| Title | : | Ramona Blue |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0062418351 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780062418357 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 408 |
| Publication | : | First published May 9, 2017 |
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.
Ramona Blue Reviews
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Actual rating: 4/5 stars
THIS BOOK.
Pay absolutely no attention to the low rating on Goodreads. It's because a large amount of biphobic people were misled by the synopsis and rated it 1 star without listening to reviews of people who ACTUALLY read the book. This book deserves so many more stars than that.
It's about a girl who is discovering her sexuality. She thinks she's lesbian, but then starts to question. Sexuality is fluid, and we need more YA books that explore it. RAMONA BLUE does exactly that, and does it perfectly. It is NOT a book about a guy who turns a lesbian straight. It is a book about a lesbian who realizes she's not as sure about her sexuality as she used to be.
It's about family. Ramona, the main character, has very different relationships with her mom, sister, and dad, and each is explored in the book.
It's about swimming. We rarely see YA books in which the mc does a sport where it's mentioned more than once, and swimming is a big part of Ramona's life in this book. As a swimmer, I adored it.
It's about friendship. Ramona has a unique, real group of friends, and I loved it.
It's about growing up poor, and how that affects your entire life.
And yes, it's about romance. There IS a boy. That's not all the story is about. It's so much more than that.
Give RAMONA BLUE a chance. If you do, you'll read a book you'll absolutely fall in love with. -
4.5 stars
I'm really, really, really upset I didn't read this sooner and even more upset that I considered unhauling it. It breaks my heart to know I almost didn't give this a chance, because it's everything I love and more.
The main character is 6'3. She's attracted to girls and guys. She's from a low-income family in a small town. She's from the south. She's in an interracial relationship. All of these things and more coming together made me fall in love with it.
The writing was gorgeous (SO many tabs). Ramona was human and realistic and emotionally mature. I really don't have any deep analysis of this other than it was really, really worth my time and I encourage you to reach for it as well because it's heartwarming while also providing smart, nuanced conversations about several relevant topics. The reason it's not a full 5 stars is because the ending action kind of came out of nowhere, but I still loved the characters so much and I really vibed with this entire thing. -
(Actual review)
4 stars
I've waited so long for this book to be released and I finally finished it!
But before we get to the review, let's talk about the 'controversy' behind this book as it garnered a lot of attention. If you have had your eyes on Ramona Blue for a while, then you would know the original synopsis of the book didn't sound like what the book was supposed to be about: a girl questioning her sexual identity. I do agree that the original synopsis didn't do the book justice and it angered a lot of people.
Because of that, it was the center of "controversy." I put controversy in quotations because a lot of people were being over dramatic about it even after the synopsis was changed. Even after the change, it still pissed off some biphobic lesbians into giving the book 1-star ratings.
I, on the otherhand, gave Julie Murphy the benefit of the doubt and thought it was the publishers who made the synopsis, not Julie. A lot of people don't realize that the publishers have more control in the synopsis than the author. Thankfully, the synopsis changed and that seemed to calm some people down.
Now I'm here to say that this book was good!
Ramona Blue is about Ramona, who is living in her small town of Eulogy with her father and pregnant sister in a trailer. Hurricane Katrina had destroyed their previous home and had forced them to live in a trailer, leaving them with little money. Ramona's mother flaked out and is living somewhere else, which didn't help the situation. Since then, Ramona has been living her life, trying to help her sister with the pregnancy and looking out for her family. Soon, her childhood friend, Freddie, moves back into town and their friendship continues from where it left off. But Ramona soon realizes she's developing feelings for Freddie. Even though she considers herself a lesbian, she's struggling to understand if she's bi (or pan), or if this thing with Freddie is a fluke.
As you can guess, this book deals with a lot of themes in regards to sexuality, money, and even some talk about racism. All three blend together to make a great, heartfelt story. We go on this adventure with Ramona as evaluates her family life and her sexual identity.
I just want to point out that this isn't a case where Ramona finds the right guy and is turned straight. No matter what you heard from others, this isn't like that. Instead, it explores the idea of fluidity/self-evaluation. Here's a quote pretty much explaining it:
"Maybe liking girls was that common thread that drew us together, but it's not all that's kept us together and you know it. And I still like girls. A lot. Kissing Freddie doesn't suddenly erase that part of me."
Ramona still likes girls. She also happens to be falling in love with a boy. Her journey is one I'm sure a lot of people can relate to. We're still growing. And we come to realize that we do not fully understand who we truly are. That's the case with Ramona.
Anyway, on to my overall thoughts.
I enjoyed this book. Julie's first book, Side Effects May Vary was okay despite Alice being annoying. Dumplin' was better albeit another main character that did something that really got on my nerves. And here we are with Ramona Blue, a book where I liked the plot, the themes, and the main character!
What I liked most was the family aspect of the book as well as Ramona coming to terms with her sexuality, and that bit about racism. These are real issues that can speak volumes. I'm glad Julie isn't backing away from this and goes at it head on.
This is a coming of age story where everything is black and white. With Ramona, it falls somewhere in between as she finds herself.
This is not a story of a lesbian turning straight. It's about a girl realizing her true self. And that is okay.
Verdict
I really enjoyed this book. Julie Murphy is slowly starting to become one of my favorite authors and I'll happily read anything by here in the upcoming future.
Thanks for reading my review!
-Cesar
********************************************************
(Thoughts on the controversy)
Edit 2/24/17
So the synopsis has been changed! The plot doesn't seem to be bad as it was before. And for those of you wondering, it wasn't Murphy who wrote the synopsis. I'm sure the publisher wrote it. So don't take out your anger on her.
Also, to the people who rated it 1 star without reading it: I haven't read it. You haven't read it. Stop whining.
***********************************
Edit 12/28/16
A while ago, I found out that Julie Murphy is going to revise the synopsis for Ramona Blue. Which is a good thing because the plot could've been written differently. I'm glad Julie is staying strong throughout the hate she's been getting and wish her nothing but support.
***********************************
After the cover was released and we got the synopsis, I've noticed that some people aren't happy with what the book is about. The thing is, these things do happen. Though we don't hear about it often, it's there. There are people who identify as straight and may later realize that they are bi or gay. And with gay people, some realize they are bi. Keep in mind, this happens to some people. There are those who are 100% gay or straight and have never felt attraction to the opposite or same sex.
With me, I didn't know I was gay until middle school. Before, I didn't think about it really and just thought I liked girls. Then come middle school and then I realized I prefer men.
It doesn't happen to everyone, but it's there. With bisexuality, you could have a preference for one gender over the other but still, have feelings towards the other. A bi girl is still bi if she's with a man and she's still bi if she's with a woman. So don't judge until the book is released and you have read it.
Obviously, I'm not going to mark it as read or give it 5 stars since it hasn't been released yet.
And here's a video that pretty much explains how some people who are gay realize they're bi.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWcvo...
So before you go and give this book a one star because of the synopsis, understand that these kinds of things happen. People are still understanding themselves even as adults. Some realize it later than others and that's normal. -
A weird thing to need to open with, but hi! I have read this book. So, let's begin the review now, and yeah, it's gonna be on the longer side with a lot more summary than I ever write, for what I hope are obvious reasons.
Ramona Blue is a sister, daughter, friend, out lesbian, waitress, papergirl...lots of things, living in Eulogy, MS, a town that gets shaken up by tourists in the summer. As the book opens, she's watching her summer love, Grace, head back home, and dealing with the fact that her newly pregnant sister's babydaddy is moving into the trailer in which the family already doesn't fit.
All the talk of sexuality surrounding the book would have you believe that romance is its core relationship, but surprise! It's not. More than anything, this is a sister book, and Ramona's sister, Hattie, comes first and foremost in her life, even when Ramona knows that'll mean a lifetime of sacrifice, especially since she opted to have the baby the family that's already struggling to make ends meet can't really afford. Their mother lives elsewhere, and mothering isn't really her forte; they see her once or twice a month. Their dad is one of those awesome YA dads you love to love, and she's especially grateful for him since two of her best friends, who are siblings and both gay, haven't had the same luck with their parents' acceptance (or lack thereof.) (And yes, she's not even the only lesbian in the book.)
While Ramona deals with trying to keep a long distance relationship going with Grace, her childhood friend Freddie reenters her life when the grandmother who raises decides to live out her days back in her fave tourist town. Freddie's also trying to keep a long distance relationship going, and as they both struggle through that, they find their friendship growing and growing, until they realize they're each other's best friends, and then they realize they're actually more.
Now, if you're interested in how things play out regarding her sexuality, go ahead and click open the spoiler:
Okay, so, hope that quells all the curiosity about that. Now, onto the actual review.
I loved this book, which is actually about clawing your way out of the tiny box you've put yourself into in every way, and it's also about Mississippi getting quietly fucked by Katrina and the way that instilled its cracks in her family and her life and her future. Ramona has convinced herself she can't be anything but someone who lives in Eulogy forever, waitressing to take care of her and her sister, living in a trailer, and, yes, dating girls, too. But throughout the book, people show her that she's only as pinned in as she thinks she is, that there are other paths for her regarding her education and making money, and that she is not her sister's keeper and that her relationship with her mother might have more room for growth than she thought and that she doesn't have to settle in love for girls she doesn't want because she's afraid of what it means to want the guy she does. That she can grow as a swimmer, grow as a friend, grow as a person. That she can be more without leaving the past behind. And I thought it was pretty damn great. -
Wrote this 31/03/17 :
I'm pretty excited to read this tbh.
And yes I feel the need to write my thoughts on this book because I saw all the negativity this book received and it makes me sick.
Let me tell you something : someone can ID as gay and then ID as bisexual, and it doesn't make this book lesbophobic. I see a great opportunity to explore what a LOT of people are experiencing, and it's IMPORTANT to talk about that. You just have to understand that this book isn't about you, it's about a girl discovering she's bisexual, and there is nothing wrong with that.
Maybe you don't know this, but a lot of bisexuals who used to ID as gay feel ashamed because they somehow feel like they let down the gay community, but they didn't. And if you think it's wrong to discover you're bisexual and not gay, then we have a problem. It's like you're saying to my face that it's wrong to be bisexual, and it seriously freaking hurts.
Real review :
I. am. freaking. disappointed. When I first heard about this book, the premise was ‘Read this book there is a bi character who used to identify as gay’ so of course I was like ‘THAT SOUNDS GREAT!’ . . . or not.
I don't even feel like writing a ‘beautiful’ review, I just want to throw all my notes and leave you with a mess, but I want people to know exactly what they're in for when they start this book.
#1 Let's be with someone who already has a partner
At the very beginning of the book, Ramona is with this girl Grace she met a few months ago. But the thing you should know about Grace is this : she already has a boyfriend. Does that bother Ramona? Or keep her from dating Grace? Hum, let me think one second . . . NO. Want to hear Ramona's excuse?
I’m angry. At the both of us. Because somehow I had tricked myself into believing that he didn’t mean anything to her. That what we were doing wasn’t cheating.
Wow. Am I the only one not impressed with this shitty excuse?
And if it wasn’t enough, when they see each other again, Grace is still with her boyfriend and Ramona replies ‘I don’t care’ and kisses her anyway. That's some pretty disgusting move.
#2 My sister got pregnant? It's my responsibility
Ramona takes care of her big sister Hattie, always, that's how it works. Hattie comes first. No matter what. And I'm all for sisters having each other's back, but at some point you have to see what is your responsibility and what isn't.
Hattie got pregnant and decided to keep the baby. She's a big person, so technically when she decided to keep the baby, she should have thought of some few things, like WITH WHOM MONEY ARE YOU GOING TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR CHILD? Not Ramona's. Ramona doesn't have to pay for a baby that isn't hers. It's her niece, okay, Hattie's her sister, okay . . . but Hattie should have thought one second of what she was getting herself into. You don't ‘just’ have a child for the sake of having one. Being responsible is wondering if you'll be able to provide a good life for your baby. And what makes me angry is that Hattie counted on Ramona to make everything okay. But it's not Ramona's job. As a aunt, Ramona will have the right to love this baby unconditionally, but it's not her job to say no to her future just so she can take care of this child. She has to think of herself once in her life.
#3 Freddie, my dude, I think you kissed the wrong person
So Freddie decided it was a good idea to kiss Ramona, when she still strongly identified as gay. Without her consent. Now I see you coming ‘But Ramona kissed him back’, ‘But she excused him’ . . . I don't care? Yeah she kissed him back, yeah she acted like it was no big deal he'd kissed her, but the thing is : IT WAS DISRESPECTFUL. Ramona clearly said ‘I'm gay’ and Freddie thought ‘Well who cares I'm going to kiss her nonetheless’ . . . Hell to the no.
#4 Black people don't have the same life as you
Freddie is black, that's a fact, okay? Ramona is white, another fact. And even with knowing there is a fucking huge difference between being black or white, she thought it was a good idea not to tell him he was trespassing . . . She knew they were in someone else's pool, that they had no right to come here, and she said nothing.
“You can’t pretend to be color-blind or some shit when it’s convenient for you, okay? I’m black. This is the skin I wear every damn day. You’re my best friend. You can’t tell me that you don’t see that my black life is not the same as your white life. When I tell you I’m uncomfortable, I need you to listen, okay? I know there’s stuff I don’t understand about the gay thing. But you need to understand that my life in this skin is different from yours.”
#4 Diverse authors can be shitty too
First. And one acephobic comment from Ramona, one.
I'm not this sex-crazed maniac or anything, but I'm a human being. I think about sex.
Nope nope, thinking about sex isn't a required thing to be a human being.
Second. Ruth thinks disrespecting someone else's sexuality is okay apparently.
“I mean, even straight people are a little bit gay.”
If I want people to respect my sexuality, I have to respect theirs.
Third. Freddie, my dude, don't say something lesbophobic again or it's my punch and your face that'll kiss each other next time.
“You've never dated any guys?”
I shrug. “Haven't kissed one.” And then I add, “Well, in recent years.”
“Then how do you know you don't like guys?”
“I don't know, Freddie,” I say, trying to hide my irritation. “How many boys did you kiss before you realized you were straight?”
He shakes his head. “That's not what I meant. You know it.”
Fourth. It blows my mind that the person who lives in this house isn’t an asshole. I know not all rich people are jerks, but you would look at this house and think that the most popular kid in school lives here.
Okayyyyyy so basically being popular = being rich = being an asshole. Seems fake, but okay.
Yeah I know, she said ‘I know not all people are jerks’ just like I could say ‘I know not all poor people are jerks’ or ‘I know not all straight people are jerks’ or ‘I know not all white people are jerks’ . . . see my point here? They are jerks EVERYWHERE, being rich doesn't automatically make you one.
#5 omg something I actually liked
ADAM'S MOMS! ADAM'S COUSIN! Adam has an amazing family and clearly I want the same PLEASE!
And the thing is, Adam didn't tell anyone, because they're just his moms, it's normal to him to have two moms and that was so great! And when Ruth flirted with his cousin! I loved it!
#6 Ramona is pretty much a warrior
Yeah, I admire Ramona for having two part-time jobs, going swimming three times a week, going to High School, and still helping her sister. That's something you can't help but admire, how hardworking she is. She's doing her absolute best to be someone her family can count on, and I feel like they don't even realize how lucky they are to have her as a sister or a daughter. She's brave, really freaking brave.
I may not be a loud person, but I’m not timid. And yet something about my mom makes me feel so completely unheard, because no matter how many times I tell her that this - my life - is not a phase, she never listens to me.
#7 Don't sell your book with ‘I wrote a book with a bi character, it's #ownvoices’ . . . ownvoices my butt yeah
When the book starts, Ramona identifies as gay, she's into this girl Grace, and that's basically it. Then her childhood friend Freddie comes back and they become best friend. And then she starts having feelings for him, and it goes downhill. It goes downhill because I bought this book thinking it was about someone realizing she's bisexual. Because the author herself said Ramona is bisexual, that's why it was supposed to be ownvoices. But Ramona doesn't identify as bisexual. Ramona is still figuring out who she is, and that's okay. Clearly she doesn't have to label herself, ever, it's no one's business but hers. But don't sell this book as bisexual rep, because if you do you're a liar, and I have no time for liars.
I’m still trying to figure what I want to call myself. Gay? Bi? Queer? Pansexual? I’m not sure, but I’m going to figure it out as I go along.
2.25 -
One of the best contemporaries I've read this year!
I did have a little trouble getting into it at first. I think too much time was spent on setting things up that only served as backstory. However, later in the book I was glad we'd seen that backstory first hand because it did help you see where the characters were coming from.
This book got a lot of early low ratings because the initial synopsis gave the impression that the main character was a lesbian who suddenly turned straight when she falls for a boy. This is definitely NOT the case, and the book combats that idea several times. Ramona never stops liking girls. It was such a healthy portrayal of sexuality and how it can be fluid. The book has several side characters who are gay, lesbian, and bi, and it does a good job of talking about labels. (Though, please understand that you cannot take my word alone for this and should see some ownvoices reviews!)
Murphy also did one of the best jobs I've ever seen in YA of describing EVERY character's race as soon as we meet them. Even side characters you never see again. There is no ambiguous language here.
I loved the family aspect of this book. It shows both good and bad family relationships and has a portrayal of poverty and living in the aftermath of natural disasters.
The romance is a very sweet friends to lovers situation (no instalove) and the characters were so well developed that I was really convinced of this relationship.
I loved the characters and felt this was such a healthy and needed addition to YA! Would definitely recommend it!
Audiobook: The audiobook was fantastically narrated by Therese Plummer. Her voice acting for every character sounded very natural and she really brought the story to life. One of my favorite audiobooks of the year! -
Find all of my reviews at:
http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
Ramona Blue proves the point that no matter what the story . . . .
I’m not going to waste a lot of time on this review because I’m pissed off at myself that I let a bunch of trolly internet strangers convince me to break one of my own rules and read the same author nearly back-to-back without some breathing room. I also have a case of the manflu so I ain’t gonna be as sweet as I normally am : ) Please note, however, that unlike all the 1-Starring trolls who jumped at the chance to say . . . .
I actually read this effing book. Now, I am the first to acknowledge that handing out 1 Stars for unread material is not against the Goodreads TOS so angry click all you want. I will say in this case?
There are countless books out there that actually intend to be offensive and people who believe that being gay or trans or Jewish or black or lord only knows what else is an abomination. This book is not one of them. If anyone would have bothered to spend two seconds before they started all the pearl clutching they would have realized the entire point of this story is that . . . .
“Growing up can change you.”
It’s not about lesbianism or Hurricane Katrina or any other hot button type of topic. It’s about Ramona Blue growing up and some things she learns in the process. Like about first love . . .
“I think that maybe she meant more to me than I did to her.”
Or antiquated thinking . . . .
“Sometimes ignorance is as dangerous as bigotry.”
Or how maybe sexual identity isn’t the only thing that is still considered “different” . . . .
“Maybe you haven’t thought about things like this before, because you don’t have to.”
And a handful of other lessons that proved even a “lesbian” with blue hair can be a pretty small-minded person . . . .
But perhaps the simplest lesson of all was . . .
“Real life is messy and complicated.”
This is a story with a very simple message . . . . .
“Life isn’t always written in the stars. Fate is mine to pen. I choose guys. I choose girls. I choose people. But most of all: I choose.”
It would probably be beneficial to everyone out there to embrace a little of Ramona Blue’s ideology rather than following the herd. After all you youngsters really should know best that . . . .
So why does this only get 3 Stars from me? Well, because Ramona Blue was kind of a whiny asshole whose story went on about 100 pages too long and I didn’t enjoy her much. Pretty simple.
Oh and don't even bother attempting to troll me on this. You'll be instantly blocked. Go rant on your own space just like I did here.
ORIGINAL "REVIEW":
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Full disclosure: I have not read this book, but I'm preemptively rating it five stars merely to combat the slate of negative ratings based off a synopsis the author didn't even write.
Certainly, the trope of a lesbian being "fixed" by the "right man" is an extremely dangerous trope. I'm in no way invalidating how harmful and offensive that mindset is. I do not believe that a lesbian can be "turned" straight or is "just going through a phase". But I also don't believe that a queer girl who has not solely been attracted to others girls is any way less valid than a "gold star lesbian" (UGH, is that offensive).
I'm willing to guess, based on what I know of the author (who is self-identified bisexual), that this book does not feature that "fixed lesbian" trope, and instead explores how labels and sexuality can shift. ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU ARE SEVENTEEN YEARS OLD.
Also, we don't KNOW if her label shifts. Sexuality is black and white for some and a million shades of gray for others. Some people have fluid sexualities. Some people don't get their label right on the first try. Some people identify as lesbian but have been in love with men before. Point is, sexuality is an individual thing, especially when it comes to labels. All queer stories are worth telling, including this one. There are very YA few books about bisexual identity, and this one is needed.
Bisexuality is not lesbophobic.
The synopsis has a level of ambiguity that clearly offended a lot of lesbian readers. The publisher is rewriting it with the input of the author, so I urge people to wait and see if this is actually a book that deserves the kind of criticism it gets. For now, maybe just assume that it's a portrayal of an individual teen trying to figure herself out in a world that makes it pretty damn hard (proven by how overtly biphobic a lot of the negative reviews have been), which is pretty much Julie Murphy's forte. -
I haven't read this yet, but neither have you.
Cut it out. -
I genuinely really loved this book. It was such a different story, a different cast of characters, and it was unlike anything that I've ever read before.
It's hard to describe my thoughts on this novel because I have so much that I enjoyed about it. First, I will mention the life/background of the main character. I find that I rarely read of a main character that is realistically struggling with their families, finances, and basic necessities in order to survive. I'm not saying that there isn't novels out there that include and address those issues but...it isn't a common theme in YA novels. However, unfortunately, I think it can be a reality for many young adults living in this society whether it be an "atypical family" (what's typical nowadays anyway), financial distress, or housing concerns. It was just an interesting concept because it felt that this character's background was more realistic to many than the average contemporary young adult novel would be.
Also, along with the above, the characters in this novel. Each of them (especially the main characters) were incredible. It was easy to become invested in each of their stories. As well, each of them came from such different backgrounds and lived such different lifestyles. Again, that makes it incredibly realistic and the story becomes that much more real.
I know there is criticism and controversy regarding this novel and I understand where those opinions are coming from. I think those concerns are subjective and I can't invalidate a person's feelings by saying they are wrong. I will say though that personally, I thought the messages were more positive than not. I think it promoted the message of fluidity instead of sticking to a societal label. Either way, I think this novel is an important one and it has definitely become a favourite of mine. Actually, Julie Murphy has become a new favourite author of mine as a whole. Her writing style is incredible and she includes and promotes very important themes in her novels that need to be discussed. I have so much respect for her and I cannot wait to read more written by her in the future! -
4 stars!
“I hate this idea that boys are thinking about sex nonstop and girls are thinking about - what? Stationery and garden gnomes? No.”
I attended Apollycon this year and had the pleasure of meeting Julie Murphy and listening to her talk on a YA panel. She had talked about Ramona Blue and after hearing what she had to say, I was intrigued and decided to check it out from my local library. Julie had said this book was her own personal screw you to the movie Chasing Amy (which I haven't seen but have heard of).
Ramona Blue is about a very tall teenage girl with blue hair who has always known she was a lesbian. After a summer romance with a girl named Grace that doesn't end well, she finds herself resigned to the fact that she will never leave her small town. Starting her senior year, a childhood friend Freddie moves back to her town and the two reconnect. Their friendship is effortless, until Ramona realizes she has feeling for him, that combined with issues at home throws her into an identity crisis.
“You've never dated any guys?'
I shrug. 'Haven't even kissed one.' And then I add, 'Well, in recent years.'
'Then how do you know you don't like guys?'
'I don't know, Freddie,' I say, trying to hide my irritation. 'How many boys did you kiss before you realized you were straight?”
I really enjoyed reading this book. Sexuality is fluid, and I think this book did a good job of portraying that. I think it also covers how difficult it can be to be bisexual and all of the stigmas and judgments that come at it from both sides, straight or gay. I think Julie covered this topic really well and at no point did anything personally offend me.
Julie Murphy has a writing style I connect with very well, and I am excited to read more by her in the future!
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I have officially given one of Julie Murphy's books 5 stars! I'm so happy. I'd read her two previous books and they were not for me, but I had a feeling that this one would tick all my boxes and it SO did. I adored this. While I recognize that some of the things she did or said along the way were not necessarily done in the best way (i.e.: trying to force someone into labeling themselves when they weren't ready), I loved the way that Ramona grew during her journey and realized that she was in the wrong. This book was all about learning to be unapologetically yourself and I fucking loved it. Swoon.
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Giving this a pre-emptive boost. There are no ARCs out yet, and the negativity is based off a vague synopsis. A girl who likes girls finds herself having feelings for a boy- so, she's bisexual... your biphobia is showing if you're angry with this. Bisexual voices are important too. And considering this is an #ownvoices novel, and Julie's dealt with sensitive topics beautifully in the past, it's unfair to try & tank the novel because of the synopsis.
I understand how harmful the lesbian-converted-when-a-right-man-comes-along trope is. It's gross and disgusting and should never, ever exist. But we don't know if this book employs that trope. The author has said that she will rewrite the synopsis and make it clear that it's a book about a girl who is bisexual...
If you're complaining about this book erasing lesbians, I'm a little concerned because simply implying that a girl attracted to both girls and boys is "lesbian-erasure" is erasing bisexuality. Do not attempt to erase the identity of so many all over the world. You're being biphobic. -
3.5 stars
Like many other YA contemporaries, the main girl in the story is on her way to discovering her identity except
Ramona Blue thought she had it all figured out. She was sure she liked girls, only girls. She was pretty much sure she had no life outside of her small town and her meager savings were only meant for her sister’s soon to be born baby and was definite that her home will always be the too small trailer house. She has almost resigned and sealed her fate to this life when things start turning the way they weren’t supposed to, the catalyst of which seems to be Freddie, a childhood friend and shockingly a boy!
The story was written very well in the narrative voice of Ramona, a girl who is confused of so many things including her sexuality which she soon learns is something fluid. Her voice is very genuine, honest and her many struggles are relatable. She’s one of those teenagers who feels like she has no luxury of becoming a teenager but also learns that she can’t always be completely responsible for another person even if she wanted to.
At times, the narrative got tedious and that's probably the only reason I didn't give this more stars but the plot and the themes are very well explored and the story deliberately tells significant aspects of a teenager’s life that you don’t usually see in other YA books. In the end, Ramona still isn’t sure of anything, not even her sexuality because labels are just labels but to her, what matters is her freedom to choose.
My favorite line from the book: “Emotions are gross!” Lol. -
“Sometimes catastrophes split you in half and even if all the pieces are there, they might not ever fit back together.”
Roman Blue was my first book by Julie Murphy and it sure as heck won't be my last. It exceeded all the expectations. I listened to the audiobook and really enjoyed the voice actor. She added to Ramona's very distinct voice and granted me so much insight into Ramona's mind.
I picked up this book because of two reasons. 1. Because a trusted friend of mine who has excellent taste in books told me that it was amazing and 2. because a blogger that I'm really not a fan of trashed this book because he claimed the character calling herself a lesbian even though she ends up dating a boy is manipulative, wrong and tricks readers. The said blogger then gave it a super crappy rating. Listening to the audiobook made me fall in love with Ramona and her world and left me awestruck by how skillfully Julie Murphy stricks words together. I felt so much for these characters. It was a lighthearted book that had its quiet and emotional moments. The author talked about poverty, family, friendship and sexuality in such an honest and understanding way that I couldn't help but love this book. Additionally, it has a great cast of diverse and queer characters. It's a wonderful YA novel, one that I will definitely revisit.
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hope this dumbass book flops and I never have to hear about this stupid straight girls "turning lesbians" fantasies again. reading that description alone was like murphy vomited chew, chili, and homophobia directly onto my computer screen and then forced me face first into it. lesbians aren't just bi/straight girls who haven't connected with the right guy yet or just aren't being open minded enough about the future of "who they could become". honestly when will straight people shut up about us forever and just let gay people right gay characters without feeling the need to but in or correct us. all you straight people pulling this sound like idiots to gay people.
(changing labels is all good and fine but this "lesbian suddenly doubts herself for mediocre fuckboy" schtick is undoubtedly a homophobic trope and never stands to add to a positive narrative for bi women. lesbians have practically no representation unless it ends in death or realizing we actually *do* like men or some other crap, so there's really no way for a straight woman to do this respectfully.) -
Okay, so now that I have read this book, I can say that my initial impression of it was not 100% accurate. . . but it was also much, much better than I was expecting. This is more of a 4.5, but I'm keeping my 5 stars to balance out the ratings. The romance is a much smaller part of the book than the blurb might indicate. Ramona makes it very clear throughout the book that she is still very much into girls, but she's into Freddie too and Ramona is very much finding herself. By the end of the book, Ramona hasn't decided on a new label yet, but to me, personally, this book read very much like the story of someone who is still exploring their sexuality and within a few years will feel much more sure of themselves, and I think it's fairly heavily indicated through the text that Ramona will probably ID as bi or queer one day.
Ramona Blue is about growing up in a small town, expectations, poverty, and finding yourself. I think an excellent comp title for this book is Just Visiting by Dahlia Adler, and if you like one you'll probably like the other. -
Review also posted on my blog
Okay, I’m not sure where to begin. This is going to be difficult to review. It was deciding between a 2 and a 2.5, settling on going with a 2 the more I think about it. Before I go into, I do want to state I didn’t find the book lesbophobic at all. That’s actually not at all my problem with the book. I just wanted to get that out of the way. But I did have quite a few problems with the book. And it sad because I was really hoping I would like it after the initial biphobic backlash.
There’s also spoilers ahead, nothing major but if you don’t want to be spoiled then don’t read ahead.
I’ll start off with the good things. I liked how all character’s races were described. It didn’t fall into the habit of white authors only describing the race of non-white characters. Ramona even describes herself as white in the first couple of pages, which was great! That’s not common and I love that that was in the book. There was also elements of class privilege and teen pregnancy. I also like how no one shamed Ramona for falling for a Freddie after identifying as a lesbian for so long. It was also genuinely well written. There’s also an emphasis on her not being turned straight or anything like that.
But there was a slew of negatives for me. I guess I’ll go in order of when they appeared in the book.
You know what is a great way to make me hate a character? The good old “but how do you know you’re gay if you’ve never been with a guy”. And Freddie, the love interest asked Ramona this. He didn’t need to ask her this at all. It was so unnecessary. Specifically how it went was like this.
Page 71:And then out of nowhere, Freddie asks, “So, girls, huh?”
“Yep.” I should say something more, but there’s not much else to say.
“You’ve never dated a guy?”
I shrug. “Haven’t even kissed one.” And then I add. “Well, in recent years.”
“Then how do you know you don’t like guys?”
“I don’t know, Freddie,” I say, trying to hide my irritation. “How many boys did you kiss before you realised you were straight?”
He shakes his head. “That’s not what I meant. You know it.”
“So what did you mean?” The lights dim, and the previews start. Still, it’s only us in the theatre.
“I meant that, like, boy-girl is kind of the default that people go for even if it’s not how they were born or whatever.”
“It wasn’t my default. Or Whatever.” My voice is sharp.
His justification, first off, makes no sense? I don’t understand what he’s trying to say. But he still asked her “how do you know?” It was so unnecessary. Like dude, she told you she is gay so leave her alone about it?
Something else that added to me not liking Freddie much was that he said he had to ask his girlfriend out three times before she said yes. He said that she only rejected him because “she didn’t like quitters”. Maybe I’m overreacting, but I don’t like the whole “she was really playing hard to get all this time” sort of theme. And there was no way for him to know she said no for that reason, it just comes off as him not being able to take no as an answer.
So, the next thing was actually something that really upset me. Ramona has a friend/girl she sometimes hooks up with named Grace who is a lesbian. And she was pushed into my absolute most hated trope, that being she forces herself to date a guy.
Page 102:
“It’s Andrew,” [Grace] says.
“So… I guess y’all are still together?”
She’s quiet for a second, “Well, yeah. He’s my boyfriend.”
My mouth goes dry. I don’t hate straight people, I swear. But the word boyfriend. I hate it. Especially coming from Grace’s mouth. “I thought you were going to break up with him,” I say, but it’s more of an accusation.
“I was. I am.”
And.
“I’m back here,” [Grace] says. “And you’re not, and now I can’t remember why I was supposed to break up wit him. I cheated on him. But I still like having him around.”
This just… kind of hurt. She’s forcing herself to stay in this relationship. It felt almost like a juxtaposition to Ramona, Grace can’t fall for a guy but Ramona can. I don’t want her hurt to be at the expense of juxtaposition. She does later break up with her boyfriend and tell him why as well as come out to her parents but it felt so unnecessary to even have her be in a relationship with a guy in the first place. And the implications of her also cheating on him with Ramona… not a fan of that at all.
There was also an acephobic line. It was a throwaway line but I still want to address it. Ramona’s talking about how there’s a stereotype boys think about sex and girls don’t. Instead of say, maybe pointing out the misogyny behind that she say’s she thinks about sex because ‘she’s human’. That line just felt unfair to aces.
Now, here’s where it really started to go down hill for me. Ramona has told Freddie she’s a lesbian. And what does Freddie do?
He kisses her without her consent.
He does pull away initially but then she kisses him. But this still wasn’t built up well. I was really hoping she would realise she was bi by realising she had feelings for him. Not him kind of disrespecting her boundaries and kissing her. And look, I like in the moment, spontaneous kisses, but not when this guy has been told this girl is gay.
Her mum is also pretty awful, treating Ramona’s sexuality like a phase. And Freddie isn’t at all empathetic about this. When Ramona tells him her experience with this his response is “so I guess I’m the phase then?”
This was just… awful. And his attitude is never really addressed.
Another throwaway line that didn’t sit well with me was Ramona being told “friendship is a breeding ground for mistakes”. This is said by a demisexual character and it just felt unnecessary, especially to demiromantic people.
And what was overall hurtful about this book is that it’s constantly said Ramona is bisexual. The author is bi, and what is constantly said about this book is that she is realising she’s bi. But it ends with her not sure what to call herself. This sort of theme could fall into a view Freddie being an exception. She decides to not label herself but having that after constantly being told she is bisexual? Pretty frustrating honestly.
I’m going to link reviews from bi reviewers. Positive and negative. But overall this was a real disappointment.
1 star:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
2 stars:
https://romweasley.wordpress.com/2017... …
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
5 stars:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... -
I loved this book. I loved it so very, very much.
From the first page onwards, I instantly warmed to each and every character. Ramona was wonderful and I've totally fallen for Freddie. There wasn't a character in this book that now doesn't have a little piece of my heart, they were all so gorgeously written and so human. I also very much appreciated that Ramona was so tall, I was extremely tall for my age at one point (although I'm a total shortie now 😅) and I know I would have appreciated this aspect of her character hugely then, as I don't think it's something I've ever really come across before in YA.
I loved the representation in this, not only with Ramona's coming to terms with her sexuality but also the representation multiple sexualities and races of each of the characters and growing up poor. It was so refreshing to read and I thought the fact that there was no ambiguity surrounding race, due to everyone's race is stated the moment we're introduced to them, was brilliantly refreshing. I especially appreciated a conversation between Freddie and Ramona, on race on page 155, in which Freddie explains to Ramona why he can't afford to risk breaking the law.
I know a lot of people were initially worried about the representation of Ramona's sexuality before this was released. I can't personally say whether or not it was harmful but after reading multiple #ownvoices reviews, I was relieved to see how much it has meant to and been praised by so many #ownvoices bi reviewers, so I would definitely recommend searching for and giving those a read!
The other aspect of this I utterly adored was Julie Murphy's writing style. After having read and being a little disappointed by 'Dumplin' earlier this year, I was a little apprehensive going into this. I was worried that I wouldn't get on with Murphy's writing style again but I couldn't have been more wrong. It was easy to read, flowed beautifully and pulled at all of my heart strings. I just wanted more and more. I could have easily read on for another 100 pages (and that's not just because I want more Ramona and Freddie.... although I totally want more Ramona and Freddie please.)
Honestly, there wasn't a single aspect of this book I didn't adore. I flew through it and had my heart pumped full of love and heartbreak throughout. Ramona Blue was honest, emotional, brilliantly diverse and an absolute joy to read and one I'd recommend to anyone. One of my favourite contemporary reads of 2017. -
review also posted on
Wordpress! Review contains minor spoilers!
When the blurb of Ramona Blue was released, it caused a lot of controversy. Just have a look at the reviews on this website. I for one was very excited to read a book about a girl who thought she was a lesbian, but later learnt she was bi. Unfortunately, that's not what Ramona Blue is about. Though this is written by a bisexual author and she says on social media that Ramona is bisexual, it is never once stated in the book that she is. That's my main issue with this book and I'll get into that later.
Let's start with the things I did like. I love how the author mentioned every character's skin colour. Often, authors only mention the skin colours of characters that aren't white, so this was a nice change. Among the cast of characters, there's a lot of diversity: gay, biracial, a character with two moms, etc. And I really appreciated Freddie telling Ramona how sneaking onto private property isn't fun when you're a black kid, because that's how you get shot.
Unfortunately, I have many issues with this book. I don't speak for all bisexuals, but I want to be honest and share how much this book has hurt me. If other bisexuals did enjoy this book, that's totally fine. I just didn't.
It honestly baffles me that this book is written by a bisexual woman, because throughout the book, I had the feeling as if it wasn't considered a valid sexuality. As if Ramona was now straight and no longer gay, or that she was still a lesbian, but her boyfriend was an exception. The author has shared on social media that this character is indeed bisexual, so why wasn't that included in the book? Why do I have to read this "I don't like labels" bullshit instead? At one point, the phrase "Even straight people are a little bit gay" is used. That's so biphobic! BI PEOPLE EXIST! That sentence went unchallenged, so I can only assume the author agrees with that.
Freddie is very ignorant when it comes to Ramona's sexuality. She sometimes gets a bit annoyed with him, but overall, she always feels as if she was the one who shouldn't have snapped and "at least he's trying". Reading this book was therefore very hard for me. I understand why the author would include homophobia because it does exist, but for it to go unchallenged... That's not okay.
Therefore, I couldn't excuse the things Freddie said and did. Because Ramona didn't call him out, he didn't exactly change. Naturally, I couldn't root for their relationship, which is a huge part of what this story is about. Am I supposed to excuse his homophobia because he doesn't have any gay friends? Hell no.
Freddie was the one who initiated the first kiss with Ramona. As far as he knew, she was a lesbian. Of course sexuality can be fluid, but it should've been her who took that first step, not him. She told him she was gay, yet he still kissed her. Do I have to point out how wrong that is?
Obviously, I wasn't a fan of Freddie. Which sucks, because I liked him at first. But I just can't excuse his behaviour. Like Ramona told him months ago that she didn't want to get a senior page in the yearbook, so he bought it for her as a surprise. He's pushing her to do things she doesn't want to do, but she thought it was sweet and kind. She lets him get away with everything!
Moving on from their relationship, I have some other issues as well. As a Young Adult author, I believe you are responsible for teenagers. It's good that Freddie used a condom and the sex was definitely consensual, but he went in there without any "prep" beforehand and I just cringed.
Furthermore, the word "crazy" is used an awful lot and at one point, Ramona says "I'm a human being. I think about sex". I found that quite acephobic.
A common theme in many books is a character who doesn't want to go to college, but does go in the end because "it's the only way to turn their lives around". I find that harmful, because not everyone gets a scholarship, because it doesn't work out for everybody. You are not a failure if you decide not to go to college, so we should see this more often in fiction!
I have even more issues with this book, but I'll end this here. I'm so very disappointed in this book and I know people will disagree with me, but I cannot help how I feel. I never expected a bisexual author to make me feel so invalid, but here we are...
conclusion: Unfortunately, reading Ramona Blue was a hurtful experience, so I wouldn't recommend it. Yes, this book has received positive reviews, but I wouldn't want anyone to get hurt like I did.
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First, lesbianism is not a fluid sexuality, stop spreading that lie and confusing people. Second, the author could have used any other word for the protagonist to identify with: bisexual, questioning, queer (the most popular these days) and everything would have been ok, yet the choice fell on lesbian. This is the biggest issue so far, because combined with the synopsis it feels like another attempt at redefining the word lesbian so it includes a possibility for men to be romantic partners somewhere along the way. No, just...no. This is not a possibility nor should anyone try to convince us otherwise. Use whatever other word you want for this, and leave the word lesbian to lesbians.
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"My sexuality is not fluid. My sexuality is a brick labelled lesbian that I will use to defend myself."
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here's the thing: bi girls who used to think they were lesbians are valid and important. it can be so hard to realize that about yourself in our biphobic society. i have a very close friend who thought she was a lesbian till she was in her thirties, and accepting her bisexuality was a complex and difficult thing for her. i stand with bi girls who used to think they were gay, 100%.
but this book is not a new story.
this is the same tired old tale of "lesbian falls in love with a guy" that i see everywhere i go, from movies to tv to the goddamn newspaper editorials. sexuality is fluid for some people, sure. but when you use that fact to consistently and repeatedly tell lesbians that they can like men, it's possible for them to like men, maybe they do like men after all, all THESE lesbians turned out to like men, why can't you...
Like, that's fucked up.
Constantly bombarding young lesbians with all these stories about how "sexuality is fluid!" and "labels are restrictive!" might help a couple of bi girls come to terms with their identity, but for every girl who DOES like girls and only girls and will never love a guy? that only feeds into their self-hatred and the prejudices of society.
the prevalence of these stories in modern media just tells the world over and over again that lesbians can like guys, lesbians do like guys, all lesbians are actually bi. and that's the ideaology that leads to corrective rape and and abuse.
this is not a new idea. it's the same bullshit lesbians have been hearing for years. and I'm tired of it. -
(I received an advance copy of this book for free. Thanks to HarperCollins and Edelweiss.)
“Kissing him is different, yes. But it’s not. Kissing Freddie doesn’t feel different because he’s a boy, it feels different because he’s Freddie.”
This was a contemporary story about a gay girl, who got confused by romantic feelings towards a boy.
Ramona was a strong character, and she really cared about her family and did everything she could to make sure they were taken care of, even when it meant repeatedly dipping into her savings to help out her pregnant sister.
The storyline in this was about an old friend of Ramona’s returning to the place where she lived. She hadn’t seen Freddie in years, and they struck up a friendship, which later turned into deeper feelings, which confused Ramona as she was sure that she liked girls not boys. I was a little surprised by their first kiss, mainly because Ramona liked girls, but Ramona and Freddie were cute together, and at the end of the day people are just people, and love is love, and this pair seemed to really love each other.
The ending to this wasn’t quite what I expected, but it was hopeful for the future.
6.5 out of 10 -
Oh man, I cannot believe I slept on this book for so long. I cried tears, ya'll. This poor sweet girl and all the weight she was carrying on her shoulders. Such a beautiful story about self-discovery, a friend group that I LOVED, real talk and problems within the group that required talking through and such fantastic discussions being had. I loved every single thing about this story.
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So so wonderful.
My expectation was a light read; instead, I listened to a book that I really resonated with, and, maybe, helped me discover a piece of me. I'm in my mid-20's; to find such is really a gift.
- First, the audiobook for this is bloody fantastic. The narrator was incredible, and I adored the accents and the Southern charm. The different voices she gave to different characters was incredible.
- This book is messy, but... that's why I really liked it. I think something we rarely see in YA is when a character is in the process of learning, particularly about other people's identities and how to be respectful of those identities. Sometimes ignorance leads us to say things that are hurtful to people, even though we don't realize it. It's no excuse, but seeing some of the characters make mistakes, negotiate their identities, and just be in that process of trying to better was... very very refreshing and raw. I liked it a lot.
- I really loved Ramona. Yes, she's messy as heck, but I really related with her uncertainty, her hesitations, and her doubts. Her conflict, her thoughts, and her narrative were wonderful.
- The writing (paired with the narration) was such a dream. I really felt how Ramona saw the world, felt about the people she loved and her home.
- Poor rep. Classism is something we don't talk about enough in discussions about YA books.
- Freddie. Gosh, I adore Freddie so darn much. I appreciated that he was ignorant but trying. I appreciated this nuance in his character, that there was a distinction made about being a willful bigot and someone who was ignorant but trying. -
The issue with this book isn't that it possibly addresses bisexuality or "pansexuality." It's the idea constantly pushed that lesbians can like and love men, that our boundaries must be broken. The way the synopsis is worded is disgusting, and all of the homophobes on here are too.
