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Newford #15
The Blue Girl
Seventeen-year-old Imogene's tough, rebellious nature has caused her more harm than good—so when her family moves to Newford, she decides to reinvent herself. She won't lose her punk/thrift-shop look, but she'll try to avoid the gangs, work a little harder at school, and maybe even stay out of trouble for a change.
But trouble shows up anyway. Imogene quickly catches the eye of Redding's bullies, as well as the school's resident teen ghost. Then she gets on the wrong side of a gang of malicious fairies. When her imaginary childhood friend, Pelly, actually manifests, Imogene realizes that the impossible is all too real. And it's dangerous. If she wants to survive high school—not to mention stay alive—she has to fall back on the skills she picked up in her hometown, running with a gang. Even with Maxine and some unexpected allies by her side, will her new friend be able to make it?
But trouble shows up anyway. Imogene quickly catches the eye of Redding's bullies, as well as the school's resident teen ghost. Then she gets on the wrong side of a gang of malicious fairies. When her imaginary childhood friend, Pelly, actually manifests, Imogene realizes that the impossible is all too real. And it's dangerous. If she wants to survive high school—not to mention stay alive—she has to fall back on the skills she picked up in her hometown, running with a gang. Even with Maxine and some unexpected allies by her side, will her new friend be able to make it?
368 pages, Paperback
First published October 4, 2004
About the author
Charles de Lint
450 books3,896 followersCharles de Lint is the much beloved author of more than seventy adult, young adult, and children's books. Renowned as one of the trailblazers of the modern fantasy genre, he is the recipient of the World Fantasy, Aurora, Sunburst, and White Pine awards, among others. Modern Library's Top 100 Books of the 20th Century poll, conducted by Random House and voted on by readers, put eight of de Lint's books among the top 100.
De Lint is a poet, folklorist, artist, songwriter and performer. He has written critical essays, music reviews, opinion columns and entries to encyclopedias, and he's been the main book reviewer for The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction since 1987. De Lint served as Writer-in-residence for two public libraries in Ottawa and has taught creative writing workshops for adults and children in Canada and the United States. He's been a judge for several prominent awards, including the Nebula, World Fantasy, Theodore Sturgeon and Bram Stoker.
Born in the Netherlands in 1951, de Lint immigrated to Canada with his family as an infant. The family moved often during de Lint's childhood because of his father's job with an international surveying company, but by the time Charles was twelve—having lived in Western Canada, Turkey and Lebanon—they had settled in Lucerne, Quebec, not far from where he now resides in Ottawa, Ontario.
In 1980, de Lint married the love of his life, MaryAnn Harris, who works closely with him as his first editor, business manager and creative partner. They share their love and home with a cheery little dog named Johnny Cash.
Charles de Lint is best described as a romantic: a believer in compassion, hope and human potential. His skilled portrayal of character and settings has earned him a loyal readership and glowing praise from peers, reviewers and readers.
Charles de Lint writes like a magician. He draws out the strange inside our own world, weaving stories that feel more real than we are when we read them. He is, simply put, the best.
—Holly Black (bestselling author)
Charles de Lint is the modern master of urban fantasy. Folktale, myth, fairy tale, dreams, urban legend—all of it adds up to pure magic in de Lint's vivid, original world. No one does it better.
—Alice Hoffman (bestselling author)
To read de Lint is to fall under the spell of a master storyteller, to be reminded of the greatness of life, of the beauty and majesty lurking in shadows and empty doorways.
—Quill & Quire
His Newford books, which make up most of de Lint's body of work between 1993 and 2009, confirmed his reputation for bringing a vivid setting and repertory cast of characters to life on the page. Though not a consecutive series, the twenty-five standalone books set in (or connected to) Newford give readers a feeling of visiting a favourite city and seeing old friends.
More recently, his young adult Wildlings trilogy—Under My Skin, Over My Head, and Out of This World—came out from Penguin Canada and Triskell Press in 2012, 2013 and 2014. Under My Skin won 2013 Aurora Award. A novel for middle-grade readers, The Cats of Tanglewood Forest, published by Little Brown in 2013, won the Sunburst Award, earned starred reviews in both Publishers Weekly and Quill & Quire, and was chosen by the New York Times Editors as one of the top six children's books for 2013. His most recent adult novel, The Mystery of Grace (2009), is a fascinating ghost story about love, passion and faith. It was a finalist for both the Sunburst and Evergreen awards.
De Lint is presently writing a new adult novel. His storytelling skills also shine in his original songs. He and MaryAnn (also a musician) recently released companion CDs of their original songs, samples of which can be heard on de Lin
De Lint is a poet, folklorist, artist, songwriter and performer. He has written critical essays, music reviews, opinion columns and entries to encyclopedias, and he's been the main book reviewer for The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction since 1987. De Lint served as Writer-in-residence for two public libraries in Ottawa and has taught creative writing workshops for adults and children in Canada and the United States. He's been a judge for several prominent awards, including the Nebula, World Fantasy, Theodore Sturgeon and Bram Stoker.
Born in the Netherlands in 1951, de Lint immigrated to Canada with his family as an infant. The family moved often during de Lint's childhood because of his father's job with an international surveying company, but by the time Charles was twelve—having lived in Western Canada, Turkey and Lebanon—they had settled in Lucerne, Quebec, not far from where he now resides in Ottawa, Ontario.
In 1980, de Lint married the love of his life, MaryAnn Harris, who works closely with him as his first editor, business manager and creative partner. They share their love and home with a cheery little dog named Johnny Cash.
Charles de Lint is best described as a romantic: a believer in compassion, hope and human potential. His skilled portrayal of character and settings has earned him a loyal readership and glowing praise from peers, reviewers and readers.
Charles de Lint writes like a magician. He draws out the strange inside our own world, weaving stories that feel more real than we are when we read them. He is, simply put, the best.
—Holly Black (bestselling author)
Charles de Lint is the modern master of urban fantasy. Folktale, myth, fairy tale, dreams, urban legend—all of it adds up to pure magic in de Lint's vivid, original world. No one does it better.
—Alice Hoffman (bestselling author)
To read de Lint is to fall under the spell of a master storyteller, to be reminded of the greatness of life, of the beauty and majesty lurking in shadows and empty doorways.
—Quill & Quire
His Newford books, which make up most of de Lint's body of work between 1993 and 2009, confirmed his reputation for bringing a vivid setting and repertory cast of characters to life on the page. Though not a consecutive series, the twenty-five standalone books set in (or connected to) Newford give readers a feeling of visiting a favourite city and seeing old friends.
More recently, his young adult Wildlings trilogy—Under My Skin, Over My Head, and Out of This World—came out from Penguin Canada and Triskell Press in 2012, 2013 and 2014. Under My Skin won 2013 Aurora Award. A novel for middle-grade readers, The Cats of Tanglewood Forest, published by Little Brown in 2013, won the Sunburst Award, earned starred reviews in both Publishers Weekly and Quill & Quire, and was chosen by the New York Times Editors as one of the top six children's books for 2013. His most recent adult novel, The Mystery of Grace (2009), is a fascinating ghost story about love, passion and faith. It was a finalist for both the Sunburst and Evergreen awards.
De Lint is presently writing a new adult novel. His storytelling skills also shine in his original songs. He and MaryAnn (also a musician) recently released companion CDs of their original songs, samples of which can be heard on de Lin
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 489 reviews
June 28, 2015
I read (and adored) this book years and years ago, and just now realised it's by Charles de Lint, set in the very same world I fell in love with a few weeks ago thanks to his beautiful Dreams Underfoot.
The adoration hasn't faded with time, or with re-reading (as so often happens with childhood favourites) and this book is making it's way to my "all-time favourites" list. Now - here comes the love letter (my apologies, I can't help but wax a little lyrical with books like this!)
The characters are wonderful and likeable, transcending cliché. Yes, there's the Geek, the Outcasts, the Mean Girl, the Meathead boy, the Difficult Mum, but it feels always as though the author is poking fun at the stereotypes. Imogene actually talks to her mother (shock horror) who seems supportive if a little flaky. The romances happen naturally, without drama or buildup, or even being at the forefront of the plot! (A non-romance centred plot? In YA writing? What is this?!) In fact, nothing feels formulaic in the plot, which is a refreshing change .
To finish: I love the inclusion of familiar characters (Christy Riddell, mentions of Jilly and Sophie etc) but when I first read this I had no knowledge of Newford, or even that this was part of a sort-of-series, and that lack of knowledge did not impact my reading at all. The climatic face-off with the anamithim is wonderfully irreverent (actually, most of this book is) and the writing is lovely to read.
The adoration hasn't faded with time, or with re-reading (as so often happens with childhood favourites) and this book is making it's way to my "all-time favourites" list. Now - here comes the love letter (my apologies, I can't help but wax a little lyrical with books like this!)
The characters are wonderful and likeable, transcending cliché. Yes, there's the Geek, the Outcasts, the Mean Girl, the Meathead boy, the Difficult Mum, but it feels always as though the author is poking fun at the stereotypes. Imogene actually talks to her mother (shock horror) who seems supportive if a little flaky. The romances happen naturally, without drama or buildup, or even being at the forefront of the plot! (A non-romance centred plot? In YA writing? What is this?!) In fact, nothing feels formulaic in the plot, which is a refreshing change .
To finish: I love the inclusion of familiar characters (Christy Riddell, mentions of Jilly and Sophie etc) but when I first read this I had no knowledge of Newford, or even that this was part of a sort-of-series, and that lack of knowledge did not impact my reading at all. The climatic face-off with the anamithim is wonderfully irreverent (actually, most of this book is) and the writing is lovely to read.
March 5, 2017
This review was originally posted in 2008 after I had read the book for the first time:
"The Blue Girl" by Charles de Lint has been one of the most satisfying snatches from the fantasy shelves for me last year.
Is has it all:
1. A very warm-hearted and detailed description of a forming unlikely friendship between tough punk-girl Imogene, who had a criminal gang-member-record in her hometown and a childhood spent mainly on her own because of her drug-consuming carefree hippy-parents, and anxious, smart and conservative outsider Maxine, who has difficulties coming out of her shell because of her ever-present controlling mother.
2. Dark, mysterious fantasy tightly interwoven with reality. Imogene's imaginary childhood friend Pelly - something in the middle between hedgehog and boy with bunny ears and a monkey's tail - turns up in flesh after a long absence and warns her: Somehow Imogene has angered the malicious band of faeries living on the school grounds and therefore her life is suddenly on stake. In her efforts to get light into the matter, she meets the ghost of a former high-school-student whose death was caused by faeries as well. Imogene finds out that faeries are by far not the most dangerous creatures in town. Bonded with Pelly and Maxine the long-time loner learns a lot about trust and friendship and wins in the end.
3. Last but not least there are some interesting sub-plots like Imogene's dealings with the school's bullies, her relationship with her brother and the slowly growing romance with a music-shop-guy - whose granny comes from Ireland and believes in faeries as well...
I will definitly read more books by this author and recommend for anyone who likes finely tuned characters and dark fantasy to have a try as well.
"The Blue Girl" by Charles de Lint has been one of the most satisfying snatches from the fantasy shelves for me last year.
Is has it all:
1. A very warm-hearted and detailed description of a forming unlikely friendship between tough punk-girl Imogene, who had a criminal gang-member-record in her hometown and a childhood spent mainly on her own because of her drug-consuming carefree hippy-parents, and anxious, smart and conservative outsider Maxine, who has difficulties coming out of her shell because of her ever-present controlling mother.
2. Dark, mysterious fantasy tightly interwoven with reality. Imogene's imaginary childhood friend Pelly - something in the middle between hedgehog and boy with bunny ears and a monkey's tail - turns up in flesh after a long absence and warns her: Somehow Imogene has angered the malicious band of faeries living on the school grounds and therefore her life is suddenly on stake. In her efforts to get light into the matter, she meets the ghost of a former high-school-student whose death was caused by faeries as well. Imogene finds out that faeries are by far not the most dangerous creatures in town. Bonded with Pelly and Maxine the long-time loner learns a lot about trust and friendship and wins in the end.
3. Last but not least there are some interesting sub-plots like Imogene's dealings with the school's bullies, her relationship with her brother and the slowly growing romance with a music-shop-guy - whose granny comes from Ireland and believes in faeries as well...
I will definitly read more books by this author and recommend for anyone who likes finely tuned characters and dark fantasy to have a try as well.
April 17, 2012
From the very first pages I felt this is familiar territory. I'm a big fan of the highschool comedies of the 1980's, and The Blue Girl starts with a couple of outsiders making common front against loneliness and bullying. Imogen is the new kid in school - a wild one, with hippie parents and a troubled history, and Maxine is the studious, timid high achiever with old fashioned clothes picked by her mother. Each has something to learn from the other. If you're wondering where the book title is coming from, be patient, it will be made hilariously clear in the second half.
The first person narrative made me quickly involved in the fate of the protagonists. The supernatural part of the story - a ghost, wild faeries, dangerous entities of darkness - is slight in the beginning, but it develops well to take center stage towards the end.
Compared to my previous Newford book (The Onion Girl) this feels lighter in tone and streamlined / customized for a YA audience. I had no problem with this, in fact I think de Lint did a sterling job of mixing the fun parts with the darker content of the story without dumbing down the characters or sugar-coating the issues.
"Fairy tales - real fairytales, not the ones that end up in picture books or Disney cartoons - are all about danger and pain and terrible things happening. People get hurt in them all the time"
This particular quote reminded me of the original Grimm Brothers stories that gave me quite a few scares in childhood.
There's a particularly good scene with Maxine and the novelist Christy Riddell where they discuss writing techniques and the need for the fantastic elements in a story. I didn't take notes, but basically if a story makes you look at your life from a new angle and reevaluate your options, it doesn't matter if it is invented or not.
And one final quote from a dialogue between Imogen and her mother - one of the best characters in the book:
- We're not going to have a normal life, are we?
- Would we want to?
I'm not planning to read the Newport books in order, I may miss some references to the back stories of recurring characters, but the main story both here and in Onion Girl was self-contained. I plan to return to this setting, but I don't know yet which book it will be.
The first person narrative made me quickly involved in the fate of the protagonists. The supernatural part of the story - a ghost, wild faeries, dangerous entities of darkness - is slight in the beginning, but it develops well to take center stage towards the end.
Compared to my previous Newford book (The Onion Girl) this feels lighter in tone and streamlined / customized for a YA audience. I had no problem with this, in fact I think de Lint did a sterling job of mixing the fun parts with the darker content of the story without dumbing down the characters or sugar-coating the issues.
"Fairy tales - real fairytales, not the ones that end up in picture books or Disney cartoons - are all about danger and pain and terrible things happening. People get hurt in them all the time"
This particular quote reminded me of the original Grimm Brothers stories that gave me quite a few scares in childhood.
There's a particularly good scene with Maxine and the novelist Christy Riddell where they discuss writing techniques and the need for the fantastic elements in a story. I didn't take notes, but basically if a story makes you look at your life from a new angle and reevaluate your options, it doesn't matter if it is invented or not.
And one final quote from a dialogue between Imogen and her mother - one of the best characters in the book:
- We're not going to have a normal life, are we?
- Would we want to?
I'm not planning to read the Newport books in order, I may miss some references to the back stories of recurring characters, but the main story both here and in Onion Girl was self-contained. I plan to return to this setting, but I don't know yet which book it will be.
August 31, 2012
If you're new to de Lint's books, and are looking for something with substance, I urge you not to read this one. Try the other Newford books first, or Someplace to be Flying.
March 24, 2015
I found this one on my bookshelf. I know I bought this and read it shortly after it came out, but eleven years later, I couldn’t remember how I felt about it. Reading it now brought back some memories of reading it for the first time; I believe it was one of my first forays into the young adult urban fantasy genre. I believe it is an excellent introductory novel for young adults looking to transition from realistic fiction type novels into fantasy. Imogene is the rebellious character starting over in a new town, trying to reinvent herself; Maxine is the straight laced, A-student looking to break away from her mother’s mold. Between the two of them, they develop a friendship that works, much to the surprise of everyone including themselves. However, when supernatural events start occurring, Imogene and Maxine have to figure what they truly believe in and confront the things that lurk in the dark.
This story and its characters end up developing a lot more than I originally remember which was very enjoyable for me as a reader. Imogene is not only rebellious; she is reasonable and thinks before she does anything hot-headed. She allows Maxine to flourish as a character and Imogene is somewhat of an enigma to the reader which keeps everything more interesting for the reader. The character of Adrian was interesting, but I would have liked to see him as a little bit more active. He felt mostly passive as if he was being acted upon rather than an actor himself. De Lint uses traditional faerie descriptions and traditions; I especially like how he embodies darkness as a symbol/character/force in the novel and how the characters develop their own methods of fighting back. What frustrated me now and probably in the past as well is how the book jumps characters’ point of views and past versus present occurrences. There were times I would start reading a new section and not realize who was talking and where the story has picked up; the author does refer to these changes but I felt that the separations were not clear enough for me to easily follow. That being said, this was a very enjoyable read and a great book for anyone with any interest in urban fantasy and/or young adult novels.
This story and its characters end up developing a lot more than I originally remember which was very enjoyable for me as a reader. Imogene is not only rebellious; she is reasonable and thinks before she does anything hot-headed. She allows Maxine to flourish as a character and Imogene is somewhat of an enigma to the reader which keeps everything more interesting for the reader. The character of Adrian was interesting, but I would have liked to see him as a little bit more active. He felt mostly passive as if he was being acted upon rather than an actor himself. De Lint uses traditional faerie descriptions and traditions; I especially like how he embodies darkness as a symbol/character/force in the novel and how the characters develop their own methods of fighting back. What frustrated me now and probably in the past as well is how the book jumps characters’ point of views and past versus present occurrences. There were times I would start reading a new section and not realize who was talking and where the story has picked up; the author does refer to these changes but I felt that the separations were not clear enough for me to easily follow. That being said, this was a very enjoyable read and a great book for anyone with any interest in urban fantasy and/or young adult novels.
September 16, 2016
I'm not a big YA fan, even for a Newford book. It wasn't a bad book! And I did enjoy the tiny cameos and mentions of a few of the established Newford folks.
September 10, 2019
One of my favorite books I read in middle school. I remember being legitimately creeped out by her imaginary friend, Pelly. This is one I'd like to revisit to see how it aged.
December 9, 2018
This is a re-re-read for me; One of the authors magical tales of a reality that is not ,i.quite,/i. the same reality as the rest of us live in.
Imogene's mother has just moved them to Newford where she has a new school to contend with, never an easy thing at 17. But Imogene has had a very different sort of 17 years, growing up in a hippy commune, running with a 'tough gang' at her last school... This time she just wants to blend in as much as her individual, feisty nature allows, make a friend or two perhaps, get on with life.
It does not seem she will be allowed to, she makes friends with Maxine, an intelligent funny girl who is nevertheless the school's outcast making her an instant butt of the school bullies, she can see the school ghost who is fascinated by her and next she starts dreaming about her own forgotten imaginary friend in company of fairies. These are not fairies in oink dresses with fairy dust on their wings, these are the fairies that got referred to as 'the good folk' because everyone was terrified of getting on their bad side...
While this is a 'YA' in that the characters are teenagers at school, as usual De Lint's writing makes it totally accessible to all ages. The beautiful writing of both the characters and locations in the story make for a very visual reading experience. Imogene is a complex character, her honesty and straightforwardness make her very likable and in that way she surely does come across as youthful; we are seeing her before life roughens the sharp edges and dilutes the directness. The complexity is refreshing, many books aimed at adults do a lesser job of building complexity in a character.
The magical realism of the plot is fascinating also, while there are no major explosions or melodramatic events, the slow buildup of the plot, the intentions of those involved and the repercussions of events are simultaneously fascinating and soothing.
The ending when it comes is very satisfying, so you close the book with a feeling of pleasure at a book beautifully written and well read.
Imogene's mother has just moved them to Newford where she has a new school to contend with, never an easy thing at 17. But Imogene has had a very different sort of 17 years, growing up in a hippy commune, running with a 'tough gang' at her last school... This time she just wants to blend in as much as her individual, feisty nature allows, make a friend or two perhaps, get on with life.
It does not seem she will be allowed to, she makes friends with Maxine, an intelligent funny girl who is nevertheless the school's outcast making her an instant butt of the school bullies, she can see the school ghost who is fascinated by her and next she starts dreaming about her own forgotten imaginary friend in company of fairies. These are not fairies in oink dresses with fairy dust on their wings, these are the fairies that got referred to as 'the good folk' because everyone was terrified of getting on their bad side...
While this is a 'YA' in that the characters are teenagers at school, as usual De Lint's writing makes it totally accessible to all ages. The beautiful writing of both the characters and locations in the story make for a very visual reading experience. Imogene is a complex character, her honesty and straightforwardness make her very likable and in that way she surely does come across as youthful; we are seeing her before life roughens the sharp edges and dilutes the directness. The complexity is refreshing, many books aimed at adults do a lesser job of building complexity in a character.
The magical realism of the plot is fascinating also, while there are no major explosions or melodramatic events, the slow buildup of the plot, the intentions of those involved and the repercussions of events are simultaneously fascinating and soothing.
The ending when it comes is very satisfying, so you close the book with a feeling of pleasure at a book beautifully written and well read.
November 25, 2008
I love a book that takes an familiar trope and turns it on its ear. Forget what you know from other books about fairies; Charles de Lint's fairies aren't particularly beautiful, but they are a little bit wicked. I loved the way he mixed elements from fantasy, science fiction, even horror to create his world.
The characters are realistic and believable, and the issues they deal with are real as much as they are fantastic. Bullying, oppressive parents, parents who don't care enough, image and one's real self all come into play. Not to mention soul sucking shadow creatures, fairies, ghosts, angels and an imaginary friend named Pelly who is half boy, half hedgehog, half rabbit.
Great book, probably for slightly older YA audience. 14+ for good measure.
The characters are realistic and believable, and the issues they deal with are real as much as they are fantastic. Bullying, oppressive parents, parents who don't care enough, image and one's real self all come into play. Not to mention soul sucking shadow creatures, fairies, ghosts, angels and an imaginary friend named Pelly who is half boy, half hedgehog, half rabbit.
Great book, probably for slightly older YA audience. 14+ for good measure.
December 7, 2014
When people ask me what my favourite book is my default answer is The Blue Girl. One of my first experiences with urban fantasy I found The Blue Girl to be the perfect combination of weird and wonderful. I'm sure that in the coming years I will re-read this book to see if it holds up to my previous experience and when that happens I'll be sure to give it a proper review. In the meantime, I highly recommend you check out Charles de Lint. His Newford series is really interesting and worth it for anyone who loves world building and companion series.
July 18, 2020
This book has so much going on and yet i was so dettached to it all.
Most of the things happen without mention like all of a sudden we find out about this Thomas guy being Imogene's boyfriend with absolutely no previous mention.
This book written is in alternative first person narrations but they all sound so similar and unreal.
Not once was I even worried about the main characters.
If you want to read great urban fantasy check out Black Fall
Most of the things happen without mention like all of a sudden we find out about this Thomas guy being Imogene's boyfriend with absolutely no previous mention.
This book written is in alternative first person narrations but they all sound so similar and unreal.
Not once was I even worried about the main characters.
If you want to read great urban fantasy check out Black Fall
January 10, 2009
Classic de Lint...well-developed characters from many walks of life with a touch of enchantment. Never "dumbed down" for the YA audience that this is actually shelved under. The story takes place in Newford, but the city's presence is only peripheral and hardly mentioned. Deals with a lot of the godawful parts of high school as well as why it may not be such a good idea to draw the attention of the fairies that inhabit it...
February 9, 2017
It was a good book... although there was some... inappropriate parts. So if you're someone who doesn't like a spirit liking a human romantically [spectrophilia], then I advise you to proceed with caution.
December 1, 2018
Imogene ran with a bad crowd in her last school, but when she, her mother, and her brother move to Newford, she meets a girl, Maxine, who gets picked on and they become best friends. Imogene decides she’ll try to be straight and narrow. At the same time, she is no stranger to standing up for herself against the school bullies – in this case the head cheerleader and her football-playing boyfriend. When Adrian sees this from a distance, he falls for Imogene. But, Adrian is a ghost… with friends who are fairies. When he actually meets Imogene, he manages to get her into something dangerous. In the meantime, Imogene’s childhood imaginary friend, Pelly, shows up, but there’s something different about him.
I don’t believe any of my summary is a spoiler. It’s all on the blurb on the back of the book, and it’s all revealed very early on in the book. I really liked this! I do love the references to other characters in some of de Lint’s other Newford books, as well. The viewpoint changes between Imogene, Maxine, and Adrian, and a bit of back and forth in time, but you are told at the beginning of each chapter whose POV you are following and when, so I didn’t find it too tricky to follow. I would love to read more from Newford, but always hard to choose which one next!
I don’t believe any of my summary is a spoiler. It’s all on the blurb on the back of the book, and it’s all revealed very early on in the book. I really liked this! I do love the references to other characters in some of de Lint’s other Newford books, as well. The viewpoint changes between Imogene, Maxine, and Adrian, and a bit of back and forth in time, but you are told at the beginning of each chapter whose POV you are following and when, so I didn’t find it too tricky to follow. I would love to read more from Newford, but always hard to choose which one next!
October 4, 2021
Мога да разбера защо това е най-популярната книга на де Линт, макар на мен да не ми влиза в топ 5. Още от началото попадаме на познатата територия на тийнейджърските гимназиални комедии, но с доза де Линт свръхестествено.
Имоджин е корава пънкарка с минало на член на банда, когато се преселва в Нюфорт решава да започне отначало и се сприятелява със зубарката Максин. Въпреки че се опитва да страни от неприятности, бързо попада в радара на гимназиалните хулигани с пънкарския си вид и голяма уста. Нещата се влошават, когато я забелязва училищния призрак и палавата му банда браунита, които насъскват Тъмнината по петите ѝ.
Написано така не показва как това е една топла история за приятелство, порастване и вземане на трудни решения, но книгата е точно това, макар и посмекчено за детската аудитория. Все пак си остава в границите на мрачното фентъзи и засяга доста щекотливи въпроси от всекиднените реалии.
Понеже действието се развива в Н��форт, не можем да минем без споменаването на обичайните заподозрени, като тук писателят Кристи има немалка роля, както и... абе четете, за да разберете.
Имоджин е корава пънкарка с минало на член на банда, когато се преселва в Нюфорт решава да започне отначало и се сприятелява със зубарката Максин. Въпреки че се опитва да страни от неприятности, бързо попада в радара на гимназиалните хулигани с пънкарския си вид и голяма уста. Нещата се влошават, когато я забелязва училищния призрак и палавата му банда браунита, които насъскват Тъмнината по петите ѝ.
Написано така не показва как това е една топла история за приятелство, порастване и вземане на трудни решения, но книгата е точно това, макар и посмекчено за детската аудитория. Все пак си остава в границите на мрачното фентъзи и засяга доста щекотливи въпроси от всекиднените реалии.
Понеже действието се развива в Н��форт, не можем да минем без споменаването на обичайните заподозрени, като тук писателят Кристи има немалка роля, както и... абе четете, за да разберете.
August 9, 2017
Charles de Lint is one of my favorite authors, for his infusion of magic and fantasy into everyday modern cityscapes. Having recently read and enjoyed The Cats of Tanglewood Forest, it was an unexpected treat to discover an uncorrected bound proof of The Blue Girl in my favorite second-hand bookstore. Complete review at http://cynthiaparkhill.blogspot.com/2...
June 15, 2021
What a great story about friendship and loyalty wrapped in a setting of urban fantasy!! This novel was intriguing from the first chapter. Imogene is a complex character who deals with life on her own terms. I loved seeing her help her friend Maxine bloom as a person! This is my first foray into the writing of Charles de Lint - and I will be reading more of his work!
August 8, 2018
A surprisingly fun little fantasy story. 3.5/5.
June 21, 2024
A fun urban fairy tale adventure starring a wondrously courageous and quirky protagonist (Imogene), her nerdy and prim best friend (Maxine), and a lonely and haunted ghost boy (Adrian).
I didn't realize this was novel #15 in an entire fictional paranormal/fairy world created by de Lint (Newford). I highly suspect if you're into Holly Black you'll be into his works. This one was given to me by a friend culling their collection, but I can't wait to borrow others in the series from the library. The only book I read by de Lint prior to this was Wolf Moon, but that was over 20 years ago. I remember absolutely adoring it as a teenager, but the plot is a fuzzy memory for me. The feeling it left, however, was the reason I accepted this from my friend. Maybe de Lint will be my new literary kick! There's nothing like reading a little fantasy in the garden during the summer.
I didn't realize this was novel #15 in an entire fictional paranormal/fairy world created by de Lint (Newford). I highly suspect if you're into Holly Black you'll be into his works. This one was given to me by a friend culling their collection, but I can't wait to borrow others in the series from the library. The only book I read by de Lint prior to this was Wolf Moon, but that was over 20 years ago. I remember absolutely adoring it as a teenager, but the plot is a fuzzy memory for me. The feeling it left, however, was the reason I accepted this from my friend. Maybe de Lint will be my new literary kick! There's nothing like reading a little fantasy in the garden during the summer.
January 8, 2022
When 17 year old Imogene’s family move to Newford, she decides to change her ways – a bit. Rather than running with a gang, she’ll make an effort at school and try to stay out of trouble. She quickly makes friends with Maxine, a girl who seems to be her exact opposite, and tries to ignore the resident school bullies. But the attention of the school’s resident ghost and a bunch of malevolent fairies (to say nothing of the reappearance of Pelly, Imogene’s imagery friend from her childhood) soon mean the two friends have more to worry about than the spitefulness of their classmates.
I’ve read several of de Lint’s novels before and make no secret of the fact that I love his work – and if I don’t love this as much as some of his others, that’s more a reflection on the high standards of his other novels than a criticism of this one.
Like much of de Lint’s works, this is set in his fictional town of Newford, a place tinged with a touch of magic. This is urban fantasy, but not the werewolf and vampire kind: this is about fairies, and not the cute flowery type: these are more the beings from the original tales, not really evil (mostly – some are quite nasty), just indifferent to humans.
The friendship between the two main characters is beautifully realistic, and the characters in school are equally well drawn. We’ve all met (or been) characters like these: the loners, the mean girls, the bullying boyfriends. Before that rings warning bells, these characters aren’t just clichés, but well-formed, fully fleshed characters. I loved the relationships both girls had with their families too; they felt very ‘real’. Oh, and the romantic relationships are just mentioned casually in passing, not stuck slap-bang in the middle of the plot – surely a first in this market?
The mysterious dark world of the supernatural that brushes the edge of this one is equally well drawn; I’d loved Pelly’s few comments about the faery realm and the comments from ‘Esmerelda’ about her work chasing the unseelie! And it’s just well-written; de Lint has a great feel for language and is a delight to read.
If I have any reservations it would be that the ending seems a little anti-climactic, but this wasn’t a major problem and in no way affected my enjoyment of the book. If you haven’t read any of de Lint’s work, than I recommend you pick up one of his novels or anthologies soon; but perhaps don’t start with this one. Dreams underfoot or Memory and Dream might be a better choice.
I’ve read several of de Lint’s novels before and make no secret of the fact that I love his work – and if I don’t love this as much as some of his others, that’s more a reflection on the high standards of his other novels than a criticism of this one.
Like much of de Lint’s works, this is set in his fictional town of Newford, a place tinged with a touch of magic. This is urban fantasy, but not the werewolf and vampire kind: this is about fairies, and not the cute flowery type: these are more the beings from the original tales, not really evil (mostly – some are quite nasty), just indifferent to humans.
The friendship between the two main characters is beautifully realistic, and the characters in school are equally well drawn. We’ve all met (or been) characters like these: the loners, the mean girls, the bullying boyfriends. Before that rings warning bells, these characters aren’t just clichés, but well-formed, fully fleshed characters. I loved the relationships both girls had with their families too; they felt very ‘real’. Oh, and the romantic relationships are just mentioned casually in passing, not stuck slap-bang in the middle of the plot – surely a first in this market?
The mysterious dark world of the supernatural that brushes the edge of this one is equally well drawn; I’d loved Pelly’s few comments about the faery realm and the comments from ‘Esmerelda’ about her work chasing the unseelie! And it’s just well-written; de Lint has a great feel for language and is a delight to read.
If I have any reservations it would be that the ending seems a little anti-climactic, but this wasn’t a major problem and in no way affected my enjoyment of the book. If you haven’t read any of de Lint’s work, than I recommend you pick up one of his novels or anthologies soon; but perhaps don’t start with this one. Dreams underfoot or Memory and Dream might be a better choice.
January 20, 2019
I remember reading this book when I was in Jr. High or High School. I don't remember if I loved it or not but it made me want to read it again. While it was a good story filled with ghosts and fairy's and imaginary friends, I still felt as though the story was missing something. It didn't fall flat per se, but there wasn't a lot of meat to it.
Everyone in the story took to believing Imogene's story about the ghost and the fairies. I didn't mind her best friend Maxine believing too, but EVERYONE believed right away. Her boyfriend conveniently was Irish and had seen a banshee when he was a kid. The mom and brother were all hippie like so of course they believed. Christy wrote about the stuff but he wasn't just a writer gathering stories, he believed too. And then Esmerelda who happened to be some woman guarding the gate to the Fairy World or something. I feel as though it would have been better if at least a few of these characters looked at Imogene like she was crazy.
Esmerelda could have been some creepy fairy trying to lure Maxine away or into their world. Christy could have been a mean old skeptic and turned the girls away, laughing at them for even believing him. The boyfriend, could have started out skeptic and even pushed Imogene away, but eventually he could have seen and then believed her. It would have been interesting if maybe the mom, giving up her hippie was and thinking, could have tried to get Imogene committed, at least there would be some tension.
All in all, I was expecting different things to happen but then it all ended up too easy for Imogene and Maxine. I would recommend this book only for those who are looking for an easy read but not for someone who is looking for something with a little more meat to it. I would steer you more towards Holly Black for that.
Everyone in the story took to believing Imogene's story about the ghost and the fairies. I didn't mind her best friend Maxine believing too, but EVERYONE believed right away. Her boyfriend conveniently was Irish and had seen a banshee when he was a kid. The mom and brother were all hippie like so of course they believed. Christy wrote about the stuff but he wasn't just a writer gathering stories, he believed too. And then Esmerelda who happened to be some woman guarding the gate to the Fairy World or something. I feel as though it would have been better if at least a few of these characters looked at Imogene like she was crazy.
Esmerelda could have been some creepy fairy trying to lure Maxine away or into their world. Christy could have been a mean old skeptic and turned the girls away, laughing at them for even believing him. The boyfriend, could have started out skeptic and even pushed Imogene away, but eventually he could have seen and then believed her. It would have been interesting if maybe the mom, giving up her hippie was and thinking, could have tried to get Imogene committed, at least there would be some tension.
All in all, I was expecting different things to happen but then it all ended up too easy for Imogene and Maxine. I would recommend this book only for those who are looking for an easy read but not for someone who is looking for something with a little more meat to it. I would steer you more towards Holly Black for that.
October 17, 2012
Not as good as I hoped.
Imogene moves to the fairy haunted town of Newford. She befriends the quiet, bullied Maxine and soon sees the ghost Adrian stalking her. Adrian hangs out with some fairies, who as a lark try and get Imogene to notice them. But they have darker motives as well, and soon some of the less friendly denizens of fairyland take notice of Imogene too.
A lot of things about the book I didn't like. The first problem is that Imogene is far too competent for a teenage girl. She never argues with her mom, has no repercussions from growing up on a commune and running around with a gang, never seems afraid once, and doesn't seem like a real person. Everyone in Newford seems to be okay with fairies, but doesn't really seem to do much about them save offer slender advice. It feels more like "Hey, this is a series book so I need to name-check people from the other books in the series." They don't even seem to react when after a mishap, Imogene's skin gets dyed completely blue.
Adrian was a bit more interesting, and Maxine never really seemed to get her own voice. There really wasn't much in the way of creepiness, and the book was resolved far too easily for its own good. Not much tension, and really only De Lints writing made this an okay read over a bad one.
Imogene moves to the fairy haunted town of Newford. She befriends the quiet, bullied Maxine and soon sees the ghost Adrian stalking her. Adrian hangs out with some fairies, who as a lark try and get Imogene to notice them. But they have darker motives as well, and soon some of the less friendly denizens of fairyland take notice of Imogene too.
A lot of things about the book I didn't like. The first problem is that Imogene is far too competent for a teenage girl. She never argues with her mom, has no repercussions from growing up on a commune and running around with a gang, never seems afraid once, and doesn't seem like a real person. Everyone in Newford seems to be okay with fairies, but doesn't really seem to do much about them save offer slender advice. It feels more like "Hey, this is a series book so I need to name-check people from the other books in the series." They don't even seem to react when after a mishap, Imogene's skin gets dyed completely blue.
Adrian was a bit more interesting, and Maxine never really seemed to get her own voice. There really wasn't much in the way of creepiness, and the book was resolved far too easily for its own good. Not much tension, and really only De Lints writing made this an okay read over a bad one.
September 11, 2014
There are several books I'd like to see made into a movie. Here's the case for this one:
People I know who like this book tend to love it. Folks who have a quarrel kinda feel the characters don't work for them. But, we're not speaking of Dostoyevsky here...
deLint does what he does, and most of it I find is better than fair. Some conclusions get drawn, but they grow organically from the story and aren't truly heavy-handed. There is some sweetness to the characters, and some mild surprises along the way. Seven Wild Sisters did his syncretic thing the best (to my mind), but The Blue Girl seems to get a Bradbury-feel with a teenaged voice that is just as good as the early-60's Beach Boys.
None of which is the sort of thing will make a movie work, by the way.
I feel the pace of the book's action and timing of its reveals will work damned fine in a 100-minute window. Also the acting demands aren't outside the scope of the type of folks who'd have to be cast. The amount and kinds of CG wouldn't need to be obtrusive, either. Finally, I feel that the screen is a medium with greater appeal to the YAs who this is written-for.
People I know who like this book tend to love it. Folks who have a quarrel kinda feel the characters don't work for them. But, we're not speaking of Dostoyevsky here...
deLint does what he does, and most of it I find is better than fair. Some conclusions get drawn, but they grow organically from the story and aren't truly heavy-handed. There is some sweetness to the characters, and some mild surprises along the way. Seven Wild Sisters did his syncretic thing the best (to my mind), but The Blue Girl seems to get a Bradbury-feel with a teenaged voice that is just as good as the early-60's Beach Boys.
None of which is the sort of thing will make a movie work, by the way.
I feel the pace of the book's action and timing of its reveals will work damned fine in a 100-minute window. Also the acting demands aren't outside the scope of the type of folks who'd have to be cast. The amount and kinds of CG wouldn't need to be obtrusive, either. Finally, I feel that the screen is a medium with greater appeal to the YAs who this is written-for.
April 3, 2011
This was a very good story. I thought it was solid and easy to read. So many times I feel like I'm getting watered down versions of stories because characters aren't up front with important information but that just wasn't the case with this one. Yes, Imogene had secrets but she always fessed up to the importnat tidbits when it was necessary.
So, why did I only give it three stars? The truth is I absolutely hated al the characters except Pelly. It was like the author gave them a label, "tough girl," "weak girl," or "loser boy" and each character had to go over the top to live up to their label, and when they did finally start to change it seemed forced and not like the character at all.
The other thing I didn't like was how dated it seemed. It's set in 2002 and 2003. I graduated from high school in 2003 and to me it seemed to be set in the mid-nineties at best. I didn't classify anyone into a "head-banger" group for sure. I don't know, the story was so good but the characters and setting were awful. How can that happen?
So, why did I only give it three stars? The truth is I absolutely hated al the characters except Pelly. It was like the author gave them a label, "tough girl," "weak girl," or "loser boy" and each character had to go over the top to live up to their label, and when they did finally start to change it seemed forced and not like the character at all.
The other thing I didn't like was how dated it seemed. It's set in 2002 and 2003. I graduated from high school in 2003 and to me it seemed to be set in the mid-nineties at best. I didn't classify anyone into a "head-banger" group for sure. I don't know, the story was so good but the characters and setting were awful. How can that happen?
February 13, 2009
Charles de Lint takes on the similar territory as Nina Kiriki Hoffmann's
Spirits That Walk in Shadow
, but not quite as engagingly.
Imogene is the new girl at school, trying to make the best of a fresh start. No more hanging out with the bad crowd, no sirree. But she puts herself in danger by revealing that she can see the school ghost, and that gets other spirits in an uproar. Danger, danger, weird dreams and soul-eaters ahead.
I liked Imogene's punky sensibility, she reminded me of Buffy, especially when she befriends Maxine, the smart nerdy girl.
Imogene is the new girl at school, trying to make the best of a fresh start. No more hanging out with the bad crowd, no sirree. But she puts herself in danger by revealing that she can see the school ghost, and that gets other spirits in an uproar. Danger, danger, weird dreams and soul-eaters ahead.
I liked Imogene's punky sensibility, she reminded me of Buffy, especially when she befriends Maxine, the smart nerdy girl.
November 3, 2012
I think I gave this book a fair enough chance by reading almost 200 pages in, but ultimately I couldn't finish it. Perhaps it's because this in in a series (which I never even knew before picking up this book). Or maybe it's just the authors writing style, but I didn't like it at all. I found it very uninteresting, especially with a book that obviously had a lot going on, I felt it was rather boring. I didn't care much for the characters either and the dialogue was kind of strange to me, and I think I would have actually preferred less dialogue.
June 17, 2008
A real rarity: a speculative fiction book where the characters are so vividly drawn and compelling that it would have been worth reading without any of the supernatural stuff. As it is, the realism of the high school setting (well, except for the ghost, but you know what I mean) and the characters helps to sell the dark and strange supernatural elements. This is both really fun and really good. I highly recommend it.
February 24, 2021
All I remember from this is fae and a punk girl and it made my dark teenage heart THRIVE. I otherwise remember nothing, but I think this is one YA book I'd like to revisit someday. I think part of me wanted to be like Imogene. I don't know if that's a good or bad thing but hey, I loved it. And I remember sketching the tattoos on Imogene's arm from the cover during my high school health class instead of paying attention so that's something.
June 7, 2011
Зохиолын гол дүр болох Эмүжин (Imogene pronounced /ˈɪmədʒiːn/, cool huh?) надад маш их таалагдсан. Бусад YA зохиолуудад гардаг "tough байх гэж хичээдэг" охидоос шал өөр. Байгаагаараа л tough and funny. Сонирхолтой urban fantasy байлаа. Ямар ч байсан тийм trashy бол биш гэдгийг би баттай хэлэх байна ... нтр
August 3, 2011
Another Newford book that's fabulous. His wonderful world of The Good Neighbors and ghosts and rebel teenage girls rocked. And he dealt with the issue of bullying in a very creative way. This book is modern and will appeal to teenagers who enjoy urban fantasy. I wish I had Pelly, Imogene's friend, visiting fromy closet. Would be cool.
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