THE OCEAN WOULD PAINT ME BLUE, by Zoulfa Katouh, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, June 2, 2026, Hardcover, $19.99 (young adult)
A Syrian American girl uses a magical sketchbook to turn her grief into art in The Ocean Would Paint Me Blue, by Zoulfa Katouh.
Seventeen-year-old Jihad Dabbagh has always seen life with a heightened sense for colors, one of many magical blessings the women in her family possess. But Jihad’s gift changes depending on her mood. When depression sets in, the world is a colorless oasis, and in the wake of her mother’s sudden death, the world has become a permanent shade of grey.
Broken by tragedy, Jihad’s family doesn’t believe her color loss. Her father sends her to the elite Braxton Academy to finish her senior year. There, Jihad’s name and hijab put a target on her back. Her haven comes in the form of an old sketchbook carved from a tree in her hometown in Syria—a country she only knew through her mother’s stories. Jihad hasn’t picked up a brush in over a year, but finds herself channeling the colors of her hurt, pain, and grief as she paints the story of her mother’s journey in Syria.
When graffiti of that same mural starts magically popping up all over New York, her art goes viral and the world takes notice, the threat of legal consequences is imminent. To reclaim her voice, Jihad will have to paint a new future for herself and Braxton, guided by the resilience of her mother’s story. —Synopsis provided by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
At the center of The Ocean Would Paint Me Blue is Jihad, a controversially named senior who dreams of being accepted into an art college in San Francisco, hundred of mile away from her family and heartache. She’s wonderfully layered and imperfect.
The same cannot be said for Author Zoulfa Katouh’s supporting characters. Jamie, Jihad’s friend and “love” interest, comes across as some sort of god. While he does have some flaws, they lack meat. The rest of the kids at school are varying kinds of off-putting, with only one other that even makes a stab at being friendly let alone offering friendship. It really feels like it’s Jihad against the world.
The Ocean Would Paint Me Blue confronts anti-Muslim sentiments. And Katouh isn’t subtle with her depiction of microaggressions and full-on aggressions. While it makes the situations and characters clear — bad or good — it lacks the nuance that occurs in real life.
That’s not to say The Ocean Would Paint Me Blue isn’t good. It’s still a worthwhile read. Katouh’s ability to capture raw emotion is strong. You feel Jihad’s anguish, fear and wonderment equally. And the magical moments add a much-needed brightness to the book. Katouh’s exploration of color and the lack thereof is what sets this book apart.
The Ocean Would Paint Me Blue moves at a steady pace and offers an emotional whammy. Katouh’s prose is beautiful and takes readers to unexpected places.
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