When Blue Mancini’s mother picked her name, it ended up being a self-fulfilling prophecy. A year ago, her brother, Jack, was involved in a car accident that killed the father of Blue’s classmate, Maya Rodriguez. Now Maya has returned to school determined to make Blue’s life a living hell in the aftermath. To add to the misery, Blue has to deal with a demanding mother, a father who’s never around, a drama-addicted best friend, and a secretive new guy who’s determined to make Blue his own personal cheer-up project.

When Maya’s social media taunts and in-person digs finally push Blue to retaliate, they find themselves forced into a project meant to foster cooperation and civility. As the layers of their tangled drama unravel, Blue learns more about Maya’s life—and her own sense of privilege—when secrets are revealed that cast a new perspective on everything in Blue’s world.

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PRAISE FOR BLUE

2021 SCBWI SPARK Award Winner
2021-22 Reader Views Reviewers Choice Gold Medal YA Fiction
2021-22 Reader Views Kids Teen/YA Book of the Year
2021-22 Reader Views Reviewers Choice Grand Prize In Fiction – Bronze Award Winner
2021 NYC Big Book Award Distinguished Favorite in Young Adult Fiction
2022 Independent Publisher Book Awards (IPPY) – Silver Medalist, Juvenile/YA Fiction E-Book
2022 Independent Press Award Distinguished Favorite – Teen

“Overall: 10.00 out of 10. DeLano has an excellent ear for teens’ idiomatic speech . . . This is a fast-paced novel focused more on feelings and the social world of teens . . . An easy read for its intended audience.”
– BookLife Prize by Publisher’s Weekly

“Blue highlights the importance of what happens when one bad decision alters the course of a life. High school readers will relate to the mental health struggles Blue goes through. This book is an easy read and ends on a light note with a positive message despite the difficult events.” – Danielle Corrao for the Pennsylvania School Librarians Association (PSLA) Lit Review

“Blue by L.E. Delano is an intense and completely engrossing YA novel about perspective . . . a must read for teens and anyone else who enjoys a great fictional story.” – Paige Lovitt for Reader Views Kids

“Filled with complex characters that leap off the page, Blue pulls at your heartstrings and refuses to let go.”
– Claire Kann, author of Let’s Talk About Love and If It Makes You Happy