“Blue” by L.E. Delano

• 01/27/2022
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Blue

L.E. Delano
Gaze Publishing (2021)
ISBN: 978-1-7364731-0-8
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (01/2022)

“Blue” by L.E. Delano is an intense and completely engrossing YA novel about perspective.

Blue is a high school junior who is dealing with a lot of angst. Her brother Jack is currently incarcerated because he was involved in a car accident that resulted in the death of a man. This man had a daughter who goes to school with Blue. After taking a break, the daughter returns to school with a vendetta against Blue. Initially, Blue doesn’t feel she has anyone to really talk to about this. Her friends seem to like to stir the pot a bit. She is so angry at her brother she won’t talk to him. Her Dad is always away for work, and her mom tries to console her with inspirational quotes, while she chases after her next MLM project. But then one day, Blue meets someone new in her neighborhood and they connect with each other. He seems like the perfect boyfriend, except she knows he is withholding secrets of his own. Blue and Devon need to learn to really open up with each other if they want to move forward.

I loved reading “Blue!” While it is written for young adults, I still found myself unable to put it down. I do believe this is one of the best books that I’ve read this year. Delano, the author, really brings the protagonist to life in this story. She is a teenager whose been handed a situation that goes beyond what most teens have to handle. Her classmates handle the situation in a way that causes as much drama as possible, for someone who had nothing to do with the situation caused by a family member. She is the scapegoat simply because she is present. We see this happen in so many situations, and for a teenager, it is extremely difficult. Blue has an adviser in high school that guides her to find better ways to cope with what is happening. I felt that there are some valuable lessons in this fictional story, in this area. Teenagers and those who work with them will pick up some nice ideas here. Blue’s romance with the new kid in town was also very real to me. She goes through all the angst that I remember feeling as a teen with a crush. Reading this book brought back so many memories of how I felt in high school. I am so glad those days are gone!

“Blue,” is a must read for teens and anyone else who enjoys a great fictional story. I think this makes a great selection for a reader’s group because there are so many interesting layers to discuss. I will definitely be reading more books by this wonderful author.