What do you think?
Rate this book
Brown Skin Blue
My mum's skin is white, my skin is brown and I have a blue birthmark.Two secrets rule my life. One is something I need to know and the other is something I need to forget. They won't let me go.Some people say you can't death roll with a beast that has already survived a million years and live to tell the story.Or can you?
228 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
1 person is currently reading
437 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
May 9, 2012
You don’t get many crocodiles in Manchester. I know, I know, I should have warnings when I drop bombs like that, shouldn’t I? I hope you weren’t drinking or anything… apologies if your computer is now a bit damp.
I think the closest I’ve ever come to a crocodile was on a school trip to Chester Zoo but… well, when there’s a place you can go where bats fly around your head, crocodiles don’t really register. I don’t know anything about crocodiles. And, while I’m talking about things that I don’t really know much about, I’ll admit I don’t know much about Australia’s Northern Territory. All of Australia to me looks like Jellicoe Road….and, um…. Ramsay Street*. I mean I’ve seen Crocodile Dundee and I am aware that Paul Hogan exists. Does that count?
Of course not.
So it may sound weird when I say that this book, which is about a seventeen boy who lives in Australia’s Northern Territory and works on a crocodile tour boat, is one of the most affective YA books I’ve read this year and, possibly, ever.
I first heard about this book when I read Mrs Scott’s fantastic review on her blog. I’d never heard of Ms Jeffrey before. I know there are a lot of authors who fly under the radar but seeing as I am all about the contemporary, I like to think that I have my finger on the pulse. I like to keep a look out for YA contemporary authors, especially ones from Australia because you know they are going to be good. So why I left this book on my bookshelf for so long, I have no idea, because I think that, on this book alone, Ms Jeffrey is up there with my favourite YA contemporary authors.
This book has everything we’ve come to expect from Australian YA. Fresh, raw dialogue. Fearless subject matters. A subtle humour that runs through the pages. Fantastic characters and….
Actually, I’m not going to describe this book in relation to any other book because I haven’t really read another book like it. I went into this book not really knowing what it was about and I’m so glad I did. I think with some books it’s OK to go into knowing about the plot but this one isn’t.
Instead, I’m going to talk about Barry, our narrator.
I always wonder why there aren’t many YA books with male narrators. They really are a rare commodity, aren’t they? I’m not saying that everyone should start writing books with male narrators willy-nilly, because actually, the thing that struck me the most about Barry wasn’t that he was a boy but that he was authentic. I never felt like I was reading a grown woman writing about a teenager, I felt like I was reading a book about a seventeen year old teenage boy. Maybe Ms Jeffrey can hand out lessons on how to write authentic teenage narrators to some authors. Actually, no. She definitely should because then that would mean I would only have to read books written that feature narrators that I actually care about.
Again, it’s sad that is a rare commodity.
But I really cared about Barry and, as I flicked through my notes before writing this review, I realised he’s one of those narrators that people like me say cliché things about. He’s been through a lot. He’s broken but he’s strong. It’s so refreshing to find a narrator like him. He’s going to stay with me for a long time.
But, as ever, I stand by my clichés. All of the above. A thousand times yes. I loved Barry Mundy and he’s probably the only person who could get me on a boat in crocodile infested waters. That means a lot.
It’s difficult to talk about this book without alluding to spoilery plot points. I will say that it’s not an easy book to read, not at all, especially when I connected with Barry so much. It was difficult to see Barry go through everything he did. It’s heavy, it’s powerful, it’s uncomfortable but, most importantly, it’s not sentimental. I loved how Ms Jeffrey took a step back from Barry’s story, judging the distance perfectly so the reader wasn’t completely alienated but was prevented from getting too close and being told what to think and how to feel. I think this is where Ms Jeffrey excels. This book could have ‘emotional manipulation’ stamped all over it but luckily, Ms Jeffrey knew what she was doing and her writing did all the talking. Cliché, maybe, but she had me completely captivated, lump in my throat, e-mail open so I could send rambling e-mails to Anna with sentences like “OMG, WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN!?!”
Barry’s narration is so matter-of-fact and passive and it broke my heart so many times I’ve lost count.
Sure, I wanted to get closer because I wanted to see that Barry was OK and… well, ok yeah, I wanted to give him a cuddle too, but I loved how things were left unsaid. Problems were left unsolved. Characters that were OK in the beginning were lost at the end. Everything was still messy, but while I wouldn’t say it was a happy ending, I’d say this book had the perfect ending. I found myself holding my breath right along with Barry Mundy and when I read the final page, there was a certain kind of peace and acceptance that things just might be ok in the end… eventually.
I also absolutely adored the setting. It was bleak, isolated and the earthy tone of the story perfectly framed the book’s main theme: finding your place in the world and making sense of it. How can you feel significant when you’re surrounded by vast amounts of nature that has survived for millions of years?
Ms Jeffrey’s descriptions of Barry’s surroundings paired with the eccentric and colourful characters he meets was extremely powerful and truly gave me the feel of what ‘off-the-beaten-track’ Australia is like. I don’t think this book would have worked half as well as it did if it was set in suburbia or in an Australian high school.
I had this great idea of writing about six paragraphs about the exploration of nature and the beautiful and heart-wrenching metaphors that. But I forgot that I don’t have to do that anymore because I’m not getting marked on this review (AM I?!). Also, why should I make you sit through my writing when I can use something that Ms Jeffrey penned?
And that’s just one out of about fifty quotes I picked out. This whole book is practically re-written in my note book accompanied by sad faces and ‘ohhhhh!’s.
Because that’s what reviewers do, yes?
I don’t have enough space to write all the praise I have for this book, so I’m going to stop here.
Go and buy this book.
Read it.
Tell Barry I say hi.
I think you’ll like him.
*It was either watch Neighbours or do my uni degree. Toss a coin?
You can read this review and lots of other exciting things on my blog, Wear the Old Coat.
I think the closest I’ve ever come to a crocodile was on a school trip to Chester Zoo but… well, when there’s a place you can go where bats fly around your head, crocodiles don’t really register. I don’t know anything about crocodiles. And, while I’m talking about things that I don’t really know much about, I’ll admit I don’t know much about Australia’s Northern Territory. All of Australia to me looks like Jellicoe Road….and, um…. Ramsay Street*. I mean I’ve seen Crocodile Dundee and I am aware that Paul Hogan exists. Does that count?
Of course not.
So it may sound weird when I say that this book, which is about a seventeen boy who lives in Australia’s Northern Territory and works on a crocodile tour boat, is one of the most affective YA books I’ve read this year and, possibly, ever.
I first heard about this book when I read Mrs Scott’s fantastic review on her blog. I’d never heard of Ms Jeffrey before. I know there are a lot of authors who fly under the radar but seeing as I am all about the contemporary, I like to think that I have my finger on the pulse. I like to keep a look out for YA contemporary authors, especially ones from Australia because you know they are going to be good. So why I left this book on my bookshelf for so long, I have no idea, because I think that, on this book alone, Ms Jeffrey is up there with my favourite YA contemporary authors.
This book has everything we’ve come to expect from Australian YA. Fresh, raw dialogue. Fearless subject matters. A subtle humour that runs through the pages. Fantastic characters and….
Actually, I’m not going to describe this book in relation to any other book because I haven’t really read another book like it. I went into this book not really knowing what it was about and I’m so glad I did. I think with some books it’s OK to go into knowing about the plot but this one isn’t.
Instead, I’m going to talk about Barry, our narrator.
I always wonder why there aren’t many YA books with male narrators. They really are a rare commodity, aren’t they? I’m not saying that everyone should start writing books with male narrators willy-nilly, because actually, the thing that struck me the most about Barry wasn’t that he was a boy but that he was authentic. I never felt like I was reading a grown woman writing about a teenager, I felt like I was reading a book about a seventeen year old teenage boy. Maybe Ms Jeffrey can hand out lessons on how to write authentic teenage narrators to some authors. Actually, no. She definitely should because then that would mean I would only have to read books written that feature narrators that I actually care about.
Again, it’s sad that is a rare commodity.
But I really cared about Barry and, as I flicked through my notes before writing this review, I realised he’s one of those narrators that people like me say cliché things about. He’s been through a lot. He’s broken but he’s strong. It’s so refreshing to find a narrator like him. He’s going to stay with me for a long time.
But, as ever, I stand by my clichés. All of the above. A thousand times yes. I loved Barry Mundy and he’s probably the only person who could get me on a boat in crocodile infested waters. That means a lot.
It’s difficult to talk about this book without alluding to spoilery plot points. I will say that it’s not an easy book to read, not at all, especially when I connected with Barry so much. It was difficult to see Barry go through everything he did. It’s heavy, it’s powerful, it’s uncomfortable but, most importantly, it’s not sentimental. I loved how Ms Jeffrey took a step back from Barry’s story, judging the distance perfectly so the reader wasn’t completely alienated but was prevented from getting too close and being told what to think and how to feel. I think this is where Ms Jeffrey excels. This book could have ‘emotional manipulation’ stamped all over it but luckily, Ms Jeffrey knew what she was doing and her writing did all the talking. Cliché, maybe, but she had me completely captivated, lump in my throat, e-mail open so I could send rambling e-mails to Anna with sentences like “OMG, WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN!?!”
Barry’s narration is so matter-of-fact and passive and it broke my heart so many times I’ve lost count.
“I just felt the road keeping on in front of me and I followed it.”
“I’m like a river without a name. Flowing through life because that’s what I do without knowing where I’ve come from and where I’m going. There’s beasts that have made a good home in me, too.”
Sure, I wanted to get closer because I wanted to see that Barry was OK and… well, ok yeah, I wanted to give him a cuddle too, but I loved how things were left unsaid. Problems were left unsolved. Characters that were OK in the beginning were lost at the end. Everything was still messy, but while I wouldn’t say it was a happy ending, I’d say this book had the perfect ending. I found myself holding my breath right along with Barry Mundy and when I read the final page, there was a certain kind of peace and acceptance that things just might be ok in the end… eventually.
I also absolutely adored the setting. It was bleak, isolated and the earthy tone of the story perfectly framed the book’s main theme: finding your place in the world and making sense of it. How can you feel significant when you’re surrounded by vast amounts of nature that has survived for millions of years?
“You can’t roll with a beast that has already survived a million years and live to tell the story.”
Ms Jeffrey’s descriptions of Barry’s surroundings paired with the eccentric and colourful characters he meets was extremely powerful and truly gave me the feel of what ‘off-the-beaten-track’ Australia is like. I don’t think this book would have worked half as well as it did if it was set in suburbia or in an Australian high school.
I had this great idea of writing about six paragraphs about the exploration of nature and the beautiful and heart-wrenching metaphors that. But I forgot that I don’t have to do that anymore because I’m not getting marked on this review (AM I?!). Also, why should I make you sit through my writing when I can use something that Ms Jeffrey penned?
“When you stand and look out at the river, you wouldn’t know they were there. The crocs, that is…. But once you know there are crocs in there- plenty of the beasts- it changes the way you look at it. The water is somehow deeper, menacing. Alive and dangerous. It’s another world with power and intrigue, disguise and desperation. And in some places, it’s war.”
And that’s just one out of about fifty quotes I picked out. This whole book is practically re-written in my note book accompanied by sad faces and ‘ohhhhh!’s.
Because that’s what reviewers do, yes?
I don’t have enough space to write all the praise I have for this book, so I’m going to stop here.
Go and buy this book.
Read it.
Tell Barry I say hi.
I think you’ll like him.
*It was either watch Neighbours or do my uni degree. Toss a coin?
You can read this review and lots of other exciting things on my blog, Wear the Old Coat.
March 28, 2011
Brown Skin Blue is one of those unassuming books that caught me unaware - by the time I had finished with it I knew I had read something extraordinary.
Barry Mundy (who everyone calls Barramundy) has a secret - which the reader knows, but no one else does - it's a secret that means journalists are tracking him down and that gives him nightmares. A secret that robbed his childhood and a secret that has bigger ramifications that Barramundy has yet to discover.
Barry (seventeen) is on his own in the hot town of Humpty Doo. He manages to score a job with Top End Croc Jumping Cruises - showing tourists the deadly crocs. He's living in Humpty Doo Hotel and keeps a piece of paper on his fridge - it's a list:
Teabag. Toucan. Stumpy. Lovejack. Boomboom.
The five names his mother gave him - having nailed down the five possible men that could be his father.
Setting: The story takes place in Humpty Doo, in the Northern Territory. Just like the richness of the setting in Lucy Christopher's Stolen, Jeffries achieves a similar brilliance with immersing the reader in top end Australia, which is like a country of it's own with it's own breed of resilient and colourful characters. I've never been to Darwin or the Northern Territory so I really appreciated how well the setting was painted in my mind through Jeffrey's words.
Among the characters are the rag-tag crew working at the Top End Croc Tours and a girl, Sally, who likes Barramundy but also has her own secrets.
Each character has their own story and Jeffrey doesn't hold back or sensationalise the way it is.
The plot unravels at a steady pace which did not quite prepare me for the astonishing climax. The story follows Barramundy while he's with the gang on the croc cruise, nights spent having drinks at Humpty Doo Pub and time in his room with Sally. He's wondering about his father and thinking about his mother who he left behind. And - he's trying to out-run childhood scars.
Approaching the climax, I had a sudden sense of where Jeffery was taking the story and I wanted to stuff my fist in my mouth and not let it be true. All the threads came together so masterfully that to say it was poignant seems like too pretty a word for something so powerful.
Recommended: Brown Skin Blue is a book that could be read in schools - strong in themes such as identity, hope, belonging, community, family, legacy and forgiveness- it's a coming of age story unlike one I've read before. It's a story both tragic and triumphant that will linger long after the last page has been read.
Random stuff to love:
Character's names which added to a real sense of Australian Top End authenticity like McNabm Blue, Boof, and Teabag Jones and Stumpy Johnson.
Crocodile facts. And other fascinating info snuck in at the ends of chapters. I mean, who knew? A grade Crocidile Skin is worth $7.40 per centimetre
The crocs all have their own personalities and stories that match their names. There's Albert, Mavis, Bluster, Elvis, Robot and Scoop.
Brown Skin Blue was short-listed for the 2009 WA Premier's Award
(The 2009 winner was Liar by Justine Larbalestier)
Judge's comments: Belinda Jeffrey Brown Skin Blue
Definitely for the older end of YA spectrum and quite gripping, Brown Skin Blue is topical and well written. There is some shocking content in these pages, but it is powerfully and appropriately drawn. This is challenging subject matter to write, and Jeffrey has handled it very well.
Barry Mundy (who everyone calls Barramundy) has a secret - which the reader knows, but no one else does - it's a secret that means journalists are tracking him down and that gives him nightmares. A secret that robbed his childhood and a secret that has bigger ramifications that Barramundy has yet to discover.
Barry (seventeen) is on his own in the hot town of Humpty Doo. He manages to score a job with Top End Croc Jumping Cruises - showing tourists the deadly crocs. He's living in Humpty Doo Hotel and keeps a piece of paper on his fridge - it's a list:
Teabag. Toucan. Stumpy. Lovejack. Boomboom.
The five names his mother gave him - having nailed down the five possible men that could be his father.
Setting: The story takes place in Humpty Doo, in the Northern Territory. Just like the richness of the setting in Lucy Christopher's Stolen, Jeffries achieves a similar brilliance with immersing the reader in top end Australia, which is like a country of it's own with it's own breed of resilient and colourful characters. I've never been to Darwin or the Northern Territory so I really appreciated how well the setting was painted in my mind through Jeffrey's words.
Among the characters are the rag-tag crew working at the Top End Croc Tours and a girl, Sally, who likes Barramundy but also has her own secrets.
Each character has their own story and Jeffrey doesn't hold back or sensationalise the way it is.
Tyson shakes his head. 'Dad left when I was a kid.'
The way he says it makes me feel cold and tight in my throat. he couldn't be more than nine of ten and I'm suddenly sitting beside him wondering how long it's been since he thought of himself as a child. It's like I'm sitting next a version of myself at the same age. Lost between a childhood that might never have been and a sea of nothing in between. Grown up and ground down too quick. p175
The plot unravels at a steady pace which did not quite prepare me for the astonishing climax. The story follows Barramundy while he's with the gang on the croc cruise, nights spent having drinks at Humpty Doo Pub and time in his room with Sally. He's wondering about his father and thinking about his mother who he left behind. And - he's trying to out-run childhood scars.
Approaching the climax, I had a sudden sense of where Jeffery was taking the story and I wanted to stuff my fist in my mouth and not let it be true. All the threads came together so masterfully that to say it was poignant seems like too pretty a word for something so powerful.
"I'm a boy in a river of tears never cried and I have my own cards to play. I have been in this moment all my life.
There's one last story I have to let go of." p 197
"Riddick's the man I want to be. He's broken, he's done things he's not proud of, but he's had the guts to conquer everything. He's survived." p 103.
Recommended: Brown Skin Blue is a book that could be read in schools - strong in themes such as identity, hope, belonging, community, family, legacy and forgiveness- it's a coming of age story unlike one I've read before. It's a story both tragic and triumphant that will linger long after the last page has been read.
Random stuff to love:
Character's names which added to a real sense of Australian Top End authenticity like McNabm Blue, Boof, and Teabag Jones and Stumpy Johnson.
Crocodile facts. And other fascinating info snuck in at the ends of chapters. I mean, who knew? A grade Crocidile Skin is worth $7.40 per centimetre
The crocs all have their own personalities and stories that match their names. There's Albert, Mavis, Bluster, Elvis, Robot and Scoop.
Brown Skin Blue was short-listed for the 2009 WA Premier's Award
(The 2009 winner was Liar by Justine Larbalestier)
Judge's comments: Belinda Jeffrey Brown Skin Blue
Definitely for the older end of YA spectrum and quite gripping, Brown Skin Blue is topical and well written. There is some shocking content in these pages, but it is powerfully and appropriately drawn. This is challenging subject matter to write, and Jeffrey has handled it very well.
October 13, 2011
Anyone who assumes young adult fiction is all fluff and nonsense (we all know it is anything but, but many do not, or don't really want to know) should pick up this book and get completely lost in it. They really should.
I was a bit worried about starting this - I had the good fortune to attend a recent YA workshop run by the author - she was brilliant - encouraging and really inspiring, but part of me felt I wouldn't be able to completely enjoy the book because I'd been given an insight into the thought processes behind it. Is this a common worry? Anyway, I was being slightly ridiculous, because the writing is so damn good, I had no problem whatsoever getting lost here and had a fair few problems trying to find my way out again.
On the face of it, this is pretty bleak stuff. Barry is the recovering victim of a paedophile, struggling to come to terms with his past as he embarks on his sexual maturity. He decides he need to fill in the blanks of his family history and sets off to discover the identity of his father, escaping into fantastical story-telling when the reality never lives up to what he hopes.
Yes, weighty stuff, I think you'll agree. But as with most of the more serious, thought provoking reads, there is always a heavy dose of hope to get us through the rougher stuff. The balance here is just right - the author doesn't shy away from any of the more controversial material, and so she shouldn't, and Barry's pitch perfect matter-of-fact voice makes this all the more heartbreaking.
I love different story-telling devices and they're used to great effect here. Barry's thoughts on his potential father figures translate into fables reminiscent of those told in his childhood. This adds adds an ethereal layer to the stories, bringing together the themes of memory and fantasy. Just brilliant.
The supporting characters are all skillfully put to good use, fellow lost soul Sally, in particular showing us how everyone has a story to tell and a secret to hide.
Just such an Australian book (and this is a major compliment, by the way) - the dusty setting, the dialogue, the vulnerability to the forces of nature, the isolation. I could almost smell the muddy river!
I was a bit worried about starting this - I had the good fortune to attend a recent YA workshop run by the author - she was brilliant - encouraging and really inspiring, but part of me felt I wouldn't be able to completely enjoy the book because I'd been given an insight into the thought processes behind it. Is this a common worry? Anyway, I was being slightly ridiculous, because the writing is so damn good, I had no problem whatsoever getting lost here and had a fair few problems trying to find my way out again.
On the face of it, this is pretty bleak stuff. Barry is the recovering victim of a paedophile, struggling to come to terms with his past as he embarks on his sexual maturity. He decides he need to fill in the blanks of his family history and sets off to discover the identity of his father, escaping into fantastical story-telling when the reality never lives up to what he hopes.
Yes, weighty stuff, I think you'll agree. But as with most of the more serious, thought provoking reads, there is always a heavy dose of hope to get us through the rougher stuff. The balance here is just right - the author doesn't shy away from any of the more controversial material, and so she shouldn't, and Barry's pitch perfect matter-of-fact voice makes this all the more heartbreaking.
I love different story-telling devices and they're used to great effect here. Barry's thoughts on his potential father figures translate into fables reminiscent of those told in his childhood. This adds adds an ethereal layer to the stories, bringing together the themes of memory and fantasy. Just brilliant.
The supporting characters are all skillfully put to good use, fellow lost soul Sally, in particular showing us how everyone has a story to tell and a secret to hide.
Just such an Australian book (and this is a major compliment, by the way) - the dusty setting, the dialogue, the vulnerability to the forces of nature, the isolation. I could almost smell the muddy river!
March 21, 2016
“I’m like a river without a name. Flowing through life because that’s what I do without knowing where I’ve come from and where I’m going. There’s beasts that have made a good home in me, too.”
I love Jeffrey’s writing. Darwin as the setting was vividly combined with Barry’s intense voice as the protagonist. Barry struggled with the disconnection between how others see him and how he perceives himself in relation to his mixed Aboriginal identity. This book also re-affirmed my fear of crocodiles. Prehistoric predators indeed.
I love Jeffrey’s writing. Darwin as the setting was vividly combined with Barry’s intense voice as the protagonist. Barry struggled with the disconnection between how others see him and how he perceives himself in relation to his mixed Aboriginal identity. This book also re-affirmed my fear of crocodiles. Prehistoric predators indeed.
September 17, 2010
What a great Australian book. I loved every page, some of which were so poignant I experienced multiple moments of writer's envy. Belinda Jeffrey's voice is distinct and her prose subtle. She's created a dinky-di, Aussie story that is full of memorable characters and rich detail. I could hear the broad accents of Barry's mates and feel the oppressive heat of Darwin and the top end.
Brown Skin Blue is a fantastic coming of age tale as well as a story of redemption. Although some tough issues--child sexual abuse in remote communities and fatherlessness--are dealt with, Jeffrey handles the subjects with great sensitivity and insight.
I'd recommend it to readers who want the heartbeat of Australia to pulse in their ears long after they've turned the last page.
Brown Skin Blue is a fantastic coming of age tale as well as a story of redemption. Although some tough issues--child sexual abuse in remote communities and fatherlessness--are dealt with, Jeffrey handles the subjects with great sensitivity and insight.
I'd recommend it to readers who want the heartbeat of Australia to pulse in their ears long after they've turned the last page.
January 11, 2017
2.5 stars
Whist I don't think I was the ideal audience for this book, I did enjoy the obvious Aussie feel of it all. Barry, a teenage boy with brown skin, a blue birthmark and a white mother is on a journey to find his father and hoping it will take him further away from his troubled childhood.
Slow paced, it fits with the laid back Australian outback, with the occasional salt water crocodile featuring, adding some much needed focus and interesting facts!
I can understand why Brown Skin Blue was short-listed for the 2009 WA Premier's Award, I just have to admit it wasn't really my cup of tea.
Whist I don't think I was the ideal audience for this book, I did enjoy the obvious Aussie feel of it all. Barry, a teenage boy with brown skin, a blue birthmark and a white mother is on a journey to find his father and hoping it will take him further away from his troubled childhood.
Slow paced, it fits with the laid back Australian outback, with the occasional salt water crocodile featuring, adding some much needed focus and interesting facts!
I can understand why Brown Skin Blue was short-listed for the 2009 WA Premier's Award, I just have to admit it wasn't really my cup of tea.
Want to read
April 28, 2012My best friend lives in Humpty Doo, and I love it out that way. She lives on a huge bush block with a tiny jacuzzi in the middle of it. We drink cocktails and watch the wallabies hop by. It's one of those rare times you REALLY know you're in Australia!
December 13, 2023
Potentially this should have been great....family, abuse, poverty, finding yourself, friendship.
To me, I felt it didn't rock my socks.
To me, I felt it didn't rock my socks.
February 19, 2011
This book. This book. This book. This book. This book. This book. THIS BOOK.
Brown skin blue - Belinda Jeffrey
This book is amazing. Truly amazing. Lik omg guyss.
What is it with Australian authors? THEY’RE ALL BLOODY AMAZING.
‘Brown skin blue’ is the story of a young adult trying to find out who he is, and where he comes from. After leaving his Mother, he lives in a hotel called ‘Humpty Doo’ and works at a crocodile-feeding tourist exhibition.
This is not your average ‘journey’ book. It’s been done so well, and so clever I just can’t believe it. Belinda Jeffrey is extremely talented.
The way it’s written is incredibly simple. Easy language, yet complicated issues. I can find so many quotes in here that are inspirational and mean something to so many people, it’s fantastic.
The characters are gorgeous! I said above that their’s heaps of quotes, and most of them come from dialogue. What makes it so special and mean a lot more is that the characters are so basic. As in, the people themselves are just your average people, work all day in the sun then have a nice beer to end the week. And yet, they say the most wonderful and touching things that it feels natural and meant-to-be. It really makes you think that you don’t need to pay for top psychiatrists or people with fancy degrees and such. You can find hope in just your average guy, that hasn’t necessarily studied the mind and what makes people work, but has experienced it first hand. These are the people you should seek help from.
This book isn’t something I would call a ‘page turner’. When I said that to my dad he said ‘so it mustn’t be a very good book then?’ No, Dad, you’re wrong. It’s a beautiful book that teaches you more about life than any self help books you find in the non fiction section. So it’s not action, it’s just like watching someone go about their life. It’s personal. It makes you smile and sigh once you’ve finished a chapter. And I wouldn’t want it any other way.
Anyway, I’m going to give this book a 50/50. I could not honestly think of any reasons to deduct marks, so there’s the score.
So pretty much, next time you’re in the library, or in the book store, pick up this book.
YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT.
-
””
I’m nothing
I’m no one.
It’s just not happening.
I’ve done that before.
If anyone can survive this, I can. And it occurs to me that I’m the only one that could. I have everything that’s required. Dark skin. No shirt. And enough fear to know to play dead. It’s all been there when I look in the mirror; dirty, dark, serious. It’s just bark, that’s what it is, and if that’s what I see, then that’s what the crocs see, too. Just the flaky protection of something hard inside, snapped off from it’s roots and floating free to nowhere and anywhere. If I was a man in the movies I’d be thrashing around against the injustice, trying to prove my strength over nature and adversity - and I’d be dead in a second, no matter what size my bulging muscles, but I’m not. I’m a boy in a river of tears never cried and I have my own cards to play. I have been this moment all my life.
Brown skin blue - Belinda Jeffrey
This book is amazing. Truly amazing. Lik omg guyss.
What is it with Australian authors? THEY’RE ALL BLOODY AMAZING.
‘Brown skin blue’ is the story of a young adult trying to find out who he is, and where he comes from. After leaving his Mother, he lives in a hotel called ‘Humpty Doo’ and works at a crocodile-feeding tourist exhibition.
This is not your average ‘journey’ book. It’s been done so well, and so clever I just can’t believe it. Belinda Jeffrey is extremely talented.
The way it’s written is incredibly simple. Easy language, yet complicated issues. I can find so many quotes in here that are inspirational and mean something to so many people, it’s fantastic.
The characters are gorgeous! I said above that their’s heaps of quotes, and most of them come from dialogue. What makes it so special and mean a lot more is that the characters are so basic. As in, the people themselves are just your average people, work all day in the sun then have a nice beer to end the week. And yet, they say the most wonderful and touching things that it feels natural and meant-to-be. It really makes you think that you don’t need to pay for top psychiatrists or people with fancy degrees and such. You can find hope in just your average guy, that hasn’t necessarily studied the mind and what makes people work, but has experienced it first hand. These are the people you should seek help from.
This book isn’t something I would call a ‘page turner’. When I said that to my dad he said ‘so it mustn’t be a very good book then?’ No, Dad, you’re wrong. It’s a beautiful book that teaches you more about life than any self help books you find in the non fiction section. So it’s not action, it’s just like watching someone go about their life. It’s personal. It makes you smile and sigh once you’ve finished a chapter. And I wouldn’t want it any other way.
Anyway, I’m going to give this book a 50/50. I could not honestly think of any reasons to deduct marks, so there’s the score.
So pretty much, next time you’re in the library, or in the book store, pick up this book.
YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT.
-
””
I’m nothing
I’m no one.
It’s just not happening.
I’ve done that before.
If anyone can survive this, I can. And it occurs to me that I’m the only one that could. I have everything that’s required. Dark skin. No shirt. And enough fear to know to play dead. It’s all been there when I look in the mirror; dirty, dark, serious. It’s just bark, that’s what it is, and if that’s what I see, then that’s what the crocs see, too. Just the flaky protection of something hard inside, snapped off from it’s roots and floating free to nowhere and anywhere. If I was a man in the movies I’d be thrashing around against the injustice, trying to prove my strength over nature and adversity - and I’d be dead in a second, no matter what size my bulging muscles, but I’m not. I’m a boy in a river of tears never cried and I have my own cards to play. I have been this moment all my life.
December 16, 2016
This novel is slow to get going and the storyline sometimes seems aimless. I nearly abandoned it several times. But the pace (or the doubt its slackness raises re where the narrative’s going) perfectly suits the tropical top-end setting and the unsettled narrator: fatherless 17-year-old Barry, his Indigenous blood betrayed by his skin, who reluctantly sets out on a quest for his origins, armed with his white mother’s list.
Brown Skin Blue is the third young adult novel I’ve read in three decades (omitting a couple of classics the YA banner has appropriated), and each of the three exemplifies a different type of denouement. The first, by a female author with a female narrator, is a themed romance: damaged teen faces her demons and, presto, formulaic happy ending. The second is a male-authored, male-narrated satire, and though I kept hoping the protagonist would wake up, it’s already too late from the opening of this sci-fi dystopia, and the tragic ending continues to resonate. Not typical YA fare.
While not as overtly accomplished as the latter, Belinda Jeffrey’s debut, Brown Skin Blue, achieves something altogether more rare. A writer friend gave it to me so I was curious, not realising that she hadn’t gotten past the paedophile theme at the start. In contrast, the crocodile theme pulled me in, and the juxtaposing of both predators – past and present, human and reptile – promised to be at least educational. But better yet, it’s also original.
Though I found the resolution of the mystery predictable, the stunningly written and heart-stopping climax more than rewarded my persistence. And the close of this female-authored novel with its male narrator (kudos to Jeffrey for taking a risk that paid off: the voice is convincing) is neither happy nor sad but open-ended and transcendent. What Barry thought was a curse saves his life. So often, otherwise five-star novels subside into three-star endings or worse – maybe due to too much or not enough editorial help? But this got better as it built towards its unforgettable five-star finale.
Brown Skin Blue is the third young adult novel I’ve read in three decades (omitting a couple of classics the YA banner has appropriated), and each of the three exemplifies a different type of denouement. The first, by a female author with a female narrator, is a themed romance: damaged teen faces her demons and, presto, formulaic happy ending. The second is a male-authored, male-narrated satire, and though I kept hoping the protagonist would wake up, it’s already too late from the opening of this sci-fi dystopia, and the tragic ending continues to resonate. Not typical YA fare.
While not as overtly accomplished as the latter, Belinda Jeffrey’s debut, Brown Skin Blue, achieves something altogether more rare. A writer friend gave it to me so I was curious, not realising that she hadn’t gotten past the paedophile theme at the start. In contrast, the crocodile theme pulled me in, and the juxtaposing of both predators – past and present, human and reptile – promised to be at least educational. But better yet, it’s also original.
Though I found the resolution of the mystery predictable, the stunningly written and heart-stopping climax more than rewarded my persistence. And the close of this female-authored novel with its male narrator (kudos to Jeffrey for taking a risk that paid off: the voice is convincing) is neither happy nor sad but open-ended and transcendent. What Barry thought was a curse saves his life. So often, otherwise five-star novels subside into three-star endings or worse – maybe due to too much or not enough editorial help? But this got better as it built towards its unforgettable five-star finale.
January 21, 2010
This was a great read about a young man who is on a quest to figure out his identity and where he belongs and what he should be doing with his life. A nice story about being lost and finding your way.
Read
October 3, 2010Young adult novel about a young man whose mother has white skin, he has brown and a blue birthmark. Beautiful coming of age novel set in tropical northern Australia in Darwin with crocodiles featuring. Shocking beginning that sets the tone.
October 5, 2010
not the best book in the world but i still kind of liked it
December 6, 2010
Belinda Jeffrey is an awesome Australian writer. This book is so vividly brought to life. I loved it.
February 19, 2011
4.5/5
not the lightest read, but extremely compelling, and I felt like I was in Humpty Doo with the characters.
Lovely writing.
not the lightest read, but extremely compelling, and I felt like I was in Humpty Doo with the characters.
Lovely writing.
September 25, 2011
Great story about Barra! Touchy subject to bring up but I think Belinda has done a brilliant job of creating fantastic characters to tell the story.
September 19, 2012
3.5 stars, mainly attributed to a very likeable main character, the great descriptions of the Australian outback and the symbolism.
December 13, 2012
Very strong images and an interesting, different plot and perspective. Thought the narration was a little unrealistic at times though.
May 27, 2015
Finished on the plane back to Sydney from Cairns :) YAY. Not the most impressive book but tackled some interesting issues e.g. aboriginality and very surprisingly set in OZ.
Read
December 24, 2011Such a powerful story. Beautiful.
Read
August 5, 2011Intense, intimate and intriguing. Also hopeful, which is always good.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews