Review: Blue by Lisa Glass

Blue

by Lisa Glass

Publication Date: June 5, 2014

Published by Quercus Books

Pages: 352

Source: Publisher

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Surfing is sixteen-year-old Iris's world, and when the ultra-talented Zeke walks into her life, it soon becomes her passion.

Over one amazing summer, as she is drawn into his sphere, she experiences love, new friendships, but also loss, with an intensity she never dreamed of.

But is Zeke all he seems? What hides beneath his glamorous and mysterious past? When Iris decides to try for her own surfing success, just as her ex-boyfriend comes back into her life, she will test her talent, and her feelings for Zeke, to the limit..

My Thoughts

If you are looking for that one book to kick off your summer reading, Blue by Lisa Glass is the book you should pick up. With Iris and Zeke meeting in a yoga class, in an awkward, but compromising position, there is instant attraction between these two. It drew me in, that's for sure. Both Iris and Zeke are sporty and exude a level of confidence that made them want to know each other more. And as the reader, I wanted to know too.

While there is an immediate attraction and Iris and Zeke are drawn to each other, there is no insta-love here. Readers who are leery about insta-love stories can rest easy as you get to see the characters get to know each other and experience the friendship that begins to turn into more. But both Zeke and Iris are guarded and we begin to understand that their love story might not be so simple after all. 

There were instances in Blue that took the story in a more serious direction than I ever expected. It tackles some serious issues (which I can't mention because they can be plot spoilers), and does so in a way that keeps the story from becoming overwhelmed by them. 

There are many things that I loved about this book:

• the friendship between Iris and her best friend, Kelly - this added a lot of humor to the book
• the relationship between Zeke and his brother (and the rest of his family) - this explained a lot about Zeke
• reading about Iris and how she grew into this more confident person after having her heart broken by her high-school boyfriend, Daniel
• all of the emphasis on surfing - the rules, the lingo, the surf culture, the surfing lifestyle and the freedom that the characters experienced

And I especially loved reading the descriptions of being out in the ocean and the waves - it was hypnotic. It made me yearn to be in the water.  It didn't make me what to go out and try to surf any time soon, but I could easily envision the surfers, in the water, experiencing the thrill of it all.

I fell hard for this book and Iris and Zeke and their story. I would call Blue a true summer read (although you could read it any time of the year). There are other characters in Blue who were interesting enough that their story lines could lead to their own books. I certainly hope that that happens in the future.

Disclaimer:  I received this ARC from Quercus Books  in exchange for my honest review.  I was not compensated in any way other than the ARC provided. Thoughts and opinions are my own.