Ramona Blue by Julie Murphy

Pages: 408

Intended Audience: Mature Teens

Genre: Coming of Age / LGBTQ

Notes for Parents: Contains mild language, sexuality, underaged drinking, and mature situations.

The Back Cover

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.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

Julie Murphy is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dumplin’ and Side Effects May Vary.

What’s good?

Relationships are complex, and Ramona Blue knows this all too well. She’s just a small-town girl trying to be her authentic self when her own feelings betray her. Things get complicated when her pregnant sister’s boyfriend moves in, her friends start moving on without her, and a boy from her past shows up. The story has emotion, diversity, introspection, and several poignant moments. Ramona is a convincing character and her supporting cast is varied but believable. The ending is deeply satisfying.

Best Part: Freddie.

What isn’t good?

Thanks to the back-cover description, we knew that Ramona was going to fall for Freddie, but after 80 pages, it still hadn’t happened! Overall, the story moved slowly, there wasn’t a lot of action, and it was fairly predictable. I started getting tired of the characters about three quarters of the way in. While the short chapters moved things along some, it was still too long and lacked tension.

Worst part: The sex scene was gratuitous and offered too much information.

Recommendation ☺☺☺☺☻ (3.5/5)

This is essentially an intricate coming-of-age story. Ramona is a strong, memorable character and her small Mississippi town is a beautiful setting for a story that will resonate with many teens. The diverse cast of characters is wonderfully refreshing. The slow pace was its only real weakness. It’s worth the read. Recommended.

Murphy, Julie. Ramona Blue. New York: Balzar + Bray, 2017.