Out of the Blue

Out of the Blue
Lisa Maliga
2012

When a young woman from a quiet Midwestern towns saves for years to leave behind her job and humdrum existence to chase a dream across The Pond, you know you have good story fodder on your hands. Especially when the dream being chased is a famous (infamous?) actor - whose handsome face and dreamy voice rescued her from a teenage slump and inspired an all-consuming passion. That the woman meets the actor, coming face to face with her desired idol, is expected. What happens next? Not quite.

Out of the Blue traces the journey of Sylvia Gardner, a young woman from Illinois who risks everything to track down Alexander Thorpe in an out-of-the-way town in England. The premise is an intriguing one, but the novel itself wasn't all I hoped it'd be. I had a hard time connecting with Sylvia -- truthfully, I wanted to shake her until her teeth rattled and she woke up. Towards the end, I liked her better, she had more presence as a person and character. But that didn't come until really close to the end, and for the bulk of the read she frustrated me. Alexander also changes from the beginning to the end, though his 'journey' of transformation is not as documented nor understood. We get to know their flawed selves so well (too well?) at the beginning, so at the end, when they realize they've changed it's a bit abrupt. I did find myself liking the side characters, especially Phoebe, and would have liked to see them play a bigger role in the story. I think they could have helped flesh out the process, and sped the tempo up a bit.

While Out of the Blue wasn't quite for me, if it intrigues you - give a go! We all have different tastes, and that's what makes the reading world so fun. If you read it, let me know what you think -- maybe you'll pick up on something I missed.

eARC provided by author for review.