Book Review

“Ramona Blue” is a beautiful, heart-warming story about a girl learning who she is as a whole person, not just her sexual identity.

Ramona Blue (Release Date (May 2017)

Ramona was only five years old when Hurricane Katrina changed her life forever.

Since then, it’s been Ramona and her family against the world. Standing over six feet tall with unmistakable blue hair, Ramona is sure of three things: she likes girls, she’s fiercely devoted to her family, and she knows she’s destined for something bigger than the trailer she calls home in Eulogy, Mississippi. But juggling multiple jobs, her flaky mom, and her well-meaning but ineffectual dad forces her to be the adult of the family. Now, with her sister, Hattie, pregnant, responsibility weighs more heavily than ever.

The return of her childhood friend Freddie brings a welcome distraction. Ramona’s friendship with the former competitive swimmer picks up exactly where it left off, and soon he’s talked her into joining him for laps at the pool. But as Ramona falls in love with swimming, her feelings for Freddie begin to shift too, which is the last thing she expected. With her growing affection for Freddie making her question her sexual identity, Ramona begins to wonder if perhaps she likes girls and guys or if this new attraction is just a fluke. Either way, Ramona will discover that, for her, life and love are more fluid than they seem.

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My Thoughts…

I just loved this story so much! Honestly, there isn’t a single thing I didn’t like about it except that it ENDED WAHHHHHH! The characters are real and flawed and the writing is fantastic! I was so impressed with the dialogue! It was fresh and contemporary. Exactly how you would expect teens to speak. I hate YA that sounds like it was written by someone in their eighties. Julie Murphy knows her audience and really appreciate that. It just makes the story that much more realistic.

There are so many important themes in this book. Scratch the surface and one would think it’s simply about a young woman who questions her sexual identity (not that that’s ever simple) even though she believed she had it figured out years ago. Yes that is the main them throughout the story but it’s also about love, family, and friendship. Not to mention, these characters are all survivors of Katrina and being through something that devastating naturally plays a strong role in how these characters have developed. Especially Ramona.

Life isn’t written in the stars. Fate is ours to pen. -Ramona Blue

I’m not going to pretend I’m an expert, but I can see how at first glance it would seem that Ramona, a young woman who identifies as a lesbian, suddenly turned straight or bi as soon as the right guy comes along, would upset some people. But, it’s not like that. Ramona learns like life, sexuality is fluid and for her it’s more about the person not the label. Even more importantly, she learns about herself and what she wants to do with her life because when it comes down to it, that’s what this story is about.

Guys, I can’t recommend this book enough. It was funny, endearing, thought-provoking and evocative. A lot for one small book I know, but trust me, you will love it!

Rating… A+

Julie Murphy