Passion Blue

Nov 06, 2012 Alexa rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, young-adult, requested, 2012-reads

My review can also be found on my blog Collections.

4.5 stars

Historical fiction usually isn't a genre I seek out to read, but after finding out that Megan Whalen Turner, the author of The Queen's Thief fantasy series, praised it as a "lovely read," I knew I had to give Passion Blue a chance. I'm so glad I did because it was such a beautiful and vivid story.

Passion Blue centered around a young woman named Giulia, who desperately wanted a family of her own so that she could be cherished and loved....more
My review can also be found on my blog Collections.

4.5 stars

Historical fiction usually isn't a genre I seek out to read, but after finding out that Megan Whalen Turner, the author of The Queen's Thief fantasy series, praised it as a "lovely read," I knew I had to give Passion Blue a chance. I'm so glad I did because it was such a beautiful and vivid story.

Passion Blue centered around a young woman named Giulia, who desperately wanted a family of her own so that she could be cherished and loved. It was easy to root for Giulia. She was a wonderful character and very relatable. Who wouldn't want to be loved? And why would you deny anyone that? After she was forced to go to Santa Marta to become a nun, I loved that she didn't lose hope and did whatever she could to reach her dream. Her bravery and determination were inspiring. She wasn't perfect, though. She made naive decisions, but I really appreciate characters who are strong enough to own up to their choices and admit when they are wrong. It was great seeing her learn from her mistakes and grow tremendously as a person.

I also loved how passionate Giulia was about both having a family and creating artwork. I'm glad she didn't focus completely on one of those things. In the beginning I was all for Giulia finding love. I felt she deserved that kind of happiness because she had been alone for a long time. Plus, I love romance. It's what I always want in the books I read. But as the story progressed, I began to realize how much she deeply loved drawing and painting. Seeing as this book was set hundreds of years ago in Italy, and having an idea of what was expected of women back then, I knew she wouldn't be able to seriously continue doing artwork if she left the convent. Still, I couldn't help but hope that somehow Giulia would be able to have both things in her life.

That's another thing I liked about this book. Giulia may have wanted a family and she may have wanted to paint, but in the end, she couldn't have both. She had to sacrifice one thing in order to gain the other. It was a hard choice, but it made the story much more realistic. It probably doesn't seem like it would result in a happy ending, but I truly believe the choice Giulia made at the end is what will bring her the most joy in her life. I was in complete support of the path she chose.

Passion Blue was a vibrant story about yearning and sacrifice and discovering what is the heart's true desire. It was a very satisfying read. I think readers who love a passionate and determined heroine and who appreciate realistic stories with a touch of fantasy in a historical setting will greatly enjoy Passion Blue.(less)

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Apr 02, 2013 Carol rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, historical, italian, young-adult

Giulia is the illegitimate daughter of an Italian nobleman during the Renaissance. Her father has kept her in his house (against his wife's wishes) as a seamstress but when he dies, his wife takes Giulia's dowry and pays it over to a nunnery, forcing Giulia to be a novice. Giulia doesn't want to be a nun and immediately begins plotting how to leave Santa Marta. But when she arrives, she finds that life in the convent isn't quite as she expected it. She makes friends her own age for the first tim...more

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Feb 25, 2013 Melissa Lemon rated it 5 of 5 stars

I Want to Be a Painter. I Want to Be a Nun.

And in short, any book that can do THAT, gets 5 stars.

"This is the great secret of color, child. Inside every color, other colors live. Thus we can create green from yellow and blue, or paint a purple robe by laying blue over a red ground. That's why a poppy is not simply red, it is yellow red, and an olive leaf is not merely green, it is gray green. There is no color for which this isn't so."

This book was a once in a lifetime read for me. (Except it al...more

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Feb 12, 2013 Maureen E rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, historical, fantasy

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Review originally posted here

[caption id="attachment_3399" align="alignleft" width="200"]

Image from Victoria Strauss's website[/caption]Passion Blue is one of those books that I heard about from several sources (Book Smugglers and Charlotte) and put on hold. And then it was several months later and I had forgotten all about it until it came in. At that point, I didn't remember anything about it, but when I looked at the blurbs on the back cover, I saw ones from Robin McKinley, Jane Yolen, and...more

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Jan 31, 2013 Mary rated it 5 of 5 stars

Here is a strikingly original book. In "Passion Blue", a teenage girl treated with great cruelty by her stepmother makes the sort of emotion-driven decision a young girl might well make, and nuns emerge as real women with varied skills. How refreshing! In renaissance Italy, Giulia wants nothing more than to paint, but she also longs for a family and a place to belong. As the bastard daughter of a nobleman, she loses her home when her father dies. The 17-year-old is shipped, against her will, to...more

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Dec 30, 2012 K. Bird rated it 4 of 5 stars

Giulia is the illegitimate child of Count in Renaissance Italy...and her father just died. The Countess uses her husband's willed money for a dowry at the will's bequest, but not for a husband as Giulia hoped, but for a dowry for a convent.

Giulia is to become a nun instead of finally being able to have a husband and home-- a place-- of her own as has been her heart's desire her entire life.

Hoping to counter act this fate, she buys a talisman from a magician before arriving at the convent. The ma...more Giulia is the illegitimate child of Count in Renaissance Italy...and her father just died. The Countess uses her husband's willed money for a dowry at the will's bequest, but not for a husband as Giulia hoped, but for a dowry for a convent.

Giulia is to become a nun instead of finally being able to have a husband and home-- a place-- of her own as has been her heart's desire her entire life.

Hoping to counter act this fate, she buys a talisman from a magician before arriving at the convent. The magician promises it will bring her heart's desire.

Although Giulia knows her time at the convent is limited, she finds herself not constrained by rules and hard prayers and locked inside cells (at least not yet) but instead part of a vital world of colors, gesso, pigments, commissions, and painting.

In the midst of this world she finds a woman who is a master painter, only allowed to express her god-given gifts because she is a nun. Suor Humilita holds the secrets to Passion Blue, the most vital, richly colored blue Giulia has ever seen. It makes her hands burn to draw, to paint, to create art in the way the nuns under Humilta do.

But then there is a painter boy who may be the path the talisman has chosen to help her escape the convent....

Passion Blue's cover at first glance made me think this was a fantastical novel. While Giulia does believe in magic, the novel is so immersed in well-researched and vibrantly drawn details of convent life and art of that time as historical fiction that I think the cover might be leading readers astray.

This is a lovely, younger YA that keeps true to limitations of what women faced in Giulia's time while allowing Giulia to experience a more feministic life through the atmosphere of the convent. I think it was hard for me to give Giulia my whole heart as I couldn't identify with the choices she made in her narrow focus on finding a husband, but I do believe those were genuine choices.

This Book's Snack Rating: Zesty Ranch Kettle Chips for the complex seasoning of the rich details of Italian painting on the sturdy crunch of Giulia's believable character
(less)

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Dec 29, 2012 Phoebe rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Deborah, Karen, Cheryl

Shelves: historical, renaissance, ya

As the illegitimate daughter of one of the richest noblemen in Milan, Giulia knows she has been luckier than some; after the death of her seamstress mother, she was taken in by the cook and raised in the palace, under the protection of her father, not quite servant, but not nobility. When her father dies, his wife tells Giulia that she will be sent to the convent of Santa Marta. And Giulia decides to try and change her fate, although the scrap of horoscope she treasures says that marriage is not...more

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Dec 18, 2012 Leah rated it 4 of 5 stars

YA historical fiction with a bit of magic realism sprinkled in? I would have been there even if this book wasn't set in an area I'm currently researching myself - 16th century Italy, and in particular the sometimes contradictory roles that convents played in that society. Deeply religious nuns, girls who were forced to join convents and resented it, worldliness and asceticism side by side within the cloister, the paradoxical confinement and freedom that women found there... these are all explore...more

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Nov 29, 2012 Beth Fred rated it 3 of 5 stars

But the convent of Santa Marta is full of surprises. There are strict rules, long hours of work, and spiteful rivalries…but there’s also friendship, and the biggest surprise of all: a workshop of female artists who produce paintings of astonishing beauty, using a luminous blue mixed from a secret formula: Passion blue. Yet even as Giulia begins to learn the mysteries of the painter’s craft, the magic of the talisman is at work, and a forbidden romance beckons her down a path of uncertainty and d...more But the convent of Santa Marta is full of surprises. There are strict rules, long hours of work, and spiteful rivalries…but there’s also friendship, and the biggest surprise of all: a workshop of female artists who produce paintings of astonishing beauty, using a luminous blue mixed from a secret formula: Passion blue. Yet even as Giulia begins to learn the mysteries of the painter’s craft, the magic of the talisman is at work, and a forbidden romance beckons her down a path of uncertainty and danger. She is haunted by the sorcerer’s warning, and by a question: does she really know the true compass of her heart?"

Passion Blue is a well written ya historical with a rich setting. I think it did a good job of exploring the hardships of Renassiance Italy.

In the beginning of the story, Giulia annoyed me. She was so set on finding a husband, she wasn't open to anything else. And she wasn't really looking for love. She was looking for marriage. Then when she gets put in an artist's workshop at the convent, she continues looking for a husband even though she's fairly happy. She meets a guy and sparks a romance. And I got excited thinking I was getting a romance. The maestra(teacher) makes it clear if it weren't for this convent and her workshop Giulia wouldn't be able to paint.She doesn't see why Giulia should want anything other than painting. The boy can't understand why Giulia needs to paint. But the boy is a scoundrel. This is not a romance.

I don't want to give the ending away, but obviously Giulia doesn't get a boy. I'm okay with that, except that she spent her whole life wanting a family of her own. I don't feel like she got that, and while she accepts it, I don't. I wanted Giulia to have everything she wanted. I realize in life no one gets everything they want but a) this is fiction b) she didn't want much. A family of her own and to follow her dream. That's it.

While the scoundrel did not work out, I do think it could be spun that she did get a family. I originally said that this book could have used an epilogue, but I've recently learned there will be a sequel. Still it was well written with a strong story. 3 stars.(less)

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Nov 06, 2012 Frishawn Rasheed rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-2012, best-of-2012-list-pick, life-issues, favorites

All Giulia has ever wanted was a place to call her own, and someone to love her. Being a girl of dubious background, hated and cast aside by her stepmother; Giulia finds herself on a journey that will change the shape her destiny forever.
This story is the perfect blend of the religious, the magical, the art, and the passion that burns so bright in the heart of a young woman who is willing to do anything to find what she seeks.

There have been many stories written about male artists of the Renaiss...more

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Dec 28, 2012 Sharon rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction

Although I am well past this book's theoretical teenage target audience, I hated to put it down.

Like "Vivaldi's Virgins," "Passion Blue" is an entertaining, well-researched and thoughtful work of historical fiction that gives us a look at life for women in 16th C. Italy. Giulia, the protagonist, is the illegitimate daughter of a nobleman. Upon her father's death, his wife takes the money intended as Giulia's wedding dowry and buys her a position in a convent. Forced vocations were not at all unc...more

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Mar 23, 2013 Patrick rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I think the biggest problem with this book is that the author sets up a no-win scenario. Our main character can either give up all semblance of a "normal" life to stay in the convent where she can at least paint or she can give up painting to have a "normal" life with a guy we soon realize is a jerk. So when it gets to the end, neither option could really have been satisfying.

Which didn't bother me extremely much because she doesn't really deserve a happy ending. This is someone so dumb she spen...more

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Nov 13, 2012 Sylvia D rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoy books set in the Italian Renaissance; I think it's such a rich setting that can offer so much to its reader by way of vivid imagery, and Passion Blue most definitely delivers. I went in wanting to read about the sights, smells, sounds of Italian cities, but the setting was pretty stationary inside of a convent. However, the book delivered that feeling by way of painting, with all the colors and bringing to mind the beautiful paintings of the time period. So, it wasn't what I expec...more I really enjoy books set in the Italian Renaissance; I think it's such a rich setting that can offer so much to its reader by way of vivid imagery, and Passion Blue most definitely delivers. I went in wanting to read about the sights, smells, sounds of Italian cities, but the setting was pretty stationary inside of a convent. However, the book delivered that feeling by way of painting, with all the colors and bringing to mind the beautiful paintings of the time period. So, it wasn't what I expected, but it didn't disappoint at all.

One thing I especially appreciated about this book was how tight it was. There were many different themes throughout: self-reliance, the meaning of sacrifice, fate vs. free will, coming of age. All of which, I love to read about. And, with all these themes at play, they didn't feel crammed in together. Rather, they complemented and developed one another nicely. It's one of the things that, by the ending, makes you think, 'Ah, that wrapped up nicely.'

The writing itself was exceptional. One mark of great writing, I think, is when you forget that you are reading something. The mechanics of the writing makes itself invisible and there's no flaw that takes you out of the moment. Strauss' writing flows so well, and she weaves together action with reflection and theme-building seamlessly.

On the topic of flow and world-building, something unique about this book is the ambiguous presence of sorcery//magic. The protagonist puts her faith in astrology and a magical talisman to bring her her heart's desire, and it's never quite clear if there is magic present or it's just the protagonist's naivete. Her heart's desire would have come to her regardless of the talisman. When the protagonist interacts with it, the author is careful to put in phrases like, 'I thought something would happen (i.e. some indication of the 'spirit' inside the talisman), but nothing did.' To a discriminating reader of the 21st c., obviously it is easy to say there is no magic, but Strauss builds up the protagonists belief in the sorcery and astrology so well, and it affects the plot a bit, that it honestly makes it hard to tell whether the magic is real or not within the confines of the story. I quite like that.

If I had to offer criticism, is maybe that the plot and ending was a tiny bit predictable, but there were a few twists that I didn't see coming, so it's largely forgivable. Also, the trope of the bully character. I hate when an antagonist comes on the scene and five seconds later it's insta-hate. Also, I hate when the bully doesn't really add anything to the story aside from conflict-for-the-sake-of-conflict. I'm not entirely sure what this one added to the story or the plot, and she came across as trope-tastic. But, again, it didn't detract enough to make me want to stop reading.

Overall, lovely read. Glad I picked it up.(less)

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Feb 02, 2013 Patricia is currently reading it

"Be sure you know your true heart’s desire, or you may find yourself surprised by what you receive."

This is the warning the Astrologer-Sorcerer gives Giulia when she pays him to create a magical talisman for her. The scorned illegitimate daughter of a Milanese nobleman, Giulia is determined to defy the dire fate predicted by her horoscope, and use the talisman to claim what she believes is her heart’s desire: true love and a place where she belongs.

The convent of Santa Marta is full of surprises...more

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Dec 09, 2012 Kristina rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-egalley-for-review

I was very excited to be asked to be apart of the blog tour for Passion Blue. I loved the colors in the cover and the synopsis definitely appealed to my historian side. I love stories set during the Italian Renaissance, so I knew I would enjoy Passion Blue. Passion Blue was everything I expected and more.

The story focuses on Giulia, a young women whose has spent her life as a servant in the home of her father, who happens to be a Count. When he dies, the Counts wife forces her to go live as a nu...more

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Nov 06, 2012 A.c. Crispin rated it 5 of 5 stars

First, full disclosure: I am a close friend of Victoria Strauss's, and her partner in Writer Beware.

But I'm also a reader and editor, and I want everyone to know this book is a must-read. Passion Blue is a wonderful young adult novel book that will also be enjoyed by adults. It's a beautifully written historical fantasy. The setting of Renaissance Italy is meticulously rendered, the characters enthralling, and the style is a smooth-as-cream pleasure to read. Victoria Strauss has a real gift for...more

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Feb 28, 2013 Nadine rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2013, historical

Italien, spätes Mittelalter: Die junge Giulia wird nach dem Tod ihres Vaters zu ihrem Entsetzen von seiner Frau ins Kloster gesteckt. Sie plant zwar sofort ihre Flucht, muss aber schnell erkennen, dass das Leben im Kloster immerhin den einen Vorteil hat, dass sie die Chance hat, ihr Talent für die Malerei auszuleben. Ein Beruf, der Frauen in ihrer Zeit nicht offen steht. Aller Wahrscheinlichkeit zum Trotz lernt sie jedoch hinter den Klostermauern einen jungen Künstler kennen und verliebt sich, G...more

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Jan 25, 2013 Rondi Olson rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I'm a history buff.

Okay, that's an understatement. I am obsessed with history.

That is why I often cringe while reading historical fiction. Inaccuracies take me out of the story.

I didn't cringe while reading PASSION BLUE. Not once. Ms. Strauss has done an excellent job of researching not only her time period but the complex world of Renaissance art. She also resisted the temptation of giving her characters modern sensibilities. Bravo!

As others have stated, do not expect a traditional romance. The...more

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Jan 19, 2013 Cynthia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-read-in-2012

Twilight anti-matter

Passion Blue is an engaging story set in Renaissance Italy. Though the action is set in the famous art world of the era don’t’ expect a lot of in-depth information about that milieu though there are some enticing tidbits. The main character is a young girl (she’s 17) who’s just becoming a woman and learning to live on her own. She’s also falling in love. The love story is believable and reinforces the girl’s character and independence. Her coming of age is set in a convent wh...more

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Nov 23, 2012 Kim Baccellia rated it 5 of 5 stars

YA Books Central review:

http://www.yabookscentral.com/yaficti...

YABC interview with Victoria Strauss coming 11/30!

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Dec 15, 2012 Karin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: monastery, female-protagonist, no-dragons-or-spaceships

Passion Blue is a simply-told and beautiful story of Giulia, a teenage girl whose dreams of painting and having a place where she belongs seem to be mutually exclusive.

The book was skillfully written so that details seemed to pop out of the words and into my imagination as easily as the blue of passion blue pops of out of the paintings at the convent. At the same time, the writing did not get in the way of the story.

One of my favorite things thematically was the incorporation of magic, religion,...more

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Nov 17, 2012 Shannon rated it 4 of 5 stars

3.5, rounded up for the stars.

Liked:
Strauss masterfully handles the tricky skill of historical world-building. The world of Santa Marta and the painting workshop there feels so real. Because the reader learns about the workshop, the convent, and the process of painting along with Giulia, the expository paragraphs read a lot more like straight-forward plot than exposition.

The painters at Santa Marta are lovely characters with compelling backgrounds. They are the main reason why I rounded the s...more

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Aug 18, 2012 Windy rated it 5 of 5 stars

I received an advanced reader copy Passion Blue by Victoria Strauss through a giveaway on Goodreads.
In Passion Blue by Victoria Strauss, the reader follows Giulia, the illegitimate daughter of a recently deceased Milanese Count whose horoscope has predicted that she will not marry or bear any children. Giulia travels to a sorcerer in order to gain a talisman that she believes will bring her inner heart's desire and will allow her to escape the convent that her father's wife is sending her to. Pa...more

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Mar 08, 2013 Marc Bolda rated it 5 of 5 stars

Okay, aside from some brief, incomplete excursions into Harry Potter (and I much preferred the movies), this is the first YA book I have ever finished and boy am I glad that I did!

I will admit to beginning with a sense of trepidation (being a guy and given my usual fare of action/adventure, hard nosed thrillers, and sci-fi & fantasy) but that was soon dispelled by the sense of wonder at how quickly I was drawn into this stately and beautiful world that belongs to a past we can never truly k...more

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Nov 12, 2012 Andrea rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012

Is the future decided by free will or was it written in the stars at the moment of birth? And what does it truly mean to be free? In fifteenth century Milan, young Giulia Borromeo is determined to fight her fate, but will she break free from her predetermined life, or will she end up where she was always meant to be?

Passion Blue was a very enjoyable, thought-provoking story. The story is set in Milan, during the fifteenth century when being the daughter of a seamstress and a nobleman affords you...more Is the future decided by free will or was it written in the stars at the moment of birth? And what does it truly mean to be free? In fifteenth century Milan, young Giulia Borromeo is determined to fight her fate, but will she break free from her predetermined life, or will she end up where she was always meant to be?

Passion Blue was a very enjoyable, thought-provoking story. The story is set in Milan, during the fifteenth century when being the daughter of a seamstress and a nobleman affords you little more privilege than a commoner. When being a woman, even a smart, immensely talented one at that, means you are relegated to stay quiet, behind the scenes, and are never recognized for your gift.

"...she is a woman, and women are...well, they are women, they are fickle and full of emotion and caprice. Women don't have the temperament for the demands of painting, any more than they do for science or the law." (ARC, pg 228)

Giulia's life has been shadowed by the horoscope that was written from the stars, at the moment of her birth. A horoscope that says she will end her days childless and unmarried. It is a fate she is determined to overcome. When Giulia is sent, by her step-mother, to a Santa Marta's, she believes her chance is gone. That she will never be free. Giulia is determined to bide her time, and with the help of a talisman procured from a sorcerer, she will find the true love that will take her away to freedom. But she discovers a new way of living at the convent, full of art and passion for the craft, a way she never imagined. In the end, Giulia must decide between the life she's always dreamed of, and the fate that is waiting for her to embrace it.

Victoria Strauss paints a beautiful picture of Renaissance Italy. The descriptive passages made the story and its characters feel alive and will be a treat for fans of historical fiction. The detailed attention to the medium of painting and the passion for art in Passion Blue will appeal for those who have a special love for that particular art. And though much of the story is set in a nunnery, and deals with obedience and faith, the story never becomes preachy.

A story of fate, choice, and love beyond romance, Passion Blue is a story that will make you think and make you feel.(less)

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Nov 01, 2012 Tammy rated it 4 of 5 stars

I was entranced by this imaginative story set in Renaissance Italy that follows a young girl as she seeks her heart’s desire. Not only does this book focus on the fascinating subject of Renaissance painting, but it gives an intimate glimpse into the lives of women during the 1480’s and their place in the world. I studied art in college, so I devoured all the details of Giulia’s admittance into the secretive world of women painters during the Renaissance. I love it when books teach me new things,...more I was entranced by this imaginative story set in Renaissance Italy that follows a young girl as she seeks her heart’s desire. Not only does this book focus on the fascinating subject of Renaissance painting, but it gives an intimate glimpse into the lives of women during the 1480’s and their place in the world. I studied art in college, so I devoured all the details of Giulia’s admittance into the secretive world of women painters during the Renaissance. I love it when books teach me new things, and Passion Blue does that in spades. The beautiful writing and engaging characters and story make this a book that’s hard to put down until you’ve reached the end.

Giulia is sixteen when her stepmother decides to pack her off to the convent of Santa Marta, to spend the rest of her life in service to God. Despite the marriage dowry her father has left for her, Giulia’s dreams of marrying one day and having a home of her own are dashed when her stepmother ignores her father’s wishes and gives the dowry to the convent. She reluctantly begins her new life with strict rules, harsh discipline, and a bevy of mean girls with whom she must live and work. But Giulia wears a secret talisman that promises to lead her to her heart's desire. Given to her by a sorcerer, she believes the spirit trapped inside will be able to help her escape the convent some day.

But Giulia’s heart’s desire may not be what she thinks it is. After one of the nuns discovers a charcoal drawing among her possessions, Giulia is reassigned to the workshop where female artists are creating beautiful paintings. She is apprenticed to Suor Humilità, the convent’s master painter, and she begins to learn the craft of preparing canvases, mixing paints, and keeping the workshop neat and tidy, with the tempting possibility of becoming a painter herself someday.

Her new friends and the joy of spending her days with artists make convent life much easier, but fate intervenes and puts temptation in her path when she meets a visiting craftsman and unwisely falls for him. This sets off a chain of events that will cause Giulia to reevaluate what she really wants in life. The last third of the book is filled with nail-biting action that will leave the reader guessing which path Giulia will ultimately choose.

At the heart of it all is the mysterious paint known as Passion Blue, a deep, rich hue unlike any other, created by Humilità herself, the recipe of which is kept under lock and key and written in code so it can’t be stolen. I was fascinated by Giulia’s journey toward becoming a painter and the careful steps that are taken before one can actually pick up a paint brush. Strauss lovingly details the exhaustive process of how paint is made, the ingredients that went into paint at that time in history, and the preparations of the work surface before any paint could be applied. Even more fascinating is the role of women painters during the Renaissance. The artists in the convent workshop worked mostly in secrecy, as painting was a trade that only men were allowed to pursue. But the exquisite artistic talents of Humilità show Giulia that women have just as much aptitude as men, even if society doesn't give them the chance to explore their talents.

The themes in Passion Blue are perfect for the young adult crowd, and I encourage girls as young as twelve to read this book. Giulia’s development as a character is one of the best I’ve read. She begins as an innocent but self-absorbed girl who longs for a husband, but gradually learns about humility, sacrifice and atonement. She makes mistakes of the worst kind, but she is able to learn from those mistakes and accept the consequences. For young girls today who are raised to believe they can do anything, the plight of women during Renaissance times may be hard to relate to. But Giulia is a plucky and smart heroine, and by the end of the story, manages to rise above her station. Passion Blue sends a strong message to girls to strive for their dreams, despite the expectations of society. Filled with adventure, mystery, romance, hope and joy, this book should be on every teen's reading list.

Many thanks to the author for supplying a review copy.

This review originally appeared on Books, Bones & Buffy.(less)

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Jan 02, 2013 Millie Dixon rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: dnf

This review was originally posted over at Millie D's Words.

I was actually kind of excited for this book. I read the synopsis more than looked at the cover and thought it sounded interesting. Being that I love historical fiction (and having my Italian pride), this book was something that I wanted to read soon. It wasn't something that I'd normally read since it wasn't fantasy or some other paranormal type, but as my philosophy goes, I will attempt to read any book.

Giulia is the social Pariah amon...more This review was originally posted over at Millie D's Words.

I was actually kind of excited for this book. I read the synopsis more than looked at the cover and thought it sounded interesting. Being that I love historical fiction (and having my Italian pride), this book was something that I wanted to read soon. It wasn't something that I'd normally read since it wasn't fantasy or some other paranormal type, but as my philosophy goes, I will attempt to read any book.

Giulia is the social Pariah amongst her community. She is the illegitimate daughter of a nobleman and has to endure bullying and hard work as a servant in her own father's home. She aspires to be seen as something more than the illegitimate daughter and her fierce passion for drawing drives her forward. Immediately, readers who feel as if they don't belong are drawn into her character. Also, Giulia wants to marry--very badly. But since her horoscope told her she won't have one, there's almost an obsessive streak in her. However, this behavior is understandable for a girl of her time. Not getting married was unheard of unless you became a nun. Unfortunately, I didn't find her to be very interesting.

Sadly, things just kind of went down hill from there for me. The story got boring for me and I had put it down for a few weeks, hoping that I could pick it back up and resume reading it, but my interest for it was lost. And you know that when you get bored, you skip a few pages to see if things pick up? Well, yeah. I did that and also happened to spoil the rest of the book for myself and then the book was just completely ruined for me. Sure, I've spoiled the endings of books I've read before, but no matter how hard I tried to keep my attention on to the page, I couldn't do it. Reading became arduous for me, and that's not the reason why I read. I've read and loved contemporaries before, so I can't blame Passion Blue for the lack of action the reason why I didn't like it.

On the upside, the historical accuracy of this book was phenomenal. I've never seen so much attention to historical detail before in a book before. Strauss stayed very true to the general beliefs and culture of Renaissance Italy, and for that, I am grateful.

Another bone I have to pick with this book is that I am not a painter. I can't even draw clouds or flowers or stick figures, for that matter, without it looking like a kindergartner did it. And with that in mind, I never will be a painter. But in the book, Giulia names a whole bunch of these painter/art terms and I have no clue what they are or what they mean. While I was reading, I felt like I was supposed to know this stuff, but didn't, and that ticked me off a little bit. A little more description or down-play on painter terms might have helped me read a bit easier.

And here I will bring this review into full circle and discuss the cover. While I've read books with unremarkable covers, I've never seen one such as this one. I've never really had to complain about the covers of the book, but if this book were to even make a little bit more of a profit, I think that a revision of the cover is needed. I mean, the blue doesn't cover all of her hair and it's streaked across the cover model's face. I don't know what the cover was trying to achieve, but I think, and I'm trying to be as nice as I can be here, that it isn't very good.

Overall, I did not finish this book. I gave it one star because I did not find the book to be entertaining and I lost my interest quickly. I truly wish I could have given it a better review, but I can't. And I don't think that I will read this book in the future to give it another shot because it was just that monotonous and arduous. I'm not saying that others aren't going to like it, because I've read reviews from people who enjoyed this book, but Passion Blue was not the book for me.(less)

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Nov 15, 2012 Maria Martin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads in exchange for an honest review.

This book was very different than I expected but I still absolutely loved it! It's set at the end of the 15th century during the Italian Renaissance. Descriptions of the time, lack of women's rights, the prejudice against illegitimate children - are all important parts of history that still some-what ring true today. Main character, Giulia, is the illegitimate daughter of a nobleman and his mistress. Unw...more I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads in exchange for an honest review.

This book was very different than I expected but I still absolutely loved it! It's set at the end of the 15th century during the Italian Renaissance. Descriptions of the time, lack of women's rights, the prejudice against illegitimate children - are all important parts of history that still some-what ring true today. Main character, Giulia, is the illegitimate daughter of a nobleman and his mistress. Unwelcome with the nobles, and even more unwelcome with the servants, Guilia spends most of her time alone. She has two passions: drawing and learning about astrology. She has one desire: to marry and have children. Suddenly fate deals her a cruel blow and she is sent to a convent denied her desire and astrology but maybe can still pursue her art.

Giulia was a very real character in the sense that she was like many women all throughout history wanting more than society had for her. Because of her birth, because of gender she is able to do little. Once she's in the convent she is able to do even less. She fights tooth and nail to escape her fate. I loved the absolute strength of the women around her. Her mentor succeeds as a painter when painting is a man's work. Her art friends show they are determined by enduring the many years it takes before they can even begin to paint. Her novice mistress is judgmental, cruel, but also shows surprising fairness. Her handicapped friend endures cruel tortures and taunts because the convent is the best place for her to survive.

Giulia can't give up on her hearts desire despite being able to pursue her art. Love interest, Ormanno, is very gritty and street wise. Foundling, thief, liar, artist. He is everything to Giulia despite it all. Nothing was held back about this character. He was what he was and made no excuses about it.

The descriptions of the art, the detail in the buildings, paintings, and ingredients to make the paint itself were all very enlightening and fascinating to read about. The huge amount of work it takes artists to complete a project and the many years before they can be deemed worthy as an artist and hone their craft was staggering.

Surprising betrayals, known villains, and even more surprising acts of forgiveness paved the road of Giulia's journey. It was a wonderful read and I loved finding out what Giulia's heart desire was, all along. I am looking forward to reading future novels by author Victoria Strauss!(less)

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Oct 29, 2012 Rachel rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: bea2012

REAL RATING: 2.5 - It was okay.

Originally posted on hello, chelly.

***

The good: Almost immediately, I sympathized with Giulia. In a way she reminded me of heroines from classic fairytales. Evil stepmother (or in this case, her father's widow since she's illegitimate), raised in servitude despite her semi-noble blood and outcast the minute her father dies to a life she doesn't want. For Giulia, the last thing she wants to be thrown into a convent against her will. She wants to fall in love, get...more REAL RATING: 2.5 - It was okay.

Originally posted on hello, chelly.

***

The good: Almost immediately, I sympathized with Giulia. In a way she reminded me of heroines from classic fairytales. Evil stepmother (or in this case, her father's widow since she's illegitimate), raised in servitude despite her semi-noble blood and outcast the minute her father dies to a life she doesn't want. For Giulia, the last thing she wants to be thrown into a convent against her will. She wants to fall in love, get married and have children. But she doesn't have a choice.. or does she? At the convent, she finds that the image she had of nuns doesn't completely line up with the life she witnesses first-hand. Instead she finds comraderie, a chance to further her education and best of all, a chance to paint. All her life, she'd drawn sketches but it isn't until she becomes Suor Humilita's (the convent's maestra of the arts) apprentice that she realizes she could become more. She could become an artist, known throughout country and get actual commissioned work.

I enjoyed Giulia's journey of self-discovery. She thought she knew what she wanted but then this whole new path is presented to her. But it takes her a long time to let go of her pre-conceived notions and childhood dreams and open herself up to possibility. The whole book is this interesting tale of history, art, the few choices women had at that time (to be someone's wife if your family could afford it or become a nun and potentially pursue your true interests) and knowing your heart's desire.

(Some) reservations: I had some trouble connecting with the story. As much as I enjoyed the characters (Giulia and the nuns she befriends), something was missing. I wanted the story to delve deeper in each of the different characters, as individuals and the sisterhood they felt for each other. Why did they love to paint? Why was it so important to be a part of this workshop to create religious art for their city? We definitely get a glimpse but I didn't think it was enough. And Giulia spends so much time trying to get away, even "falling" for a boy hoping he'd provide her escape. I never really bought their romance so when certain secrets are revealed about him, I can't say I was surprised. I would have preferred if the choice between love and painting had been more compelling and difficult for her. But to me, I think it was always very clear.

Do I recommend?: I think if you're a lover of art and history, you'll find this book interesting. It was quick read but I didn't love the story as much as I was hoping to.(less)

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Feb 27, 2013 Kara rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was an interesting story and thankfully kept me wanting to read the whole time. It was fascinating to read about painting in the Italian Renaissance period and the part that nuns played in the forbidden world of female painters. The main character, Giulia, was equal parts compelling and irritating. At times she drove me so crazy that I really had to stop and focus in on the time period and her age to understand why she did the things she did. I wanted to love it, but it ended up just being...more

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