Item: Ramona Blue
Rating: 4.00
Author: lindsey

by Julie Murphy

From Julie Murphy, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dumplin’ and Side Effects May Vary, comes another fearless heroine, Ramona Blue, in a gorgeously evocative novel about family, friendship, and how sometimes love can be more fluid than you first think. Perfect for fans of Rainbow Rowell and Morgan Matson.

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.

I started not to even pick this one up due to the low ratings on Goodreads, but I've enjoyed Julie's previous work so I decided to give it a chance once I realized that a lot of the low ratings came from people who hadn't even read the book.

In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Ramona, her pregnant sister, Hattie, and their father live in a much-too-small-for-6'3"-Ramona trailer in Eulogy, Mississippi. Ramona believes her life is going to be spent staying in Eulogy, caring for her sister and her soon-to-be-born niece, and she doesn't have plans to ever venture out of her small-town life.

As she deals with growing pains, teen angst, and heartbreak, Ramona begins to discover who she is and what she wants.

Ultimately, I enjoyed this book. There's not a lot of plot, however, and it's definitely character-driven. That's not to say it wasn't well written, because it was, it was just a little slow at times.

It wasn't perfect, by any means, but I don't think it deserves the ire it received from reviews on Goodreads, especially by the people who didn't actually read the book.

Featuring flawed yet realistic characters and a well-crafted story, Ramona Blue is a light read that's perfect for summer.

Ramona Blue

by Julie Murphy

Reviewed by lindsey on May 28, 2020

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