{"id":4980,"date":"2019-02-23T09:00:42","date_gmt":"2019-02-23T17:00:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/?p=4980"},"modified":"2021-07-06T13:35:17","modified_gmt":"2021-07-06T20:35:17","slug":"ramona-blue-teen-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/2019\/ramona-blue-teen-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Ramona Blue — Teen Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

review by\u00a0Kira Toal, age 17<\/p>\n

Ramona Blue\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>by\u00a0Julie Murphy<\/h3>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>Ramona Blue<\/i><\/b> is a girl-vs-the-world contemporary romance novel. Its protagonist, a 6\u20193, blue-haired teenager named Ramona, lives in a trailer park in Eulogy, Mississippi with her father and pregnant older sister. The book follows her struggles to navigate various obstacles in her life, including her negligent parents, her sexuality crisis, and her yearning for an escape from a claustrophobic town. <\/span>
\n<\/span> \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Ramona, luckily, is a likable protagonist. I say \u201cluckily\u201d because, while I honestly believe that Julie Murphy has created one of the most interesting female characters in contemporary YA fiction, the narrative in which she\u2019s situated is a bit lacking in conflict or tension. The book feels very much like a character study, and I appreciate that it maintains a sense of authenticity and realness throughout, but there are times when that authenticity translates into predictability, and there are some points, not too many, but some, where the chapters drag on much longer than they need to. Ramona\u2019s commentary and character development, however, help a lot to liven up dull scenes, and I saw a lot of my own concerns and questions about the future reflected in Ramona\u2019s ruminations. She\u2019s a relatable and sympathetic protagonist, but at the same time, she brings something very unique. <\/span>
\n<\/span> \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>Ramona Blue<\/i><\/b> was also enjoyable for me not so much because it was a good romance novel, but because it beautifully explored escapism. I never felt particularly moved by Ramona\u2019s problems with love, but I was intrigued by her struggles with identity and growing up, and how her discovering her own sense of self shapes her relationships. The story that emerges from Murphy\u2019s careful exploration of these themes is very heartfelt and stayed with me even after I finished the novel. <\/span>
\n<\/span> \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0I heard that the book had sparked some controversy due to its depiction of bisexuality, and I agree somewhat with the complaints. Ramona is presented as a person who initially believes herself to be a lesbian, and then realizes that she is also attracted to men, but it almost feels as though Ramona actually turns straight after falling in love with her male childhood friend, Freddie. Of course, there\u2019s nothing wrong with someone realizing that their sexual identity isn\u2019t what they first thought it was, but I found the way Murphy handled this element of Ramona\u2019s character to be a little strange\u2014not distasteful and not jarring enough to detract from my overall enjoyment of the story, but just a little strange. <\/span>
\n<\/span> \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0Ramona Blue<\/i><\/b> is an excellent story with a strong protagonist and an emotional exploration of identity and age. The book has some slow moments and I didn\u2019t find the romance aspect of this romance novel very interesting; but, overall, I would recommend it to fans of YA fiction. 4\/5 stars. \u00a0<\/span>
\n<\/span> \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0(P.S. If you happen to be a fan of Dontnod Entertainment\u2019s critically-acclaimed video game <\/span>Life is Strange<\/span><\/i>, you might really enjoy this book! I found a lot of similarities in the themes and characters.) \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Find this book in our catalog: Ramona Blue<\/a><\/p>\n

Catalog Number: YA FIC MURPHY,J<\/p>\n

408 pages<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

review by\u00a0Kira Toal, age 17 Ramona Blue\u00a0by\u00a0Julie Murphy \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Ramona Blue is a girl-vs-the-world contemporary romance novel. Its protagonist, a 6\u20193, blue-haired teenager named Ramona, lives in a trailer park in Eulogy, Mississippi with her father and pregnant older sister. The book follows her struggles to navigate various obstacles in her […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":34,"featured_media":4981,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[120,54],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4980","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-book-reviews","category-teen-reviews"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"http:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/18\/files\/sites\/18\/2019\/02\/ramona-blue.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p5ZwbD-1ik","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":6598,"url":"http:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/2021\/pumpkin-teen-book-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":4980,"position":0},"title":"Pumpkin — Teen Book Review","author":"Teen Blogger","date":"August 7, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Review by Jasmine Sov, 15 Pumpkin\u00a0By Julie Murphy Waylon Brewer can\u2019t wait to get out of Clover City. His plans are all laid out\u2014he\u2019s going to go to community college with his twin sister Clementine, find out exactly what he wants to do with his life, and then go Full\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Book Reviews"","block_context":{"text":"Book Reviews","link":"http:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/category\/teen-reviews\/book-reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/18\/files\/sites\/18\/2021\/08\/61Ji7g8mjL.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/18\/files\/sites\/18\/2021\/08\/61Ji7g8mjL.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/18\/files\/sites\/18\/2021\/08\/61Ji7g8mjL.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/18\/files\/sites\/18\/2021\/08\/61Ji7g8mjL.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/18\/files\/sites\/18\/2021\/08\/61Ji7g8mjL.jpg?resize=1050%2C600 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/18\/files\/sites\/18\/2021\/08\/61Ji7g8mjL.jpg?resize=1400%2C800 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":837,"url":"http:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/2014\/dorothy\/","url_meta":{"origin":4980,"position":1},"title":"Dorothy Must Die — Teen Review","author":"Teen Blogger","date":"June 30, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"--review by Kara, teen reviewer Dorothy Must Die\u00a0by Danielle Paige \u00a0 So here\u2019s the plot. Amy, a girl who is neglected by her mother and abandoned by her father, has a sucky life. Not only has she been ostracized because she lives in a trailer park, but, after ignoring Al\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Teen Reviews"","block_context":{"text":"Teen Reviews","link":"http:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/category\/teen-reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"http:\/\/www.syndetics.com\/index.aspx?type=xw12&isbn=0062280678\/LC.GIF&client=pasap&upc=&oclc=","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4842,"url":"http:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/2018\/hooper-teen-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":4980,"position":2},"title":"Hooper — Teen Review","author":"Teen Blogger","date":"October 27, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"review by\u00a0John Chon, age 15 Hooper\u00a0by\u00a0Geoff Herbach \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Hooper, by Geoff Herbach, is unique in many ways, especially in its subject matter. The book follows an awkward, young high schooler, who centers his entire life around basketball. To quote the protagonist, Adam, \u201cBasketball is a passport.\u201d He is very adept at\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Book Reviews"","block_context":{"text":"Book Reviews","link":"http:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/category\/teen-reviews\/book-reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/18\/files\/sites\/18\/2018\/10\/hooper.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":5187,"url":"http:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/2019\/deep-dark-blue-a-memoir-of-survival-teen-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":4980,"position":3},"title":"Deep Dark Blue: A Memoir of Survival — Teen Review","author":"Teen Blogger","date":"October 5, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Review by Nina Dinan, 16 Deep Dark Blue: A Memoir of Survival\u00a0By Polo Tate Polo Tate arrived at the U.S. Air Force Academy with a mentality that fed off challenges. She was a highly successful student-athlete who quickly rose to the physical and mental demands of the academy. She was\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Book Reviews"","block_context":{"text":"Book Reviews","link":"http:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/category\/teen-reviews\/book-reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/18\/files\/sites\/18\/2019\/09\/51CcyF-x3HL._SX324_BO1204203200_.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4048,"url":"http:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/2017\/pasadena-teen-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":4980,"position":4},"title":"Pasadena — Teen Review","author":"Teen Blogger","date":"September 16, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"review by Kira Toal, age 15 Pasadena\u00a0by\u00a0Sherri L. Smith \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Jude is on vacation on the East Coast when she receives a disturbing call that tells her that her best friend, Maggie Kim, was found dead in her swimming pool in her Pasadena home. From the moment Jude returns to her\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Book Reviews"","block_context":{"text":"Book Reviews","link":"http:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/category\/teen-reviews\/book-reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/18\/files\/sites\/18\/2017\/09\/pasadena.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1708,"url":"http:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/2015\/the-selection-series-teen-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":4980,"position":5},"title":"The Selection series — teen review","author":"Teen Blogger","date":"June 25, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Reviews by Bella, teen reviewer The Selection by Kiera Cass The Selection by Kiera Cass is a story about America Singer, a lower class girl living in a fairly young nation, who gets selected to compete for the heart of a prince who isn\u2019t like anything she expected him to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Teen Reviews"","block_context":{"text":"Teen Reviews","link":"http:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/category\/teen-reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"five-stars","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/18\/files\/sites\/18\/2015\/03\/five-stars-300x70.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4980","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/34"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4980"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4980\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6513,"href":"http:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4980\/revisions\/6513"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4981"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4980"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4980"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/pasadena-library.net\/teens\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4980"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}