PositiveTimes Literary Supplement (UK)Ning’s old life resurfaces in vignettes that are sometimes disappointingly brief, leaving us both curious and frustrated, wanting more. ... Pick a Colour continues to float over the surface of Ning’s life. Nonetheless, we as readers happily drift along, propelled by Thammavongsa’s intelligence, humour and warmth.
Aria Aber
MixedFinancial Times (UK)The novel is not driven by a forceful plot ... Aber constructs a vivid world in this novel, one that is tough and relentless; her Berlin feels grimy and smells terrible. She unwinds complex histories and legacies — of people, places and politics alike — with a deft touch. It can become tedious, though, to be trapped in the head of such an insistently self-destructive person
