Raw Blue

Book Details

Author: Kirsty Eagar

Paperback, 274 pages

Published June 29th 2009 by Penguin Books Australia

ISBN 0143011456 (ISBN13: 9780143011453)

edition language English

Book Summary

Carly has dropped out of uni to spend her days surfing and her nights working as a cook in a Manly café. Surfing is the one thing she loves doing … and the only thing that helps her stop thinking about what happened two years ago at schoolies week. 

And then Carly meets Ryan, a local at the break, fresh out of jail. When Ryan learns the truth, Carly has to decide. Will she let the past bury her? Or can she let go of her anger and shame, and find the courage to be happy? 

Australian author, set in Sydney. (taken from goodreads.com)

Book Review

Raw Blue = Australian Author

Accent + Waves + Surfing = Perfect!

The one thing I love most about Raw Blue is the set of characters. Carly, who’s desperate for peace and solitude, Hannah, her addicted-to-salsa neighbor in the midst of a midlife crisis, the 15-year old surf buddy Danny who has synesthesia (interesting word, huh?), Marty, the lost co-worker and of course, Ryan, the ‘guy’. The people that surrounds her compliments her, and I think, exactly what she needed.

I like Ryan because he’s really close to reality. He’s not one of those heroes who is introduced in the book to save the heroine. He’s not even the sweet, type who can knock you off your feet with his words. He didn’t push Carly, he just let her go figure for herself stuff and just made sure Carly knows that he’s still there for her.

An incident push Carly to dropped out of the university, live on her own, away from her parents and started to surf every day. I think she prefers to isolate herself from the rest. Then she developed a relationship with Ryan, another fellow surfer.

Raw Blue had me held my breath at its end! Gaaaahhhd! I wanted to know how the conversation ended. Was it finally a happy ending, or she decided to something else? What about the other characters? What happens to them? I wanted to know if Marty is fine, Hannah and the Salsa-guy, Danny and his surfing/work and Emilio too!

This book perfectly describes the uneasiness of having sex with someone for the first time. No metaphors or illusions – just simple, real sex: a little discomfort, fear of not being accepted, afraid of being clumsy or doing something wrong.

Raw Blue deals with many common issues like relationship, sexual abuse, and sex in an amazing way that will not shock or protect you from what is reality. Bad things happen, but do not dwell on them because good things happen too. If you let bad things eat you up, then you will never see the happiness that lies before you. 

Favorite Quotes

Am I worried about the future? I don’t know, when I think of the word it’s like seeing a cavity, a space where a tooth used to be.

And that’s humbling, knowing that your voice can mean so much to another person. 

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