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A review by drey72
Blue by Lou Aronica
3.0
Blue is not quite what I expected. Here's why: I expected more of a children's story (imagination, magic, made-up world, etc), and I got a poignant tale of a father and daughter reconnecting with each other via a pretend-world that they conjured up when she was going through a life-threatening illness...
Character: Chris is a sad character, and one I didn't know how to connect with. I could see the why of where he's at, but that's about it. I expected a bit more emotion from this scientist father, but I suppose not everybody could be just as I expect... Becky, I could get. She's plucky and funny and smart, even at just fourteen... She's also trying to navigate the waters of post-divorce parental interactions, crushing on the cutest boy at school, and not worrying that her nosebleeds are the pre-cursor to her leukemia's return. Then she finds out that Tamarisk, the world she and her dad created, is real. And so are the people and creatures she imagined into being all those years ago... Now there's something threatening that beautiful world, and she's made it her mission to try and figure out how to fix it.
Pace & Plot: Blue started off a little slowly, going back and forth between real-life (Chris & Becky), Tamarisk (Miea), and some in-between place where Gage muses... I still don't quite get Gage, but oh well. Once Becky re-discovers Tamarisk, things start moving quickly, as she attempts to help Miea figure out the blight that's plaguing the kingdom. This is where Blue is at its most descriptive, with the fantastical flora and fauna, the riot of colors, and those who people this kingdom... The ending isn't a surprise, but the journey there is worth the read.
Character: Chris is a sad character, and one I didn't know how to connect with. I could see the why of where he's at, but that's about it. I expected a bit more emotion from this scientist father, but I suppose not everybody could be just as I expect... Becky, I could get. She's plucky and funny and smart, even at just fourteen... She's also trying to navigate the waters of post-divorce parental interactions, crushing on the cutest boy at school, and not worrying that her nosebleeds are the pre-cursor to her leukemia's return. Then she finds out that Tamarisk, the world she and her dad created, is real. And so are the people and creatures she imagined into being all those years ago... Now there's something threatening that beautiful world, and she's made it her mission to try and figure out how to fix it.
Pace & Plot: Blue started off a little slowly, going back and forth between real-life (Chris & Becky), Tamarisk (Miea), and some in-between place where Gage muses... I still don't quite get Gage, but oh well. Once Becky re-discovers Tamarisk, things start moving quickly, as she attempts to help Miea figure out the blight that's plaguing the kingdom. This is where Blue is at its most descriptive, with the fantastical flora and fauna, the riot of colors, and those who people this kingdom... The ending isn't a surprise, but the journey there is worth the read.