Blue Girl

by Charles de Lint

Book Overview

This ALA Best Book for Young Readers is now available in paperback. When Imogene and her family move to Newford, she quickly gets to know two very different people. Maxine is a good girl following a strict life plan. Adrian is a bit more unusual--he's a ghost who has a huge crush on Imogene.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0670059242
• ISBN13: 9780670059249
• Release Date: October 2004
• Publisher: Viking Children's Books
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 1.21 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.1" x 8.6"
• Age Range: 12 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 7 and higher

Customer Reviews

A blue girl and "boo" boy in Newford

When we meet 17-year-old Imogene, newly moved to Redding High School in Newford, she is not, in any sense of the word, blue. She's fiery, fiesty and free-spirited, a rebellious teen who finds herself shifting back to the tamer style of wild in her new surroundings. A key factor in her transformation is her new best friend, Maxine, whose prim and proper attitude conceals a spark of independence that needs only Imgene's gentle prodding to blossom. But "The Blue Girl," the latest urban fantasy novel by Charles de Lint, is not your average young-adult story of teen angst and the perils of fitting in with a new crowd. Like any new student, Imogene runs afoul of the "beautiful people" who consider themselves superior to the groundling students in their midst. Unlike most students, however, she also encounters a ghost. And that ghost -- Adrian, the miserable remnant of an unhappy student at her school several years before -- has fair-weather friends among the fairies ("when house brownies go bad"). So, when Imogene readily accepts the existence of ghosts but balks at believing in fairies, Adrian decides to prove it to her -- and that brings Imogene to the attention of more malevolent spiritual forces. "The Blue Girl" is a stand-alone story in de Lint's canon of Newford tales, although one recurring Newford character does make a few appearances and a handful of others are mentioned in passing. While the lead characters sometimes suffer from "Dawson's Creek" syndrome -- their vocabularies and mannerisms are a bit more mature than their supposed 17 years -- the book largely reads true. And, to be honest, the elevated maturity of the young protagonists makes the book far more readable to its adult audience while not pushing it past the ken of its younger target crowd. "The Blue Girl" is an excellent starting point for newcomers to Newford, and for long-time fans it's a welcome addition to the Newford mythology. While it's always a pleasure to read about the new adventures of Jilly, Geordie and other Newford regulars, it's a treat to be introduced to new, fully realized characters in this exciting, mystical city.

Unexpected pleasure!

I wasn't expecting too much from this, since it is a young adult book, but boy was I wrong! This can be for all ages! De Lint tells a wonderfully detailed and rich story set in his already established world of Newford, but not reliant on it. I'd never read any of his work before and I fell right into it. This is a book about two female high school students who encounter a ghost...who then opens the door to all kinds of things that children hope for, yet fear at the same time. Not exactly women, but not children either, I believe De Lint captures the feeling of being a high schooler very well- at least as I remember it. DeLint also does a very good job of writing the feelings of an overprotected girl- something I'm also very familiar with. Far from being full of sweetness and light, the world of Faerie is very gritty and real in 'The Blue Girl'. I am stoked to have found a new author who is so entertaining and socially relevant. To paraphrase one professional reviewer, "DeLint celebrates fantasy, and instead of using it as an escape, uses it as a vehicle to explore many issues that are relevant for everyday life." If you like books with strong female characters, ghosts, odd otherworldly happenings, and the Fae (not the modern tall ones, but the authentic 'Wee Folk'), this is for you. Heck, even if you don't like any of these things but just enjoy good fantasy- ditto! Go for this one! It's money well spent! (And I dont have alot to spend!)

Another Great Story from Charles DeLint

The Blue Girl is another of Charles DeLint's Newford stories. He makes you feel that Newford is a real place and that you would like to visit there, possibly even live there. The author is rather secretive about where Newford is. It could be in Canada or the U. S. I think that adds to the mythic quality of the story. The Blue Girl is about the new girl in town and her problems finding friends and getting harassed just for being different. There are many elements in the story that almost everyone can relate to, the cliques of kids in high school, the feeling of isolation because your different from the other students, and the happiness of finding that special friend who accepts you for who you are. Although many of the regular characters you come to associate with Newford don't appear in the story (Jilly Coppercorn is mentioned. I don't think Charles DeLint could write a Newford story without mentioning her, at least), Christy Riddell appears as that special adult, a person a teenager can confide in. Of course it takes a little while for Imogene, the title character to decide whether Christy is that special adult. Underneath all the universal truths and things we can identify with is that element of the supernatural and other world that permeates Charles DeLint's work. It's part of what makes his stories special. If you've read DeLint's other stories, you'll want to read this one as well, especially if you like the Newford stories.

Classic deLint

If you're already a Charles de Lint fan, just go ahead and buy the book. Even though it's marketed towards the Young Adult crowd, it's a wonderful addition to de Lint's body of 'Newford' tales and more than adult enough for any reader. If you've never read any Charles de Lint, this might be a good place to start. He is a master of depicting settings and characters that are very real and very familiar then adding a touch of Magic (whether it be ghosts, fairies, timetravel or just plain strangeness) that is never too much to overtax your willingness to go along with it. He writes frequently about themes of love, loyalty, friendship, acceptance, and, on the other side, loneliness, anger, and despair. Feelings we've all had to deal with from time to time. Without being preachy or overly moralizing, de Lint lets you hitch a ride with one or more characters as they work their way from darkness towards the light. I won't bother to synopsize the book, other reviewer have done a good job of that already. But I will give it my enthusiastic recommendation to anyone who'd like to spend a few hours in a magical place, just around the corner.

Upside Down (Tori Amos reference)

I loved this book. The main character, Imogene, was so interesting with her tough attitude and confidence. I liked how she wanted to change herself from a thug to a fairly good person. I also liked her friend Maxine a good deal, her wisdom and steadiness. The imaginary friend was an interesting addition too. This book is filled with fascinating images and the climax of the book is exciting and brilliant. It has all the themes I like plus faeries. I love a good book with faeries in it.