A NIGHT OWL REVIEWS BOOK REVIEW | Reviewed by: Tara
Fiona is experiencing a teenager's worst nightmare; being forced to leave all her friends behind for a small hick town with zero possibilities. In fact, the only exciting thing about the town is the legend of a bank robber turned ghost named Gunther. Locals love to compare stories of sightings and speculate on the location of his body and the money he stole. Even Chip, the school nerd who welcomed her into his inner fold and nicknamed her "Blue", is completely obsessed with the story. He is determined to locate the body and the treasure to finally bring closure to the mystery that has captivated the town for thirty years. Somehow, Blue finds herself part of Chip's plans and she can't help but be drawn into his excitement. Her life, however, is anything but exciting. She is tragically misunderstood by her mother, who has almost no involvement in her life except to preach and punish. Her blue hair and outspoken personality have already drawn the ire of the school bully and even the teachers are prejudiced towards her. All she needs to do is get through the next few months until she can graduate and leave town for college, but can she stay out of trouble that long?
Haunting Blue was a great depiction of teen angst and life as the misunderstood new kid in a narrow minded town. Just reading Blue's struggles brought back vivid memories of being a teenager, and it was no easy thing to get through, even without the blue hair. Blue was an exceptionally strong young woman who not only had the courage to stand up for herself, but to also be herself. She was essentially alone in the world and she still had the desire to make good choices in her life, even though they often didn't work out. Chip was a wonderful companion for Blue. He was wonderfully sweet and his loyalty to Blue really made me love him. Their friendship is what made this book work and it made for a really fun read. My only advisory is that while the book is listed as "young adult", there is a good deal of bad language that is not appropriate for younger audiences. I, however, will definitely look forward to more from R.J. Sullivan.
Mar 16, 2011 | 9781615722754
5 - Rare Top Pick | 4.5 - Top Pick | 4 - I Liked It | 3.5 - Enjoyable | 3 - OK | 2.5 - It just didn't click
Book Blurb for Haunting Blue
Punk, blue-haired "Blue" Shaefer, is at odds with her workaholic single mother. Raised as a city girl in a suburb of Indianapolis, Blue must abandon the life she knows when her unfeeling mother moves them to a dreadful small town. Blue befriends the only student willing to talk to her: computer nerd "Chip" Farren. Chip knows the connection between the rickety pirate boat ride at the local amusement park and the missing money from an infamous bank heist the townspeople still talk about. When Blue helps him recover the treasure, they awaken a vengeful ghost who'll stop at nothing--even murder--to prevent them from exposing the truth behind his evil deeds. Haunting Blue will excite readers who enjoy contemporary ghost stories featuring a hard-edged, sassy teenage heroine. Those who enjoyed Buffy the Vampire Slayer will love Haunting Blue.
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