Surfing is both her passion and her escape and Eagar describes Carly’s affinity for the sport, and the ocean, with extraordinarily vivid imagery. Set in the beachside suburbs of Sydney, Carly works as a cook in a cafe by night, leaving her days free for surfing. This is a powerful and sensitively written novel that explores the emotional pain of nineteen year old Carly and her journey towards recovery after a traumatic assault. Raw Blue is a superb debut novel from Kirsty Eagar. Then she meets Ryan and Carly has to decide … Will she let the past bury her? Or can she let go of her anger and shame, and find the courage to be happy? Surfing is the one thing she loves doing … and the only thing that helps her stop thinking about what happened two years ago. Synopsis: Carly has dropped out of uni to spend her days surfing and her nights working as a cook in a Manly café. It's an impressive start to a promising career.Published: Penguin Books Australia June 2009 It's an extremely real, tense book that will move you. It's a book that challenges the reader to stick with it, just as Carly challenges those to stay with her. He adds some vital whimsicality to the novel, his synaesthesia is a condition that I have never heard of and now wish to know more about. Danny is one that particularly struck me because he was so unexpected, for the reader and for Carly also. It's a truly impressive debut work - dark, full of turmoil with the occasional cloud break - just like the ocean. It's an excellent depiction of the effect unresolved anger has on every facet of one's life. In contrast, her life outside of her work and that of her past, is spotty at best. Eager fills the page with the minutia of Carly's work life - her responsibilities as a cook, her feelings and concerns for her co-workers and how to make Eggs Benedict. She also a walking contradiction - an absolute slob at home but paranoid about food poisoning at her cafe's kitchen. She's alone, vulnerable, and in immense pain. Carly has experienced something (deliberately being vague) that has wiped her previous life away, instead all she looks forward to is the joy of surfing.Ĭarly's one messed up, ball of anger. It's a book that examines the tough elements and people in life with a roaring crash tackle. Review - Raw Blue can be described in one sole word - powerful. Will she let the past bury her? Or can she let go of her anger and shame, and find the courage to be happy?

When Ryan learns the truth, Carly has to decide.

and the only thing that helps her stop thinking about what happened two years ago at schoolies week.Īnd then Carly meets Ryan, a local at the break, fresh out of jail. Surfing is the one thing she loves doing. Summary - Carly has dropped out of uni to spend her days surfing and her nights working as a cook in a Manly café.

Raw Blue by Kirsty Eagar