Ramona Blue

By: Julie Murphy

Narrated by: Therese Plummer

The fourth novel from Julie Murphy, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dumplin’—now a Netflix feature film starring Danielle Macdonald and Jennifer Aniston, with a soundtrack by Dolly Parton!

For fans of Rainbow Rowell and Morgan Matson, Julie Murphy has created 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.

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.

Okay

This one had it's moments but I can't say it will be one of my more memorable reads.

Where was this book ten years ago?

Easily one of the best stories to be told in a long time. I found myself in this narrative over and over again. A must read for anyone who just needs to find them self.

Okay story, narration is so-so

I liked this book overall, it just didn't grip me. Ramona is a decent main character, I liked her blue hair and that she wasn't afraid to be out to her family, friends, or small town. She just did her own thing and that's pretty cool. Going through an identity crisis is hard, especially when you've come to terms with who you are and that notion gets flipped upside down. Ramona and Freddie were cute together, but she held back because she wasn't sure what she wanted and put other's needs ahead of her own. I was glad to see her grow and believe in herself.
The main issue I had was pacing. There were fun parts where I was engaged, but then it slowed down and I got bored. The narrator wasn't that great either, so maybe I would've liked it more if I read it.

The LGBTQ theme was great and I liked the point of sexuality being fluid and that it's okay to not be sure of who you are or what you want.