![]() ![]() It’s confirmed throughout the novel that Ramona is bisexual, and that her feelings for Freddie do not erase or contradict her feelings for girls. However, this is not a novel about a young woman being “cured” of being queer. Yes, a major storyline of Ramona Blue is Ramona, who had previously thought of herself as a lesbian, falling for a guy. Since it’s what pretty much everyone talks about when they talk about this book, I’ll start with the controversy. Things get even more confusing when her childhood friend Freddie comes back and she finds herself attracted to him, despite identifying as a lesbian. Ramona is determined to do her best with what she’s been given, even though she knows that providing financially for Hattie will keep her from achieving her own goals. Ramona Blue is a big personality living a life that is increasingly too small for her, both figuratively (she feels trapped in her small town but doesn’t have the money to leave) and literally (her family has been living in a tiny trailer since their home was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, and now her sister Hattie is pregnant and the deadbeat father is moving in despite the lack of space). ![]() I liked it, but it’s not a story I feel called upon to widely recommend. ![]() ![]() Having now read it, I don’t think Ramona Blue deserves either the high praise or the censure it’s received. A few chapters in, I went to Goodreads to read some more reviews and found tons of people talking about a controversy. Before grabbing Ramona Blue (by Dumplin’ author Julie Murphy) from the library, I’d only heard good things. ![]()
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