Out of the Blue is an empowering fish-out-of-water (literally!) YA queer romance. Sean, a lifeguard and aspiring film director, has just been publicly dumped by his boyfriend when he meets Ross, a stranger who seems to have washed up on the beach. As Sean and Ross get to know each other – and as Ross gets their land legs for their coming-of-age Journey – they both learn a lot about their cultures, rom-coms, and the importance of growth.
First of all, the characters. I don’t know what it is about Sean and Ross, but as soon as I started reading, I could not get them out of my head. They feel incredibly real, and I appreciate that we’re given both of their perspectives throughout the book, as I think it would have been less enjoyable had it only been written from one or the other. I loved how they described each other; while Ross is fascinated by humans in general, there’s something special about how they talk about Sean that’s clear even from the beginning.
The only thing that I can complain about – and this really is a personal thing more so than an actual issue – is the ending. I understand why it ended the way it did; I don’t think it would have been true to the message of the book if it had concluded any other way. That being said, my stupid little heart was a little disappointed – not enough to write off the book by any means, but enough to lower my personal star rating for it.
I was not expecting to love this book as much as I did – as soon as I finished reading my eARC, I actually tracked down where I could pre-order a signed, personalized copy for my own collection, which I practically never do. Though the ending wasn’t what I’d hoped for, the characters are so rich and wonderful that I was thinking about them long after I finished the book, and ultimately that’s the draw for me in any read.
Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for providing a copy for review.