Born Blue

by Han Nolan

Leshaya is a survivor. Rescued from the brink of death, this child of a heroin addict has seen it revolving foster homes, physical abuse, an unwanted pregnancy. Now, as her tumultuous childhood is coming to an end, she is determined to make a life for herself by doing the only thing that makes her feel whole . . . singing.
Han Nolan pulls no punches in this hard-hitting story of a girl at the bottom who dreams of nothing but the top.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Teen, Drugs, Music, Contemporary

284 pages, Paperback

First published December 31, 2000

About the author

Han Nolan is widely acclaimed for her evocative language, her gritty subject matter, and her ability to plumb the psyche of her characters. Her books include Dancing on the Edge, which won the National Book Award, Send Me own a Miracle, a finalist for the National Book Award, Born Blue, A Summer of Kings, and several other acclaimed novels. She and her husband live on the East Coast.

Reviews

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I eat by myself in the cafeteria I bring a book with me so I don’t seem so pathetic. But really I only read about a page because I am trying to get in and out as fast as possible.
Tonight during dinner I opened up Born Blue and it was 20 minutes before I realized I had stopped eating. And once I realized that I didn’t want to get up because I didn’t want to lose the time I could be reading it on the walk back to my dorm.
I first read Born Blue by Han Nolan in 7th grade. It was my first time reading a book that was sort of in Ebonics, my first time reading a book that involved drug use, foster care, teen pregnancy and real true heartbreak.
At the time I had a hard time getting through it, partially because the dialect was so different than what I was used to and partially because nothing that happened in the book was familiar to me at all. But I still loved it, and reading it again I love and appreciate it even more.
The book follows Leshaya through her life as she survives things that I couldn’t even fathom as a little girl in the suburbs. Being kidnapped out her foster home by her heroin addict mother, becoming pregnant at 13 and most painfully, facing rejection everywhere she went.
Leshaya was born Janie but became Leshaya. Reviewers refer to her as either Janie or Leshaya, and her name is just part of the comlexity and confusion in her life. Leshaya is as blond and blue eyed as I am, but feels she is black. She has the singing voice of a grown woman when she is only 7 years old. She seems to have this maturity that makes it hard to remember that she is so young for most of the book, but at the same time her actions remind you how young she really is. While she is still in middle school she has sex, but she also spills milk in an attempt to get affection.
This book will break your heart. Leshaya isn’t perfect but any stretch or even very likable, but her longing leaks out of the page and keeps you from eating dinner.
Born Blue came out in 2003, so I don’t know how well known it is. But a book doesn’t have to be under-appreciated to need more attention.

[Alexa Cruz · Rating 5 out of 5]

A-M-A-Z-I-N-G.
First book to come to mind when I think of favorite books.
Couldn't put it down. The words created vivid imagery. It makes you really think about the book.

[Bianka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Born Blue
By Han Nolan
277 pp.Orlando, Florida
Harcourt Inc. $6.95
ISBN- 0-15-204697-6

Born Blue by Han Nolan is an inspirational book because of the growth and strength a girl builds with the lack of family and stability. Her actions are clearly stated and foster teenagers can relate to her. This book portrays the developing years from a child to young adult of a Caucasian girl bouncing around from place to place. Until she ends up with the woman that left her in the beginning – her mother. You never want to put it down because each chapter has an adventure in store. This novel is realistic and does not have a happily ever after as some books do in the case that this girl is in. It's hard to imagine a teenage girl experiencing what 21 year olds might have not even experienced. At such a young age, she experiences from giving birth to witnessing a man's death. If you love drama, you should be on your way to the library, looking through the drama section for this one.
Han Nolan does an excellent job of writing in first person as Leshaya herself. Since Leshaya was born and from the south of the United States, her language is different. It was hard at first and it took some time to get used to all the “in's” and improper grammar. I remember... “Nothin' else in the world would matter if I could sing and people would listen. Ain't nothin' else in the world like singin'.” I found it normal to read the rest of this 277 paged book once I got used to the style. If you are a member of the 'grammar police' than maybe this book wouldn't exactly fit your bookshelf.
The drama is never ending in this book, with all the different themes. Ranging from the fact that her mother sold her for drugs -- to her letting what ever male she wants, having sexual intercourse with her. But it makes you think in general, Is it really worth selling something so precious and delicate – your own blood for the pleasure that only lasts a few hours? You can't blame Leshaya for acting the way she did, not having any sort of role-model. I remember my jaw literally dropping when I read that she was pregnant. It's hard picturing myself being pregnant right now, since Leshaya was just around my age. I made it clear in my mind not to make the same mistake as she did. But it didn't seem like a mistake for her...
The consideration of how realistic this book is and it happens to people, even in these times, captivates me. Taking drugs, drinking alcohol, concerts, parties, sex, pregnancy, no adults taking care of her – all at such a young age. It's amazing. And sad of course, but it happens to certain teenagers out there. Not at a point in their age or life where they know whats right or wrong, good or bad for them. Leshaya's strength can undeniably be considered as well. I try portraying myself in her place and I don't even think I can last till the fifth chapter.
I haven't read a book filled with so much drama and events as Born Blue, published in 2001, in a long time. It was interesting to see what a girl my age is capable of doing. Teenagers should particularly have interest in this book, no doubt. With a pinch of southern aura and the captivating words a young women uses to open up her mind, heart and soul, Born Blue will forever be a part of you.

[Ally · Rating 5 out of 5]

The main thing about this book that keeps you reading is the voice of it. Written in first person, it feels like Leshaya (the main character), is talking directly to you.

Aside from the voice of the story, Born Blue is also very touching, and has a strong, independent female character that is very inspiring.

As you read, you start from Leshaya's childhood,and move with her as she gets older and runs into more trouble.

The book was captivating from the very beginning, was strong, and had an important message.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

You start off by feeling bad for this poor little girl and then just end up getting annoyed with a stupid teenager who becomes a slut and a druggie and your not sure she's really learned her lesson by the end of it. You want to care for her but at the same time she's been given so many options to turn her life around and she never took them.

[Mariem · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book "Born Blue" by Han Nolan, is a very good book and I enjoyed reading it very much. There is so much conflict in this book it really had me surprised that any of them would be solved. Anyone who likes emotional, dramatic and very realistic books would love reading this book. It's so realistic book considering the things this girl faced are things that older people should be facing. I'd also recommend this book older audiences because it is kind of explicit and if anyone likes to listen to singers like Etta James, or Aretha Franklin, they would definitely like reading this book because those singers mostly Etta James is brought up through the entire book. I really love this book and I would love to see a movie be made out of it. I really recommend this book because it just shows you how something so big to one's eye can be small to another. However, this book does require a sense of maturity. As you can see, this book is beyond amazing.

[Natalie Norris]

I realy wasn't expecting to like this novel as much as I did. I wasn't into the bad childlike writing and language. Though as I kept reading I had begun to see what it all meant.

This story is about a troubled young girl, named Janie, but She later changes her name to leshaya. In this novel, you will see how this young woman overcomes her obstacles and never gives up on her dreams.

At only 4 years old, Janie is taken from her mother Linda and put into Foster care. I believe, since she told us this first, this event was her most significant memory and the beggining of her major troubles. She begins her story, by describing her very first memory. She fought through the water and thinks her mother is going to mad at her. At one point she thinks she is dead, but screams anyway, for her mother, who never came. She awoke in a dark room surrounded by strangers, and begs to see her mother. All she was told, was her mom was sick and is going to get help.

She was sent to live with Patsy and Pete, her new foster parents. She desperatly wanted to be with her mother. When she finally saw her mom again, she begged and cried to live with her again. All her mother said was, " No you can't, Im sick again.

Before I tell the whole story and spoil it for you, I will only tell a few more important parts.

Well as I began to write this I told you, the narrators use of childrens language, such as the at the beggining she says " He cracked a bit of a smile, so I could see his lower teeth and they was kinda crooked. Janie also shows her immaturity. I thought about this and she was only four when her mother died, that is near the age children can speak sentenses. I wondered if she was educated, after the age of four. This make not make any sense to you, but it does to me. If that was the start of her pain and troubles, was it also the end of her caring about an education. When I lost my grandmother to cancer, what I used to find a top priority iun my life, ment nothing to me anymore. I gave up for a little while, maybe she did too? Though her mother is not diseased, she is from her life.

Another part I found to be important in this novel, is she finds her most happiness in music. She dreams of one day being a famous singer. She knew the odds of living her dream were against her most of the time, but she refuses to give up on them. Her other happiness was the attention she had always craved, which she found in Harmon. Harmon was true friend, and the only good thing about with Patsy and Pete. Harmon is a black guy, witha tall and beefy figure. I found it to also be important that she fell in love with him. I found it amazing that when she decribes him, she throws out the fact that hes black and describes him to us saying "He got the friendliest face I ever seen in a person, too, witha bigsmile so fullof goodwill it could melt anybody's heart." This shows me, that Janie dosnt care about color what others say. Also she loves people for them and what what they have, not what they dont have.

So does she live her dream in them end? Whell you have to read and find out, Ive told to much.

[Brandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's this girl named Jamie who loves and lives to sing. She grows up with a drug addict for a mother who eventually almost drowns her in the Gulf of Mexico. Then Jamie is taken into a foster home where she meets her future best friend, Harmon. Harmon and Jamie spend time together until Harmon is eventually adopted by the Smiths, an upper class black family. Then, one day, while Jamie is on her way home, she is kidnapped by her mother. Her mother takes her to live with a drug dealer named Mitch and his wife named Shelly. One day, Shelly takes Jamie to the mall where she sees Harmon. Harmon gives her his address and the two depart. Another unsurprising twist, Shelly and Mitch are arrested for posession of marijuana. Jamie takes their money and goes to Harmon's house and lives with his family for a year or so. Harmon has also loved to play the sax so he's in a church choir. Jamie joins the choir also and meets a boy who's 16. Jamie is only 12 at the time. The two run away together until they meet an asian man. This man takes them to some wierd party and they take ectasy. The asian man, Jimmy, drugs Jamie up and has sex with her. She eventually becomes pregnant but doesn't know it. Jamie and the 16 year old get busted by the police and Jamie is taken back to Harmon's house. Harmon's family yell at her and Jamie is sent to her room. Jamie steals a gold watch and a bunch of other stuff. Jamie then runs away and is sent to a clinic where she finds out she's pregnant. Jamie lives with a woman named Joy who takes care of her until she has the baby. Jamie runs back to Harmon's house, gets naked, and falls asleep in his bed. The next morning, she lies and says she's pregnant. She comes back with her baby and he takes her baby. She leaves again to see her mother who has aids. Her mother dies and she goes back to Harmon's house, looks at the happiness of her baby and leaves the stolen belongings in a sack anad hangs the, on the door and leaves.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

Born Blue is a really great book because it is about the reality of being homeless.This a situation that some people have to face everyday that i never understood until now.You get to know the main character Leshaya really good,you almost feel like know her personally.She has a special talent for singing and has a dream to someday be a famous singer.Her story is touching and meaningful.

[elisabeth · Rating 1 out of 5]

i can barley get past the first couple of pages. this book has very bad gramar.

[The Local Spooky Hermit · Rating 2 out of 5]

Its fine not my thing, read a bit to see if its worth keeping but I really need to rid of a ton

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5/5

To recap, in case you haven't read my previous reviews: I think Crazy is one of the best books in the world, my love for it makes me too hard on other books by Han Nolan, If I Should Die Before I Wake was mediocre.

This book was another merely average entry from Nolan. I'm starting to think I should just give up on trying to find anything good in the same way Crazy was, because this was nowhere near that level. I'm not saying this is a bad book, because it isn't. Nolan really does try to write an exceptional book here - she seems determined not to default to formulas or cliches. But that turns out to be a mixed blessing.

The biggest problem was the plot. I've read a few books that follow the structure Nolan uses here, that start with the protagonist's childhood and follow their lives in a fair amount of detail until... it depends, but in YA books, it's typically their teenage years. I've never been a fan of the structure. It always relies on too much summary, barely short of infodumping. The transformation from childhood to adult is too blatant this way, and all the character traits rely on telling, rather than showing. In this book, Nolan does try a little to solve these problems, but the structure failed nevertheless. I had a lot of trouble connecting to Leshaya early in the novel - we see her life mostly told, rather than shown. Nolan typically gave us examples of larger patterns, (like going to church with an older woman every Sunday) but the patterns (told) were the meaningful parts, not the examples (shown). The novel moved quickly across Leshaya's life, often covering entire years in only a chapter or two, as Leshaya moved from house to house, never having a perfect home. I kept expecting the scope of the novel to narrow, for us to see short-term character interactions and patterns rather than long-term ones. The frustrating thing was, it looked like that was about to happen several times - basically every time Leshaya moved into a new house - but it never stuck. I was constantly unsure of how fast the pace was going to be for the next, twenty, thirty pages. It was a bit exhausting; I spent most of the book waiting for something that seemed to never come. When the scope finally narrows, when we finally see Leshaya's life in a scale of days instead of years, it's more than two-thirds of the way into the novel.

Most of the potentially interesting parts of the story were in the first two thirds of the novel, the part that Nolan rushed through. It was during this period that we saw Leshaya's attachment/detachment issues form, when we saw her learn to trust nobody and get what she wants at all costs. It had a lot of potential. Nolan fleshes Leshaya out in a very clinical way, because she's moving so quickly - I would've loved the pace of the middle third of the novel to be slowed down, to see Leshaya fleshed out more organically. That would've been an excellent novel. But alas, as it is, it's too rushed to hold any meaning. None of the characters other than Leshaya are very well-rendered - Harnon and his family are just generically nice, and Leshaya's family is just generically evil.

The final third of the novel was just as much of a mixed bag, in different ways. I was, quite frankly, sick of Leshaya by this point, but in spite of this, it was this part of the novel where she started to feel more organic. Her characterization of being a cocky, reckless, self-centered wiseass because less broad and more realistically bound. It makes her a lot more sympathetic. Her actions - which were before incredibly extreme - are more understandable in this section. Paul was also a well-rendered character; he's much more than just generically nice, much more than a filler character there to make Leshaya's life better. (He's kind of pretentious, to be honest.) But that's about all this section's got going for it. The story itself - about Leshaya trying to get big in the music industry (and somehow succeeding ridiculously quickly) - fails to resonate with me. It's just boring; it doesn't feel like what the first two thirds were leading up to, like it's part of a different book. Coupled with a sudden and bizarre ending that comes completely out of nowhere, the overall plot felt disjointed and unfocused.

That said, if there's one thing I can completely and fully praise, it's the prose. Leshaya's voice was easily the best part of the book. Nolan is certainly daring in how far she does to express Leshaya's dialect. It's difficult to describe, but suffice it to say, Nolan throws out the rules of grammar and flow, in a way that feels intentional and controlled. It's Leshaya's most distinct characterizing trait, and it makes her stand out (as if her characterization didn't already). From less skilled writers, this would come across as sloppy and cheap, but Nolan makes it work like few others could. It also emphasizes something I admire about Nolan: she isn't afraid to make Leshaya unlikable. Leshaya does a lot of stupid things, she's narcissistic, and she has no social skills. As one reviewer so eloquently put it: "[You] just end up getting annoyed with a stupid teenager who becomes a slut and a druggie." And I think all that is great. I'm not saying that the less likable a character is, the better, but likability isn't something that really needs to be strived for, and it takes a lot of courage to make someone this intensely unlikable. But Nolan pulls it off without a hitch - Leshaya is still understandable and sympathetic, no matter how pissed off you are at her.

But overall, this book was a mixed bag. I can't imagine it's going to have a wide audience, considering how unusual the story is and how unlikable Leshaya is. I admire Nolan for attempting something unusual and powerful, but it just doesn't quite work.

[Cameron Baca]

I liked this book a lot and it was very interesting. I liked the book and everything, but I didn't like the main character, Leshaya. She acted older then she was and she made bad choices. She did drugs, drank beer, and had a baby. She had a baby when she was only 15, she's 25 but acts like she's 18. She runs away from people and makes bad choices with the excuse that she has been adopted by many people. She let's people in her life for a little bit, and then has to ruin it for them and do stupid things. She's so selfish and only cares about herself and nobody else, she'll sleep with different men and let them do anything to her. The only thing she loves is singing, but that doesn't solve anything. She acts like she'll be a famous singer someday when everyone around her thinks that she won't. I liked the book and it was very detailed and interesting, but the main character I didn't like. I would give this book an 8 out of 10 just because of the character. But this book was overall a good book to read.

[Monica · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was fine. I had different courses in my mind for the main character than the author. lol.
It was written in a dialect the book refers to she speaks "wigga".

[Aleetha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Setiap orang memiliki alasan dibalik semua hal yang dilakukannya. Kalimat itulah yang menjadi pegangan saya sejak lama ketika berhadapan dengan orang – orang yang jauh berbeda terutama dari segi pemikiran. Walaupun kalimat itu tidak cukup ampun untuk membuat saya berhenti memberi cap baik dan buruk. Semua itu karena pemahaman yang saya pikir sudah mengakar begitu dalam. Semua itu kembali saya ungkapkan ketika membaca novel karya Han Nolan ini.

Di usia yang sangat belia, Janie harus tinggal terpisah dengan ibunya, Mama Linda. Saat itu ia masih terlalu kecil untuk mengerti mengapa ia tak seperti anak – anak lain yang hidup di rumah yang nyaman. Yang ia tahu hanyalah ia hanya akan bertemu Mama Linda satu ataupun dua kali tanpa pernah tahu kapan waktunya untuk meninggalkan rumah bau milik Patsy dan Pete. Beruntung ia memiliki Harmon, anak laki – laki yang bernasib sama dengannya.

Bersama Harmon, terkadang Janie tidak lagi mempermasalahkan ketidakhadiran Mama Linda ataupun kondisi rumah Patsy dan Pete yang bobrok serta tindakan keji yang harus diterimanya. Apalagi Harmon membiarkannya ikut mendengarkan suara- suara emas yang dimiliki oleh penyanyi – penyanyi perempuan dari kaset tua milik Harmon. Janie sungguh tergila – gila dengan semua lagu yang mereka nyanyikan.Bahkan jika ditanya apa yang berharga dalam hidup, kaset milik harmon akan disebutnya. Tak heran ketika akhirnya Jaine memutuskan untuk mengikuti jejak mereka. dengan suara yang tak kalah merdu, Jaine yakin bukan hal yang sulit untuk mewujudkan mimpinya

Namun bukan namanya hidup jika penuh dengan rintangan. Banyak hal yang tak jarang memberikan pukulan telak pada Jaine yang akhirnya memutuskan untuk mengubah namanya menjadi Leshaya. Dari kepindahan Harmon yang mendadak sampai peculikan di usianya yang sangat muda. Bahkan ketika satu demi satu peristiwa tragis datang menghampiri pun ternyata tidak mengurungkan niatnya untuk menjadi seorang penyanyi terkenal. Anak perempuan ini sungguh terobsesi.

Harapan saya memang terlalu tinggi pada tokoh utama ini. Tingkahnya yang sedikit liar dan pemberontak membuat saya menjadi gerah. image anak perempuan yang manis menghilang dalam waktu sedetik. Obsesinya menjadi seorang penyanyi benar – benar membuatnya buta. Segala cara pun ditempuhnya seakan – akan waktunya akan habis jika tidak segera melakukan hal – hal tersebut. padaal kalau saja ia mau bersabar, mungkin tak perlu sampai merugikan banyak orang termasuk dirinya sendiri.

Tokoh Leshaya membuat saya teringat dengan Alice di Go Ask Alice, anak perempuan yang tidak tingkahnya setali tiga uang dengan Leshaya. Seakan Alice adalah perwujudan Leshaya di kehidupan nyata. Beberapa hari kemudian saya kembali menemukan sosok lain Leshaya dalam sebuah film yang dibintangi oleh Leonardo Dicaprio, Basket Ball Diaries.

Baik Alice maupun anak laki-laki di Basket Ball Diaries , kedua sama-sama sempat terjatuh di dunia gelap dan kedua – dua sama – sama punya nilai buruk di mata saya. saya punya alasan kuat untuk itu. Mereka berdua bukan tak punya pilihan. Mereka hanya terlalu terburu-buru dalam menentukan jalan mana yang harus mereka ambil. Tidak perlu terkejut dengan kalimat saya diatas. Saya akui saya memang tidak sanggup untuk melepaskan sepatu yang saya kenakan sekarang dan menggantinya dengan yang mereka gunakan saat itu. Bukan hal yang mudah untuk dilakukan.

Walau tak menyukai cerita yang satu ini, setidaknya ada beberapa pelajaran dapat di petik dari buku ini. Bagaimana peran orang tua sangat penting dalam kehidupan seorang anak dan memegang pengaruh besar pada kehidupannya di masa depan. Dan untuk keseribukalinya dan tak pernah bosan untuk mengingat bahwa ganja, heroin dan obat – obatan sejenis hanyalah racun kehidupan. Yang tak kalah penting adalah pelajaran dalam mengejar mimpi. Pengorbanan memang mutlak dilakukan namun tidak berarti sampai membuat orang lain ikut menjadi korban. Apalagi sampai menghalalkan segala cara. Lepas dari semua tingkah Leshaya yang menjengkelkan itu, semangat dan tekatnya nya patut diacungi jempol. Seakan memberi tahu kepada semua orang yang sedang mengejar mimpi bahwa tak ada hal yang tak mungkin.

[Allie Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Born Blue by Han Nolan is an exceptional book. Han Nolan has written many other books, all very successful. She grew up in New York and has always loved to make up stories. Han has always been very active and has written her whole life.

Born Blue is about a girl, who is first named Janie, with a mother that is addicted to heroin. When Janie was just a little girl she was left by her high mother “Mama Linda” in the Gulf Of Mexico while she was drowning. Janie later changes her name to Leyshaya after she’s kidnaped. Janie is a wonderful singer and wishes to become famous. Janie doesn’t have it easy but she is determined to get through.

This book is easy to relate to. Even if you haven’t experienced the same things as Janie, it’s still very easy to relate to her feelings. Janie’s situation doesn’t happen to many people, if anyone, but the book is written so you know how she feels.

Born Blue is excellently written, I truly loved this book. Unlike most books Born Blue rings with truth, it plainly states the harsh reality of life. It’s filled with pain, sorrow, love, hurt, loneliness, defeat, and realization. Even through all this shines Janie’s determination and hopefulness that everything will be okay. Born Blue is not a fairytale, or a happily ever after book. It is a heart stopping and moving, absolutely perfect.

I strongly recommend this book, however if you want a happy light read this isn’t the book for you. If you want a book that will make you cry, is filled with harsh reality, and just makes your heart hurt then you should read this. If you want to read the way life is, a book that makes you think, or that makes you feel like you can overcome anything that you have to, even if it’s hard, then I think this book is for you.

[Lisa James · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is in the YA category. Ultimately, it's rather sad because the ending leaves you hanging & you never know if Jane/Leshaya cleans up her act, & grows up to realize her dream of being a jazz/R & B singer, or whether she gets back on the drug merry go round she's been on. Given what she's already been through, her mother a heroin addict who had her removed & sent to a bad foster home, then kidnapped from the foster home by her mother on an unannounced visit & in essence, traded to her drug dealers for a free supply of her fix, where she was taken better care of then she was at the foster home, but ran away from when the couple was arrested for dealing & sent to prison, etc. She proved she could survive, & we are left hoping that through it all, she learned some lessons about herself that would make her a better person.

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Janie, aka Leshaya, is a survivor; it is not as if she has any choice in the matter, since life keeps dealing her knockout blows. Born to a heroin-addicted mother, her childhood is spent in foster homes, passed around from person to person, few of whom take time to parent her. Her only salvation is music, for when she opens her mouth to sing, then and only then does Janie feel alive. Yet she looks everywhere for love: in food, in drugs, and always, always, falling in with the wrong man. Her mother kidnaps her, sells her for drugs, and yet somehow Janie keeps pushing on, sure that this is merely the hard road she must travel in order to find success. The book is told in first person with a heavy urban dialect. A tale of survival as gritty and harsh as any set in the wilderness.

[Mira Gail · Rating 2 out of 5]

Born Blue is a hard-hitting contemporary about a young girl with a hard upbringing. At first, I really felt pity for her being a victim of the circumstances. However, when she started to make decisions on her own and continually choosing the wrong options (despite knowing what is right) blaming it all on her bad upbringing, burned bridges with all of the people who are trying to help her – I ended up annoyed and exasperated after finishing the story.

Full post here: http://itsareadlief.com/miscellaneous...

[Desiray]

Born Blue By Han Nolan was really great because of all this girl went through like almost being drowned my her mom at four and then her mama being on herion. Also living with patsy and pete they treated Leysha and Harmon which was Leshyas best friend like they were pretty much dirt. And after everything she went through which Im not gonna tell you everything she still seems okay in the end but not gonna give that away either you will just have to read it to find out

[Maricarmen V · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book very much because it had so much deatil. Born blue was full of suspense, I'd always want to keep reading and reading. Leshaya was a fansinating character, and the life she had simply astonished me. She went through so many hard times, so many times where she needed someone but there wasn't anyone there. She truely had to go on her own, survive all on her own and at such a young age.

[Spider the Doof Warrior · Rating 4 out of 5]

Han Nolan is an excellent Young Adult writer. In this book we encounter large amounts of pain and suffering and a passion for music that gets Janie/Leshaya through her horrible, abusive life. It really isn't a book for the faint hearted, but it manages to handle issues like drug abuse, teen pregnancy and AIDS in a powerful and realistic way.

[Courtney · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think I read this. All I remember is that there was a girl who loved Etta James and wanted to become a singer. I did a google search and this is what came up. If I can't remember how to spell today I can't remember what I read 10 years ago. lol.

[Tori (alwaysbookphoenix) Kisamore · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book in 7th grade and I think this is one of the first YA books that really stuck with me. To this day, I look back at this book and think about all of the dark themes and elements inside of it.

[Sarah Cash · Rating 1 out of 5]

It was difficult to read this book without wanting to make grammatical corrections.

[Sidney Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read as a teenager. It was an easy read. The story was kinda sad.

[Anna Sophia · Rating 3 out of 5]

CT: Drug use, addiction, kidnapping, sexual assault of a minor, unwanted pregnancy, death, near death, child neglect, child abuse

Janie's first memory is of almost drowning. Her early childhood is spent in a foster home that smells sour all the time with her foster brother and best friend, Harmon. They would go down to the basement and listen to his tapes of lady singers, Aretha Franklin, Billie Holiday, and Etta James, Janie's favorite. Janie loves Harmon, the lady singers, and their social worker, Doris, and their black skin and black hair. She's convinced she's part black too, her daddy was black, and she's just light skinned. She can certainly sing like the lady singers, that's for sure. One day, Harmon is adopted by the James family, a wealthy black family from Tuscaloosa, and Doris stops showing up for Sunday Church because her daughter, Leshaya, passed away. Janie is left alone, but soon her Mama Linda, her birth mother, comes to her and promises to give her a real family. Janie, or Leshaya as she now goes by, doesn't know what she's getting herself into, but all she knows is she's going to be a famous singer.

Spoilers Below

This book is complicated, touching on dark subject matters such as heroin addiction, life in foster home, abandonment issues, and growing up too fast. My feelings are similarly complicated, with many praising the book for its c0mplex characters and its depiction of Mama Linda's spiral into addiction and Janie/Leshaya's similar fall. It's tragic yet poetic that Janie/Leshaya follows in her mother's footsteps, yet is strong enough to leave her daughter Etta with a family that will provide for her and ultimately breaks the cycle of addiction. Speaking more about the side characters in the story, I really appreciate the sentiment that you can love and care for someone but still put hard boundaries to protect yourself. Paul and Harmon are great examples of this. I also really appreciate seeing the collateral between the different choices Janie/Leshya makes in the story, as it helps to ground the story in reality.

My conflicting feelings for the story all stem from the main character, Janie/Leshaya. On the one hand, the events of her life shape her in a very believable manner, as her experience with adults throughout her adolescence teach her to not form attachments and by her stealing from Daddy Mitch she was able to provide for herself when she had absolutely no one. These learned behaviors allow her to survive, but absolutely shatter any bridge she could have formed with the James family or Paul, leading her to be self-sufficient but alone. I really love the juxtaposition she has between being both older and younger than what she is. Her body and voice paint her as older, more mature, and she is to some degree as she can survive by herself, but her actions and dreams are childlike, showing her stunted development due to not having a supportive upbringing.

On the other hand, I felt very uncomfortable with how Janie/Leshaya kept trying to identify as being black. From the story perspective, this makes complete sense for the character, as the majority of her positive life experiences came from black people. However, for me this feels too close to fetishizing/black savior trope. What really sealed this opinion for me was at the end where Janie/Leshaya, after going through the entire book believing she's part black, learns she's white. And then she goes and sees her daughter, Etta, with the James family and Harmon. She remarks that Etta is everything she wanted, most importantly being black. I understand that this speaks more to Janie/Leshaya wanting a family and to belong more than being black, but she literally took a dead black girl's name as her own. I also find this a bit harder to swallow as it was a white author who wrote this. It doesn't mean the story is bad or that the author is perpetuating outdated ideas or that this story is any less, but it does sit strangely with me and I personally can't separate interpretation from the story entirely. I could just be reading into this too much and I greatly appreciate that this identity of black adds a layer of complexity to the story, and can be used as a metaphor for community, family, wanting to belong and to escape your own situation in life, but it still has that tinge to it, at least for me.

I really wish Goodreads had half stars, as I would have rated this book 3.5 stars. It's a story that is difficult to tell and difficult to read, but books like this are necessary. They get the reader to see the world from a different, harsher perspective and forces the reader to sit with the uncomfortable, gnawing at it until you have examined every facet of it. This story won't leave me anytime soon, and it won't leave you anytime soon. I wouldn't recommend this to someone who wants a fast or easy read. This book deserves to be examined, re-read with a careful eye and its story pondered over. This will have you thinking about race, addiction, childhood trauma, and more. Given its topics, I would recommend this for an older teen, or around 16+.

[Anthony Willis · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was gifted to me by a dear friend and I am happy to have had her share it with me. That being said.....

I had a hard time enjoying this book. The subject-matter is hardly “enjoyable,” but that’s not what I mean.

Janie, who changes her name to Leshaya, has had a tough life. She’s been shuffled from family to family her entire life. Her biological mother has a serious drug problem and the only thing stable in her life - are the ladies.

The Ladies are musical greats - Billie Holliday, Aretha Franklin, and her favorite - Etta James. These are the women who convince Leshaya that she has what it takes to be a great singer - and she does. Unfortunately, life continues to get in her way.

The story itself was not bad. There were issues taking place that for far too many young girls are a harsh reality. What I didn’t like, was Leshaya, the main character. She had a tough life and I understand that, but she never lost her sense of entitlement throughout the book. If you were to ask her, the world owed her everything and she could do nothing wrong.

And I don’t think this spoils anything by saying there’s no closure in the end. It’s essentially left up to the readers to decide whether or not Leshaya is able to turn things around.

If anything I think this book could be used as a teaching tool to offer perspective for younger readers who may need it, but not my favorite book so far this year.

[Gelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wow. I picked this for Pop Sugar's 2023 Reading Challenge for the Prompt of a book that I read (at least) 10 years ago, and all I can say is my memory has failed me yet again. All I remembered when I chose this book was that I adored Han Nolan in Middle School/Junior High and that this one had something to do with music. I didn’t remember the phrasing that is used by the narrator that makes it really jarring and hard to follow at times. I did not remember the motherfucking like double rape - she’ 12 and she’s wasted, holy shit! Let alone the pregnancy that came from it! It also feels like the scenes about drugs were written by someone who’s never even looked at a drug. To be honest, I really wonder if I DNF this book back in the day? Because I essentially remembered nothing once she left her second family/home. Is this sad? Yes, and it’s supposed to be. But I’m not sure I found it that moving? I’m also not sure how this would be received as a YA novel? I guess that’s the benefit of it being of its time. I feel like I couldn’t recommend this to a struggling reader, even though it might have some things that would interest them, because the protagonist’s desire to not only identify, but be called black, while she is white, I think could make a lot of teens I know not enjoy the book at all.

[Meaghan Marcoux · Rating 5 out of 5]

The novel Born Born is realistic fiction written by Han Nolan. Born Blue is a story of the life of Leisha. For many formally known as Janie. The novel starts off with Leyasha almost drowning due to negligence from her heroin-addict mother. Due to this incident, Leyasha was forced into the foster care system. Her first home was strict and there wasn't a lot of love or food. However, this is where she meets her foster brother Harmon who then introduces her to the jazz and the blues. Harmon eventually gets adopted leaving Leyasha by herself. Next Leyasha is kidnapped by her own mother and then sold for heroin she now lives with Shelly and Mitch. Shelly steals and Mitch makes her uneasy but overall its a good home for Leyasha, she lives there for a couple of years until her mom has Shelly and Mitch arrested for drug possession. Leyasha is all on her own with nobody there for her. Will she make it? When I first pick up the book I was hesitant it was nothing like anything else I've read before. I was reluctant but I decided to give it a try anyway. I ended up loving this book and when I began it, I couldn't put it down. I would rate this book a five out of five and I highly recommend this to anyone who likes reading realistic fiction stories about childhood stories.