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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
I've never read Danielle Steele, this was for a book club. I know there were some heavy themes in this book but for me it all lay quite flat on the page. I never connected much with the characters, nor did I care about the resolution. It didn't take long to read so that was a positive. I'm not sure if Steele fans would like this one since I have no past books to compare but considering the good ratings there are many who loved this book.
Loved loved this book! Couldn't put it down once I started. Danielle's books are easy reads and so easy to get caught up in. Have already passed it on to a few friends
Decent. I liked Ginny because she's a strong female lead. Blue....we can all learn from him
Couldn't stand the writing style - so much telling instead of showing just in the first few pages. Also written rather confusingly, jumping from one thing to another and then back again.
I love this book. It's so beautifully-written and it's such an amazing story. A love you would never expect <3
I picked up this book about 2 years ago when it just recently came out in paperback edition. The high ratings on goodreads made me think, I can't really go wrong with that one.
I expected a cosy story with some nice philosophical moments, that hopefully makes me emotional and is just a quick, easy read.
Well... I don't hate the book, that's not what the 1 star rating means. It just didn't bring me anything... I don't feel like I gained anything at all due to reading these 350+ pages (and I have to admit that after page 150 I started skipping parts and just scanned the book for the rest of it).
Everything - the characters and their past, their motifs, their opinions and the plot in general were far too cliché for my taste. The plot was also way too predictable - after the first 20 pages I knew how it's gonna end, I could even predict the twists and when these would happen.
The writing was too simple as well and confused me several times, as POVs changed throw the course of one page several times between Ginny and Blue.
What annoyed me most is the fact, that the reader can't find anything out by himself, as everything is told to him by the characters themeselves.
One example: Ginny's son and husband die in an accident. After this she quits her job and goes onto dangerous missions for a humanitarian organisation. Why? Of course, because she wants to flee, forget herself, not think, maybe find a new purpose for her life and well maybe if she will die, that's fine too, because then she doesn't have to endure her pain anymore. It's very simple to understand. In case you didn't though, don't worry, as the narrator, the character herself and other characters like her sister or co-workers or other random people will tell you multiple times throughout the book.
Another point is that her working as a humanitarian in countries like Syria, Angola aso. could have given some interesting insights into the lives of people there. But there wasn't much more than a couple of lines that indicated well...yeah...people are in terrible conditions, people need help, Ginny helps and then gets home again. Even though in an argument with her sister she says that the travelling helps her see that there's more to this world than your own life... we don't see any of this different life in the book. But I guess that wasn't the purpose of the story, her work was just used as an excuse to leave Blue for himself for couple of weeks to return afterwards and see what happened.
As I said, I didn't hate it, I just really don't care much about this novel and probably won't remember ever reading it in a couple of months. I just regret spending my money and about 3 hours of my time on this book.
I expected a cosy story with some nice philosophical moments, that hopefully makes me emotional and is just a quick, easy read.
Well... I don't hate the book, that's not what the 1 star rating means. It just didn't bring me anything... I don't feel like I gained anything at all due to reading these 350+ pages (and I have to admit that after page 150 I started skipping parts and just scanned the book for the rest of it).
Everything - the characters and their past, their motifs, their opinions and the plot in general were far too cliché for my taste. The plot was also way too predictable - after the first 20 pages I knew how it's gonna end, I could even predict the twists and when these would happen.
The writing was too simple as well and confused me several times, as POVs changed throw the course of one page several times between Ginny and Blue.
What annoyed me most is the fact, that the reader can't find anything out by himself, as everything is told to him by the characters themeselves.
One example: Ginny's son and husband die in an accident. After this she quits her job and goes onto dangerous missions for a humanitarian organisation. Why? Of course, because she wants to flee, forget herself, not think, maybe find a new purpose for her life and well maybe if she will die, that's fine too, because then she doesn't have to endure her pain anymore. It's very simple to understand. In case you didn't though, don't worry, as the narrator, the character herself and other characters like her sister or co-workers or other random people will tell you multiple times throughout the book.
Another point is that her working as a humanitarian in countries like Syria, Angola aso. could have given some interesting insights into the lives of people there. But there wasn't much more than a couple of lines that indicated well...yeah...people are in terrible conditions, people need help, Ginny helps and then gets home again. Even though in an argument with her sister she says that the travelling helps her see that there's more to this world than your own life... we don't see any of this different life in the book. But I guess that wasn't the purpose of the story, her work was just used as an excuse to leave Blue for himself for couple of weeks to return afterwards and see what happened.
As I said, I didn't hate it, I just really don't care much about this novel and probably won't remember ever reading it in a couple of months. I just regret spending my money and about 3 hours of my time on this book.
I am participating in a reading challenge and I had to read the first book I saw in a book store and this is the book. It is not a book I would normally read and I have never read Danielle Steel. A single woman who loves to travel the world for humanitarian missions sees a homeless kid and takes him in. Her sister thinks she is crazy, although she thought that already. The book is about what happens after taking this kid in and everything that comes with it. She tries to still travel but learns that will not work when you have responsibilities now. It was okay. Just not my kind of book. There is a priest in the book named Father Teddy Graham. I just couldn't take it seriously with his name Teddy Graham. I thought it was a joke at first. I did crave some Teddy Grahams after reading it though.
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A few months ago, I listened to a Danielle Steel book called Royal; it was the first time in about 30 years since I had touched anything by Steel. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the book, even though it was formulaic. I decided to seek out a few other Steel books to read or listen to whenever I needed a break from heavier reading. Bluewas on sale on audiobook a while back, so I snagged it. I can never resist a good deal on an ebook or audiobook, but if I expected a light, formulaic romance, I was in for a big surprise with this book.
From the publisher: “Ginny Carter was once a rising star in TV news, married to a top anchorman, with a three-year-old son and a full and happy life in Beverly Hills—until her whole world dissolved in a single instant on the freeway two days before Christmas. In the aftermath, she pieces her life back together and tries to find meaning in her existence as a human rights worker in the worst areas around the globe.
Then, on the anniversary of the fateful accident—and wrestling with the lure of death herself—she meets a boy who will cause her life to change forever yet again. Thirteen-year-old Blue Williams has been living on the streets, abandoned by his family, rarely attending school, and utterly alone. Following her instincts, Ginny reaches out to him. Leery of everyone, he runs from her again and again. But he always returns, and each time, their friendship grows.
Blue glows with outsized spirit and an irresistible mix of innocence and wisdom beyond his years. Ginny offers him respect as they form an unusual bond and become the family they each lost. But just as Blue is truly beginning to trust her, she learns of a shocking betrayal that he has been hiding. Is it a wound too deep to heal, or will she be able to fight the battle that will make them both whole again?”
Danielle Steel strayed from her usual tales of romance and star-crossed lovers living a life of opulence. Sure, that’s the life Ginny had before the book starts, but a year later, when the story begins, her life has drastically changed. Her high-profile and high paying job in Beverly Hills are gone, her husband and young son dead, and she’s still grieving. She’s been working as a human rights worker across the globe and making New York her home base. There’s a lot of talk about global affairs and the Middle East in this book, which is unusual in a Steel book. But despite the good work she’s doing, she’s still feeling suicidal over her loss. Until she meets Blue.
Blue Williams is a 13-year old runaway that has lived a rough life and is living on the streets. His parents are gone, his aunt and her new boyfriend don’t have room in their one bedroom apartment with several other kids, nor do they want him, so he faces the world on his own. Ginny immediately wants to help this boy/man, but Blue fights her along the way and runs away more than once, only to return later. They have to learn to trust each other.
Finally, when Blue feels he can trust Ginny, he reveals to her his secret: he’d been repeatedly abused by a Catholic priest when he was younger. I thought the journey of the lawsuit against the church and the the priest accused was a little too easily done, with very little investigation and documentation, and the end result wasn’t really believable, which makes it more like a typical Danielle Steel book. In real life, the Catholic Church, at least in our area, will file counter suits against victims, accusing them of having mental health problems, and double down on the fact that priest abuse is in the past and what’s done is done: victims aren’t owed anything and complicit priests do not need to be removed. (I may be projecting a little, but I know one victim of abuse, and what I just wrote is his story; he is literally being sued by the church for speaking out).
Kudos to Steel for writing about something different and not forcing a romance into the narrative. This is a love story, but it’s between a broken woman a broken child that the world had given up on. I’m glad I have it in my collection and will revisit the story in the future.
A few months ago, I listened to a Danielle Steel book called Royal; it was the first time in about 30 years since I had touched anything by Steel. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the book, even though it was formulaic. I decided to seek out a few other Steel books to read or listen to whenever I needed a break from heavier reading. Bluewas on sale on audiobook a while back, so I snagged it. I can never resist a good deal on an ebook or audiobook, but if I expected a light, formulaic romance, I was in for a big surprise with this book.
From the publisher: “Ginny Carter was once a rising star in TV news, married to a top anchorman, with a three-year-old son and a full and happy life in Beverly Hills—until her whole world dissolved in a single instant on the freeway two days before Christmas. In the aftermath, she pieces her life back together and tries to find meaning in her existence as a human rights worker in the worst areas around the globe.
Then, on the anniversary of the fateful accident—and wrestling with the lure of death herself—she meets a boy who will cause her life to change forever yet again. Thirteen-year-old Blue Williams has been living on the streets, abandoned by his family, rarely attending school, and utterly alone. Following her instincts, Ginny reaches out to him. Leery of everyone, he runs from her again and again. But he always returns, and each time, their friendship grows.
Blue glows with outsized spirit and an irresistible mix of innocence and wisdom beyond his years. Ginny offers him respect as they form an unusual bond and become the family they each lost. But just as Blue is truly beginning to trust her, she learns of a shocking betrayal that he has been hiding. Is it a wound too deep to heal, or will she be able to fight the battle that will make them both whole again?”
Danielle Steel strayed from her usual tales of romance and star-crossed lovers living a life of opulence. Sure, that’s the life Ginny had before the book starts, but a year later, when the story begins, her life has drastically changed. Her high-profile and high paying job in Beverly Hills are gone, her husband and young son dead, and she’s still grieving. She’s been working as a human rights worker across the globe and making New York her home base. There’s a lot of talk about global affairs and the Middle East in this book, which is unusual in a Steel book. But despite the good work she’s doing, she’s still feeling suicidal over her loss. Until she meets Blue.
Blue Williams is a 13-year old runaway that has lived a rough life and is living on the streets. His parents are gone, his aunt and her new boyfriend don’t have room in their one bedroom apartment with several other kids, nor do they want him, so he faces the world on his own. Ginny immediately wants to help this boy/man, but Blue fights her along the way and runs away more than once, only to return later. They have to learn to trust each other.
Finally, when Blue feels he can trust Ginny, he reveals to her his secret: he’d been repeatedly abused by a Catholic priest when he was younger. I thought the journey of the lawsuit against the church and the the priest accused was a little too easily done, with very little investigation and documentation, and the end result wasn’t really believable, which makes it more like a typical Danielle Steel book. In real life, the Catholic Church, at least in our area, will file counter suits against victims, accusing them of having mental health problems, and double down on the fact that priest abuse is in the past and what’s done is done: victims aren’t owed anything and complicit priests do not need to be removed. (I may be projecting a little, but I know one victim of abuse, and what I just wrote is his story; he is literally being sued by the church for speaking out).
Kudos to Steel for writing about something different and not forcing a romance into the narrative. This is a love story, but it’s between a broken woman a broken child that the world had given up on. I’m glad I have it in my collection and will revisit the story in the future.
Fascinating book, Ginny's stregnth and belief in Blue turned his life around for the better.
Beautifully written, moving narrative
Blue is a wonderfully written narrative that keeps you gripped from start to finish. The characters are engaging and you automatically connect with them emotionally. The storyline touches on a very real issue and does it justice. No pun intended. The story leaves you thinking about your own life and what you can do to make the world a little bit better for other people.
Blue is a wonderfully written narrative that keeps you gripped from start to finish. The characters are engaging and you automatically connect with them emotionally. The storyline touches on a very real issue and does it justice. No pun intended. The story leaves you thinking about your own life and what you can do to make the world a little bit better for other people.