Ramona Blue

I loved this. A beautiful novel about becoming and allowing yourself to be confused and living in the unknown. I can see how some might feel how the book might enforce the “phase” idea of being gay, but I think a careful reading shows that the nuance. Ramona never says she's straight after Freddie but still isn't sure how to identify. The book shows how her lesbian friend Ruth is never unsure about her sexuality. So there's a spectrum. For what it's worth - I'm straight - I thought it was well handled.

This is a great, realistic story! I know when the blurb for this came out there was a lot of hubbub about it maybe seeming to posit that a ~lesbian is just waiting for the right man~...I think that was mostly cleared up already in the book world, but my 2 cents is that it's definitely not saying that, but rather acknowledging that sexuality is fluid! There is a great discussion within the narrative where 2 characters discuss the relative usefulness of more specific labels like “demisexual homoromantic” (not Ramona's identity but a friend's), and a great portrayal of small town LGBTQ community dynamics, and a great portrayal of a low-income Southern teen...all kinds of identities that are underrepresented in YA fiction.

But also a great character to root for and a compelling story!