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Hazel Bly and the Deep Blue Sea
A novel about a girl navigating grief, trauma, and friendship.
Hazel Bly used to live in the perfect house with the perfect family in sunny California. But when a kayaking trip goes horribly wrong, Mum is suddenly gone forever and Hazel is left with crippling anxiety and a jagged scar on her face. After Mum's death, Hazel, her other mother, Mama, and her little sister, Peach, needed a fresh start. So for the last two years, the Bly girls have lived all over the country, never settling anywhere for more than a few months.
When the family arrives in Rose Harbor, Maine, there's a wildness to the small town that feels like magic. But when Mama runs into an old childhood friend—Claire—suddenly Hazel's tight-knit world is infiltrated. To make it worse, she has a daughter Hazel's age, Lemon, who can't stop rambling on and on about the Rose Maid, a local 150-year-old mermaid myth.
Soon, Hazel finds herself just as obsessed with the Rose Maid as Lemon is—because what if magic were real? What if grief really could change you so much, you weren't even yourself anymore? And what if instead you emerged from the darkness stronger than before?
Hazel Bly used to live in the perfect house with the perfect family in sunny California. But when a kayaking trip goes horribly wrong, Mum is suddenly gone forever and Hazel is left with crippling anxiety and a jagged scar on her face. After Mum's death, Hazel, her other mother, Mama, and her little sister, Peach, needed a fresh start. So for the last two years, the Bly girls have lived all over the country, never settling anywhere for more than a few months.
When the family arrives in Rose Harbor, Maine, there's a wildness to the small town that feels like magic. But when Mama runs into an old childhood friend—Claire—suddenly Hazel's tight-knit world is infiltrated. To make it worse, she has a daughter Hazel's age, Lemon, who can't stop rambling on and on about the Rose Maid, a local 150-year-old mermaid myth.
Soon, Hazel finds herself just as obsessed with the Rose Maid as Lemon is—because what if magic were real? What if grief really could change you so much, you weren't even yourself anymore? And what if instead you emerged from the darkness stronger than before?
9 pages, Audiobook
First published May 25, 2021
56 people are currently reading
6418 people want to read
About the author
Ashley Herring Blake
19 books8,206 followersAshley Herring Blake is a reader, writer, and mom to two boisterous boys. She holds a Master’s degree in teaching and loves coffee, arranging her books by color, and cold weather. She is the author of the young adult novels Suffer Love, How to Make a Wish, and Girl Made of Stars (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt), the middle grade novels Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World, The Mighty Heart of Sunny St. James, and Hazel Bly and the Deep Blue Sea (Little, Brown), and the adult romance novels Delilah Green Doesn't Care and Astrid Parker Doesn't Fail (Berkley). Ivy Aberdeen’s Letter to the World was a Stonewall Honor Book, as well as a Kirkus, School Library Journal, NYPL, and NPR Best Book of 2018. Her YA novel Girl Made of Stars was a Lambda Literary Award finalist. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram at @ashleyhblake and on the web at www.ashleyherringblake.com. She lives in Georgia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 346 reviews
July 7, 2023
Idk why I thought this one will be a fun summery read. I mean, I've read six Ashley Herring Blake books with this one. I should have known better.
The ocean in the cover? It's salty, because it was made of my tears. Like I sobbed so hard I couldn't see the pages.
The death of a parent and the grief is so personal to me and Hazel's grief was pretty similar to how I reacted and handled what I was going through.
I also loved the friendships, her relationship with her mom and sister, and even with Claire.
The conversation between her mom and Claire at the beach she eavesdropped on? Wow. I was an emotional mess. Because from Hazel's perspective yes, they were the bad guys, I felt her rage in my bones, because again, I went through the same thing myself, but as an adult, I wanted to hug those women and tell them it's alright, everything will be okay, just hold tight a little bit longer.
This book was utterly beautiful. It is probably my favorite from the author now, even tho I've given 4 stars to all of her books. She is my number one favorite author without question. She knows how to make me emotional for sure.
I wish more people would read her middle grades, because they are exceptional.
The ocean in the cover? It's salty, because it was made of my tears. Like I sobbed so hard I couldn't see the pages.
The death of a parent and the grief is so personal to me and Hazel's grief was pretty similar to how I reacted and handled what I was going through.
I also loved the friendships, her relationship with her mom and sister, and even with Claire.
The conversation between her mom and Claire at the beach she eavesdropped on? Wow. I was an emotional mess. Because from Hazel's perspective yes, they were the bad guys, I felt her rage in my bones, because again, I went through the same thing myself, but as an adult, I wanted to hug those women and tell them it's alright, everything will be okay, just hold tight a little bit longer.
This book was utterly beautiful. It is probably my favorite from the author now, even tho I've given 4 stars to all of her books. She is my number one favorite author without question. She knows how to make me emotional for sure.
I wish more people would read her middle grades, because they are exceptional.
December 4, 2019
if some random person decided to give this wonderful-sounding book 2 stars way before its release, I can rate it 5 stars way before its release
June 1, 2021
hoooo boy where do i even start.
spending 2020 without a new ashley book was so hard,, especially since it was such an overall tough year but if this book needed more time to come into the world then it's ok. like at this point i think no one is surprised that i loved it and that i'm gonna give it five stars bc i've been loving ashley's books since 2017 when i read how to make a wish.
and every single time she makes me SOB GODDAMN IT. i'm never gonna be able to talk about these books bc i am never able to talk, or at least not coherently, about anything i love, but i just had to put it out there that this book is very precious and means incredibly much to me. that is all byee
spending 2020 without a new ashley book was so hard,, especially since it was such an overall tough year but if this book needed more time to come into the world then it's ok. like at this point i think no one is surprised that i loved it and that i'm gonna give it five stars bc i've been loving ashley's books since 2017 when i read how to make a wish.
and every single time she makes me SOB GODDAMN IT. i'm never gonna be able to talk about these books bc i am never able to talk, or at least not coherently, about anything i love, but i just had to put it out there that this book is very precious and means incredibly much to me. that is all byee
December 1, 2021
When I tell you I WEPT
release-2021
November 28, 2019This book has an average of 2.00. Which I thought was weird. As fair as I knew AHB was a good author? Then I realized it was one (1) person. Please check. Don't write this book (or any book) off just because it has a low rating, and this book hasN'T EVEN BEEN RELEASED YET COME ON.
December 22, 2021
This one strikes me as almost slightly older than middle grade because of the budding romances between Hazel and Jules as well as between Hazel's mom and one of her friend's Moms. Really, it's about how Hazel is a complete mess after watching her mother (it's a two mom family) die in the ocean in a kayaking accident. Hazel is mean, afraid and isolating as a survival technique all while moving around the country as her remaining Mom seeks a fresh start. I kind of wanted to shake Hazel's mom for just letting Hazel do all the caretaking of her sister while also being dramatic about Hazel's worrying and neglecting Hazel in her grief.
It is a compelling story, even though I didn't really like Hazel all that much. (I think that might have been the idea, so it worked!)
It is a compelling story, even though I didn't really like Hazel all that much. (I think that might have been the idea, so it worked!)
May 31, 2024
. If you haven't experience a Ashley Herring Blake book you must read one and why not try Hazel Bly and the Deep Blue Sea. The story of grief, forgiveness, love and of course mermaids!! Hazel loses her mum and her other mother can't talk to Hazel about the accident. Both are suffering and both are running away from the grief that is consuming the family. The story is raw but beautiful. If you have lost someone close to you, you will relate the struggles this family suffers. I would recommend this for a middle grader who has suffer a lost. This book will open communication. The story is beautiful and I am so glad I had a chance to reread this wonderful book!!!!
December 23, 2021
Sometimes a book comes a long and it carves out a little space in your heart, where it can live, safe and warm and close. This is one of those books. I went into it knowing nothing about the plot, only that it was written by Ashley Herring Blake who I’m pretty sure is incapable of writing a bad book. But then I started reading, and I wondered how Ashley Herring Blake had looked inside my brain and seen me. This book was me, and it meant the whole world. It is a story of Hazel, who lost her Mum in an accident which she was there to witness. It follows her, her 5 year old sister Peach, and their Mama, two years after the death of their Mum. They have been moving from town to town, and the next rental is a cottage in the seaside town of Rose Harbour. There Hazel has to face a lot of emotions that she hasn’t been able to process, and has to figure out how to truly live when her Mum doesn’t get to. Not only that, but how to cope with the panic and anxiety of anything else happening to those she loves, and finding herself after such trauma.
I have c-PTSD, and I’ve never seen it so accurately represented (except maybe A Heart In A Body In The World) before. Hazel has PTSD, rather than c-PTSD, but every emotion was raw and real and so unfortunately familiar. I was invested in Hazel in a matter of pages, she was such a compelling and honest character. Her struggle to let people in, to allow others to help her, to show that vulnerability, was uncomfortably familiar. And as sad as it was to read, the relief of knowing that I am not alone in dealing with this, was breathtaking. That my feelings, my experiences, my pain is valid. It also helped me to put things into perspective. To know that I would never tell Hazel that she shouldn’t feel that way, or that what happened was her fault, or she should of dealt with it better. That would be untrue. So why do I say that to myself?
Maybe the best thing about this book is Hazel’s journey to healing. It really is a journey, and it’s not linear, because that’s not how healing works. It’s hard and it’s painful and it’s joyful and it’s exhausting and it’s relieving and it’s all of those things wrapped into one. But there is hope, and healing is possible. When you have people who love you, no matter what, when you have professional help to guide you, when you stop blaming yourself and hiding away your pain, you can start to heal. Hazel showed that healing is quiet, and it takes time, but most importantly, it’s hopeful.
Hazel makes a beautiful friendship with her next door neighbour Lemon, and her two friends Kiko and Jules (who is non binary and there is a little bit of romance in the book that just warmed my heart🥺) and they are instrumental in her healing. They show her that she is welcomed, scars and all (both physical and emotional scars!). That she is valued, and loved, and wanted. That she is still worthy of being loved, even if it can be difficult for Hazel to reciprocate that sometimes.
Her relationship with her Mama was hard, and difficult, and they didn’t understand each other but how could they when they never talked? Mama thought it would be better to help Hazel forget, when all Hazel wanted was to remember. This was another aspect of the book that was incredibly personal, but was so honest and they went on such a meaningful journey together.
This is a long review to say, this book is perfect to me. Even without all those emotions I’ve mentioned, it was brilliantly written. Even mundane sentences were made beautiful, and there was plenty of friendship and magic and joy besides all the pain. I think this book could mean a lot to some kids, it meant a lot to me at 22. I want to put this book into the hands of everyone in the world. It articulates everything I wish I could express, and it does so with respect, and honesty, and kindness. It is truly beautiful. Now I just need to convince myself that waiting for the paperback is the money smart thing to do… let’s see how I long I hold out before caving🙈
I have c-PTSD, and I’ve never seen it so accurately represented (except maybe A Heart In A Body In The World) before. Hazel has PTSD, rather than c-PTSD, but every emotion was raw and real and so unfortunately familiar. I was invested in Hazel in a matter of pages, she was such a compelling and honest character. Her struggle to let people in, to allow others to help her, to show that vulnerability, was uncomfortably familiar. And as sad as it was to read, the relief of knowing that I am not alone in dealing with this, was breathtaking. That my feelings, my experiences, my pain is valid. It also helped me to put things into perspective. To know that I would never tell Hazel that she shouldn’t feel that way, or that what happened was her fault, or she should of dealt with it better. That would be untrue. So why do I say that to myself?
Maybe the best thing about this book is Hazel’s journey to healing. It really is a journey, and it’s not linear, because that’s not how healing works. It’s hard and it’s painful and it’s joyful and it’s exhausting and it’s relieving and it’s all of those things wrapped into one. But there is hope, and healing is possible. When you have people who love you, no matter what, when you have professional help to guide you, when you stop blaming yourself and hiding away your pain, you can start to heal. Hazel showed that healing is quiet, and it takes time, but most importantly, it’s hopeful.
Hazel makes a beautiful friendship with her next door neighbour Lemon, and her two friends Kiko and Jules (who is non binary and there is a little bit of romance in the book that just warmed my heart🥺) and they are instrumental in her healing. They show her that she is welcomed, scars and all (both physical and emotional scars!). That she is valued, and loved, and wanted. That she is still worthy of being loved, even if it can be difficult for Hazel to reciprocate that sometimes.
Her relationship with her Mama was hard, and difficult, and they didn’t understand each other but how could they when they never talked? Mama thought it would be better to help Hazel forget, when all Hazel wanted was to remember. This was another aspect of the book that was incredibly personal, but was so honest and they went on such a meaningful journey together.
This is a long review to say, this book is perfect to me. Even without all those emotions I’ve mentioned, it was brilliantly written. Even mundane sentences were made beautiful, and there was plenty of friendship and magic and joy besides all the pain. I think this book could mean a lot to some kids, it meant a lot to me at 22. I want to put this book into the hands of everyone in the world. It articulates everything I wish I could express, and it does so with respect, and honesty, and kindness. It is truly beautiful. Now I just need to convince myself that waiting for the paperback is the money smart thing to do… let’s see how I long I hold out before caving🙈
October 22, 2021
Ashley Herring Blake never fails to absolutely blow me away.
April 6, 2022
3.5*, really. Expect to cry but also expect to get more and more frustrated with and things wrap up.
May 31, 2021
Ashley Herring Blake really knows how to write queer middle grade books that pull at my heartstrings. This is a pretty heavy story that deals with grief and the loss of a parent. Hazel’s Mum died two years ago and afterwards her Mama picked up the family and moved them away, packing up all the memories of Mum and not really helping Hazel with her grief in the way that she needed.
Hazel has so much anxiety after the accident and feels like she needs to save her Mama and little sister Peach from any possible bad things that might happen. In the beginning of the story she’s so closed off and doesn’t want to connect with new people, but it’s rewarding watching her open up over the course of the book. Ashley Herring Blake’s writing is gorgeous and I liked how she incorporated a local mermaid myth to relate to the emotional journey that Hazel was going on.
While this is definitely a story that has a lot of serious elements like grief, anxiety, and PTSD it also has new friendships, healing, and blossoming relationships as well.
Hazel has so much anxiety after the accident and feels like she needs to save her Mama and little sister Peach from any possible bad things that might happen. In the beginning of the story she’s so closed off and doesn’t want to connect with new people, but it’s rewarding watching her open up over the course of the book. Ashley Herring Blake’s writing is gorgeous and I liked how she incorporated a local mermaid myth to relate to the emotional journey that Hazel was going on.
While this is definitely a story that has a lot of serious elements like grief, anxiety, and PTSD it also has new friendships, healing, and blossoming relationships as well.
December 11, 2021
5/5 stars
Absolutely phenomenal. Broke my heart and repaired it with liquid gold. More thoughts to come.
Perfect for fans of August Isle, The Thing About Jellyfish and The Last True Poets of the Sea.
Absolutely phenomenal. Broke my heart and repaired it with liquid gold. More thoughts to come.
Perfect for fans of August Isle, The Thing About Jellyfish and The Last True Poets of the Sea.
May 25, 2021
4.5 STARS
HAZEL BLY AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA by Ashley Herring Blake is the story of a family grieving for one mother told by Hazel. Hazel is angry and anxious, worried about losing her younger sister or Mama she thinks controlling life will keep everyone safe. When the family moves to Maine, Mama runs into her former best friend Claire, who has a daughter Hazel’s age Lemon. Hazel worries that Mama is replacing Mum and only wishes to go back home.
Blake does a phenomenal job weaving grief, PTSD and other anxiety behaviors into Hazel, who is about as realistic and authentic as MG characters can get. She’s often not likable, though beneath Hazel’s anger lies deep seeded pain. Lemon is also grieving, but in a different way. Blake weaves dealing with grief and anxiety into the story so that it never feels like an Big Issue Book with the exception of the nonbinary character Jules, which feels like the orientation is repeatedly reminded as Big Inclusivity Reminder. I wish Blake has been as subtle about that as Hazel’s complexity.
Aside from being beaten over the head with nonbinary, HAZEL AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA is nearly flawless.
HAZEL BLY AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA by Ashley Herring Blake is the story of a family grieving for one mother told by Hazel. Hazel is angry and anxious, worried about losing her younger sister or Mama she thinks controlling life will keep everyone safe. When the family moves to Maine, Mama runs into her former best friend Claire, who has a daughter Hazel’s age Lemon. Hazel worries that Mama is replacing Mum and only wishes to go back home.
Blake does a phenomenal job weaving grief, PTSD and other anxiety behaviors into Hazel, who is about as realistic and authentic as MG characters can get. She’s often not likable, though beneath Hazel’s anger lies deep seeded pain. Lemon is also grieving, but in a different way. Blake weaves dealing with grief and anxiety into the story so that it never feels like an Big Issue Book with the exception of the nonbinary character Jules, which feels like the orientation is repeatedly reminded as Big Inclusivity Reminder. I wish Blake has been as subtle about that as Hazel’s complexity.
Aside from being beaten over the head with nonbinary, HAZEL AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA is nearly flawless.
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September 8, 2020another middle grade by ashley herring blake???? sign me up 🥺
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December 16, 2021
ahh okay so unfortunately I had to return this to the library, and was unable to finish it. However, I LOVE this book! It's just so incredibly stunning. However, I really disliked most of the characters, so this made it a bit hard for me to enjoy. Nevertheless, I still highly recommend this novel. I'll be DNFing it for now, but might come back to it later.
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July 8, 2021I wished so bad to see all the grief-stricken characters live again it hurt.
Hazel Foster Bly (12) lost her mum Nadine Foster to a kayaking accident two years ago. Since then, she and her sister Penelope “Peach” (5) and her mama Evelyn “Evie” Bly (gay) have lived in eight different places to avoid going back to Berkeley, CA. When they arrive in Rose Harbor, ME, the Blys aren’t looking for their lives to change forever. But there is the legend of the mermaid Rose Maid that looks just like Hazel without her facial scars, Evie’s childhood love Claire Calloway (bisexual), and the MerSquad: Lemon Calloway, Kiko Masuda (Asian American), Jules Renleigh (nonbinary, they/them). Maybe friends and old love and the ocean are what the Blys need.
AHB’s writing is always wonderful, and often, her books are filled with sadness yet have uplifting endings. HBatDBS is certainly one of them. It deals with grief and how silence suffocates people. I knew this book was going to be heavy going in, but I didn’t expect [HUGE SPOILER in spoiler tag] from Hazel. It upset me but it also felt real and raw. This is an MG tackling a tough subject with vivid feelings, and I don’t know if I would have been able to read this when I was 12, but I am glad to see that HBatDBS is out there for people who need it.
I love that Evie is a sapphic romance novelist and that little Peach is more carefree but also observant. There is a budding queer romance for Hazel and also an adult f/f romance plot line, and I love them. I cannot comment on whether or not the voice of the story sounds like a twelve-year-old or not as it is told through Hazel’s 1st-person POV in present tense, but it conveys the emotions very well. The plot is fairly slow and sad, and it did take me longer to finish the book. Infused with the legend of Rose Maid, the story feels a bit magical and layered. The MerSquad is also a lovely group, and I love that they took newcomers Hazel and Peach in.
If depression is a triggering subject for you, I definitely suggest you check out all the content warnings. If a heavy MG with multiple queer characters sounds like something you would love, Hazel Bly and the Deep Blue Sea is definitely worth a read.
content warnings: loss of parent, loss of spouse, loss of child, loss of sibling, grief, bullying, depression, PTSD,
Hazel Foster Bly (12) lost her mum Nadine Foster to a kayaking accident two years ago. Since then, she and her sister Penelope “Peach” (5) and her mama Evelyn “Evie” Bly (gay) have lived in eight different places to avoid going back to Berkeley, CA. When they arrive in Rose Harbor, ME, the Blys aren’t looking for their lives to change forever. But there is the legend of the mermaid Rose Maid that looks just like Hazel without her facial scars, Evie’s childhood love Claire Calloway (bisexual), and the MerSquad: Lemon Calloway, Kiko Masuda (Asian American), Jules Renleigh (nonbinary, they/them). Maybe friends and old love and the ocean are what the Blys need.
AHB’s writing is always wonderful, and often, her books are filled with sadness yet have uplifting endings. HBatDBS is certainly one of them. It deals with grief and how silence suffocates people. I knew this book was going to be heavy going in, but I didn’t expect [HUGE SPOILER in spoiler tag] from Hazel. It upset me but it also felt real and raw. This is an MG tackling a tough subject with vivid feelings, and I don’t know if I would have been able to read this when I was 12, but I am glad to see that HBatDBS is out there for people who need it.
I love that Evie is a sapphic romance novelist and that little Peach is more carefree but also observant. There is a budding queer romance for Hazel and also an adult f/f romance plot line, and I love them. I cannot comment on whether or not the voice of the story sounds like a twelve-year-old or not as it is told through Hazel’s 1st-person POV in present tense, but it conveys the emotions very well. The plot is fairly slow and sad, and it did take me longer to finish the book. Infused with the legend of Rose Maid, the story feels a bit magical and layered. The MerSquad is also a lovely group, and I love that they took newcomers Hazel and Peach in.
If depression is a triggering subject for you, I definitely suggest you check out all the content warnings. If a heavy MG with multiple queer characters sounds like something you would love, Hazel Bly and the Deep Blue Sea is definitely worth a read.
content warnings: loss of parent, loss of spouse, loss of child, loss of sibling, grief, bullying, depression, PTSD,
July 3, 2021
A beautiful story about love and loss
Hazel Bly lived a great life with her Mum and Mama until a kayaking accident. Then her Mum died, leaving Hazel with a scar on her face and terrible anxiety. She wants nothing more than to keep her little sister Peach safe. The Blys move around a lot now. Two years after the accident, they are in Maine. It turns out that one of their new neighbors is her Mama's old childhood friend, Claire. The introduction of Claire into Hazel's world--along with her chatty daughter Lemon--makes Hazel feel unsettled. Plus Lemon is fixated on a local legend, the Rose Maid, a mermaid often seen in the waters. Hazel notes a resemblance between herself and Rose and soon she finds herself as fascinated by the mermaid as Lemon. Because sometimes everyone needs to believe in a little magic, especially when their world is crumbling around them.
"Now it's two and one, with me as the odd one out."
Oh this book is excellent-- an absolutely stunning read, which captures grief and loss so viscerally. I truly felt traumatized at times on Hazel's behalf. With the death of her Mum, she is so afraid something will happen to Peach, or even her Mama, and this fear comes through the pages so strongly. It's heartbreaking. Her fear of being happy again. You just want to wrap this sweet kid in your arms and hug her until everything is okay. Blake writes Hazel so well, and her grief, passion, and emotions come across so well.
Everything in this book is amazing--the magical and whimsical myth of the Rose Maid; the diversity of the characters; and the total acceptance of Hazel's parents being gay and bi. It's not a big deal in this book for parents to be queer or friends to be nonbinary. How wonderful for a YA story.
This is an exceptional tale about family, love, loss, healing, and magic. It made me cry, but it left me hopeful too. It's touching and heartfelt. Highly recommend. 4.5 stars.
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Hazel Bly lived a great life with her Mum and Mama until a kayaking accident. Then her Mum died, leaving Hazel with a scar on her face and terrible anxiety. She wants nothing more than to keep her little sister Peach safe. The Blys move around a lot now. Two years after the accident, they are in Maine. It turns out that one of their new neighbors is her Mama's old childhood friend, Claire. The introduction of Claire into Hazel's world--along with her chatty daughter Lemon--makes Hazel feel unsettled. Plus Lemon is fixated on a local legend, the Rose Maid, a mermaid often seen in the waters. Hazel notes a resemblance between herself and Rose and soon she finds herself as fascinated by the mermaid as Lemon. Because sometimes everyone needs to believe in a little magic, especially when their world is crumbling around them.
"Now it's two and one, with me as the odd one out."
Oh this book is excellent-- an absolutely stunning read, which captures grief and loss so viscerally. I truly felt traumatized at times on Hazel's behalf. With the death of her Mum, she is so afraid something will happen to Peach, or even her Mama, and this fear comes through the pages so strongly. It's heartbreaking. Her fear of being happy again. You just want to wrap this sweet kid in your arms and hug her until everything is okay. Blake writes Hazel so well, and her grief, passion, and emotions come across so well.
Everything in this book is amazing--the magical and whimsical myth of the Rose Maid; the diversity of the characters; and the total acceptance of Hazel's parents being gay and bi. It's not a big deal in this book for parents to be queer or friends to be nonbinary. How wonderful for a YA story.
This is an exceptional tale about family, love, loss, healing, and magic. It made me cry, but it left me hopeful too. It's touching and heartfelt. Highly recommend. 4.5 stars.
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October 3, 2025
This was quite heavy for a middle grade book. It explored not only grief but parental neglect and I felt so bad for the main character for much of the book. There were happy moments to be sure, but they were so few and far between that the feeling of melancholy still took over. Overall it's a solid story with beautiful queer representation and a somber exploration of how loss affects a family. It does end on a good note, but a lot of the pain still lingers.
April 29, 2022
My primary reason for reading this book was the fact that I was looking for a book that had two colors in the title and I had been hoping to avoid the more repetitive black-and-white combination. Another reason I went for this book was the cover reminded me of books that I would have been interested in when I was of the age for it, especially since there are mermaids included.
Unfortunately there is a strong LGBT element so I will provide a warning for those who want to avoid the genre and to provide a heads-up for those who are looking for this type of book. Hazel Bly and the Deep Blue Sea has a strong feminist cast of homosexual, bisexual and nonbinary characters while exploring burgeoning romances through these very same characters. At the same time the book also explores making out at what would have been considered way too young an age at least when I was young for making out activities.
Other strong subjects explored in this book are open discussion of AI, loss, coping with grief or the effects of ignoring it, indirect emotional abuse from a parent to a child, trauma, lack of care for mental illness and suicidal ideation/possible suicide. As such this is a book that would probably be better off more for adults rather than younger readers if only the writing hadn't been geared for younger audiences.
The book is a combination of a junior romance and coming-of-age. As such the book explores the Bly family who is reeling from the loss of one of their own. As a result of the accident Hazel is left scarred on the outside and inside while her mother attempts to escape her past including the daughter who not only resembles her dead wife but also steps in as the missing parent. And yet after being dragged from one town to another they incidentally find redemption in the shape of love and accepting loss by remembering the dead through some very unlikely people who remind them what it means to be alive.
At the same time the book's characters are bland and have little personality with them joining the club of characters with annoying mannerisms. Every time you turn around they are blushing, giggling weirdly or have mouths gaping like fish. Why must each modern character now be annoying to some degree or other?
The writing to me was repetitive and bland while it took forever just to disclose the parts of the book I wanted to know the most. As a result the book seemed to take forever to read even when the narration is geared towards the bubble pop middle school drama. As a result this is one book that I must remove from my shelf for it just wasn't my cup of tea nor do I ever want to revisit it in the future for a re-read.
Unfortunately there is a strong LGBT element so I will provide a warning for those who want to avoid the genre and to provide a heads-up for those who are looking for this type of book. Hazel Bly and the Deep Blue Sea has a strong feminist cast of homosexual, bisexual and nonbinary characters while exploring burgeoning romances through these very same characters. At the same time the book also explores making out at what would have been considered way too young an age at least when I was young for making out activities.
Other strong subjects explored in this book are open discussion of AI, loss, coping with grief or the effects of ignoring it, indirect emotional abuse from a parent to a child, trauma, lack of care for mental illness and suicidal ideation/possible suicide. As such this is a book that would probably be better off more for adults rather than younger readers if only the writing hadn't been geared for younger audiences.
The book is a combination of a junior romance and coming-of-age. As such the book explores the Bly family who is reeling from the loss of one of their own. As a result of the accident Hazel is left scarred on the outside and inside while her mother attempts to escape her past including the daughter who not only resembles her dead wife but also steps in as the missing parent. And yet after being dragged from one town to another they incidentally find redemption in the shape of love and accepting loss by remembering the dead through some very unlikely people who remind them what it means to be alive.
At the same time the book's characters are bland and have little personality with them joining the club of characters with annoying mannerisms. Every time you turn around they are blushing, giggling weirdly or have mouths gaping like fish. Why must each modern character now be annoying to some degree or other?
The writing to me was repetitive and bland while it took forever just to disclose the parts of the book I wanted to know the most. As a result the book seemed to take forever to read even when the narration is geared towards the bubble pop middle school drama. As a result this is one book that I must remove from my shelf for it just wasn't my cup of tea nor do I ever want to revisit it in the future for a re-read.
July 19, 2021
I love that this book showed how grief is different for everyone and how it changes a person. Hazel, Peach, Mama, Lemon, Claire — they all processed their grief very differently. I also think it is so important to talk and read about grief at a younger age, because it’s not something often talked about. AHB just knows how to pull on the heart strings and I was crying basically the whole way through this beautiful book.
The magical lore about the town mermaid was an added bonus. It really added another dimension to the story because Hazel had someone to relate to and believe in.
I just loved ALL of the characters SO much. They were all so authentic and real and relatable. As someone who wears a fanny pack full of medical supplies for a living, I deeply resonated with Hazel!
LGBTQIA+ rep: sapphic parents (Claire is bi), nonbinary side character
CW: death of a parent/spouse/child/sibling, panic and anxiety disorder, PTSD, mentions of drowning
The magical lore about the town mermaid was an added bonus. It really added another dimension to the story because Hazel had someone to relate to and believe in.
I just loved ALL of the characters SO much. They were all so authentic and real and relatable. As someone who wears a fanny pack full of medical supplies for a living, I deeply resonated with Hazel!
LGBTQIA+ rep: sapphic parents (Claire is bi), nonbinary side character
CW: death of a parent/spouse/child/sibling, panic and anxiety disorder, PTSD, mentions of drowning
August 12, 2025
“ it’s funny, how taking about sadness and hope and fear can feel like it’s tearing your heart out while healing it at the same time”
🥺💛🧜🏻♀️❤️🩹
🥺💛🧜🏻♀️❤️🩹
May 25, 2021
Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for this arc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. I’ll post that review upon publication.
Fans of Herring Blake will get what they’re anticipating: a moving read with solid representation. This is not a lighthearted read, but it is atmospheric and heart wrenching. More to come.
Updated 5/25/21
5 stars
Ashley Herring Blake is an all hits no misses kind of writer for me thus far, and this newest work is no exception.
Hazel Bly is a few months from turning 13 when readers meet her, but she has had experiences that no adult should even have to suffer. Readers learn immediately that Hazel's mother - Mum - died two years ago in a tragic accident...that also involved Hazel. This leaves Hazel with her mother - Mama - and her little sister, Peach, and an outrageous amount of pain, grief, shock, and torment. Mama's way of handling Mum's loss is to really just not speak of it, and she carries on this motif by moving her family across the country, making it impossible for them to put down roots, connect with others, or - obviously - begin to heal. In their most recent location, Mama unexpectedly runs into a childhood friend and first love who has a daughter and some really sad experiences of her own to share. It's incredibly moving to watch so many characters - all of them relatively young but most of them actual children - manage the unimaginable.
Although there is so much sadness in this novel, there is also profound hope, and I love the way that the brief but essential magical elements come in to play. Healing in any capacity does feel like magic, and these connections work so well, especially for the intended audience. Themes of grief, loss, communication, familial bonds, friendships, and romantic love are ever present and complex, and the representation is well articulated.
This is not an uplifting novel by any stretch, but it is a beautiful addition to the middle grade package and a surprisingly hopeful effort in the face of so much sadness. Recommended!
Fans of Herring Blake will get what they’re anticipating: a moving read with solid representation. This is not a lighthearted read, but it is atmospheric and heart wrenching. More to come.
Updated 5/25/21
5 stars
Ashley Herring Blake is an all hits no misses kind of writer for me thus far, and this newest work is no exception.
Hazel Bly is a few months from turning 13 when readers meet her, but she has had experiences that no adult should even have to suffer. Readers learn immediately that Hazel's mother - Mum - died two years ago in a tragic accident...that also involved Hazel. This leaves Hazel with her mother - Mama - and her little sister, Peach, and an outrageous amount of pain, grief, shock, and torment. Mama's way of handling Mum's loss is to really just not speak of it, and she carries on this motif by moving her family across the country, making it impossible for them to put down roots, connect with others, or - obviously - begin to heal. In their most recent location, Mama unexpectedly runs into a childhood friend and first love who has a daughter and some really sad experiences of her own to share. It's incredibly moving to watch so many characters - all of them relatively young but most of them actual children - manage the unimaginable.
Although there is so much sadness in this novel, there is also profound hope, and I love the way that the brief but essential magical elements come in to play. Healing in any capacity does feel like magic, and these connections work so well, especially for the intended audience. Themes of grief, loss, communication, familial bonds, friendships, and romantic love are ever present and complex, and the representation is well articulated.
This is not an uplifting novel by any stretch, but it is a beautiful addition to the middle grade package and a surprisingly hopeful effort in the face of so much sadness. Recommended!
October 25, 2021
Hazel Bly, her sister Peach, and their Mama have been moving around for the past two years...ever since Hazel and her Mum were in a kayaking accident which killed Hazel's Mum. Hazel-who now has a scar across her face from the accident-has always felt like it was her fault and now feels left out of the family. When they move to Rose Harbor in Maine, Hazel is terrified to be so close to water again. But her Mama is excited when she runs into an old friend: Claire. While Mama and Claire rekindle their relationship, Hazel spends the summer hanging out with Lemon and her two friends, learning about a Rose Harbor mermaid myth, and finally dealing with the PTSD and grief caused by her Mum's death.
I really struggled with this book...there were some good aspects and some bad aspects. I thought it was great to have LGBTQ+ relationships that were accepted and normalized...but I honestly thought the characters were annoying, so I couldn't relate to them. Additionally, I am over parents being borderline emotionally abusive to their children.
I really struggled with this book...there were some good aspects and some bad aspects. I thought it was great to have LGBTQ+ relationships that were accepted and normalized...but I honestly thought the characters were annoying, so I couldn't relate to them. Additionally, I am over parents being borderline emotionally abusive to their children.
Read
May 6, 2022
Trigger & Content Warnings
Depression
Anxiety
Attempted suicide. on-page
Facial scars
Grief & loss depiction
Death of a parent
Death of a spouse
Death of a child
Death of a sibling
Bullying
Depression
Anxiety
Attempted suicide. on-page
Facial scars
Grief & loss depiction
Death of a parent
Death of a spouse
Death of a child
Death of a sibling
Bullying
January 15, 2022
I mean I cried in a Walmart while listening to this audiobook so that happened. Can that be my whole review?
If I don't write a review I will be mad at myself later and this book deserves a lot of hype and a very detailed review so I'm going to do my best.
This book is fucking sad. It's also full of love and friendship and family and all sorts of mushy shit but it is overwhelmingly tragic.
Hazel is 12 years old and she has been moving to different towns with her Mama and her little sister, P, for 2 years. They have yet to settle down since a tragic accident killed her Mum. Hazel is with her Mum when the accident happened and she was left with a big part of her face scarred and some severe anxiety and a hefty dose of guilt.
Hazel is obsessed with making sure her little sister is safe and doing everything she can to protect her and her Mama. She carries around a safety pack and avoids anything that could result in injury. She definitely has both general anxiety and panic disorder. There are on page panic attacks so big CW for that.
The biggest theme of this book is working through grief. Hazel and her Mama's relationship has been stilted since the death of her Mum and Hazel has spiraled her thinking into anxious and intrusive thoughts. She panics at any sign of change and doesn't have the coping skills to handle what she views as her Mama pulling back from her.
In this new town, one of her Mama's childhood friends and first loves happens to live right next to them. Claire has a daughter named Lemon who also has some grief she's working through from her own past. Lemon tries her best to befriend Hazel and bring both Hazel and Peach into her group of friends and Hazel even lets her guard down a little bit at times. (Also I kinda lived for the fruit names and their little fruit friendship)
Oh, there's a mermaid too. Some small town lore and a mermaid club. And some oceanography stuff. It's a bigger part of the plot than I'm making it seem but that part is in the synopsis so feel free to catch up there.
Everything spirals when Claire and Hazel's Mama start showing signs of being interested in each other. This idea of moving beyond grief and moving forward while your loved ones have to remain in the past is one that is deeply explored and done really well in my opinion.
This book will make you emotional. There is something intense about reading a book from a child's point of view and knowing that they are suffering. The audiobook is done fantastically and the narrator manages to portray Hazel as a 12-year-old but also really invests listeners into emotional scenes with crying or gasping etc.
This book is not without its content warnings and I will do my best to list them below. This is a queer book and I will fight anyone who says it isn't but Hazel does not have a label. She is 12 years old. There are quite a few comments within this book that could give impressions of Hazel being potentially on the asexual or aromantic spectrum and also being generally queer. There is a non-binary secondary character that Hazel develops a crush on. There is a bisexual secondary character and a lesbian secondary character. This book is very queer but it's also middle grade and let's let these kids just exist without tying them to a specific label.
This book is about grief and finding a way to exist in a world where your loved ones don't. It is about learning how to create new relationships moving forward whether they be platonic or romantic. It's about finding a space where you feel safe to voice your concerns and your grief. It's about facing your fears and figuring out if there's something that will hold you back or push you ahead. This book is intense for a middle grade. Bring some tissues and maybe read it in private. Don't pull a me and cry in the grocery store. I'm pretty sure people thought that I was going through an emotional breakdown. I mean they're not wrong, but not quite advisable.
SPOILERS!!!!!!
CW: severe anxiety, panic attacks on page, death of a parent, tragic ocean accident, ocean, almost drowning on page, death of a sibling, hospital stay, grief
Rep: queer MC, nonbinary SC, bisexual SCs, lesbian SC
If I don't write a review I will be mad at myself later and this book deserves a lot of hype and a very detailed review so I'm going to do my best.
This book is fucking sad. It's also full of love and friendship and family and all sorts of mushy shit but it is overwhelmingly tragic.
Hazel is 12 years old and she has been moving to different towns with her Mama and her little sister, P, for 2 years. They have yet to settle down since a tragic accident killed her Mum. Hazel is with her Mum when the accident happened and she was left with a big part of her face scarred and some severe anxiety and a hefty dose of guilt.
Hazel is obsessed with making sure her little sister is safe and doing everything she can to protect her and her Mama. She carries around a safety pack and avoids anything that could result in injury. She definitely has both general anxiety and panic disorder. There are on page panic attacks so big CW for that.
The biggest theme of this book is working through grief. Hazel and her Mama's relationship has been stilted since the death of her Mum and Hazel has spiraled her thinking into anxious and intrusive thoughts. She panics at any sign of change and doesn't have the coping skills to handle what she views as her Mama pulling back from her.
In this new town, one of her Mama's childhood friends and first loves happens to live right next to them. Claire has a daughter named Lemon who also has some grief she's working through from her own past. Lemon tries her best to befriend Hazel and bring both Hazel and Peach into her group of friends and Hazel even lets her guard down a little bit at times. (Also I kinda lived for the fruit names and their little fruit friendship)
Oh, there's a mermaid too. Some small town lore and a mermaid club. And some oceanography stuff. It's a bigger part of the plot than I'm making it seem but that part is in the synopsis so feel free to catch up there.
Everything spirals when Claire and Hazel's Mama start showing signs of being interested in each other. This idea of moving beyond grief and moving forward while your loved ones have to remain in the past is one that is deeply explored and done really well in my opinion.
This book will make you emotional. There is something intense about reading a book from a child's point of view and knowing that they are suffering. The audiobook is done fantastically and the narrator manages to portray Hazel as a 12-year-old but also really invests listeners into emotional scenes with crying or gasping etc.
This book is not without its content warnings and I will do my best to list them below. This is a queer book and I will fight anyone who says it isn't but Hazel does not have a label. She is 12 years old. There are quite a few comments within this book that could give impressions of Hazel being potentially on the asexual or aromantic spectrum and also being generally queer. There is a non-binary secondary character that Hazel develops a crush on. There is a bisexual secondary character and a lesbian secondary character. This book is very queer but it's also middle grade and let's let these kids just exist without tying them to a specific label.
This book is about grief and finding a way to exist in a world where your loved ones don't. It is about learning how to create new relationships moving forward whether they be platonic or romantic. It's about finding a space where you feel safe to voice your concerns and your grief. It's about facing your fears and figuring out if there's something that will hold you back or push you ahead. This book is intense for a middle grade. Bring some tissues and maybe read it in private. Don't pull a me and cry in the grocery store. I'm pretty sure people thought that I was going through an emotional breakdown. I mean they're not wrong, but not quite advisable.
SPOILERS!!!!!!
CW: severe anxiety, panic attacks on page, death of a parent, tragic ocean accident, ocean, almost drowning on page, death of a sibling, hospital stay, grief
Rep: queer MC, nonbinary SC, bisexual SCs, lesbian SC
May 27, 2021
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an electronic book -all thoughts & opinions are my own.
I have loved every single book Ashley Herring Blake has published, and Hazel Bly is no exception. I don't really read middle grade, but this book seems like an important one for young readers, and very well done. This was a delicate yet honest read about dealing with grief and change. The author was careful and meticulous in showing how individual people of all ages experience loss and trauma. The characters were all flawed and messy in their own unique & beautiful ways. Hazel was just trying her best to cope, and be a good sister and daughter despite her anxiety and the profound trauma she went through. She made some not good choices, but was doing the best she could under the circumstances. Her mom was also clearly processing things in her own frustratingly messy way. It was all just so very human.
The book also managed to be very cute and endearing, despite covering such heavy topics; from Peach's energy to Lemon's nicknames to the mermaid obsession, there were moments of brightness in this tale that really made it special.
I can't recommend this book enough, truly. It's just so solidly well done.
I have loved every single book Ashley Herring Blake has published, and Hazel Bly is no exception. I don't really read middle grade, but this book seems like an important one for young readers, and very well done. This was a delicate yet honest read about dealing with grief and change. The author was careful and meticulous in showing how individual people of all ages experience loss and trauma. The characters were all flawed and messy in their own unique & beautiful ways. Hazel was just trying her best to cope, and be a good sister and daughter despite her anxiety and the profound trauma she went through. She made some not good choices, but was doing the best she could under the circumstances. Her mom was also clearly processing things in her own frustratingly messy way. It was all just so very human.
The book also managed to be very cute and endearing, despite covering such heavy topics; from Peach's energy to Lemon's nicknames to the mermaid obsession, there were moments of brightness in this tale that really made it special.
I can't recommend this book enough, truly. It's just so solidly well done.
November 25, 2022
Every time I read an Ashley Herring Blake book, I am left with the same three thoughts:
1. This woman is an incredible writer.
2. I can’t believe she made me cry again.
3. The inner child in me feels a little more healed.
This is a gorgeous story about Hazel, a 13 year old who lost one of her mothers when she was 10. She has been dealing with this grief on her own because her surviving mother doesn’t know how to handle speaking about the loss of her wife and children’s mother. I felt Hazel’s pain and frustration with her Mama as if I was a 13 year old girl again who didn’t understand adults and their choices.
Along with all of that sad stuff, Hazel also meets and gains friends for the first time since losing her mum, AND there’s a mermaid myth that her friends are obsessed with. It’s a lot but so good.
Hazel’s understanding of love and family warmed my heart: “She keeps loving me anyway. Maybe that’s what real love is. Real family. Real friendship. Loving anyway.”
1. This woman is an incredible writer.
2. I can’t believe she made me cry again.
3. The inner child in me feels a little more healed.
This is a gorgeous story about Hazel, a 13 year old who lost one of her mothers when she was 10. She has been dealing with this grief on her own because her surviving mother doesn’t know how to handle speaking about the loss of her wife and children’s mother. I felt Hazel’s pain and frustration with her Mama as if I was a 13 year old girl again who didn’t understand adults and their choices.
Along with all of that sad stuff, Hazel also meets and gains friends for the first time since losing her mum, AND there’s a mermaid myth that her friends are obsessed with. It’s a lot but so good.
Hazel’s understanding of love and family warmed my heart: “She keeps loving me anyway. Maybe that’s what real love is. Real family. Real friendship. Loving anyway.”
June 23, 2021
I was sobbing. This book was so good in portraying grief I loved it. I always love the author's writing and I'm glad this time the author still has the ability to make me cry. I just want to give every character in this book a warm hug.
June 12, 2023
I just had to hug the book close to my heart and cry when I finished reading it. I knew that I would love this book and that it would make me emotional because Ashley Herring Blake is one of my favorite authors and her middlegrade books are so special to me in ways I could never express in words. Especially The Mighty Heart of Sunny St James. But this one is just as important and beautiful.
We follow Hazel Bly who lost her Mum in an accident on the ocean where she was at as well. Her Mama, her little sister Peach and her have been moving around the last two years and not addressing or talking about her Mum and the grief and loss at all. In Hazel this manifests itself in a lot of anxiety and panic attacks and this internal determination to keep her sister and Mama safe. So when they move to this small town in a cottage on the beach right by the ocean and the next door neighbour Claire is an old friend and first love of her Mama she starts feeling even more anxious and feeling like her Mama is slipping away from her.
But Claire has a daughter Lemon who drags Hazel along to Ocean Club and introduces her to her best friends Kiko and Jules (nonbinary character who uses they/them pronouns and the conversations around this are beautiful 🥹 and even a little romance blossoms between Jules and Hazel which was so cute) but Hazel puts her walls up high being way too scared of being hurt again, losing them, moving away again that she doesn't want to make any friends. She doesn't allow herself to feel love, happiness, friendship. Because what if it all gets taken away from her again.
The way Ashley Herring Blake writes about grief in this book is so good (the only other person that I can think about that writes about grief in such a raw, honest but beautiful way is Nina Lacour) and the growth that Hazel goes through and conversations that end up happening between Hazel and her Mama and the healing they go through is just incredible 🥹 the healing is not linear, it's hard, it has stepbacks. But it's hopeful. It shows that when you have people around you who love you no matter what, if you try to stop blaming yourself for what happened, if you get professional help to guide you that you CAN heal and it's so hopeful. Hazel is valued, loved, wanted and when she started to see that herself as well I just had to take a deep breath and cry a little because that girl is in my heart forever now.
I didn't even mention how this book has so many buzzwords/tropes that I LOVE in books: set in a small coastal town in Maine during the summer, queer middlegrade, a 150 year old Mermaid myth that the town is obsessed with. A book about grief.
We follow Hazel Bly who lost her Mum in an accident on the ocean where she was at as well. Her Mama, her little sister Peach and her have been moving around the last two years and not addressing or talking about her Mum and the grief and loss at all. In Hazel this manifests itself in a lot of anxiety and panic attacks and this internal determination to keep her sister and Mama safe. So when they move to this small town in a cottage on the beach right by the ocean and the next door neighbour Claire is an old friend and first love of her Mama she starts feeling even more anxious and feeling like her Mama is slipping away from her.
But Claire has a daughter Lemon who drags Hazel along to Ocean Club and introduces her to her best friends Kiko and Jules (nonbinary character who uses they/them pronouns and the conversations around this are beautiful 🥹 and even a little romance blossoms between Jules and Hazel which was so cute) but Hazel puts her walls up high being way too scared of being hurt again, losing them, moving away again that she doesn't want to make any friends. She doesn't allow herself to feel love, happiness, friendship. Because what if it all gets taken away from her again.
The way Ashley Herring Blake writes about grief in this book is so good (the only other person that I can think about that writes about grief in such a raw, honest but beautiful way is Nina Lacour) and the growth that Hazel goes through and conversations that end up happening between Hazel and her Mama and the healing they go through is just incredible 🥹 the healing is not linear, it's hard, it has stepbacks. But it's hopeful. It shows that when you have people around you who love you no matter what, if you try to stop blaming yourself for what happened, if you get professional help to guide you that you CAN heal and it's so hopeful. Hazel is valued, loved, wanted and when she started to see that herself as well I just had to take a deep breath and cry a little because that girl is in my heart forever now.
I didn't even mention how this book has so many buzzwords/tropes that I LOVE in books: set in a small coastal town in Maine during the summer, queer middlegrade, a 150 year old Mermaid myth that the town is obsessed with. A book about grief.
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