Author: Swannie
Rating: 10/10
Review[]
A Solitary Blue by Cynthia Voigt
The first aspect that caught my attention was the plot of this book. On the back cover it reads, “No man is an island. But Jeff Green is trying hard.” After reading this I thought about what it could mean, because it was an interesting phrase. After I started reading the novel, I became even more intrigued. The story begins with a letter from Jeff Green's mother. She is announcing to him that she is leaving him forever. Jeff was seven and a half years old, and he was unsure of how to take it. He had always known that something like this might happen, because his mother was a humanitarian and constantly helping others. So, Jefferson was left to live with his father. Jeff desperately wanted his father, an emotionless professor, to stay with him and never leave. After many years, Jeff received a letter from his mother, Melody, asking him to come visit her for a summer. His father agrees to let him go. The next year, he is asked again, and so lives with his mother for another summer. But, this time Jeff finds out what kind of person his mother really is. After the summer, Jeff and the Professor move to a different home, and Jeff meets new people and restarts his life. Because of the very interesting plot with a plethora of details, I could not put this book down.
In A Solitary Blue, Cynthia Voigt built many very developed characters. The main protagonist, Jefferson Green, has a dramatically changing personality. In the beginning of the book, Jeff is scared, worried, upset, and withdrawn. After he sees his mother for the second summer, Jeff's persona is extremely different. He is a more confident and happy young boy, and he begins to make friends and enjoy life. Another well developed character is the Professor. He is a quiet person who does not like crying. He seems to not have any emotions, because his face is always “blank.” Through the end of A Solitary Blue, a new side of the Professor is unmasked. He becomes more open and emotional, and starts to do things with Jeff. While writing A Solitary Blue, Cynthia Voigt produced many developed and interesting characters.
This novel, like many others, has a very important theme. The entire novel, along with the theme, deals with love and trust. Throughout the book, Jeff learns that he needs to trust his mother before he can love her. The lesson that this novel teaches is that people can be lying when you least expect it, and you need to trust someone before you can love them. Jeff certainly learns this throughout the pages of this work. In the end, he is not afraid to trust anyone, and he falls in love with Dicey Tillerman. The theme that A Solitary Blue presents is realistic and useful in life. Because of the theme, it was a more sophisticated and intriguing book to read.
Overall, Cynthia Voigt's A Solitary Blue was a compelling read for many reasons. First off, the plot is well crafted and fascinating to read. Next, the author created many nicely developed characters that change throughout the story. Lastly, the novel presents a pragmatic theme that anyone can relate to. For these reasons, I would give this wonderful book a rating of ten out of ten!