Review: Raw Blue

Raw Blue, by Kirsty Eager. The GoodReads 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?

Dang, this was an emotionally intense read, you guys. I mean, I was expecting that a little, based on the reviews I’d read, but I wasn’t really prepared for the sledgehammer effect it would have. Because Carly has had it rough. What happened to her before the book starts is horrific, and the emotional consequences just cannot be held back any longer. It was kinda hard for me to read it for that reason—it was so painful to see Carly struggle and try and fail to keep the trauma at bay. But the book was worth it, I’ll tell you that.

The writing in the book was straightforward and to the point and so, so powerful. Kirsty Eager doesn’t mess around with her words—it felt like each sentence was crafted to pack a punch. And I feel like by keeping the writing tight and direct, the emotional impact was magnified, because there wasn’t anything extra floating around to distract you from it.

This is a book that is carried forward almost entirely by character development. Not much happens plot-wise—Carly works, she surfs, and she meets a boy. It seems like it would be a simple story. But it’s really not, all because of those emotional repercussions from her past that I mentioned earlier. They kept me riveted to the page, hoping and praying that Carly would be able to find a way out of the darkness that’s taking over her life. Because you see from page one that Carly deserves a better life than what she’s allowing herself to have.

Overall, I for sure recommend this one. It’s a little harder to get a hold of since it hasn’t been published in the U.S., but I ordered it from the Book Depository, and it ended up being reasonably priced. This isn’t a book to read if you’re looking for something light and fun, but it’s definitely still a book worth reading.

Rating: 4.5 / 5