Thank you to HarperCollins for sending me a copy of Out of the Blue in exchange for honest review.
Summary:
Crest is not excited to be on their Journey: the month-long sojourn on land all teen merfolk must undergo. The rules are simple: Help a human within one moon cycle and return to Pacifica to become an Elder — or fail and remain stuck on land forever. Crest is eager to get their Journey over and done with. Humans are disgusting. They’ve polluted the planet so much that there’s a floating island of trash that’s literally the size of a country.
In Los Angeles with a human body and a new name, Crest meets Sean, a human lifeguard whose boyfriend has recently dumped him. Crest agrees to help Sean make his ex jealous and win him back. But as the two spend more time together, and Crest’s perspective on humans begins to change, they’ll soon be torn between two worlds. And fake dating just might lead to real feelings … (- from the publisher)
* This review shore is filled light spoilers (and ocean puns) *
Part of your world …
If I had to describe Jason June as an author in one word, it would be “fun.” In Out of the Blue, he created a fantasy world so out there, it 180ed into believable. Moreover, this book is funny — LOL to yourself funny. I couldn’t put it down; I finished it in one day, reading during every single break I had.
RELATED: 6 Book Recommendations if You Loved Our Flag Means Death
Crest’s quirks, gruffness and overall misunderstandings of the human world simultaneously inject this story with unending joy and pathos. Out of the Blue is like The Little Mermaid meets Pinocchio meets all the queer joy 🌈 .
As with any YA novel, teenagers are gonna teenage, so there were a few moments I wanted to throw my Kindle down, but once I regained composure, I realized it all works. The little pod these kids live in, where their friend relationships are more important to them until their parental relationships are threatened is very real.
I love how body- and sex-positive Jason June’s work is. Horny teens gonna horny. So, that being said, if you’re on the sex-repulsed side, just bear in mind that Out of the Blue may not be for you.
Deep-sea exploration
In so many ways, Out of the Blue is an easy-breezy beach read, but bubbling under the surface are much more complex ideas. These ideas are mostly represented in contrasts. For the sake of brevity, I’ll dive into just two of them.
The one that fascinated me the most, probably because I wasn’t expecting it, was the examination of individualistic versus collectivist cultures. Jason June sets that contrast using Hollywood — a real, but mythical culture — and mer culture — a completely fantastical one. By doing so, she is more easily able to look at these value systems without passing judgment. Just 🧑🍳💋
The other thing topic I want to discuss is how gender and sexuality are treated in mer culture. Mers (and all non-human animals, apparently) use they/them pronouns and are what we humans would describe as nonbinary. They go with the flow and fall in love with who they fall in love with; some are polyamorous, others serial monogamists and some partner with one mer for life.
RELATED: 17 New LGBTQIA+ Books You Should Read for Pride
So, Crest has mixed feelings about the ocean giving them an ” ‘eel’ between their legs” and being read as male. Compare that with Sean’s understanding of his own gender and sexuality. Sean is confident that he’s a gay man, yet with no crisis of identity, enters a relationship with a nonbinary person. Clearly attraction and identity are more complex than our human labels.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cc6t_grL1_p/
Should you read it?
Shell yes! Now, I loved Jason June’s debut, Jay’s Gay Agenda, but I adored Out of the Blue. For all that it’s fantasy, it’s an incredibly real take on the shelf life of teen romance. Crest in particular is really well drawn. I would love to revisit their world in a sequel!
All in all, Out of the Blue is such a unique blend of urban fantasy veering towards high fantasy. I think you’ll fall in love with this book and these characters as much as I did.
Content warnings: cheating, mild violence, misgendering.
Out of the Blue is out May 31. Pick up a copy at your local indie bookstore or library. Also, in an effort to fight against the growing tide of book banning in the US, Jason June helped set up a donation drive for this book. Find out more here. 🧜 📚
https://www.geekgirlauthority.com/sex-positive-ya-books-lgbtq/
- Geek Girl Authority Crush of the Week: PRINCESS ZELDA - August 13, 2024
- Book Review: KEY LIME SKY - August 11, 2024
- Millennial Misremembers: BILL NYE THE SCIENCE GUY - August 6, 2024
