
Reach for this book when your teenager is feeling the heavy weight of family responsibility or questioning where they fit in a world that seems to have pre-defined their path. It is a soulful exploration of a young woman named Ramona who is the glue holding her family together in a small Mississippi town. Between working multiple jobs and supporting her pregnant sister, she begins to navigate a shift in her own identity and what she wants for her future. This story is perfect for readers navigating the 'in-between' spaces of life, especially regarding sexuality and class. It addresses the realities of poverty and the pressure to be the adult in the room with empathy and grit. Parents will appreciate the book for its honest, nuanced portrayal of a protagonist who learns that being true to herself doesn't mean she is betraying the people she loves.
Includes kissing and discussions of sexual attraction and identity.
Themes of poverty, housing instability, and the lingering effects of natural disasters.
Financial instability and poverty, housing insecurity (living in a trailer post-Katrina), parental abandonment (a 'flaky' mother who is largely absent), teen pregnancy, and the lasting psychological effects of a natural disaster.
A teenager who feels older than their years because they have had to parent their own parents or siblings. It is perfect for a reader who is comfortable with their identity but finds that their labels or feelings are evolving in ways they didn't expect.
This book can be read cold. Parents should be prepared for honest depictions of poverty and the realistic, sometimes coarse, language of teenagers in a high-stress environment. A child expressing that they feel stuck in their current life, or a teen who is confused by the fact that their romantic or sexual attractions don't perfectly align with the labels they previously chose.
Younger teens (14-15) will focus on the romance and the blue-haired protagonist's striking appearance. Older teens (17-18) will more deeply resonate with the crushing weight of impending adulthood and the difficult choice of leaving home for better opportunities.
Unlike many YA novels that treat labels as fixed destinations, this book is unique for its nuanced and brave exploration of sexual fluidity within the queer experience, all while grounded in a gritty, realistic portrayal of working-class Southern life.
Set in a Mississippi town still physically and economically scarred by Hurricane Katrina, this novel follows Ramona Blue, a six-foot-tall lesbian teenager who is the primary breadwinner and emotional stabilizer for her family. While living in a trailer with her well-meaning but struggling father and her pregnant sister, Hattie, Ramona balances multiple jobs and the pressure of being the 'reliable one.' When her childhood friend Freddie returns to town, Ramona finds herself unexpectedly developing feelings for him, leading to a complex exploration of sexual fluidly, class struggle, and the choice between staying in a familiar place or chasing an unknown future.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.
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