A Different Blue
by
Amy Harmon
The book market is so saturated that it's impossible to read every author, especially with the limited time I have. So please forgive me that this is my first Amy Harmon book. It definitely won't be my last.
“I’m nobody!
Who are you?
Are you nobody, too?
Then there’s a pair of us— don’t tell
They’d banish us, you know."
Blue Echohawk isn't a conformist. She is around 19 years old, she dresses trashy to provoke, is always late at school and the boys think she's easy and she doesn't have many friends. Blue nourishes that image with her behavior. It's her senior year at high school, all students her age have already graduated. Blue started school later in her life, her story is unusual. She was left behind in the truck of a drifter when she was only two years or so old. He took her under his wing and raised her and taught her how to carve beautiful sculptures. The mystery of her birth has never been solved.
It's the first day after summer break and Blue is again late for the last class of the day. History, her least favorite subject. And there is a new teacher, a young handsome guy with a British accent and a love for books and history. She dislikes him because he asks uncomfortable questions, questions that are too personal and she'll be damned if she shared her story with a stranger. And who the hell names their kid Darcy Wilson?
...as different as Wilson was from all the boys I’d ever known. And it wasn’t just the way he talked. It was him. His light and his intensity. And I hated him for it.
This story is about Blue, all other characters, including the hero are support acts. Don't get me wrong, I loved Wilson, he is amazing with her but she is the character this story focuses on and she is unforgettable. Blue is portrayed to be defiant and disrespectful. Abrasive even but on this journey she becomes softer, the edges and ripples are smoothed out like the wood she carves. Feeling discarded, unwanted and unworthy Wilson teaches her that her value doesn't lie in her birth but the way she deals with life and her choices.
“There’s no sense in running from the past. We can’t throw it away or pretend it didn’t happen, Miss Echohawk. But maybe we can learn something from it. You have an interesting story, and I’d like you to tell me more.”
Blue faces the tragedy and obstacles with dignity and one experience in particular shows how selfless she is. I cried buckets. I loved this strong heroine, who had to deal with so much sadness in her life, and her journey to become "A Different Blue."
Wilson is an intriguing mix of wisdom and innocence. He obstinately avoids romantic entanglement with his former student, it's improper refardless of the small difference in age, plus he doesn't know how she feels about him. I loved how he was always there when she needed him. And except for one part of the story towards the end he was easy to love. His inability to get over himself was irritating but understandable at the same time.
“I was afraid, Blue,” he repeated, insistent. “You’ve been through so much. And I am half mad over you. I don’t think you are ready for the way I feel.”
There is a lot of underlying sadness in this story but also an uplifting feeling when it comes to Wilson's and Blue's relationship. I loved their friendship, the way he offered valuable insight and advice and a shoulder if Blue was in need of one.
"Just when I think I know all there is to know, you reveal something that absolutely guts me. I don’t know how you’ve survived, Echohawk. I really don’t. The fact that you’re still making jokes and wishing on streetlights is a bit of a miracle.”
This wonderful and superbly written story is about finding your value and yourself without letting your past rule you. Your identity isn't tied to your origins. The way history and native american legends are woven into this tale is perfectly done and makes for a gripping read. "A Different Blue" is poignant, full of emotion and wisdom. The Pride & Prejudice references tickled my funny bone. Amy Harmon's writing is beautiful and lyrical and I can't wait to read more of her stories!
“And I love you . . . most ardently,” he responded, twisting my hair in his hands and pulling me toward him.
“Pride and Prejudice?”
“How did you know?” he smiled.
“I have a thing for Mr. Darcy.”
"A Different Blue" is a standalone.
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