Blue by Lou Aronica is a book that is impossibly hard to categorize. It is, at once, an adult story of life, love and divorce, a young adult story of learning to life with what life has handed you, a high fantasy story with rich and beautiful world building and a tragedy about learning what it means to heal.
Blue is told through three main view points. Chris is a man in his early 40s, divorced and the father of 14 year old Becky, who was, is and always will be the center of his world. Becky is our second narrator. She was diagnosed with Leukemia at age 5. It has been in remission for years, but she's starting to feel weak again. Chris and Becky created a fantasy world called Tamarisk when she was sick as a way to take her mind off the pain and help her deal with what was happening to her body. Miea is the Princess of this world, and now, 4 years after they have stopped telling the story, Miea is our third narrator. Her beloved Tamarisk is real, and in serious trouble. A blight is killing the vegetation and nothing they do is able to stop the damage.
There is also a fourth voice to the story, one that is only around for a few paragraphs here and there. Through some careful manipulation on his part, he opens a pathway between Miea and Becky, allowing her to visit the fantasy world that helped her accept her illness. As she begins spending time there, Tamarisk starts to minimize the empty space between Becky and her father that has grown since Chris moved out of the house after the divorce. They begin to draw closer together, much as they were when Becky was young.
I didn't really know what to expect from this book going into it. I thought the idea of a made-up, healing fantasy world come to live was interesting, so when I was approached to review this book, I accepted. I didn't know what to expect, but man, I didn't expect this! Blue is so much more than it appears to be. Most of my thoughts are tied up in how complex this story is, and how full of meaning each passage is.
I felt for these characters. My heart broke for Chris. His thoughts are constantly tied up in his daughter, wanting desperately to do right by her, but no longer understanding how to bridge the gap his divorce has broached between them. When Polly, his ex-wife, approached him asking for a divorce, Christ was caught completely off guard. Their marriage hadn't been good for a long time, but Chris was determined and willing to stick it out, because he wanted to stay in the same house as his daughter, didn't want to miss any nights tucking her into bed.
Although he desperately wants to be a good father, and he truly loves his daughter, there were times when I was almost uncomfortable with the intensity of his thoughts and focus on his daughter. Don't get me wrong. There was never any mention or hint of inappropriate behavior, but everything revolved around Becky. He himself mentions that his whole being is consumed by Becky (although I am paraphrasing a little bit) and that doesn't leave much room for anything else. I don't really know how to properly articulate what about the descriptions made me uncomfortable, but there was just this underlying feeling of... not-rightness.
A hugely important part of the story is Tamarisk, the fantasy land where Miea is now the Queen, desperately trying to salvage and save her home. The world building here was fantastical and beyond beautiful. The world has a song to it, and smells of chocolate and raspberries. It's a beautiful place to be and the imagination it took to create that world is astounding. When Becky begins traveling to Tamarisk, she is delighted by the reality of this world she created.
Although Tamarisk is a stunning part of the story, the real draw to the story for me was the relationships. Becky has a way about her that draws people in. I would like to meet this little girl, shake her hand, and spend a day talking to her. Having an illness as serious as Becky's gives people a unique approach to life. Becky desperately wants to live, and she understands the value of relationships and love. Lonnie has been her best friend and truest confidant since pre-school. She was there for the prior illness, but she's stayed by Becky's side the whole time.
There is so much love and hope on the pages of this book that I feel full of it right now. It's a story that will stick with me for a long time and one that will draw my mind back again and again. There is so much to say about this book, but telling you too much would lessen the experience for you. So I can only tell you that this is a book worth reading.
*Disclaimer: I received this book from the author through Pump Up Your Book.