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Blue Aspen

by Tenaya Jayne (Goodreads Author)

3.46 of 5 stars 3.46 · rating details · 28 ratings · 15 reviews

When seventeen-year-old Dulcee Elders' mother embarks on a road trip from their home in California, Dulcee knows something odd is about to happen. Her suspicions are confirmed when they arrive at Uncle Jack's house outside of Durango, Colorado. Without another word, Dulcee's mother is gone, and Dulcee faces life with her reclusive and wealthy uncle in a looming rural mansi...more

Paperback, 389 pages

Published by Cold Fire Publishing LLC (first published September 2nd 2009)

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Apr 05, 2011 Phoebe rated it 3 of 5 stars

I wasn't sure how to rate this book, because I'm not even entirely sure how I felt about it. What drew me to it in the first place was the prologue I read on Amazon, but I think that chapter prevented me from fully trusting in Vincent. And then Dr. Verell gets thrown into the mix, and finally at the end... well, I'm not sure what, but in a bizarre, impossible to understand way, perhaps it worked out, and I almost liked it because Vincent seems, at long last, like something good. Like he was just...more

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May 22, 2010 Emily rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-books

I can say with 100% certainty that Blue Aspen is unlike anything I have read before. The story is unique; the characters are simultaneously fleshed out and mysterious; the solution to the puzzle at the end of the story is not one I saw coming.

There is a lot going on this book and it takes a little while to unpack and digest everything, so please bear with me if I board the bullet train to Tangentville.

Dulcee Elders has basically experienced one life catastrophe after another, and until she went...more I can say with 100% certainty that Blue Aspen is unlike anything I have read before. The story is unique; the characters are simultaneously fleshed out and mysterious; the solution to the puzzle at the end of the story is not one I saw coming.

There is a lot going on this book and it takes a little while to unpack and digest everything, so please bear with me if I board the bullet train to Tangentville.

Dulcee Elders has basically experienced one life catastrophe after another, and until she went live with her Uncle Jack, life was not all that exciting for fulfilling for her. After arriving at Uncle Jack's, however, seventeen years of misery screech to a halt as Dulcee is suddently confronted with what to her had to have been a paradise; a relative who cared about her (maybe even loved her in his own way,) a house with nooks and crannies and luxuries beyond compare, clothes, gifts, and the free time to basically do whatever she wanted.

It's not long, however, before all of these things seem superficial to Dulcee and her heart starts to long for what she really wants in life; a companion, a lover who understands her, and someone who loves only her. She wants to be someone's Joey Ramone, not their obligation or poor relative or bad life decision or burden. She wants to be loved unconditionally.

Enter Vincent Sands. He epitomizes everything that Dulcee wants; loving, giving, gorgeous, completely devoted. The trouble is, he's not a normal guy who just came up and knocked on the door one day. Instead, he only comes to her in her dreams; naturally, Dulcee wants to dream as much as possible to spend as much time with Vincent as possible.

This is where the problems start; a wise man (Albus Dumbledore) once said, "it does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live," and that thought kept running through my head as I observed Dulcee's descent into madness (or something.) Life is good for Dulcee and Vincent until reality (her uncle coming home from a long trip) sets in. From there, Dulcee does indeed have trouble maintaining her grip on reality; but then, why would she want to grip reality when her dream world is so much better?

The question posed by the book is this: how far would you go to be happy? If you tasted paradise, what would you do to keep it? For Dulcee, the answers to these questions come easily; after years of quiet desperation, moving on to something unknown doesn't seem like such a sacrifice to her. Other people around her are not quite so willing to accept this, though, and Dulcee finds herself in quite a predicament as a result of that.

Easily my favorite thing about this book is the setting, particularly in the descriptions of the house and of Dulcee's dream world. At first I was confused, trying to keep everything straight, but then I realized, the house could be imagined any way I wanted; take a grand mansion and make it grander, take a paradise and make it richer. Same with the dream world. Think of the most beautiful place, and then make it....better. The descriptions of the setting are unique because they really facilitate the reader filling in the gaps with imagination, as opposed to lots and lots of weighty description. The worldbuilding was very minimal but it worked, which is not something I say very often.

If I have one complaint about the book, it's that there are some plot elements that are never really resolved. What's up with Dulcee's mom? Does she ever come back (even for nefarious reasons?) What about Uncle Jack? What happened with him? Why does Dr. Phelps owe him a favor? What's the significance of the friendship between those two men? What happened with Vivian? Did that ever get resolved? Admittedly, these elements are not critical to the overall story but I would definitely have been interested in knowing how they ended up.

Besides that, Blue Aspen is a book that is unlike anything else. It's simultaneously gothic and romantic, beautiful and grotesque, and makes you think about relationships and human beings in alternatingly flattering and unflattering ways. I fully admit I will probably have to revisit this book in the future; it's the kind of book you could read a hundred times and interpret differently every time.

Overall Grade: A-

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Oct 01, 2012 Kathleen rated it 2 of 5 stars

Blue Aspen is a paranormal / fantasy romance that delves into the dark recesses of the mind. It is a story of a seventeen year old girl's descent into madness, where the dream realm becomes the reality that she prefers to live in rather than the cruel real world in which she had known. While I found the book description to be intriguing, once I began to read the book I found it a slow read that was so dark and bizarre, I had a hard time really getting into seventeen year old Dulcee Elder's story...more

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Jan 20, 2013 Tom rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, mysteries-thrillers, ya-paranormal

What happens when a psychiatrist becomes jealous of a patient's delusions, only to find that the "delusion" may not be so delusional at all?

This is the crux of Tenaya Jayne's excellent thriller, "Blue Aspen."

The book starts off with a brilliant prologue. We learn that Dr Patricia Verell, a psychiatrist at Aspen Grove Mental Hospital, has a new patient, a 17 year-old girl named Dulcee Elders. When she was committed, Dulcee had with her a notebook filled with the most intricate, amazing tale. Whe...more What happens when a psychiatrist becomes jealous of a patient's delusions, only to find that the "delusion" may not be so delusional at all?

This is the crux of Tenaya Jayne's excellent thriller, "Blue Aspen."

The book starts off with a brilliant prologue. We learn that Dr Patricia Verell, a psychiatrist at Aspen Grove Mental Hospital, has a new patient, a 17 year-old girl named Dulcee Elders. When she was committed, Dulcee had with her a notebook filled with the most intricate, amazing tale. When Dr Verell asked Dulcee about it, the girl said it was "her autobiography." Late one night, Dr. Verell notes to herself that, It was not an autobiography, however. It was not a diary or a journal. It was the intricate hallucinations of a schizophrenic with post-traumatic stress. It was a love story.

And what a love story. The next chapter could stand apart as a novella, tracing Dulcee from being an unloved daughter, to a treasured permanent guest at her Uncle Jack's palatial mountain home. After years of cruelty and abuse at her mother's hands, Dulcee was going to be safe and free, not to mention rich. The only thing in short supply there is companionship. Uncle Jack is busy working on a court case he's fighting, and he disappears for days into his office and his work. Then she meets Vincent, a beautiful young man whom Dulcee can see from her window sometimes. Mostly, though, Vincent meets her in her dreams. They fall deeply in love. When Uncle Jack has to go to Los Angeles for a few weeks, Dulcee lets Vincent into the house. He cooks for her, leaves her love notes and gifts, and treats her like a princess. Dulcee is revitalized, even moreso than when she moved in to her loving Uncle Jack's home. Jack wants to provide for her, but Vincent offers her the most amazing love.

Because of the prologue, we know Dulcee's sanity is suspect, so we instinctively look for clues that Vincent isn't real. He seems real enough, except for a few things. We also know Dulcee ends up in Aspen Grove, so we wait for the committal.

One dark night, Dulcee is committed to Aspen Grove. She goes quietly, with only some clothes and her notebook.

At Aspen Grove, we find that Dr Patricia Verell's life is falling apart. Her marriage is collapsing, and she only has two friends, both of them fellow psychiatrists at Aspen Grove. So when she gets Dulcee's diary, her mind fragments. On one hand, she has her years of training and experience telling her Dulcee is delusional. On the other, she becomes jealous of Dulcee for having felt such passionate love with Vincent, regardless of whether he's real--isn't sanity a small sacrifice to feel that loved?

"Blue Aspen" is a wonderfully unique tale, beautifully told. It's a hard story to end, and if there's any real stylistic bumpiness, it's in the ending.

But what Tanaya Jayne has created...I can't think of another book like it. At the very basic core, Dr Verell is jealous of Dulcee's delusional love affair with a guy who can't exist. As a psychiatrist, she knows he can't exist; as a lonely, broken-hearted woman, she needs him to exist.

This book isn't hugely long--some writers would have doubled it. I admire Tanaya Jayne's storytelling instincts. She gives us plenty of the Dulcee-Vincent love story, but structurally, we know Dulcee's recollections are suspect. The skill with which Ms Jayne tells her story keeps it simple and taut, and that's the way this story cries out to be told.

Beautiful book. Highly recommended. (less)

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Oct 07, 2012 Samantha Robey rated it 4 of 5 stars

Tenaya Jayne is currently on tour with CLP Blog Tours and Blue Aspen. The first half of this book gripped me. We start by getting a quick snippet from a psych doctor and learn that she is reading the journal of a patient, then the story begins. The main character is seventeen year old Dulcee Elders, who gets dropped off at her uncle’s house after her mother decides she doesn’t want her anymore. It’s clear Dulcee has suffered some abuse, and lived in what I would guess to be a hostile environment...more

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Oct 10, 2012 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. he sign of a talented author for me is one that can keep you completely on edge, engrossed in the book you are reading. That is exactly what happened when I read Tenaya Jane's Blue Aspen. It disturbed me, it fascinated me, and I kept turning the pages to find out what happened next. The lead character, Dulcee, was such a heartbreaking figure. Clearly she had suffered often in her young life, losing her father and having grown up with a mother that made it clear that she was in the way and not wa...more he sign of a talented author for me is one that can keep you completely on edge, engrossed in the book you are reading. That is exactly what happened when I read Tenaya Jane's Blue Aspen. It disturbed me, it fascinated me, and I kept turning the pages to find out what happened next. The lead character, Dulcee, was such a heartbreaking figure. Clearly she had suffered often in her young life, losing her father and having grown up with a mother that made it clear that she was in the way and not wanted. When she was dumped off with her uncle and he showed genuine happiness at having her there, I saw a little sliver of hope for Dulcee. Unfortunately, her uncle had his own issues to deal with and couldn't be there for her. Which is where Vincent Sands came in. First appearing as a shadowy figure looking in the window, he eventually showed himself to Dulcee and a bizarre love story began. He was the disturbing part of the book to me. As Dulcee started to lose her grip on reality and slip further into madness, the character of Vincent became more creepy to me. I found the love between them to be obsessive and controlling. I couldn't stop reading, needing to know where this was going to end up. The alternate story of Dr Patricia Verell that ran parallel with Dulcee's was intriguing. Both women, such polar opposites and yet so similar, let Vincent manipulate their minds. While Dulcee's ultimate decision showed how desperate she was for someone to love her no matter what, I was a bit surprised at how out of control Pat became. And the final line of the book - completely threw me.

Tenaya Jane wrote a very gripping novel about love, madness, and sacrifice. Saying the book disturbed me might make you wonder if I liked it or not. The answer is yes! It is twisted, definitely, but it takes so many offbeat turns that every time I thought I had figured out what was going on, it proved me wrong. If you want a haunting story that lingers with you, then this is the book for you and I can't recommend it enough(less)

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May 21, 2010 Jen rated it 1 of 5 stars

I received this book free from GoodReads after entering a drawing. I thought the book looked intriguing. Unfortunately I did not like it at all. It was boring and the descriptions were not at all fresh. I felt nothing for any of the characters in the book and felt as though most of the characters reactions to events were unrealistic and not at all believable. There was not enough explanation as to WHY Vincent appears to these individuals. So they were unhappy and had unfortunate childhoods. But...more

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May 26, 2010 Erica rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads-books-i-won-on-goodread

Hmmm..... Not sure what I think about this one. It took me a while to get into, but I was eventually pulled in. I'm not sure if the author was intending the relationship between Dulcee and Vincent to be romantic (hopefully no, or hopefully the author at least lives in a state where 16 is the legal age of consent), but it was definitely creepy and distubing. The role of the psychiatrist in the story was also odd. And, as a side note, why do all mental health professionals in pop culture have to b...more

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Jul 27, 2012 TinasBookReviews rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The prologue alludes to a dark, gothic feel but the magical atmosphere which is so captivating in the beginning slowly pulls the reader into a world of madness.

When Dulcee arrives at Uncle Jacks it’s unreal. What's a girl not to love when she has her own indoor pool, library, greenhouse, bowling alley and a giant master bedroom? I mean the house itself is its own character and feels alive in the story, it breathes with its castle like charms, and with the backdrop of winter, roaming the house w...more The prologue alludes to a dark, gothic feel but the magical atmosphere which is so captivating in the beginning slowly pulls the reader into a world of madness.

When Dulcee arrives at Uncle Jacks it’s unreal. What's a girl not to love when she has her own indoor pool, library, greenhouse, bowling alley and a giant master bedroom? I mean the house itself is its own character and feels alive in the story, it breathes with its castle like charms, and with the backdrop of winter, roaming the house with Dulcee made me feel its intense isolation and it's vast loneliness which seeped off the pages. Its no wonder Dulcee felt a shifting madness within her, a few more pages of the meloncoly would have driven me to madness as well, but just when we think that we're falling into a madness vortex or that Dulcee is being stalked by a demon in the shadows of the house, in walks Vincent.

A dark and mysterious Vincent, who basically appears out of thin air or could be madness itself, begins romancing our naive Dulcee, he heals her heart, helps her sleep and has sexy blue eyes....or DEVIL eyes depending on how you interpret this ghost man.

As the romance intensified, I found it difficult to experience the relationship between them, because frankly Vincent thoroughly freaked me out. Vincent is seen largely in the dream world but he’s able to manifest into Dulcee’s reality. He comes off the page as a gentleman (not really) but underneath he is a dark predator. I was thinking the whole time “RUN” you stupid girl, but Alas, our victim falls for his charms hook, line and sinker.

And then everything stops....

Once we dive into the second part of the book we are introduced to Dr. Verell where the story gets even more mysterious. I was on the edge of my seat shifting between Dr. Verell and Dulcees perspectives. Once I thought I had it figured out something would throw me off, I just couldn't see if what was happening was real or everything was the tellings of a physco.

I was seriously guessing until the last page. I think my favorite aspect of the book was the fact that Vincent is as much of a mystery to us as he was to Dulcee, and Jayne keeps the reader wound tight with his identity.......until the very last words written on the page Vincent remained a conundrum to me. I had no clue, even with the hints the author gives, and for me it was a great reveal.

I loved crawling and spiraling into Dulcee’s madness. It was beautifully written and well throughout. Despite a few issues with unresolved background questions, I found the story entertaining and haunting words a page turner.(less)

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Mar 25, 2013 Yvette Hendry rated it 4 of 5 stars

I think Blue Aspen is for older adolescents since the storyline deals with mature topics and abuse. The author does an excellent job of portraying how one builds an alternate life to deal with severe abuse and neglect. Jayne develops the main character in such a way that the reader longs to see the character get well and searches for answers as to why this alter-personality is created. The twist of adding the doctor's own personal issues paralleling the patient's illness creates more questions a...more

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May 31, 2010 Rachel rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: dark-creepy-and-disturbing, drugs-and-addictions, psychological, favorites, teenage-angst

I loved so much about this book that I'm not even really sure where to begin with my review. Being as I just finished it, I may have to come back with an in-depth review at a later time. But I will say that this book was a beautiful mixture of being enchanting, psychotic and lovely all at once. 5 stars easily. I'd have to classify this book as a psychological thriller with pnr themes. The descriptions are so vivid and lush. The book is not without flaws, but the overall experience of the story m...more

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Jun 09, 2010 Pffifer rated it 5 of 5 stars

talk about edgy! The subtleties in this book gave me the freakin' shivers.
Vincent is like the ultimate bad boy! I don't know if I'd be smart enough to turn him down. I think I'd risk my sanity to get a piece of him. Loved this wack-job book!

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Jan 15, 2010 Ekua Amissah added it

The book is a bit confusing but a good read. It is quite sad that the only way dolcee can have Vincent is through her dreams.

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Apr 24, 2013 Katelyn rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book !!!

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Dec 30, 2009 Julie rated it 4 of 5 stars

It was a good book ..It was good thriller. I wanted to learn more about the dr.

I wanted more of a back story on dulcee and why the nightmares and why her mom dropped her off at her Uncle Jack's house.

Its good overall.

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About Tenaya Jayne

I'm the author of BLUE ASPEN, THE SLAYER'S WIFE, and FORBIDDEN FOREST. Book 2 in THE LEGENDS OF REGIA series, FOREST FIRE is coming soon.

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