Thousand Shades of Blue (Young Adult Novels)

I have serious feels about this book. First this book contains cheating and inappropriate age gaps. You have been warned. Also the way it is written has a strong suggestion of approval. Which frankly bugs me the most because this a middle grade book.

This book made me want to abandon life as I know it and take off travelling. In a big way. Just not by boat #seasickness. This book also gave me major feelings of a lack of resolution. Which would be realistic and totally fine if it were targeted at adult like me. it isn't though it is being marketed to kids and teens who are going to read and possibly learn unhealthy relationship habits.

A Thousand Shades of Blue refers to the many and varied hues of the ocean in and around the Bahama Islands. In this idyllic setting the author, Robin Stevenson tells the story of Rachel, a sixteen year old girl who is trapped on a sailboat with her dysfunctional family for a year of extended “family time”. Things haven’t been going smoothly for her family and Rachel is both resentful and angry at being pulled away from her home, school and friends while her parents try to patch things together.

Beneath Rachel’s anger there is also fear and uncertainly. She harbours secrets and memories that she is afraid to discuss hoping that by ignoring her problems they will vanish. The author does an excellent job of portraying this fragile show more family on the verge of disintegrating.

I loved the setting of the Bahamas and the vivid pictures the author made of sand, sea and sky. I wish there had been more time taken to develop this part of the story, but overall this tale of a family breakdown rang true I found A Thousand Shades of Blue to be am engaging story and I appreciated that, even though this is a YA book, there was no simple answer or pat ending. show less

First off, I'm a sucker for books set on sailboats, as this one is. Secondly, I like protagonists who are a little awkward, unsure of themselves. Rachel is certainly not finished, but she's heading in the right direction. The broken sister and the troubled parents kind of pile it on, but somehow it manages to work without being too heavy-handed. I liked the story, I liked the characters, and the writing took me to the deck of the 'Shared Dreams' and left me looking into the water. Nicely done.

Reviewed by Andrew S. Cohen for TeensReadToo.com

Rachel is a sixteen-year-old daughter trapped on a year-round sailing trip aboard a small boat with her dysfunctional family.

Her dad, a child psychologist more in tune to the problems of his patients than his own children, suggested the trip to repair the rift between the family. However, Rachel feels guilty leaving her mentally-impaired older sister behind, along with missing her friends.

Rachel's parents continue to fight on the trip, her brother, Tim, seems to be bitter and the fringe hoping to hold their parents together, and Rachel never has anyone her age to be with. Ultimately, Rachel and Tim discover a grave secret that they are afraid to confront, threatening the continuity of show more their family that they wish to hold onto.

I enjoyed this story, as it had a page-turning plot as Stevenson effectively sets up the suspense so that the reader feels the need to continue reading the story to its ultimate conclusion. Along with some coming-of-age storyline, A THOUSAND SHADES OF BLUE provides for some interesting characters and a creative setting.

I only wish that the author chose to develop her characters a bit more, and elaborate on the beauty of the Caribbean and the surroundings, adding further depth to the story. show less

This is a hi-low book that is an easy read for high school students and a manageable read for lower readers. Yet it keeps a high interest level for high school aged students. In this book,sixteen-year-old Rachel takes a sailing trip to the Caribbean but she can't stand being trapped on a small boat with her family. There is no where to escape when her parents fight and she misses her friends. While the boat is being repaired, the family spends a few weeks in a small Bahamian community, where Rachel and Tim discover a secret that changes everything and could destroy the delicate family balance. This is a good hi-low book for high school aged students as the subject matter of family relations is something that young adults and teens can show more relate to and at the same time the reading level is manageable for lower readers. I would recommend this book for addition to the LMC. show less