Colorful: A Novel

A formless soul gets a second chance at life in the body of 14-year-old Makoto Kobayashi, who committed suicide, and as he grows closer to the family and people around him, he sees their true colors more clearly, shedding light on Makoto’s misunderstandings. Original.
"The soul of the deceased narrator, cleansed of all its memories of its past life, is heading toward the darkness when it suddenly encounters an angel. 'Congratulations!' the angel exclaims. 'You're the winner of our lottery! You're being given a second chance!' The next thing it knows, the soul is back on earth, occupying the body of fifteen-year-old Makoto who is planning to poison himself. Makoto is friendless, and his family shows him little love. Unable to feel affection for the people around him, he spends his time drawing or playing cards with the angel. But when it comes to discussions of which high school he should go to, Makoto is surprised to realize that his family and his teachers genuinely care about him. He has words with the angel: 'I want to give back Makoto's family the real Makoto.' The angel agrees, but on one condition: the soul has to remember his original mistake. 'Look around you,' adds the angel. 'There are clues everywhere.' Eventually, the soul remembers: he killed someone. Andthe person he killed? Himself, which is to say, Makoto Kobayashi.."--