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avalydia's review
4.0
I've been reading this book about once or twice every couple of years for a while, and it's so. good. There are some intensely relatable parts - like the scene where
Also, Kirsty Eagar's writing is fantastic.
Spoiler
Carly's hanging out with Ryan and he meets a friend, then they start talking to each other while ignoring her. That is SUCH a guy thing to do and I've one hundred percent been there, and it sucks. I always admire how she just leaves.Also, Kirsty Eagar's writing is fantastic.
anabelsbrother's review
4.0
Reread: Feb 2016
After I finished Summer Skin (GO. READ. THAT. BOOK), I was craving for more Kirsty Eagar so I decided to reread this one.
Me and Carly connected instantly the first time I read this book because I was in a similar headspace back then. I'm in a much better place right now, but I still found her easy to relate to, and I still love her thoughts and voice. I have renewed appreciation for her, her relationship with Ryan (/screech RHINOOOOOO), and her friendships with Hannah and Danny, and even Marty.
I'd read a book on Marty, tbh. So much potential.
Ps. I forgot to put it in my old review, but tw: rape for this one.
First read: June 2015
Carla's been pimping this book forever so I finally picked it up because I was curious AND BOY WHY DIDN'T I READ THIS SOONER
Raw Blue is just that: raw. That's what I feel. I don't think I'd be able to write a review worthy of this book tbh. I have a penchant for numb, broken characters (GIMME TWENTY) so I was pretty much taken with Carly from the get go. She's just so real to me, and some of her thoughts about life resonate my own it's always an amazing feeling to be able to relate to a character.
I NEED A SEQUEL OK. or a companion ala Piper's Son where we get to see Ryan's POV. Or Danny's; I'd read a book on Danny.
After I finished Summer Skin (GO. READ. THAT. BOOK), I was craving for more Kirsty Eagar so I decided to reread this one.
Me and Carly connected instantly the first time I read this book because I was in a similar headspace back then. I'm in a much better place right now, but I still found her easy to relate to, and I still love her thoughts and voice. I have renewed appreciation for her, her relationship with Ryan (/screech RHINOOOOOO), and her friendships with Hannah and Danny, and even Marty.
I'd read a book on Marty, tbh. So much potential.
Ps. I forgot to put it in my old review, but tw: rape for this one.
First read: June 2015
Carla's been pimping this book forever so I finally picked it up because I was curious AND BOY WHY DIDN'T I READ THIS SOONER
Raw Blue is just that: raw. That's what I feel. I don't think I'd be able to write a review worthy of this book tbh. I have a penchant for numb, broken characters (GIMME TWENTY) so I was pretty much taken with Carly from the get go. She's just so real to me, and some of her thoughts about life resonate my own it's always an amazing feeling to be able to relate to a character.
I NEED A SEQUEL OK. or a companion ala Piper's Son where we get to see Ryan's POV. Or Danny's; I'd read a book on Danny.
shelleyrae's review
5.0
Raw Blue is a superb debut novel from Kirsty Eagar. This is a powerful and sensitively written novel that explores the emotional pain of nineteen year old Carly and her journey towards recovery after a traumatic assault.
Set in the beachside suburbs of Sydney, Carly works as a cook in a cafe by night, leaving her days free for surfing. Surfing is both her passion and her escape and Eagar describes Carly's affinity for the sport, and the ocean, with extraordinarily vivid imagery. She also captures the culture of this insular community, from the rules and courtesies that dictate behaviour to the characters that float on the swell at all times of the day. Having spent some time on the waves she describes as a teenager (though I watched more than surfed), the sense of recognition is surprisingly powerful.
In this character driven novel, Eagar has created a protagonist who is easy to identify with. The reader is immersed in Carly's thoughts and experiences through the first person, present tense narration. Carly's self imposed alienation from those around her allows her to hide her fragile emotional state. Long before the details are revealed, it is obvious that a traumatic event has crushed her spirit, leaving her vulnerable and closed off. Eagar sensitively explores Carly's pain without exploiting it and as Carly begins to move forward, the author never forces the recovery. It is this visceral realism that engages the reader.
Carly is supported by some unique characters, Hannah - her Dutch neighbour, Danny - a fellow surfer who sees people in colours and then of course there is Ryan. The development of the relationship between Carly and Ryan is particularly well handled. Hardly a traditional 'YA hero', Ryan is a unique character that you can't but help fall a little in love with yourself.
Raw Blue is a compelling novel, insightful and poignant. It is wonderful to have a book that is so naturally, authentically Australian, and so gloriously, beautifully written. A stunning debut Raw Blue is a must read.
Set in the beachside suburbs of Sydney, Carly works as a cook in a cafe by night, leaving her days free for surfing. Surfing is both her passion and her escape and Eagar describes Carly's affinity for the sport, and the ocean, with extraordinarily vivid imagery. She also captures the culture of this insular community, from the rules and courtesies that dictate behaviour to the characters that float on the swell at all times of the day. Having spent some time on the waves she describes as a teenager (though I watched more than surfed), the sense of recognition is surprisingly powerful.
In this character driven novel, Eagar has created a protagonist who is easy to identify with. The reader is immersed in Carly's thoughts and experiences through the first person, present tense narration. Carly's self imposed alienation from those around her allows her to hide her fragile emotional state. Long before the details are revealed, it is obvious that a traumatic event has crushed her spirit, leaving her vulnerable and closed off. Eagar sensitively explores Carly's pain without exploiting it and as Carly begins to move forward, the author never forces the recovery. It is this visceral realism that engages the reader.
Carly is supported by some unique characters, Hannah - her Dutch neighbour, Danny - a fellow surfer who sees people in colours and then of course there is Ryan. The development of the relationship between Carly and Ryan is particularly well handled. Hardly a traditional 'YA hero', Ryan is a unique character that you can't but help fall a little in love with yourself.
Raw Blue is a compelling novel, insightful and poignant. It is wonderful to have a book that is so naturally, authentically Australian, and so gloriously, beautifully written. A stunning debut Raw Blue is a must read.
nematome's review
4.0
4.5 stars
There are times when I look at the world and it seems like a really horrible place. Heck, most of the time. People are just naturally blind and violent. We all move through life, colliding with one another and in general just fucking each other over. But this book made me think about all the small actions and the people that make it bearable. I think that we all have those people in our lives. Maybe they only make brief appearances, and maybe they aren’t even aware of their own impact. Or maybe they are the ones that only show up once or twice in a lifetime, like gifts, to help shoulder the burden.
This is just a simple story really, about one girl who’s stronger than everyone thinks, and how she heals herself after suffering a major trauma. Her parents don’t understand why she would want to drop out of uni and move to a small seaside town to work as a chef (sort of) and surf all day long. But she knows that surfing is the one thing that makes her feel safe and strong. She doesn’t want to let anyone in, but then there’s Hannah, the upstairs neighbor on hiatus from her marriage, and Danny, the sweet synesthete kid, and Ryan, the inscrutable but kind man who seems to like her even though she gets frigid and weepy whenever they meet.
I think that what I love the most about this book is that Kirsty Eagar celebrates the coping mechanisms and people that come into Carly’s life, but she also shows that these things are merely buffers. Carly struggles and learns to cope, and she slowly allows others into her life, but ultimately, she finds her own tranquility.
Kirsty Eagar also has an amazing capacity for translating emotions and sensations into words that always ring true. For example, this passage:
”This is why people kill themselves; they can’t get away from the things they carry in their heads. Shame isn’t a quiet grey cloud; shame is a drowning man who claws his way on top of you, scratching and tearing your skin, pushing you under the surface.”
I don’t know about y’all, but that’s exactly what shame feels like to me.
Also, for a young adult novel, this book deals with sex in a refreshingly honest way. I feel like so many books, young adult (and romance) in particular, tend to gloss over sex like it’s a rose hued, out of focus, romantic dream. I mean, sex may be a beautiful thing every once in a while, but it sure ain’t pretty. When authors turn to flowery metaphors I just get pulled right out of the story every single time. This book never shies away from the messiness, the beautiful awkwardness, or even the complete trauma, which I really appreciate.
Perfect Musical Pairing
Rosi Golan – Been a Long Day
”It’s like hearing a song for the first time and being struck by it, haunted by it, wanting to hunt it down and catch it, because the song sums up something you didn’t know you wanted to say, giving you chills and goose bumps.”
That’s exactly how I felt when I heard this song for the first time, and it so perfectly conveys the feelings I get from this book:
“ Its been a long week,
and all the lines come down heavy on me.
Its been a long week.
I'm finally feeling like it’s okay to break.
Into a thousand pieces,
No one can replace.
Only I can find my way.”
There are times when I look at the world and it seems like a really horrible place. Heck, most of the time. People are just naturally blind and violent. We all move through life, colliding with one another and in general just fucking each other over. But this book made me think about all the small actions and the people that make it bearable. I think that we all have those people in our lives. Maybe they only make brief appearances, and maybe they aren’t even aware of their own impact. Or maybe they are the ones that only show up once or twice in a lifetime, like gifts, to help shoulder the burden.
This is just a simple story really, about one girl who’s stronger than everyone thinks, and how she heals herself after suffering a major trauma. Her parents don’t understand why she would want to drop out of uni and move to a small seaside town to work as a chef (sort of) and surf all day long. But she knows that surfing is the one thing that makes her feel safe and strong. She doesn’t want to let anyone in, but then there’s Hannah, the upstairs neighbor on hiatus from her marriage, and Danny, the sweet synesthete kid, and Ryan, the inscrutable but kind man who seems to like her even though she gets frigid and weepy whenever they meet.
I think that what I love the most about this book is that Kirsty Eagar celebrates the coping mechanisms and people that come into Carly’s life, but she also shows that these things are merely buffers. Carly struggles and learns to cope, and she slowly allows others into her life, but ultimately, she finds her own tranquility.
Kirsty Eagar also has an amazing capacity for translating emotions and sensations into words that always ring true. For example, this passage:
”This is why people kill themselves; they can’t get away from the things they carry in their heads. Shame isn’t a quiet grey cloud; shame is a drowning man who claws his way on top of you, scratching and tearing your skin, pushing you under the surface.”
I don’t know about y’all, but that’s exactly what shame feels like to me.
Also, for a young adult novel, this book deals with sex in a refreshingly honest way. I feel like so many books, young adult (and romance) in particular, tend to gloss over sex like it’s a rose hued, out of focus, romantic dream. I mean, sex may be a beautiful thing every once in a while, but it sure ain’t pretty. When authors turn to flowery metaphors I just get pulled right out of the story every single time. This book never shies away from the messiness, the beautiful awkwardness, or even the complete trauma, which I really appreciate.
Perfect Musical Pairing
Rosi Golan – Been a Long Day
”It’s like hearing a song for the first time and being struck by it, haunted by it, wanting to hunt it down and catch it, because the song sums up something you didn’t know you wanted to say, giving you chills and goose bumps.”
That’s exactly how I felt when I heard this song for the first time, and it so perfectly conveys the feelings I get from this book:
“ Its been a long week,
and all the lines come down heavy on me.
Its been a long week.
I'm finally feeling like it’s okay to break.
Into a thousand pieces,
No one can replace.
Only I can find my way.”
heykellyjensen's review
3.0
The character relationships were strong, but there were parts where the characters themselves were underdeveloped for me, and I found that much of the first part of the story sort of dragged. But about page 150, things really picked up and I completely understood everything about Carly. I just wish it came sooner and that I could have felt that way about her during the slow parts.
vilf's review
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
re-read 2022:
yeah, it's still pretty good. i love how the weather is described to reflect carly's moods—it's a very subtle detail and i completely missed it on my first read (of course, i was pretty dumb back then too). ryan's characterization didn't move me as much as danny's did. i really wish we were able to see more of him, and that some of the other side characters got more development (namely kylie). overall, yeah it's great, but the age gap is still significant enough to make me feel uneasy, and it's not really addressed.
yeah, it's still pretty good. i love how the weather is described to reflect carly's moods—it's a very subtle detail and i completely missed it on my first read (of course, i was pretty dumb back then too). ryan's characterization didn't move me as much as danny's did. i really wish we were able to see more of him, and that some of the other side characters got more development (namely kylie). overall, yeah it's great, but the age gap is still significant enough to make me feel uneasy, and it's not really addressed.
moomin785's review
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
adeelif's review
5.0
I actually loved this book. It was emotional, and raw, and tore my heart into a billion pieces. I loved the characters, and how each one of them was fucked up in a different way, and even though most of the book is Carly's inner dialog, it still kept pulling me in. I can definitely say that this book changed me, and made me think differently - or rather, made me think of things that I've never thought of before, and I think that's beautiful.
burialshroud's review
4.0
Ugly, amateurish, 5-minutes-on-photoshop cover aside, this was a very enjoyable novel. The premise of a teenaged girl overcoming trauma and learning to love again isn't very original but the narrator's young, no bullshit voice and the little details like the surfing and the fact that it's set in Australia make the novel fresh and interesting.
aprilbooksandwine's review
4.0
Raw Blue by Kirsty Eagar is very much a quiet, character driven novel – and kind of puts me on the bring of joining an Aussie YA fan club. Main character Carly is 19, but doesn’t go to college. Instead, she has her own apartment in Sydney. She works nights as a cook so that her days are free to surf. As idyllic as Carly’s life may seem, she’s carrying a lot of pain inside.
Read the rest of my review here
Read the rest of my review here