“Tangled Up In Blue” is a book by Marion Castella. It is quite the emotional rollercoaster of a story. It starts simple enough but quickly changes as the threads of the story begin to unfold and secrets are revealed. It twists into a larger conspiracy that leaves the reader worried that the two main characters may not be able to find a way to make it work out.
Luke is a talented piano player whose father is involved in a car accident, that leads to his death. Luke’s sister is convinced that there is more to the story than they are being told. But because their father is a black man, no one seems to care that he died and why he did.
While dealing with his emotions for this tragedy, Luke meets Santos, a college swimmer. The two are immediately drawn to each other and a strong affection starts to form between them. But Luke finds it difficult to get close to Santos. The more they learn about each other, the more Santos seems to pull away from Luke.
I was floored by how amazing this book was. I had to fight myself to put it down at night and go to sleep. Luke endures a lot through this story emotionally and finds a way to come out of it stronger. When the secrets around his father’s death come to light, Luke finds the strength to stand up and receive justice for him. I think most people would cower with fear, but Luke doesn’t. He risks his safety to get the truth out. With the help of Santos, he does that and finds closure for his father, while finding someone whom he can love and be loved back.
I recommend reading this book. It covers issues of race and homophobia engagingly. I look forward to Castella’s future books.
Available on Amazon
Esteban Q Mathieus 