“Grounding a plot reminiscent of The Giver against a contemporary backdrop, Cooper
depicts Mackenzie’s bright emotions and desire to conform via a first-person POV that
resounds as vibrantly as the protagonist’s rainbow glow. Insights from the documentary
footage and Serenity paraphernalia add nuanced layers to this tale about idealism gone
awry.” —Publishers Weekly

“[A]n intriguing exploration of the effects of conformity and suppressing emotions…The
writing is well paced and engaging, and the book ends with helpful grounding
techniques as well as resources for helping adults and tweens cope with overwhelming
emotions…An absorbing treatise on living fully and truthfully.” —Kirkus Reviews

Turning Red meets The Giver in this novel about a town where everyone agrees to think positively—but one girl, whose emotions manifest as colors, can’t hide her true feelings.

In Serenity, Minnesota, everyone looks on the bright side, and that’s on purpose: to live in this town, people have to agree to talk positively and only focus on the good things in life. For twelve-year-old Mackenzie Werner, who has the rare gift of her emotions showing up as a colorful haze around her body, this town seems like the perfect place; she’ll never face the embarrassment of a grumbly grapefruit smog if everyone and everything is set up to be happy. But when a documentary maker comes to town and starts asking questions, Mackenzie, overwhelmed with emotion, can’t hold her haze back—and it explodes onto the whole town. Now everyone has their own haze, revealing their real feelings. As Mackenzie learns that emotions go beyond surface level, the whole town must reckon with what it means now that these true colors are on display.