singerchick1569's review against another edition
5.0
I found this to be a quick read. I think it could be easy to relate to for a wide variety of people and it is just....charming.
Read my full review here: http://eightfulllives.com/index.php/2018/02/18/review-ramona-blue-by-julie-murphy/
Read my full review here: http://eightfulllives.com/index.php/2018/02/18/review-ramona-blue-by-julie-murphy/
alicja_p's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
julianav's review against another edition
5.0
Surprised
Pleasantly surprises by this story. A journey of self discovery for a heroine who thought she has everything figured out
Pleasantly surprises by this story. A journey of self discovery for a heroine who thought she has everything figured out
readerpants's review against another edition
5.0
I didn't viscerally love this the way I did Dumplin', but I do think it was quite well done and a strong new addition to library shelves and queer book lists. 4.5 stars but rounding up to 5.
I especially appreciated:
- queer characters existing with other friends and community, not in a straight vacuum
- nice explicit consent and handling of sex generally
- at least one solid convo about race, when Ramona has to confront her ignorance about how Freddie's blackness puts him at risk in a specific way in the world.
I've noticed a tonal shift in YA in the last year or so, and I think this is very much of that moment... sometimes you can read YA and place it within a particular 3 year span just from its tone and handling of side characters or details, and I think we're in that distinctive type of moment right now. I like this particular moment that we're in, and I look forward to seeing where it goes next.
I especially appreciated:
- queer characters existing with other friends and community, not in a straight vacuum
- nice explicit consent and handling of sex generally
- at least one solid convo about race, when Ramona has to confront her ignorance about how Freddie's blackness puts him at risk in a specific way in the world.
I've noticed a tonal shift in YA in the last year or so, and I think this is very much of that moment... sometimes you can read YA and place it within a particular 3 year span just from its tone and handling of side characters or details, and I think we're in that distinctive type of moment right now. I like this particular moment that we're in, and I look forward to seeing where it goes next.
mindfullibrarian's review against another edition
3.0
Julie Murphy became a favorite of mine after I read her book [b:Dumplin'|18304322|Dumplin' (Dumplin', #1)|Julie Murphy|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1424189465s/18304322.jpg|25795642]. That plus the hype about Ramona Blue is why I was anticipating this one so much! While reading I was up and down and up and down about 15 times on whether I was loving it or liking it.
Here is why I settled on 3 stars:
- tackles ambiguous feelings about sexual identity (and Murphy used sensitivity readers) which will be a welcome topic for any teens struggling to label themselves. I did feel like some of the dialogue was less-than-fluid and there were some unnecessary sexual references in jokes and offhand comments that felt a bit forced and could have been cut, though.
- has beautiful descriptions of feelings about family relationships, and the storyline involving Ramona and her pregnant sister is my favorite in the book. I also love Ramona's interactions with her father.
- the Olympics and swimming storyline is a unique one, and I loved that Ramona has such body confidence.
While the book has definite merits, I have books I have loved more about all of the topics above.
I love Julie Murphy and I know every book can't be like my favorite of any author. I applaud her for tackling topics in this book that many authors avoid (race, sexuality, etc). I am so excited about the next Dumplin' book that Murphy is working on!
I received a digital ARC of this title for review - all opinions are my own.
Here is why I settled on 3 stars:
- tackles ambiguous feelings about sexual identity (and Murphy used sensitivity readers) which will be a welcome topic for any teens struggling to label themselves. I did feel like some of the dialogue was less-than-fluid and there were some unnecessary sexual references in jokes and offhand comments that felt a bit forced and could have been cut, though.
- has beautiful descriptions of feelings about family relationships, and the storyline involving Ramona and her pregnant sister is my favorite in the book. I also love Ramona's interactions with her father.
- the Olympics and swimming storyline is a unique one, and I loved that Ramona has such body confidence.
While the book has definite merits, I have books I have loved more about all of the topics above.
I love Julie Murphy and I know every book can't be like my favorite of any author. I applaud her for tackling topics in this book that many authors avoid (race, sexuality, etc). I am so excited about the next Dumplin' book that Murphy is working on!
I received a digital ARC of this title for review - all opinions are my own.
heather425's review against another edition
4.0
This review contains spoilers. You've been warned...
Ramona Blue lives in a small town in Mississippi. At seventeen she should be enjoying her senior year of high school and applying to colleges, but Ramona feels like she has to take care of her family and be an adult instead. Enter Freddie, a boy who used to summer in her town as a child with her grandparents. They haven't seen each other since they were nine, but they pick up right where they left off. Except Freddie wants it to be more than a friendship. Just one small issue - Ramona is a lesbian. Which leads to her questioning how she identifies her sexuality.
Stop reading here if you don't want spoilers....
So, while Ramona questions what to call herself after beginning to fall for Freddie, she never says she's straight. I am under the impression that those who have not read the book thinks that this is a story where a girl meets a boy and realizes she's not a lesbian after all, but likes boys. It's definitely not. It's just Ramona meets Freddie and she knows she loves him and is attracted to him, but she's pretty sure he's the only boy she feels that way about. But of course that makes her question what to call herself. Seventeen year olds are still trying to figure out who they are and this makes perfect sense. Hell, people a lot older than that can start questioning what labels they identify with. What I took from this book is that we're all too quick to want to put people in neat little boxes. That's not necessary and we need to stop.
This book is more than just Ramona's sexuality. It's about love for family, discovering yourself, and learning to deal with change. It's another great novel by Julie Murphy and you should go read it!
Ramona Blue lives in a small town in Mississippi. At seventeen she should be enjoying her senior year of high school and applying to colleges, but Ramona feels like she has to take care of her family and be an adult instead. Enter Freddie, a boy who used to summer in her town as a child with her grandparents. They haven't seen each other since they were nine, but they pick up right where they left off. Except Freddie wants it to be more than a friendship. Just one small issue - Ramona is a lesbian. Which leads to her questioning how she identifies her sexuality.
Stop reading here if you don't want spoilers....
So, while Ramona questions what to call herself after beginning to fall for Freddie, she never says she's straight. I am under the impression that those who have not read the book thinks that this is a story where a girl meets a boy and realizes she's not a lesbian after all, but likes boys. It's definitely not. It's just Ramona meets Freddie and she knows she loves him and is attracted to him, but she's pretty sure he's the only boy she feels that way about. But of course that makes her question what to call herself. Seventeen year olds are still trying to figure out who they are and this makes perfect sense. Hell, people a lot older than that can start questioning what labels they identify with. What I took from this book is that we're all too quick to want to put people in neat little boxes. That's not necessary and we need to stop.
This book is more than just Ramona's sexuality. It's about love for family, discovering yourself, and learning to deal with change. It's another great novel by Julie Murphy and you should go read it!
marja_a's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
eml898's review against another edition
2.0
I love Julie Murphy, but I just couldn't connect to these characters.
notesonbookmarks's review against another edition
3.0
Ramona Blue is our title character in this YA novel from Julie Murphy. I've loved her other books, so I may have gone into this one with slightly over-elevated hopes, which is why it didn't get another 5 star rating from me. But, overall it's a solid story about a teenage girl about to graduate from High School in a small town, where she is one of only a handful of gay teens in town. Her childhood summer friend moves to town for his senior year and they basically meet up to mourn their summer girlfriends gone awry. You see where this is going, right? Yeah, so did I. But it's still a cute story, and a plenty fun "Pride Month Read".