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foreveryoungadult's review
Graded By: Poshdeluxe
Cover Story: Nothing To Brag About
BFF Charm: Yay!
Swoonworthy Scale: 8
Talky Talk: Straight (Surf's) Up
Bonus Factors: Point Break, Sexy Times
Relationship Status: Engaged
Read the full book report here.
Cover Story: Nothing To Brag About
BFF Charm: Yay!
Swoonworthy Scale: 8
Talky Talk: Straight (Surf's) Up
Bonus Factors: Point Break, Sexy Times
Relationship Status: Engaged
Read the full book report here.
andiabcs's review
5.0
4.5
I must first thank Trish Doller for suggesting this book to me. If it wasn’t for her I would have missed this one completely and that would be bordering as a travesty. Because Raw Blue was a really fantastic read and a really real read about a girl trying to hide from her past by not living life in the present. It hit on a lot of great points that left me wanting to weep and hug Carly at the same time.
Raw Blue is about Carly, a girl that has dropped out of university and has moved away from her family so she can forget a tragedy that happened to her 2 years prior. Living on her own with no support, Carly spends her days working at a café to make rent and surfing, the one thing she loves more than anything. She has mostly kept to herself not letting anyone in until she meets Ryan, a local recently released from jail that likes to surf at the safe break she does. As the two get closer and Carly starts to open herself up to him and make actual friends she has to decide how long to let the past hold on to her or she will finally let it go like she should.
Like I said, Carly made me want to just hug her, after I was done crying for her. She was so broken and really had no one to rely on. Her parents had no idea what had happened to her during schoolies week but from the sound of things they weren’t all that sympathetic to begin with. Instead Carly shut herself off and it was really sad. She had no one to trust but the water. That was her strongest relationship for most of the book anyway. Well until she met Ryan and then everything changed. Carly started to change and that was truly remarkable to see. Ryan, amazingly sweet, the kind of guy every girl needs, Ryan, who not once ran from Carly. He was never scared off by her erratic behavior. He never told her she was just too much work. He was there for her in whatever capacity she needed and that made him so unbelievably swoonworthy it isn’t even funny. But the best part about Ryan was his ability to not give up. He really was the perfect complement to Carly.
Besides Carly and Ryan I have to say one of my favorite parts of this book was Danny. Eager used him as a supporting character pretty much to perfection. He was quirky enough to lighten some of the scenes that needed to be lightened up, but he was also a good sounding board for Carly and had no problem telling her what he thought and essentially making her become his friend. Even though Carly didn’t know it she needed someone like Danny in her life. She needed a friend that would bug her and ask her the hard stuff and make her just live her life.
Basically Raw Blue is a book about self-discovery and figuring out how to not let the past rule your present. It is about falling in love and making friends and craving a life for yourself out of tragedy. It was well written with interesting characters and a story you can’t help but fall in love with. An author not really known in the states that I would definitely recommend.
I must first thank Trish Doller for suggesting this book to me. If it wasn’t for her I would have missed this one completely and that would be bordering as a travesty. Because Raw Blue was a really fantastic read and a really real read about a girl trying to hide from her past by not living life in the present. It hit on a lot of great points that left me wanting to weep and hug Carly at the same time.
Raw Blue is about Carly, a girl that has dropped out of university and has moved away from her family so she can forget a tragedy that happened to her 2 years prior. Living on her own with no support, Carly spends her days working at a café to make rent and surfing, the one thing she loves more than anything. She has mostly kept to herself not letting anyone in until she meets Ryan, a local recently released from jail that likes to surf at the safe break she does. As the two get closer and Carly starts to open herself up to him and make actual friends she has to decide how long to let the past hold on to her or she will finally let it go like she should.
Like I said, Carly made me want to just hug her, after I was done crying for her. She was so broken and really had no one to rely on. Her parents had no idea what had happened to her during schoolies week but from the sound of things they weren’t all that sympathetic to begin with. Instead Carly shut herself off and it was really sad. She had no one to trust but the water. That was her strongest relationship for most of the book anyway. Well until she met Ryan and then everything changed. Carly started to change and that was truly remarkable to see. Ryan, amazingly sweet, the kind of guy every girl needs, Ryan, who not once ran from Carly. He was never scared off by her erratic behavior. He never told her she was just too much work. He was there for her in whatever capacity she needed and that made him so unbelievably swoonworthy it isn’t even funny. But the best part about Ryan was his ability to not give up. He really was the perfect complement to Carly.
Besides Carly and Ryan I have to say one of my favorite parts of this book was Danny. Eager used him as a supporting character pretty much to perfection. He was quirky enough to lighten some of the scenes that needed to be lightened up, but he was also a good sounding board for Carly and had no problem telling her what he thought and essentially making her become his friend. Even though Carly didn’t know it she needed someone like Danny in her life. She needed a friend that would bug her and ask her the hard stuff and make her just live her life.
Basically Raw Blue is a book about self-discovery and figuring out how to not let the past rule your present. It is about falling in love and making friends and craving a life for yourself out of tragedy. It was well written with interesting characters and a story you can’t help but fall in love with. An author not really known in the states that I would definitely recommend.
zoeemerald's review
5.0
this felt a lot like a sarah dessen book, in its contemporary, summer beach-side teenage perspective, but more introspective than dessen. I loved the perspective of the australian teenager it gave me, even though the surfing lingo went straight over this raised-in-a-small-south-england-town girl; but the jargon, rather than confuse, strengthened the sense of atmosphere for the reader. We really were Carly, driven by nothing but the desire to be on the waves, trying to ignore her devastating trauma. Thoroughly enjoyed, and read over two nights.
sayitcharlie's review
5.0
I feel ordinary whilst reading the first half but unexpectedly had my gut punched when I reached the moment of truth for Carly.
Carly's character is realistic. Her flaws are something that will make you love her more. She's not just blue for me but a burst of colors.
Among other characters, Danny struck me the most. Given his young age, he seems eccentric and has an old soul. I love the way he sees things and analyses them.
I can't help but partly blame Carly's parents. I think their relationship towards each other was a factor why she felt repulsed to what happened and added to the trauma.
What I love about Ryan is that he doesn't push things, trying to make everything okay. He's just making his presence known to Carly and letting her know that she's got him if she needs him. It's very honest and unmasked.
I love how the author gave the readers a vivid picture of how things are happening especially the sceneries and the surfing part. I love the emphasis on surfing as the most important thin in Carly's life. It made me understand how surfers value surfing. It's exhilarating. I love the way she wrote about healing. It's painful and realistic. She was able to tap my emotions and let me feel the stirrings of the characters.
It's a powerful, gut-punching book that makes you realise things by the time you've finished reading it.
Carly's character is realistic. Her flaws are something that will make you love her more. She's not just blue for me but a burst of colors.
Among other characters, Danny struck me the most. Given his young age, he seems eccentric and has an old soul. I love the way he sees things and analyses them.
I can't help but partly blame Carly's parents. I think their relationship towards each other was a factor why she felt repulsed to what happened and added to the trauma.
What I love about Ryan is that he doesn't push things, trying to make everything okay. He's just making his presence known to Carly and letting her know that she's got him if she needs him. It's very honest and unmasked.
I love how the author gave the readers a vivid picture of how things are happening especially the sceneries and the surfing part. I love the emphasis on surfing as the most important thin in Carly's life. It made me understand how surfers value surfing. It's exhilarating. I love the way she wrote about healing. It's painful and realistic. She was able to tap my emotions and let me feel the stirrings of the characters.
It's a powerful, gut-punching book that makes you realise things by the time you've finished reading it.
missie_bee's review
4.0
Carly has built herself the ideal life. One which allows her to surf and be free of worries. She may have disappointed her parents by dropping out of uni, but she has never felt like she could live up to their expectations anyway.
Surfing provides Carly the escape she craves. Riding the waves, skimming the surface of the ocean, leaves little time for thinking about what has happened in her past. Until she meets Ryan.
Soon the disgrace she thought she drowned begins to surface, pulling her under, claiming her, causing her to give up the little fight to live she had left.
But Ryan's not giving up on her. Which makes her wonder if maybe she is worth more after all.
The splendidly wrought prose was truly the highlight of the story. There was an emotional disconnect, but it was one you hardly noticed because of how deeply embedded it was into Carly.
It was easy to get lost in the fantasy life that Carly created. Her passion for surfing was evident from the start, and she talked about it extensively. But even shallow ripples of emotion couldn't stop the fear that sometimes paralyzed her. It was only when harsh light shone on these fears that I began to see that the bubble Carly formed around herself and her loneliness would soon burst. And when it did, it resulted in the ultimate wipe out, jolting Carly from wave to wave, roughing her up from the outside in and from the inside out.
When the high tide wash away, all that remained was a shell of a person, and that was difficult to bear, especially when Carly gave up the one thing that brought joy to her life. Yet, you knew her journey wasn't over, in fact it was just beginning. It was the point break that led to an awakening in her mind, heart, and spirit.
Carly was the type of person that hid her torment behind very simple purposes. Yes, she struggled, but she never denied that interacting was hard for her. She was very open about how hard it was to get by, to talk to people. Ryan didn't question it, he just accepted it, accepted her. He was her perfect swell, but one she couldn't ride easily. Theirs wasn't a swoon worth romance but a real and raw relationship that took effort to maintain. I couldn't help pulling for them, hoping that they'd find a way to make it work.
Though the writing was very descriptive, I didn't find it to be very illustrative. I struggled with some of the scenery and setting but never the action. But that didn't bother me as much with a story like this because when all was said and done, a part of Carly had seeped into me. She became the type of character I know I will always carry with me. Her bravery, when revealed, was silent, but it was hers and it was full of heart and hope.
http://www.theunreadreader.com/2011/02/review-blue-raw-by-kirsty-eagar.html
Surfing provides Carly the escape she craves. Riding the waves, skimming the surface of the ocean, leaves little time for thinking about what has happened in her past. Until she meets Ryan.
Soon the disgrace she thought she drowned begins to surface, pulling her under, claiming her, causing her to give up the little fight to live she had left.
But Ryan's not giving up on her. Which makes her wonder if maybe she is worth more after all.
The splendidly wrought prose was truly the highlight of the story. There was an emotional disconnect, but it was one you hardly noticed because of how deeply embedded it was into Carly.
It was easy to get lost in the fantasy life that Carly created. Her passion for surfing was evident from the start, and she talked about it extensively. But even shallow ripples of emotion couldn't stop the fear that sometimes paralyzed her. It was only when harsh light shone on these fears that I began to see that the bubble Carly formed around herself and her loneliness would soon burst. And when it did, it resulted in the ultimate wipe out, jolting Carly from wave to wave, roughing her up from the outside in and from the inside out.
When the high tide wash away, all that remained was a shell of a person, and that was difficult to bear, especially when Carly gave up the one thing that brought joy to her life. Yet, you knew her journey wasn't over, in fact it was just beginning. It was the point break that led to an awakening in her mind, heart, and spirit.
Carly was the type of person that hid her torment behind very simple purposes. Yes, she struggled, but she never denied that interacting was hard for her. She was very open about how hard it was to get by, to talk to people. Ryan didn't question it, he just accepted it, accepted her. He was her perfect swell, but one she couldn't ride easily. Theirs wasn't a swoon worth romance but a real and raw relationship that took effort to maintain. I couldn't help pulling for them, hoping that they'd find a way to make it work.
Though the writing was very descriptive, I didn't find it to be very illustrative. I struggled with some of the scenery and setting but never the action. But that didn't bother me as much with a story like this because when all was said and done, a part of Carly had seeped into me. She became the type of character I know I will always carry with me. Her bravery, when revealed, was silent, but it was hers and it was full of heart and hope.
http://www.theunreadreader.com/2011/02/review-blue-raw-by-kirsty-eagar.html
jowillread's review
5.0
“Even though the world looks grey and gloomy, the water’s warmer than you’d think.”
Initial Final Page Thoughts.
My entire body aches.
High Points.
Secrets. Honesty. Brutal. Raw. Glitter skin. Seeing colours. The ocean. Salsa dancing. Strength. Delicious treats. Accidental best friends. Tattoos. Board shorts. Sex. Love. Forgiveness. Understanding. Her. Him.
Low Points.
The entirety of my knowledge of surfing comes from this song and that one time I got stuck on a train from Manchester to Bangor with approximately A MILLION people heading to Abersoch for Wakestock …. so I got extremely lost in the sea of crows and cutting and boards and gettin’ a few.
But… it didn’t ruin it. Just made me scratch my head a bit and make my frownythinky face.
Heroine.
It’s difficult to write down the feelings I had about Carly without going into spoilery territories, so this section will be brief. Carly is one the strongest, bravest and most memorable and affective narrators I have ever read.
Love Interest.
Sexy? Yes.
Troubled? Yes.
Cliché sexy bad boy with issues. No.
Angry? Yes.
Unnecessarily cruel to heroine because that’s what girls want? No.
Sensitive? Yes.
Realistic? Yes.
Caring? Yes.
Understanding? Yes.
Patient? Yes.
So, it’s Ryan, by the way. Yes.Yes.Yes.Yes.
Best Friends.
There is chance I would go deck myself in a wetsuit andflail and possibly drown or at least drink the entire ocean bob around on a surfboard if I could spend an hour each morning with Danny. I seriously loved that kid. I’d even risk getting sunstroke for him… which would happen seeing as I burn in Manchester so I’m guessing I’d just combust if I ever manage to get to Australia.
Or I could just go to salsa class and get horrifically drunk with Hannah.
Either way….
Theme Tune.
Wonderful Life by Kylie Minogue.
I’m kind of cheating with this one because the original version is actually by a British band… but Ms Minogue is the epitome of Australia and I just adore her so and I’m beginning to think I won’t be reading a book that I can fit this song into. Which upsets me greatly.
Anyway, she did this cover on Radio 1’s Live Lounge and I absolutely love it and it makes me tingly in the same way this book does. And I think a lot of the lyrics fit perfectly with this book.
But OK, if you want something truly Australian.
Into My Arms by Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
"And I don’t believe in the existence of angels
Looking at you I wonder if that’s true
But if I did I would summon them together
Ask them to watch over you."
This song makes me weep like a small child. This song is perfect…. especially in consideration with the last two pages.
*Sob*
J’adore Nick Cave.
Strictly Savage Garden Story Song.
Crash & Burn by Savage Garden.
Beneath the cheesy music and ridiculous high notes that Darren can hit, there are actually some pretty stunning lyrics/sentiments in this song. And I think they kind of resonate with the feelings covered in this book.
Boy Angst.
What I liked most about this book was that even though Ryan was there, this book wasn’t solely about him. Sure there were some bits that focussed on his and Carly’s relationship, but it was more about the strength and courage of Carly and her thoughts and her feelings and her journey.
It would have been easy for Ms Eagar to have Ryan swoop in and save the day and make everything alright because he’s a boy and he’s strong and whatever. But by not resorting to this and making the book about Carly and creating a relationship with Ryan that is real and awkward and pointy and jaggedy edges and heart-aching, the ending is all the more poignant and perfect but doesn’t strip Carly of her own personality and make her problems his to solve.
Because I think she does just fine solving them on her own.
Sadness Scale.
There isn’t a rating to really convey how much this book destroyed me. In the best possible way. My muscles physically ache because of how still and tense I was reading the last half of this book.
There aren’t many books that I can say make me feel like that.
But by gum, this one did.
Recommended For.
Everyone. Simple as.
Initial Final Page Thoughts.
My entire body aches.
High Points.
Secrets. Honesty. Brutal. Raw. Glitter skin. Seeing colours. The ocean. Salsa dancing. Strength. Delicious treats. Accidental best friends. Tattoos. Board shorts. Sex. Love. Forgiveness. Understanding. Her. Him.
Low Points.
The entirety of my knowledge of surfing comes from this song and that one time I got stuck on a train from Manchester to Bangor with approximately A MILLION people heading to Abersoch for Wakestock …. so I got extremely lost in the sea of crows and cutting and boards and gettin’ a few.
But… it didn’t ruin it. Just made me scratch my head a bit and make my frownythinky face.
Heroine.
It’s difficult to write down the feelings I had about Carly without going into spoilery territories, so this section will be brief. Carly is one the strongest, bravest and most memorable and affective narrators I have ever read.
Love Interest.
Sexy? Yes.
Troubled? Yes.
Cliché sexy bad boy with issues. No.
Angry? Yes.
Unnecessarily cruel to heroine because that’s what girls want? No.
Sensitive? Yes.
Realistic? Yes.
Caring? Yes.
Understanding? Yes.
Patient? Yes.
So, it’s Ryan, by the way. Yes.Yes.Yes.Yes.
Best Friends.
There is chance I would go deck myself in a wetsuit and
Or I could just go to salsa class and get horrifically drunk with Hannah.
Either way….
Theme Tune.
Wonderful Life by Kylie Minogue.
I’m kind of cheating with this one because the original version is actually by a British band… but Ms Minogue is the epitome of Australia and I just adore her so and I’m beginning to think I won’t be reading a book that I can fit this song into. Which upsets me greatly.
Anyway, she did this cover on Radio 1’s Live Lounge and I absolutely love it and it makes me tingly in the same way this book does. And I think a lot of the lyrics fit perfectly with this book.
But OK, if you want something truly Australian.
Into My Arms by Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
"And I don’t believe in the existence of angels
Looking at you I wonder if that’s true
But if I did I would summon them together
Ask them to watch over you."
This song makes me weep like a small child. This song is perfect…. especially in consideration with the last two pages.
*Sob*
J’adore Nick Cave.
Strictly Savage Garden Story Song.
Crash & Burn by Savage Garden.
Beneath the cheesy music and ridiculous high notes that Darren can hit, there are actually some pretty stunning lyrics/sentiments in this song. And I think they kind of resonate with the feelings covered in this book.
Boy Angst.
What I liked most about this book was that even though Ryan was there, this book wasn’t solely about him. Sure there were some bits that focussed on his and Carly’s relationship, but it was more about the strength and courage of Carly and her thoughts and her feelings and her journey.
It would have been easy for Ms Eagar to have Ryan swoop in and save the day and make everything alright because he’s a boy and he’s strong and whatever. But by not resorting to this and making the book about Carly and creating a relationship with Ryan that is real and awkward and pointy and jaggedy edges and heart-aching, the ending is all the more poignant and perfect but doesn’t strip Carly of her own personality and make her problems his to solve.
Because I think she does just fine solving them on her own.
Sadness Scale.
There isn’t a rating to really convey how much this book destroyed me. In the best possible way. My muscles physically ache because of how still and tense I was reading the last half of this book.
There aren’t many books that I can say make me feel like that.
But by gum, this one did.
Recommended For.
Everyone. Simple as.
gloriousbooks's review
3.0
Also reviewed on the blog: http://gloriousbooks.blogspot.com/2011/10/review-raw-blue.html
I had heard loads of great things about this one so I just had to pick it up.
Unfortunately though I was a little disappointed. It was a good read but I was expecting it to be a lot better.
Raw Blue is basically about a nineteen year old, Carly, who loves to surf and so she dropped out of University to have more time to do so. She's fallen out with her family, she has this a horrible past, she has to work in a horrible cafe during the night where she's not having a great time of it.
I really liked the characters. I thought the way Carly was written made reading the whole book a great experience where I was completely relaxed reading it and I found myself forgetting about everything else going on around me and was solely focused on the story.
Kirsty Eagar made a video about Raw Blue which I've linked at the top of this post and she mentioned that normally, writing is telling a story, but for Raw Blue it was like listening to one. I completely agree with where she's coming from because reading this was like listening to Carly's story. The problem was, I didn't feel like Carly was a strong enough character for me to feel the anger she feels in the book. I knew she was angry. I just didn't feel angry for her, which is what I should have felt given her circumstances. That's where I was disappointed.
Ryan was a great character. It was great how the typical roles in novels was reversed in this one. Ryan was the one to help Carly get through obstacles and tell him her past so she could deal with it. I think normally in books it's the other way round. However, I felt that Ryan wasn't mentioned no way near enough for how important he was to the story and to Carly's development as a character.
Overall I do recommend this read. It was a quick read and despite my negative thoughts about it, it was rather memorable.
I had heard loads of great things about this one so I just had to pick it up.
Unfortunately though I was a little disappointed. It was a good read but I was expecting it to be a lot better.
Raw Blue is basically about a nineteen year old, Carly, who loves to surf and so she dropped out of University to have more time to do so. She's fallen out with her family, she has this a horrible past, she has to work in a horrible cafe during the night where she's not having a great time of it.
I really liked the characters. I thought the way Carly was written made reading the whole book a great experience where I was completely relaxed reading it and I found myself forgetting about everything else going on around me and was solely focused on the story.
Kirsty Eagar made a video about Raw Blue which I've linked at the top of this post and she mentioned that normally, writing is telling a story, but for Raw Blue it was like listening to one. I completely agree with where she's coming from because reading this was like listening to Carly's story. The problem was, I didn't feel like Carly was a strong enough character for me to feel the anger she feels in the book. I knew she was angry. I just didn't feel angry for her, which is what I should have felt given her circumstances. That's where I was disappointed.
Ryan was a great character. It was great how the typical roles in novels was reversed in this one. Ryan was the one to help Carly get through obstacles and tell him her past so she could deal with it. I think normally in books it's the other way round. However, I felt that Ryan wasn't mentioned no way near enough for how important he was to the story and to Carly's development as a character.
Overall I do recommend this read. It was a quick read and despite my negative thoughts about it, it was rather memorable.
randilong's review
4.0
I don't often read Australian narrations and so the language through me off a bit. Otherwise I liked Carly and Ryan. They felt very authentic and real. The way they came together. I do feel like the ending was quite abrupt. I would have liked more of a conclusion.
serendipity_viv's review
4.0
Originally published on www.serendipityreviews.co.uk
It’s taken me a few weeks to get my head around writing this review. I was expecting to love this book to pieces. For ages everyone has told me that I must read Raw Blue as it was the best book they have ever read. So I was honestly expecting it to blow my mind. Unfortunately I didn’t get that feeling and still don’t get why everyone loved it so much. Don’t get me wrong, I did enjoy it and I gave it four stars as I felt it was extremely well written, with some heart wrenching characters. Yet it didn’t make me want to keep reading at all times. In fact it had the opposite effect, as the content often made me feel quite depressed and I had to swap over to read something more lively. Perhaps you have to be in a certain frame of mind, to completely embrace this book.
I found the book a little slow to get into. The first few chapters didn’t feel like they were moving the story on and it took me a while to realise what was going on with Carly; why she acted and reacted the way she did. I can understand the author wanted to show how Carly interacts with the world, so this pacing issue appears to be on purpose. Carly had a very promising future and then suddenly she dropped out of her life completely. She was now existing in a robotic fashion, not allowing any of life to filter through to her.
As the book progresses, the people surrounding her begin to crack and pull down the wall she has built up around her. Loosening her hold on her emotion and feelings until the wall is knocked down completely and everything comes gushing out.
I felt angry for Carly. How could her own family and friends not see the change in her? How could they not realise that something was seriously wrong? It took a complete stranger to gain her confidence and gently lead her out of the dark world she was living in.
Normally in a story like this, you would expect a really hot guy with absolutely no flaws to whip the battered protagonist off her feet; but there is no way you could describe Ryan as flawless. He has a past; a difficult one at that and if Carly really knew the truth to begin with, I would probably have advised her to run the other way. However, Ryan shows he is mature enough to put his past behind him, intent on straightening his life out and he is prepared to build a life with Carly. He is sweet, gentle and very caring, refusing to let Carly walk away from the tiny chance of happiness.
The story is very real and hard hitting at times. Issues that are raised will make you feel uncomfortable, but I do feel the author wrote about them in such a way that you didn’t feel overwhelmed by them. The writing feels grey and miserable in parts and you get a real sense of what it’s like for people who suffer with depression. This is very much a character driven plot where we stand by and watch Carly take tentative steps back into the real world.
The book has a strong surfing theme, which I really enjoyed. I actually learnt quite a bit about surfing while reading it. The descriptions of the surf and the ocean easily transported you to the shores of Australia. Carly is drawn to Ryan through their passion of surfing – it is the bond that ties them together, helping Carly to smash through her past which holds her in a vice like grip.
I think you need to be in a certain frame of mind to get the best out of this book. You need to be prepared to be feel quite low at times as you accompany Carly through her emotional journey. If you enjoy cross over, gritty and emotionally dark YA, then I would recommend this book to you.
It’s taken me a few weeks to get my head around writing this review. I was expecting to love this book to pieces. For ages everyone has told me that I must read Raw Blue as it was the best book they have ever read. So I was honestly expecting it to blow my mind. Unfortunately I didn’t get that feeling and still don’t get why everyone loved it so much. Don’t get me wrong, I did enjoy it and I gave it four stars as I felt it was extremely well written, with some heart wrenching characters. Yet it didn’t make me want to keep reading at all times. In fact it had the opposite effect, as the content often made me feel quite depressed and I had to swap over to read something more lively. Perhaps you have to be in a certain frame of mind, to completely embrace this book.
I found the book a little slow to get into. The first few chapters didn’t feel like they were moving the story on and it took me a while to realise what was going on with Carly; why she acted and reacted the way she did. I can understand the author wanted to show how Carly interacts with the world, so this pacing issue appears to be on purpose. Carly had a very promising future and then suddenly she dropped out of her life completely. She was now existing in a robotic fashion, not allowing any of life to filter through to her.
As the book progresses, the people surrounding her begin to crack and pull down the wall she has built up around her. Loosening her hold on her emotion and feelings until the wall is knocked down completely and everything comes gushing out.
I felt angry for Carly. How could her own family and friends not see the change in her? How could they not realise that something was seriously wrong? It took a complete stranger to gain her confidence and gently lead her out of the dark world she was living in.
Normally in a story like this, you would expect a really hot guy with absolutely no flaws to whip the battered protagonist off her feet; but there is no way you could describe Ryan as flawless. He has a past; a difficult one at that and if Carly really knew the truth to begin with, I would probably have advised her to run the other way. However, Ryan shows he is mature enough to put his past behind him, intent on straightening his life out and he is prepared to build a life with Carly. He is sweet, gentle and very caring, refusing to let Carly walk away from the tiny chance of happiness.
The story is very real and hard hitting at times. Issues that are raised will make you feel uncomfortable, but I do feel the author wrote about them in such a way that you didn’t feel overwhelmed by them. The writing feels grey and miserable in parts and you get a real sense of what it’s like for people who suffer with depression. This is very much a character driven plot where we stand by and watch Carly take tentative steps back into the real world.
The book has a strong surfing theme, which I really enjoyed. I actually learnt quite a bit about surfing while reading it. The descriptions of the surf and the ocean easily transported you to the shores of Australia. Carly is drawn to Ryan through their passion of surfing – it is the bond that ties them together, helping Carly to smash through her past which holds her in a vice like grip.
I think you need to be in a certain frame of mind to get the best out of this book. You need to be prepared to be feel quite low at times as you accompany Carly through her emotional journey. If you enjoy cross over, gritty and emotionally dark YA, then I would recommend this book to you.
oldmanv's review
5.0
An amazing book with the sights and sounds of Sydney beaches described vividly. Great characters help draw you into the story.