Jahn-Clough, Lisa. Nothing But Blue.

Jahn-Clough, Lisa.  Nothing But Blue.     Houghton Mifflin  2013  214p  ISBN 978-0-618-95961-7    hs/adult  Hardback  E-BN      Realistic fiction

Author Lisa Jahn-Clough is an excellent storyteller.  She cleverly weaves two stories together, one of a journey that Blue is making “Now,” and another, of a life that Blue had “Before.”  In the “Now,” young adult readers will love the confusion and uncertainty that Blue experiences as she makes her way “home,” and they will love the poetry of her story and the relationships that she forms, especially with Shadow, the magic dog.  In the “Before” they will slowly come to realize that Blue’s life was artificial, lacking that certain je ne sais quoi  that makes life worth the journey.  She was with Jake in the “Before,” but Jake’s love was fake, and Blue learned to distrust.  She especially distrusted her parents who were going to drag her from the only happy place she’d experienced in life, her lovely Victorian home near the beach.  During her “Now” journey, she has memories of a tragedy that befell her, but she can’t quite pull herself together to really remember what happened.  Shadow is her new friend, a dog who converses with Blue and who saves her whenever she needs shelter, food or protection.  She also develops other relationships during her journey, especially with Snake, a former drifter who introduces her to hobo life, train jumping and real feelings about another human being.   When the actual memory of the tragedy comes to Blue, will the relationships and trust that she has experienced during her journey be enough to sustain her?   The reader will discover the answer at the very end.  Readers of all ages will find that the plot, although stellar, doesn’t count in this novel.  What counts is the connection that Jahn-Clough creates between Blue and Shadow.  What counts is the journey from depths of despair to hope.  With a small segment devoted to the sexual relationship between Blue and Jake, this book is best for high-school and older readers.  The high-school library and public libraries need to stock multiple copies! 

Summary: Blue lives in “Now” and “Before” and must bring the two time periods together to remember the tragedy that befell her family.  A dog named Shadow joins her and helps her at unusual times.    

Dog stories-Fiction, Friendship-Fiction                     --Martha Squaresky