Project and content management for Contemporary Authors volumes
WORK TITLE: Out of the Blue
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: https://www.sophie-cameron.com/
CITY: Barcelona
STATE:
COUNTRY: Spain
NATIONALITY: Scottish
RESEARCHER NOTES:
LC control no.: no2018078906
LCCN Permalink: https://lccn.loc.gov/no2018078906
HEADING: Cameron, Sophie (Novelist)
000 00518nz a2200121n 450
001 10775024
005 20180613073202.0
008 180612n| azannaabn |n aaa c
010 __ |a no2018078906
035 __ |a (OCoLC)oca11393417
040 __ |a CaBVa |b eng |e rda |c CaBVa
100 1_ |a Cameron, Sophie |c (Novelist)
670 __ |a Out of the blue, 2018: |b title page (Sophie Cameron) dust jacket flap (Sophie Cameron is a Scottish writer; studied French and comparative literature at the University of Edinburgh; now based in Spain; this is her first novel)
PERSONAL
Female.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer.
AVOCATIONS:Reading, studying foreign languages, watching television.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Sophie Cameron is a Scottish writer based in Barcelona, Spain. She is the author of books geared toward young adult readers.
In 2018, Cameron released her first novel, Out of the Blue. In the book, a strange phenomenon has been occurring on Earth recently. A mysterious race of creatures, called Beings, have begun falling from the sky. So far, the falls have killed all of the Beings. However, Michael Mackenzie is set on trying to save one of the Beings from the deadly impact in order to ask questions about what they are, where they have come from, and why they are falling from the sky. The recently-widowed Michael is also curious about whether these Beings may have information on his wife. Michael’s teenage daughter, Jaya, comes upon a Being that has survived its fall and determines to nurse it back to health. Meanwhile, she falls in love with Allie, one of the first friends she makes after moving to Edinburgh.
In an interview with a contributor to the Almost Amazing Grace website, Cameron explained what inspired her to write Out of the Blue. She stated: “The idea actually came from a Lynx deodorant advert that was on about eight years ago. It shows beautiful female models falling to earth because some guy smells good… so it’s ridiculous, and a bit sexist, but it got me thinking about how people would react if something like that were actually to happen. I actually wrote it as a short story first, about a single mum in Barcelona who finds the only living angel, then a few years later I transported it to Edinburgh and rewrote it as a YA novel.” Cameron told a writer on the Fangirlish website: “Fallen angels have been covered in lots of books, and lots of them are brilliant, but I think Out of the Blue is a little different—the feel of the story is more contemporary than fantasy, and the focus is more on how their presense affects the main characters rather than on the angels (or ‘Beings’, as they’re called in the book) themselves.”
Critics offered favorable assessments of Out of the Blue. Writing in Booklist, Qurratulayn Muhammad described the book as “ethereal, striking, and lovely.” Muhammad also stated: “This artful, thought-provoking novel is perfect for philosophical teens.” “Expert pacing is complemented by well-rounded character development,” asserted a Kirkus Reviews contributor. The same contributor concluded: “A strong infusion of magic and wonder distinguish this debut novel.” A reviewer in Publishers Weekly remarked: “Jaya is a vividly sketched, relatable character whose brave decisions encourage readers to embrace life.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, March 15, 2018, Qurratulayn Muhammad, review of Out of the Blue, p. 71.
Kirkus Reviews, March 15, 2018, review of Out of the Blue.
Publishers Weekly, March 12, 2018, review of Out of the Blue, p. 62.
ONLINE
Almost Amazing Grace, http://www.almostamazinggrace.co.uk/ (March 23, 2018), author interview.
Books, the Art and Me, https://thebookstheartandme.wordpress.com/ (April 5, 2018), author interview.
Fangirlish, http://fangirlish.com/ (May 2, 2018), author interview.
Sophie Cameron website, https://www.sophie-cameron.com/ (July 24, 2018).
I grew up in the Black Isle in the Highlands of Scotland. I spent around ten years in Edinburgh, did a few stints in Canada, Germany and France, and am now living in Barcelona.
My all-time favourite books include Phillip Pullman’s His Dark Materials, Naive. Super by Erlend Loe, A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki, How to be Both by Ali Smith, The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon, The Book of Strange New Things by Michel Faber, The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende, and More Than This by Patrick Ness.
When I’m not reading or writing, I’m usually studying foreign languages or watching inordinate amounts of TV. Other stuff I like includes: cats, tea, Duolingo, cats, Eurovision, Céline Dion, taiyaki, postcards, Catalan pop music, sudoku, empanadas, cheese.
I'm currently working on my second book, which will be published by Macmillan Children's Books in 2019.
Author Interview: Sophie Cameron (Out of the Blue)
POSTED ON APRIL 5, 2018 BY JENNY
I loved Sophie Cameron’s debut Out of the Blue, which explores grief and loss through magical realism, as well as featuring a beautifully-told love story. I was delighted to get the opportunity to interview Sophie Cameron and ask her about her writing process and LGBTQ+ representation in YA.
Sophie CameronOut of the Blue 9781509853168.jpg
Jenny Duffy: The title Out of the Blue fits the book so well – in terms of grief, the suddenness of the Beings’ falls. Did you have this title all along, or did it come later in the process?
Sophie Cameron: I actually had a really hard time finding a title! I tried out lots (including some really cheesy ones) but nothing really fit. I was thinking about it on my walk to work one morning when I spotted a sticker for a community/arts centre in Edinburgh called Out of the Blue – I figured that worked pretty well, and it stuck!
JD: Which part of the story came first – the magical elements, the characters or the themes?
SC: The idea of the angels falling to earth came first (from a Lynx Deodorant advert, randomly enough) and then the characters. I never really think about the themes I want to include in a book at first; I try to focus on the characters and the story and let them arise naturally, then work on bringing the themes out later.
JD: I loved the scene in which Teacake is shown paintings of angels, were there particular images you used for reference when imagining the Beings?
SC: Their colouring was inspired by street artists in Barcelona: I used to walk past golden and silver angels every day on my way to work, which gave me the idea of making them different metallic colours. Otherwise I just invisioned them as looking like people with wings, but all the paintings mentioned in the book are based on real works of art. It was really fun to research!
JD: What are some of your favourite LGBTQ+ YA books?
SC: More Than This by Patrick Ness, You Know Me Well by Nina LaCour and David Levithan, History is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera, We Are Okay by Nina LaCour, Girlhood by Cat Clarke, Noah Can’t Even by Simon James Green, It’s Not Like It’s a Secret by Misa Sugiura, The Summer of Jordi Perez by Amy Spalding… and I’m really looking forward to Anger is a Gift by Mark Oshiro, Running With Lions by Julian Winters and Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me by Mariko Tamaki and Rosemary Valero-O’Connell, which are all out this year.
JD: In the book Jaya says ‘There were all those words – labels that we didn’t need, but that wrapped themselves around us, suffocating whatever it was that we had.’ What are you own feelings on labels? Do you see them as helpful or damaging, or both?
SC: I think they can be restrictive for some, but empowering for others. Finding the right label was important for me when I was younger as it helped me work out who I was, but I don’t find them quite so important (for myself) now, and I know some people who have never wanted or needed them – either position is totally valid, so I think it’s good to show characters who both do and don’t identify with labels in books.
JD: Different characters in Out of the Blue have very different responses to their sexuality, in terms of acceptance and coming out. Were you very conscious of the importance of showing a range of experiences?
SC: Actually, not really… it just happened naturally as it fit the story. Obviously different people will have hugely different experiences with regards to coming out or being accepted for their sexuality, and if books reflect that then that’s great. But I don’t think authors should necessarily feel they have to show that variety, either. It can be too much to fit into one story, for one thing, and I also think we need more stories with LGBTQ+ characters that don’t touch on issues at all.
JD: The relationship between Jaya and Allie has a beautifully slow build – what do you think is the most important ingredient in writing a romance?
SC: For me, I think it’s that the characters’ relationship feels quite balanced and that they both have their own arcs outside of the other person – my favourite romance in YA is The Sun is Also a Star, where both characters have their own storylines that become intertwined. Romance isn’t usually the main draw to a book for me, though, so it may be totally different for other readers!
JD: What would you like to see more of in YA?
SC: I think the most pressing issue in YA is a lack of books by authors of colour – there are only a handful published in the UK every year, so I want to see many more of those and lots of support for those that are published. I’d also like to see more diversity in general, and more stories that are focused on friendship or sibling relationships.
JD: What’s next for you writing wise?
SC: I’ve just finished the second draft of my second book, which will be out in 2019. I’m having a wee break to catch up on reading and then I’ll get started on what will hopefully be Book 3!
JD: Finally, a piece of writing advice you would pass on?
SC: The author Kirsty Logan mentioned in a talk a few years ago that she aims to write just 100 words a day, so I tried that and it worked really well for me: it’s short enough as a goal that even if I’m feeling totally uninspired (or lazy) I can usually manage a few sentences, and quite often I end up writing way more than I’d intended anyway.
QUOTED: "The idea actually came from a Lynx deodorant advert that was on about eight years ago. It shows beautiful female models falling to earth because some guy smells good... so it’s ridiculous, and a bit sexist, but it got me thinking about how people would react if something like that were actually to happen. I actually wrote it as a short story first, about a single mum in Barcelona who finds the only living angel, then a few years later I transported it to Edinburgh and rewrote it as a YA novel."
FRIDAY, 23 MARCH 2018
A FEMINIST FICTION Q&A WITH SOPHIE CAMERON - AUTHOR OF 'OUT OF THE BLUE'!
My latest YA read was Sophie Cameron's astonishing debut, 'Out of the Blue'!
I was lucky enough to be sent a proof before publication (but of course that in no way affects my review!) and when I was given the opportunity to interview Sophie via email about her wonderfully unusual, gripping and feminist novel, I couldn't say no!
Ten days after Jaya Mackenzie’s mum dies, angels start falling from the sky. Smashing down to earth at extraordinary speeds, wings bent, faces contorted, not a single one has survived.
Hysteria mounting with every Being that drops, Jaya’s father uproots the family to Edinburgh intent on catching one alive. But Jaya can’t stand this obsession and, struggling to make sense of her mother’s sudden death and her own role on that fateful day, she’s determined to stay out of it.
When her best friend disappears and her father’s mania spirals, things hit rock bottom and it’s at that moment something extraordinary happens: An angel lands right at Jaya’s feet, and it’s alive. Finally she is forced to acknowledge just how significant these celestial beings are.
Set against the backdrop of the frenzied Edinburgh festival, OUT OF THE BLUE tackles questions of grief and guilt and fear over who we really are. But it’s also about love and acceptance and finding your place in this world as angels drop out of another.
(synopsis via Goodreads)
This magical yet totally real story had me hooked from the first chapter; I greedily gobbled up 100 pages during my flight to Berlin last week, and if I hadn't then had a fabulous mini break in that excellent city, and then been hosting my very best friend in the UK for 5 days after, I'd definitely have finished it in less than 24 hours. It was addictive, fascinating and just different.
I say 'different' partly because the story features Beings (angels, some may argue) falling from the sky and crash landing on Earth, within weeks of each other, most of them dying on impact and massively alarming we human types, as you can imagine - but I also say 'different' because the characters are totally 3D and diverse af. Jaya, our protagonist, had a Sri Lankan mother and a Scottish father (another different thing - this contemporary YA book is set in Scotland! Not London or Brighton or Reading or Brum!? Madness), and she is gay. Also, spoiler alert, she gets a major crush on a bisexual young woman with a chronic illness (not the latter's cute but cranky twin brother, the route many other YA stories may have gone with). AND the MC and her sister Rani are very much supporting themselves in their unusual family of three, following their mother's untimely death just 10 days before the first Being fell. Yeah, so the differences and diversities in this book are quite brilliant.
Also, as a lot of my bookish readers will know, I tend to struggle with the fantasy genre. I am forever losing track of characters and plot lines while reading stories set in other worlds and other times - it frustrates me beyond belief. Having said that, this story held me tight and I breezed right through. The magical realism was believable and didn't push its limits; the contemporary side was excellent, current pop culture references aplenty and every character used a mobile phone more than once! I was also taken in completely by the very convincing behaviour of the planet's population when this strange magic began to happen; apocalypse panic reigned, looters ran wild, families clung together...obsessive theorists (known as 'Wingdings') came out to gawp, and powerful cults formed. Yep, 100% believable.
***
How on earth (haha!) did you come up with the idea and then a plot for this novel!?
The idea actually came from a Lynx deodorant advert that was on about eight years ago. It shows beautiful female models falling to earth because some guy smells good... so it’s ridiculous, and a bit sexist, but it got me thinking about how people would react if something like that were actually to happen. I actually wrote it as a short story first, about a single mum in Barcelona who finds the only living angel, then a few years later I transported it to Edinburgh and rewrote it as a YA novel.
I have decided I'm very Shona. (I force powerful stones etc. on friends of mine, a LOT) Is she inspired by anyone - and do you believe in crystal magic?
I love that question! I really like Shona, she was a fun character to write. She’s a bit of an amalgamation of a few different people I know, but not one person in particular. I’ve never actually tried crystal magic myself, but I’d give it a go!
Define 'Feminist Fiction'. And what's it like to write?
I think feminist fiction can range from stories that discuss feminism and gender inequality overtly to those where female characters are complex and have agency and aspects of their lives that aren’t all about men. Quite often female characters written by men only really exist as wives, mothers, daughters, etc – their only storylines are about how they relate to the men in their lives. (That’s of course not to say that, for example, an m/f romance can’t be feminist – I really enjoyed Keris Stainton’s If You Could See Me Now, and that’s definitely a feminist book.) As Out of the Blue is f/f and has mostly female main characters, I think it fits into the latter category, but I still need to watch out for my own unconscious biases – it’s so easy to always have the mum doing all the cooking, say, or the dad always driving.
Jaya is not just an awesome female protagonist, she is also of Sri Lankan background, and is gay. This is great! I find still annoyingly rare to have such minorities present in modern day UKYA. How do you feel about diversity and representation in this genre?
In some ways, it’s gotten better – there are certainly far more gay and bisexual characters than there were when I was a teenager (though trans and non-binary representation is still lacking, amongst other identities) and the types of stories they feature in is wider. There’s less “Bury Your Gays” going on than there used to be! But most of those characters (and their authors, myself included) are white, middle-class and able-bodied, so there’s still a long, long way to go. UKYA is also really lacking stories by BAME authors across the board, as are most areas of publishing. There have been some brilliant releases recently – such as I Am Thunder by Muhammad Khan, Indigo Donut by Patrice Lawrence and Stripes Publishing’s A Change is Gonna Come anthology – but there are still only a handful ever year, and that’s shocking. I think things are slowly moving in the right direction, but we really need more marginalised people working in publishing and better support for authors of colour and their books.
Can you recommend any other feminist fiction books - or any that also have ethnic minority/LGBTQ protagonists?
It’s a very obvious choice but I’d recommend The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood to anyone who hasn’t read it. Some favourites by authors of colour are Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi, The Vegetarian by Han Kang and Marriage of a Thousand Lies by SJ Sindu (which features a Sri Lankan-American lesbian MC). I also loved The Power by Naomi Alderman and My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante, and in YA I’d recommend Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson, The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu and anything by Holly Bourne or Louise O’Neill.
What's your writing process like?
It’s a bit all over the place! I usually write the first chapter in full, then I’ll skip ahead and write little bits or paragraphs of all the others as they come to me, then go about fleshing them out in totally non-chronological order. I find the blank page very intimidating, so if I know I have even one line of a chapter down it helps. I have no idea how people ever wrote books by hand or on typewriters, I’d never manage it.
***
Thank you so much to the wonderful Sophie Cameron and of course to the brilliant Nina Douglas for setting this lovely interview up. The blog tour will be continuing for a while yet - see all the stops below!
I really do recommend you all read 'Out of the Blue' ASAP; it came out officially yesterday, so I expect any bookshop worth its salt will have it in stock - or have given it its own table, maybe...
Find it at Waterstones, or on Amazon, or The Book Depository.
And as always, for the best book prices and FREE UK delivery on anything you add to your basket, check out A Great Read!
Want to follow my reviews or become bookish friends online?
Find me on Goodreads!
QUOTED: "Fallen angels have been covered in lots of books, and lots of them are brilliant, but I think Out of the Blue is a little different—the feel of the story is more contemporary than fantasy, and the focus is more on how their presense affects the main characters rather than on the angels (or 'Beings', as they’re called in the book) themselves."
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: AUTHOR SOPHIE CAMERON
Posted on May 2, 2018 By Erin
We love a good book. We love a good book from a debut author. Debut author Sophie Cameron’s book, Out of the Blue gives us a little bit of everything – angels, metallic, gender-neutral Beings — are inexplicably falling from the sky. Count us in.
The official synopsis had us even more intrigued –
When otherworldly beings start falling from the sky, it seems like the end of days are near―but for one girl, it’s just the beginning of an adventure that will change her life.
Jaya’s life has completely fallen apart. Her mother is dead, her dad is on an obsessive wild goose chase, and mysterious winged beings are falling from the sky. For the past nine months, none of the them have survived the plummet to Earth, but when a female being lands near Jaya―and is still alive―she doesn’t call the authorities. She hides the being and tries to nurse her back to health.
Set against the backdrop of a society trying to come to grips with the possibility of a world beyond, Out of the Blue is the story of how one unexpected turn of events can put you on a path toward healing.
Sophie Cameron’s debut novel is absolutely beautiful (review to come closer to publishing date) and unique. We sat down and spoke with her about her book and writing. Read the interview below and be sure to pick up Out of the Blue, May 15th!
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
I’m a YA author from the Highlands of Scotland, but I now live in Spain. I’ve wanted to be a writer since I was around six and – after a ton of failed attempts – wrote my first novel Out of the Blue a few years ago. (I still can’t really believe it’s actually a real book!) Apart from reading and writing, I love learning foreign languages and watching way too much TV.
Why write YA? Was there a particular thing about the genre that interested you the most?
I think my main reason for writing YA is because I didn’t see many LGBTQ+ characters in books when I was younger, and so I’d like to provide a small piece of that for young readers now. I feel lucky to be writing at a time when that’s possible. I’ve also been inspired by lots of the current YA writers who are creating amazing work – Patrick Ness, Angie Thomas, Adam Silvera, Jason Reynolds, and many more.
Tell us a little about Out of The Blue. Why should readers pick up the book over other books?
Fallen angels have been covered in lots of books, and lots of them are brilliant, but I think Out of the Blue is a little different – the feel of the story is more contemporary than fantasy, and the focus is more on how their presense affects the main characters rather than on the angels (or ‘Beings’, as they’re called in the book) themselves.
You have lived in a lot of different countries – what has been your biggest lesson from being exposed to so many cultures?
I think being exposed to different languages has made me appreciate that people all view the world through different lenses – even the words we use shape our viewpoint to some degree – and that what seems true or obvious for me may not be so to someone else. It’s defintely helped me see things from other people’s perspectives, or at least be conscious that I should always try to do so.
What inspired Out of the Blue?
I initially got the idea from a Lynx Deodorant commercial, which shows angels crash-landing to earth in a small Italian town. It’s a pretty ridiculous advert, but the images were quite striking and got me wondering how people would really react if something like that were to happen. I initially wrote it as a short story, then came back to it a few years later and expanded it into a YA novel, weaving in some of the themes that interest me most.
What is the most important thing you hope that people take from Out of the Blue?
Maybe the importance of communication – there are lots of situations in the book that could be resolved if only the characters had communicated better and been honest with each other. I also wanted to show that it’s okay not to have the answers or to be unsure about things. Jaya doesn’t know what she believes about the afterlife or where the Beings are coming from, for example, and she doesn’t come to a conclusion.
Your book doesn’t fall to the typical tropes. How hard was it to reinvent them?
To be honest, I didn’t think about it much! I just wrote the story as it came to me and as I wanted to write it; I was very familiar with YA as I’d read lots of it over the past few years, but I didn’t worry about tropes or what had already been published. I think it helped that I didn’t think about what genre the book was or where it would fit in the market – Out of the Blue straddles contemporary and fantasy, so it’s not always easy to categorise. But at that stage I didn’t think about getting it published at all, I just wanted to finish it!
What do you fangirl over?
Lots of writers, naturally – I’m a huge fan of Patrick Ness, Phillip Pullman and Ruth Ozeki, amongst many others. Also Céline Dion and lots of RuPaul’s Drag Race queens.
QUOTED: "ethereal, striking, and lovely."
"This artful, thought-provoking novel is perfect for philosophical teens."
Print Marked Items
Out of the Blue
Qurratulayn Muhammad
Booklist.
114.14 (Mar. 15, 2018): p71.
COPYRIGHT 2018 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist/
Full Text:
Out of the Blue.
By Sophie Cameron.
May 2018. 272p. Roaring Brook, $17.99 (9781250149916). Gr. 9-12.
There is something ethereal, striking, and lovely about Cameron's debut, which mirrors the angels that are falling from the sky in 16-year-old
Jaya Mackenzie's world. Having recently lost her mother, Jaya is too distracted by her grief to be caught up in the worldwide frenzy over the
angels. So when her father moves the whole family to Edinburgh in hopes of catching one of the winged beings, Jaya is less than thrilled. But the
last thing Jaya expects is to actually find one. With tight pacing, Cameron's novel is filled with lyrical writing that brings Edinburgh to life, as
well as complex characters, a sweet LGBT romance, and some refreshingly well-done disability representation. Though the presence of angels
begs the question of an afterlife, Cameron imbues her novel with much more than that, exploring how a society would react if mysterious,
otherworldly beings began falling from the sky--everything from mere curiosity to dangerous, dogmatic devotion. This artful, thought-provoking
novel is perfect for philosophical teens.--Qurratulayn Muhammad
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
Muhammad, Qurratulayn. "Out of the Blue." Booklist, 15 Mar. 2018, p. 71. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A533094594/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=b62719e8. Accessed 15 July 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A533094594
QUOTED: "Expert pacing is complemented by well-rounded character development."
"A strong infusion of magic and wonder distinguish this debut novel."
Cameron, Sophie: OUT OF THE BLUE
Kirkus Reviews.
(Mar. 15, 2018):
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Cameron, Sophie OUT OF THE BLUE Roaring Brook (Young Adult Fiction) $17.99 5, 15 ISBN: 978-1-250-14991-6
When angelic Beings inexplicably start plummeting to Earth, humans everywhere read meaning into these events.
While religious cults form in the wake of the Beings' arrival, those dubbed "Wingdings" join ranks online to share sightings, auction off wing
feathers, and plot how to capture one alive and reap a reward. Jaya Mackenzie, a 17-year-old from rural Scotland, is grieving the recent death of
her Sri Lankan-British mother and worrying about her father, a white Scottish man consumed by Being mania. Believing the next colorful,
metallic, gender-neutral angel will fall in Edinburgh, he quits his job and takes Jaya and her younger sister, Rani, to live in a run-down student flat
in the city. After meeting local twins Allie and Calum, who are protesting the commodification and exploitation of the Beings, Jaya falls hard for
Allie while also missing her girlfriend, who has been incommunicado since her mother whisked her out of town. She also needs to decide
whether she can trust the twins--not to mention her own family--when she happens upon the first Being to survive a crash landing on Earth.
Touches of humor (Jaya names "her" Being Teacake due to her sweet tooth) lighten the story, and the expert pacing is complemented by wellrounded
character development.
A strong infusion of magic and wonder distinguish this debut novel. (Magical realism. 12-18)
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Cameron, Sophie: OUT OF THE BLUE." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Mar. 2018. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A530650833/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=289b2726. Accessed 15 July 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A530650833
QUOTED: "Jaya is a vividly sketched, relatable character whose brave decisions
encourage readers to embrace life."
Out of the Blue
Publishers Weekly.
265.11 (Mar. 12, 2018): p62.
COPYRIGHT 2018 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
Out of the Blue
Sophie Cameron. Roaring Brook, $17.99
(272p) ISBN 978-1-250-14991-6
Eight months ago, angellike creatures known as "Beings" started plummeting to Earth and dying on impact. Nobody knows where the Beings are
from or why they are crashing, but grieving widower Michael Mackenzie is determined to catch one mid-fall so that he can get some answers.
Michael is convinced the next arrival will happen in Edinburgh, so he and his daughters, 16-year-old Jaya and 11-year-old Rani, move there for
the summer. Jaya is out for a walk when a Being lands nearby--injured, but alive. Rather than tell her dad and risk the Being's exploitation, Jaya
and her new friends, Allie and Calum, decide to help it heal and send it home. Equal parts humorous fish-out-of-water story and poignant comingof-age
tale, this fantasy-tinged debut from Scottish author Cameron examines questions of faith, agency, morality, and mortality. Mourning her
mother, neglected by her father, and rejected by her first-ever girlfriend, Jaya is a vividly sketched, relatable character whose brave decisions
encourage readers to embrace life and be true to themselves. Ages 14-up. Agent: Hellie Ogden, Janklow & Nesbit. (May)
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Out of the Blue." Publishers Weekly, 12 Mar. 2018, p. 62. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A531285176/ITOF?
u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=89a9d59b. Accessed 15 July 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A531285176