that she’s wary of who she trusts. We never really know why - it’s not like she has a massive, tragic backstory, she’s just wary of who she gets involved in and I wanted everything for her, because she’s just so lovely. I could not think of a better pairing than Bee and Levi. They complement each other perfectly. And Bee’s family, all the Westcott’s, is the kind of family you crave to be part of. They love each other immensely and they aren’t afraid to show it. But Bee, though. *Happy sigh* I loved her narration, I loved her job as a florist (which got me interested in floristry like never before, to the point where I would love to do something like that), I loved her outlook on life, and I loved how she didn’t want to tell Levi her name, making the biggest guessing game ever occur, which was hilarious.
The Color Project isn’t all sparkles and roses and happiness, there is a very, very sad twist. It does get a lot more serious, and it isn’t all straightforward, but that never takes away from what a brilliant read it is. I loved every single page, I loved the fact Sierra Abrams made me cry so hard I had to put the book down, because it shows the mark of a good writer who can make me laugh and cry. It takes quite the writer, and Sierra did it a few times. Basically every time I thought I was done crying, Sierra just took the rug from under my feet (again). The Color Project is an incredible read. It had me hooked from beginning to end and Sierra Abrams is a massive new talent in YA fiction. Her writing is absolutely beautiful, so descriptive, so flowing, so dreamlike. And Bee and Levi will warm any heart, because they are literally that cute together.