Eleanor Douglas-Meyers reviews Every Colour of You by Amelia Mandeville
Every Colour of You is a heart-wrenching, beautiful debut novel from 21-year-old YouTuber Amelia Mandeville.
In an unlikely love story touching on the unromantic topics of grief, depression and attempted suicide, Mandeville manages to find beauty in these heart-breaking topics.
The story is told from the perspective of two extremely different British university students dealing with love and mortality.
On one side of the story is Tristan whose life falls apart after the death of his single-parent father. Suicidal and dealing with anger management issues, he is stuck in a cycle of self-destruction.
On the other side is Zoe, a quirky character who loves life and fills it with impromptu yoga, experimenting with hair colour, interesting fashion choices and photography.
The paths of the unlikely pair cross and their lives intertwine in a story which shows the emotional and physical effects of depression and grief without a hint of condescension.
Mandeville's writing style is light and easy despite the emotive topic, and her characters are relateable and real.
You see glimpses of the main characters’ family lives and realise how profoundly grief affects people in extremely different ways.
While Tristan deals with his overpowering sadness, Zoe is convinced she can help him, but it comes at a cost. Every Colour of You by Amelia Mandeville is published by Sphere