Customer Reviews

Bright Purple: Color Me Confused (TrueColors Series #10)

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Melody Carlson has written the other nine books in the True Colors Series so that she could write number 10: BRIGHT PURPLE. Carlson keeps building on her topics that she chooses to be the frame for each book, and this time around, she has chosen to deal with homosexuality. But the approach she takes is different in this one - she does not write a story from the point of view of a person who comes out of the closet, but instead focuses on that person's best friend, who has to deal with this new revelation about her best friend. Oh, and did we mention that both of these girls have been attending church for years? And that both of them happen to claim they are Christians?

As the Christian community in general is beginning to talk more openly about homosexuality and how we should deal with the subject as followers of Jesus, BRIGHT PURPLE comes at a good time. Ramie, the main character of this book, has to deal with her best friend Jessica's confession to being a lesbian. This shocks Ramie, who now is beginning to wonder if she herself might be a lesbian. How does someone know if they are gay? How do you know if the people around you aren't or are? Ramie wonders through this questions, and as Jessica slowly lets out her secret to more and more people, she keeps getting poked at and made fun of, and it's escalating. Before too long, it will be fists that are flying, not just words. Soon Ramie has to choose - does she stand by her friend, or does she turn her back on Jessica for good?

On a story-level, this one does it all. The conflict is complicated for the main character - and all the conversations feel very real. Once again, Carlson does not tie things up neatly with a bow at the end, one of my favorite aspects of her books. There are still messy ends to the bow, which is the way it should be.

BRIGHT PURPLE deals with a very touchy subject in such a wonderful way - I wanted to applaud Carlson at the end. She takes the Biblical views of loving the way Jesus did, and what the Bible says about homosexuality, and blends them together in a way that really should be a wake-up to the Christian community at large - especially since so many look down on the homosexual community. What happened to loving people past the mess? What right do we have to make fun of homosexuals? We are all people - and we all need Christ's love and forgiveness - something Carlson does not fail to mention. Please check this one out. You can't not read this one. Why? Because it's about time someone said all this.

While enjoying lunch at the mall, Jessica LeCroix decides it's time to tell her best friend, Ramie Grant, what Jessica has known for a long while --- Jessica is a lesbian. Ramie, however, can't handle the news. Sickened, she excuses herself from the table, runs to the ladies' restroom and loses her lunch. With feelings of betrayal and hurt (and perhaps an inkling of what's to come), Jess passes Ramie's purse to her and immediately a line of division is drawn.

Ramie's initial reaction is denial, then disgust. She wonders how her formerly best friend (her best Christian friend) can "come out" with such an outrageous statement. Her imagination starts running rampant: Has Jess ever "felt" things for her? What about when they dress in the locker room for basketball practice? How does Jess square what the Bible says about homosexuality? Worse yet, will others think she's gay too?

Confused, Ramie distances herself in every way possible from Jess and makes a concerted effort to form alliances that put Jess on the outside. Ramie discusses the situation with her counselor mom, but doesn't get the answers she needs. Then, Ramie jumps into dating a boy with a "who cares" attitude as further "insurance" that others won't assume she's a lesbian by association.

In the tumultuous days and weeks following Jess's confession, everyone gets an education on how emotionally charged any topic of sexuality becomes. Ramie and Jess's church members, Jess's family, kids at school, the girls on the basketball team --- everyone weighs in with their thoughts and opinions. Sadly, most of what comes to the surface is ugly.

Even after Ramie secures for herself a "safe" social standing, she continues to feel conflicted about her rejection of Jess. Witnessing Jess get verbally abused finally forces Ramie to live out the tenets of her faith. She can love Jess as she always has and be her friend without agreeing with her stance on homosexuality. But will she?

Somehow, Melody Carlson has managed to craft a very plausible and realistic story in which faith and life choices collide. There's fallout to be sure, but she skillfully offers hope, good counsel and substantive challenge throughout.

--- Reviewed by Michele Howe.

Good but i think it might possibly have gone into a bit more detail about how bad Ramie felt after treating her best friend like trash just because she was different from her. But it was still as good read and I enjoyed the parts i read.

I love GLBT books. I was on a teen book forum where people were suggesting GLBT titles. This book was listed. I never read any of the other books of this series and I am not Christian but I found it interesting. While, I have no plans to read any other book in the series, I did in fact enjoy this one. Through most of the book, I couldn't stand Ramie, the only thing that kept me going was the hope she would become more accepting. She did but she isn't as accepting as she should be. She still thinks homosexuality is a choice and a sin. While not Christian I can counter act the Sodom and Gemorrah story and the hypocricies churches have over homosexuality but that is off-topic.

I hated that the author decided to show homosexuals as victims of sexual abuse. Sure some gays were sexually abused but the same is true for straight people. If she had to make Jess the victim of sexual abuse, couldn't she broaded the other gay characters to show that a person can have a happy childhood and still be gay? This stereotype of gay people has gotten out of hand.

I found this book interesting. It left me wondering about some things. If Ramie never became Christian, would she react the same way to Jess' sexuality?

The main character in this novel does not change, which is a simple fiction-writing and coming-of-age novel. The character Ramie does not develop a good understanding of homosexuality by the end of the book and the whole plot seems to revolve around an attitude of bigotry being more acceptable than being honest with oneself and others. I found it especially offensive to homosexuals as a very long homophobic rant. This story would not give someone in Ramie's position very much guidance, which is the general purpose of a book of this genre.

I read this either before or just as I was becomming to accept gay people and just starting to really question my own sexuality (I have since then become comfortable with the fact that I am gender queer and pansexual) So, it was several years ago, but I remember being really offended.

All I can really remember is that the lesbian girl was sexually manipulated at camp by her female cabin counselor. I remember being offended that it was SO implied that she was a LESBIAN BECAUSE SHE WAS COERCED INTO HAVING SEXual relations with another woman.

I think this really affected me and may have even pushed back my own acceptance of myself a couple of years because I was under the impression that I was queer because I had been physically, emotionally, mentally, and possiably sexually abused at a young age. I lived for years thinking that I wasnt REALLY gay, that NO ONE is REALLY gay, just confused because of tramatic events that happened to them.

I dont think this is a good book for any kids, teens, or young adults because they my be questioning there sexuality and this book may hurt them and confuse them even more.

The only people that should read this are just old christian adults that are not really truely accepting of gay people but want to make themselves feel better and give themselves a nice pat on the back.

Bright Purple is number eleven in a series about young teenage s who struggles with everday life. This book is about a s (Ramie) best friend who becomes a lesbian. She doen't know how to take that thats what her friend is. How would you take it? what is your best friend being a lesbian, what would you think, do, or say to him/her? God thinks that being a lesbian is bad he says to the sin but love the sinner. Ramie follows that but its really hard for her because Jess (her best friend) blames everything on her for what is happening in her life. Ramie is the the only Christian in her family and she can get only lonely sometimes. She lives with her mom who is a psychiatrist. Ramie's mom thinks that its okay if Jess is a lesbian her mom says she was "born like that" Ramie is stuck and she has no idea what to do. After a few weeks a boy (Mitch) steps into her life and she finnaly has someone to talk to about everything thats going on in her life. But then God steps into her life and she follows him to a happily ever after. But then something happens to Jes's best friend and all the lesbians think its her fault because he is a lesbian too and they think he did what he did because of Tamie making fun of him to a happily ever after. Ramie knows this isn't true at all so she prays to God for help. Mitch helps Ramie out some but not all the time the only one standing with Ramie (except for God) is her best friend BJ she knows all about Jess and stands with Ramie through this whole thing. And because they they were praying for Jess and asking a way to reach her to tell her being a lesbian is sin they found out the reason Jess becomes lesbian and they are stunned at what they herd. Ramie and BJ keep praying for Jess and hope to find a way out of this whole thing and in the mean time what they do is just what Jesus said the sin but love the sinner. They love on Jess and they just keep encouraging her to turn form being who she is to who they and God want her to be.