A Different Blue by Amy Harmon

I absolutely adored this book. I started this book last night and had trouble falling asleep so I read and read until much too late and then I continued reading it this afternoon once I got home and finished it. I feel in love with the main character, Blue.  I connected with her and empathized with her through all of her struggles and triumphs throughout the book. Before I get too far ahead of myself, here is the description from Goodreads.

"Blue Echohawk doesn't know who she is. She doesn't know her real name or when she was born. Abandoned at two and raised by a drifter, she didn't attend school until she was ten years old. At nineteen, when most kids her age are attending college or moving on with life, she is just a senior in high school. With no mother, no father, no faith, and no future, Blue Echohawk is a difficult student, to say the least. Tough, hard and overtly sexy, she is the complete opposite of the young British teacher who decides he is up for the challenge, and takes the troublemaker under his wing. 

This is the story of a nobody who becomes somebody. It is the story of an unlikely friendship, where hope fosters healing and redemption becomes love. But falling in love can be hard when you don't know who you are. Falling in love with someone who knows exactly who they are and exactly why they can't love you back might be impossible."

This description is absolutely perfect for the feeling of the entire book.  Blue is Native American and spends most of her childhood living with a Native American man who becomes a father figure for her since she didn't know her mother or father.  He dies unexpectedly in her early teens and she lives with his sister.  I mention the Native American aspect because Amy Harmon incorporated some really nice stories that were old Native American tales or legends passed down through generations that really added to the whole book. 

In any case, Blue meets Wilson when he teaches her during her senior year of high school. For a minute, you almost think it's going to be one of those ridiculous stories about the girl who ends up sneaking around with her teacher and they almost "get caught" multiple times and finally, she graduates and they can be together.  However, this book isn't like that AT ALL.  The friendship between Wilson and Blue is sweet, and is simply that through her entire senior year.  He tries to guide her and nurture her in a really wonderful way. The story really picks up after she graduates from high school and the relationship continues and changes and grows.  

This story threw several things at me that I wasn't expecting and I really loved that about it.  I was constantly surprised and it kept me guessing.  I was never overly frustrated with the characters stupidity during situations like I have been in other books in this similar genre.  I felt that it was a nice breath of fresh air and I'm almost sad it had to end.