Week 11 Review: Ramona Blue

From Goodreads:
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.

My Review:
This was a really wonderful read! I've enjoyed Julie Murphy's books before, but contemporary is not my favourite of genres. I did enjoy Ramona's story, of feeling too big for the space that she occupies in her life, and I had a great time listening to the audiobook!

This was partially a story about romance-but it was also a story about growing up, that time where you don't know what you want, and not knowing what the future holds, and this intertwined with the romance and well. And what with her love of being in the water, her ability to swim, it could get her places in more ways than one. 

But it was also in the ways that her life was restrained, by the fact that her family was poor, that her sister was pregnant, and it really made Ramona feel trapped. I really enjoyed how light time spend with Freddie and her friends made her feel! 

I wasn't sure about the idea of someone who knew that they liked girls, was liking a guy. You know? It's hard to explain, because girls liking girls is rare, while girls liking guys isn't. But Freddie was her childhood friend, and they got along so well, and I really enjoyed them together, and the conversation that was had, about not knowing what your identity was, and discovering it! That maybe labels are a little more constricting then messy real life.

This was a really great read, and I really need to read the rest of Julie Murphy's books!

Author: Julie Murphy
Read: March 15th, 2022
Source: Edelweiss/Library
Reason Why: I've enjoyed her books, and it's a SAC 2022 Book!
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Published: May 9th 2017

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars