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Cover of Indigo

Indigo

99 pages

A tender, restless journey of misfit friends seeking the ocean and discovering where they truly belong.

What it feels like

Reading this book feels like a wistful, tender exploration of adolescent growing pains and the deep ache for a place to belong. The narrative moves at a steady, purposeful pace, mirroring the restless energy of its young protagonists as they seek an escape from grief, awkwardness, and the confines of their hometown. The mood is steeped in a gentle melancholy that slowly gives way to hope, anchored by the profound bond of friendship between misfits. The prose is empathetic and grounded, capturing the physical and emotional discomfort of being thirteen. It will deeply resonate with readers who appreciate heartfelt juvenile fiction about chosen family, the longing for the ocean, and the unexpected ways we find our true home.

Mood
  • restless
  • tender
  • melancholic
  • aquatic
Tone
  • earnest
  • empathetic
  • wistful
  • hopeful
Pace
steady
Themes
grief and loss · adolescent awkwardness · chosen family · finding home · longing for escape
The writing
Gentle and empathetic, capturing the awkward, tender realities of growing up and feeling different.
The arc
Moves from adolescent grief and restless isolation toward a shared discovery of belonging and acceptance.
Who it's for
Readers who love heartfelt middle-grade journeys about misfit friends finding their place in the world.
Content notes
  • grief
  • loss of a parent
  • running away

About the book

13 year-old Martha Glimmer is convinced this is the worst time of her life. Her mother died, she grew 7 inches, and she has to put up with a woman who plys Martha's lonely father with food and opinions about how 13 year-old girls should behave. Martha longs to leave Oak Grove and travel. Martha's best friend Trevor and his brother Eli also want to leave Oak Grove. Nicknamed Trout and Eel because of the thin webbing between their fingers and toes, they long to see the ocean. Together, Martha, Trout, and Eel are going to find the true meaning of home -- in very unexpected places.

Description from Open Library.

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