06/05/2026
Review | The Ocean Would Paint Me Blue by Zoulfa Katouh ✨
A profound exploration of humanity, identity, grief, resilience, and hope that feels both deeply personal and universally relevant. Too often, strength is associated with power, dominance, or the ability to endure without vulnerability. Katouh’s characters, however, demonstrate that true strength can be found in kindness, compassion, and the courage to remain authentic in a world that constantly pressures individuals to conform. The story celebrates the quiet bravery of staying true to oneself, even when doing so comes at a cost. It challenges us to confront our biases, cultivate empathy, and recognize that we all are human.
Katouh’s prose is breathtakingly beautiful, lyrical without ever feeling excessive, and emotionally devastating in the best way. There were multiple moments throughout the novel that caught me quietly sobbing, dampening the pages (video incoming). Katouh has a remarkable ability to capture emotions with such honesty and precision that they become impossible to distance yourself from.
The immersive quality of the novel is enhanced by its vivid imagery, particularly the recurring use of color and grayscale. Katouh paints scenes with extraordinary clarity, transforming colors into emotional landscapes and allowing shifts between vibrancy and muted tones to reflect Jihad’s experiences. Katouh uses color almost as an emotional language. Every shade carries meaning, every visual detail deepening the emotional impact of the story. Through these carefully crafted descriptions, readers are not simply told what a character feels—they are invited to see, feel, and experience it themselves.
A must-read. I cannot wait to be even more heartbroken with her debut novel, As Long As the Lemon Trees Grow, but I may need a minute to collect myself.
This book was gifted as part of a creative book tour w & 💙
