A Thousand Shades of Blue

by Robin Stevenson

A sailing trip to the Caribbean might sound great, but sixteen-year-old Rachel can't stand being trapped on a small boat with her family. She misses her best friend and feels guilty about leaving her... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1551439212
• ISBN13: 9781551439211
• Release Date: October 2008
• Publisher: Orca Book Publishers
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.4" x 8.0"
• Age Range: 12 years and up
• Grade Range: Grades 7 to 12

Customer Reviews

Courtesy of Teens Read Too

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 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. Reviewed by: Andrew S. Cohen