The Messy Life of Blue by Shawna Railey
Release: June 2nd 2020
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Yellow Jacket
Source: Amazon
__
__
Eleven-year-old “Blue” Warren is cursed with three bothersome brothers, a too-busy father, a recently deceased mother, and she’s annoyed. With humor, hijinks, and heart, this debut novel is a touching tale of grief and the healing power of family.
Eleven-year-old Beulah “Blue” Warren spends every waking moment surrounded by boys: her three brothers, her father, her best friend, even the family dog, but that’s never stopped her from being her usual rambunctious self. Without a mother, Blue sets to do what she wants without fear of consequences.
When she is sent to the principal’s office, she gets out of it like a pro. When the witchy neighbor next door trashes her yard, Blue doesn’t just get even, she gets ahead. No clean underwear because she hasn’t done the laundry? No worries. That’s what her little brother’s Superman underwear is for, isn’t it? But everything changes on the day she explores the attic and finds her mother’s death certificate. Blue will need to muster all the strength she has to deal with the truth, find forgiveness, trust in her father, and grieve for her mother once and for all.
Shawna Railey taught herself to read at age three, and started writing stories when she was only four years old. Born and raised in Southern California, it was hard to compete with the beach in her backyard . . . but that’s exactly what books did.
Now that she’s lived in Colorado with her daughter for over a decade, she has a new love in the Rocky Mountains. If she isn’t reading or writing, you can find her golfing, hiking, camping, playing poker, enjoying a movie, or putting together her extensive Harry Potter Lego collection. The Messy Life of Blue is her first novel.
Author Website: shawnarailey.com
Twitter: @ShawnaRailey.
The Messy Life of Blue Review:
This book was difficult to review because there were some parts that the author wrote so well, but somehow missed its mark in the pacing.
Here’s what I liked about the story. The author wrote the characters very well. Even though they are a bit clichéd, you immediately start to like all of them (well, except Jackson). Blue is stubborn and annoyed because she is the only girl in the family. Hence, you immediately root for her so that people take her seriously. Arnie is adorable and mischievous, and Seth is a good big brother towards them. Jackson is annoying for the most part but has his moments.
The author describes some scenes very nicely. For example, I really liked Blue’s reaction when she meets her idol, London Malloy. I also loved how Blue reacts when she finds out what really happened to their mother. Also, I enjoyed the bond that Blue and Jane form from their conversations.
However, the main problem I had with this story is that there are a lot of random things that happen without any focus to a bigger story-line. Even though there is a larger theme to the story where Blue tries to remember her mother, quite a few chapters had no connection to the theme. For example, Blue babysits the girl who poops at inappropriate times. While this is hilarious (in a gross way), it did not connected to the larger theme.
Moreover, I really did not think that the father made a good role model for the children. Everyone laughs at Blue for wearing Jackson’s underwear. However, this happens only because their father decides to stop doing their laundry (and doesn’t even give them a heads-up beforehand). In another scene, Blue starts bleeding profusely for what Seth did, and rather than checking on her condition, the father decides to take them on a road trip instead. I think I disliked the father figure most of all.
Overall, “The Messy Life of Blue” had potential but became a bit messy in its execution.
