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Published May 2017
432 pages
Genre: Literary Fiction
Publication Information
From Julie Murphy, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dumplin' and Side Effects May Vary, comes 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. Perfect for fans of Rainbow Rowell and Morgan Matson.
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.
"Starred Review. An exquisite, thoughtful exploration of the ties that bind and the fluidity of relationships, sexuality, and life." - Kirkus
"Starred Review. Julie Murphy knows a thing or two about navigating the worlds of girls on the brink of self-discovery." - Booklist
"Murphy creates a place that feels deeply real…a great setting for a coming-of-age story, as Ramona realizes that she's capable of more than she imagined and that some categories are more fluid than she'd thought." - Publishers Weekly
"A must-have work that will resonate with teens" - School Library Journal
"Julie Murphy delivers a fresh and glorious love story that addresses all the complexities of one's heart. Ramona Blue's discovery of limitless love is total beauty." - Adam Silvera, New York Times bestselling author of More Happy Than Not
"Ramona Blueis Julie Murphy's best book yet. It's hilarious, it's heartfelt, and it's so, so real. I just wish I'd had this book to read during my own teen years!" - Robin Talley, New York Times bestselling author of Lies We Tell Ourselves
This information about Ramona Blue was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Julie Murphy lives in North Texas with her husband who loves her, her dog who adores her, and her cats who tolerate her. After several wonderful years in the library world, Julie now writes full-time. When she's not writing or reliving her reference desk glory days, she can be found watching made-for-TV movies, hunting for the perfect slice of cheese pizza, and planning her next great travel adventure. She is the author of Dumplin', Side Effects May Vary, and Ramona Blue. You can visit Julie at www.juliemurphywrites.com.
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