Rating: 
-
Cyan is a girl like any other, but she is grieveing over
the loss of her father. Every summer for as long as she
could remember, her family has traveled to Curacao for
summer vacation. Cyan doesn't see the reason of going
without dad; especially since it was the place he died.
This summer, Cyan does not just need to grieve over her
late father but figure out why he was out to sea by
himself anyway. Cyan will not stop until she gets some
closure, even if it means she has to be nice to a certain
island native. This book is a mystery and an adventure
until the very end.
Cyan is one of those characters that
you just fall in love with. She's a girl who won't give in
to the crap her mother spits out but also a sweet girl
who's lost her dad. This book had a great story from
beginning to end, but the flow was a little slow. The
beginning was a little dry, but I was still interested and
kept reading. I think the ending could of been a little
stronger also, it kind of left me hanging. All in all this
was a great book. I loved how Cyan finally saw that her
mother wasn't the evil witch of the west but someone who
was burned. I would recommend this book to anyone who
likes a little mystery along with some tragedy and
grief.
Reviewed by a young adult student reviewer
Flamingnet Book Reviews
Teen books reviewed by teen reviewers
Rating: 
-
This book was OK and a lot different then other books I have read. It was kind of hard to get into the book itself. There were times where I felt kind of lost. The story line was some what interesting however. I do enjoy reading books from different authors.... I have always felt that most authors don't repeat themselves in other books, so be sure to check out other book from this author to see how well you might enjoy that book.
Rating: 
-
I loved the book. The color blue sets the mood, with the main character even being named Cyan. It speaks to the difficulty of being a teenager, and of a girl's relationship with her mother, especially when the father is not there. The mystery interwoven kept me going and I read it in 2 or 3 sittings. I also loved the locale, completely foreign to me but, as far as I could tell, well drawn.
Rating: -
This book is just above mediocre. I think The Other Side of Blue should be read. But I think because I read another similar book that was actually outstanding in rapid succession with this book - this book pales slightly in comparison. That being said this book has some wonderful imagery. I could clearly envision the location in my head- even though I had never been there. I found the main character of Cyan convincing for the most part. I can't quite put my finger on why she didn't completely win me over- but there was just something a little awkward about her and her relations with both her mother and her soon-to-be step sister. What kept me reading was the mystery about Cyan's dad and the boat.
This book is one where I wish I could give half stars- because I feel three stars is not enough but it is definitely not up to par with what I would consider a 4 star book. I would def recommend this book though.
Rating: -
"The Other Side of Blue", by Valerie Patterson, is the story of Cyan, a 15-year old girl working to resolve issues with the accidental death of her father the previous summer; the remarriage of her mother; and her own self-esteem.
The book opens with Cyan and her mother making their annual pilgrimage to the island of Curacao. She waits with angst, as her soon-to-be step-sister, Kammi arrives on the island, with the purpose of getting to know her new sister.
As if this stress is not enough, Cy and her mother are spending the summer in the same house where they spent the previous summer when her father died. The neighbor boy promises her secret information about her father's death if "she is nice to him" - which in the mind of a 15-year old boy involves a visit inside her shirt.
The premise of the book includes some pretty deep topics. The prose was very elegant, but the story arc was very flat because it really lacked any true surprises. I was able to deduce the plotline midway through the book. This is young adult fiction, but with the vignette of Cy allowing a boy to sexually exploit her to gain information was too much for me to allow my 12-year old daughter to read this book.
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