Morgan Callan Rogers' debut novel Red Ruby Heart in a Cold Blue Sea is a beautifully written coming of age story that is poignant and moving. Florine Gilham’s carefree and sheltered childhood comes to an abrupt end with her mother’s disappearance while on her annual getaway with a girlfriend.

Until her mother’s disappearance, Florine lives a charmed life in a small fishing community on the coast of Maine. With her father falling apart and desperately trying to cope with her own grief, Florine depends on her small circle of friends and her paternal grandmother, Grand, as she enters into her tumultuous teen years. Grand is a practical, no nonsense, down to earth woman and Florine moves in with her when her dad turns to another woman for comfort.

The other constants in Florine’s life are her friends Dottie, Bud and Glen. Dottie is a close confidant who is always there for her yet she does not let Florine become mired down by her grief. While she is not as close to Bud and Glen as she is to Dottie, the two young men are always on the periphery of her life and when Florine experiences other losses, they provide unwavering support for her.

Forced to grow up too fast, Florine is sometimes rebellious and she does not always make the best decisions. Her relationship with her father is often contentious but they do eventually come to terms with one another. Carlie’s presence is felt throughout the novel and while we come to know bits and pieces of her character, she remains elusively out of reach both literally and figuratively.

Red Ruby Heart in a Cold Blue Sea is a compelling character driven novel told in first person from Florine’s perspective. The characters are well-drawn and appealing and the plot is engaging and realistic. Never bleak or depressing, there is a strong undercurrent of love and Morgan Callan Rogers deftly balances this sometimes heartbreaking story with wry and unexpected humor. The ending of novel is surprisingly hopeful as Florine finally begins to find her way. ( )

I am giving this 10 stars~ I bought this book at a used book sale for 50 cents.It is a signed hardcover.I have passed this one over so many times (regrettably)in the last 3 years.I am beginning to learn that the books I pass over are the best. This book is a coming of age story at the Maine shore in 1963. Borrowing a quote from one of the reviewers is is "powerfully evocative". This is a memorable story,one that will be living with me for a while. It is incredible to think that this was the author's FIRST novel. It is well written and the characters are wonderful.Unforgettable story of a group of youths and their school years,their friendships,heartbreaks and family stories as well.Adding to my list of favorites.Just ordered the sequel at my library. ( )

A story of 12year old Florine, daughter of a fisherman and living in a small Maine fishing village. Her mother whom she adores goes missing. This chronicles her teen years motherless, always hoping her mother’s disappearance is solved. This is not a young adult book. The writing as well as the story sucks you right in. I could not put it down. ( )

Not at all what I expected -- I did not realize it was a bildungsroman kind of novel. So I expected not to like it much, but it was actually enjoyable as a beach read, young chick-lit kind of book, good for the 16-24 yr old crowd, but not bad as an adult either. Nothing amazing, but it does move along quickly, does not nestle into the cliché characters that appear (they are more dynamic than that, and not complete stereotypes), and offers some reasonable perspectives on life.

As an audiobook, it was good -- good narrator, and the singular and chronological POV is helpful for all the stops and starts in a car. ( )

Not my cup of tea and I hate the title.

However, I did like that the book was about what happens to Florine and her father after the mother disappears and not about solving the mystery ofthe disappearance. ( )