Reading Blue Graffiti by Calahan Skogman felt like stepping into a quiet yet profound slice of life. Skogman’s ability to capture the soul of small-town America resonated with me deeply. Cash, the protagonist, is a character whose struggles and introspections felt intensely real. His connection to his hometown and his longing for something beyond the familiar hit close to home, especially as he navigated his grief and the magnetic pull of a new love interest, Rose.

What stood out the most was the lyrical quality of the writing. Every description of Johnston, Wisconsin—the fields, the bar, the quiet streets—felt like a painting coming to life. Skogman’s prose has a way of turning the mundane into something magical. The book isn’t just about romance; it’s about finding meaning in the ordinary, grappling with the past, and rediscovering oneself through relationships and the landscapes that shape us.

I found the pacing slow at times, but it felt deliberate—like an invitation to savor the details and reflect alongside Cash. The romance with Rose was understated, not the sweeping kind, but it was beautifully tender and authentic. For me, this book wasn’t just about the love story but about learning to see beauty and value in the life you’ve always known.

If you enjoy introspective, character-driven stories with poetic writing, Blue Graffiti is a gem worth discovering.

This is simply the case where I love the author and find him incredibly talented, but I was so expecting a style this literary. It is a beautiful style, but I feel a touch not smart enough to understand it.

I dont think this book is for me, I did both try reading it as a ebook and audiobook, but nothing really happens there. I mean it was really calming and beautifully written if I look at it as poetry, the thing is...I'm not the biggest fan of meandering books like that. I think it would definitely be more captivating for someone who loves good poetry, as it is really showing the point of view of slow small town life in the US.
I get that not much might happen there, but the drinking and the thoughts that go around and around in the main character Cash's head as he'd thought or percieve everything happening around him. It was also really hard to understand dialogue between people because it wasnt specified who said what at all.
Overall, this book was not for me. I did enjoy Calahan's narration and honestly was listening to it and got as far as i got (stopped around 60% read) because it was really calming and I had a long day driving around in my car and it was nice company for that. I dont want to rate it 1-2 ⭐️ just because this book wasnt for me because I truly believe that someone that enjoys more poetry will love this book a lot.

Skogman combines vivid imagery with compelling storytelling, creating relatable characters who navigate their struggles and aspirations. The narrative balances introspection and the raw energy of street culture, making it both thought-provoking and engaging.

This was out of my usual wheelhouse and makes me want to explore other genres more.

Calahan Skogman has written a beautiful story about a small town, the people and the beauty and tradgedy of ordinary life.

This ultimately was not for me. A slow slow look at a small town (maybe?) and some guys talking guy things but with no attribution as to who was speaking. So pages of dialogue and I was lost as to who said what. My kingdom for a "John said." I desperately wanted to like it because I loved the author in Shadow & Bone but I just could not.

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc.

I'm confused about how to review this book. On the one hand the prose was beautiful, but the story itself was not compelling nor did I find the characters interesting enough. Still, I think Calahan Skogman has a gift and hopefully his next venture will be better.

Plus this is how I find out the man is American and not British like the S&B cast.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an eARC of this book!

I am so incredibly sad that I didn't enjoy this no matter how hard I tried but I think it just wasn't the right time for this story. I did however push through and managed to finish it since I adore Calahan as an actor. Highly hope that I'll enjoy his future releases more than I did this!

I feel bad writing this review, since I kindly received this eARC through NetGalley, but in the name of being honest, I simply did not like it.

Let’s start with a positive, I think this book had a clear tone it was going for and stuck to it. Very meandering, small town, and low stakes.

Which leads me to my biggest criticism which was the plot. To me, nothing really happened in this book, and since it’s almost 400 pages, that makes it a bit of a drag to get through. The majority of this book is the main character contemplating about his life in this small town, Johnston and thinking about the people that live in this small town.

The writing didn’t particularly stand out to me either and the main character was not someone I connected with all that much, since his main interests were drinking, smoking and Johnston.

I’m sad I didn’t enjoy this more but I do think this is a book that could work for those ho want a low stakes small town literary fiction.

A wonderful debut from Calahan Skogman, not my usual read but it was very well written. Thanks to The Unnamed Press and NetGalley for the ARC!

i loved this so much i finished it in one sitting! the writing is so beautiful and i'm so excited to follow this author's career.

thank you so much to netgalley, the publisher and the author for the arc 🫶🏻

He is such a beautiful writer, I would have read a stream of consciousness blog from him. This isn't my usual genre but I'm glad he's writing!

This is such an impressive and beautiful debut novel. From the very first page. His lyrical prose and deeply emotive writing reveal the care and passion he poured into every word. This debut is truly something special, and I can't wait to see what he creates next!!!

blue graffiti is calahan skogman‘s debut novel and, what can i say, i really enjoyed it. while this genre is not what i read normally, the writing was so authentic and beautiful that after the needed time to get into the book, i was immersed into the story. while it is not very action packed, some of the passages about love or life or whatever were super memorable and well written! overall a very solid read and a great debut novel!!

This follows Cash, who lives in a small town, Johnston, whom he loves so much. All the memories, ever since he was small, all in Johnston. The people, the places, are the part of Cash's life. Never ever he thinks to move from Johnston or leave Johnston. Until, five years passed since his mom died and his dad left him alone. He felt rather empty, flat, and only has his brothers for life, and this new woman named Rose.
This story contains emotional rides, how he works on his relationship with the people in the town, friends, his love life, and forgiving.
I think it was a great story to tell. My favorite part is when Cash telling readers about his relationship with his parents. It got me teared up a little bit. I felt his warm love and it was very endearing to read.
Nevertheless, I sometimes felt it was a bit flat and kind of stoic. Especially, the dialogues. But what impressed me was although it kinda felt flat, Author successfully caught the emotions between characters and I could feel it.
I do think it can be more enjoyable if it can be edited more, I sometimes feel like it was dragging and I needed to push through.

Thank you NetGalley, The Unnamed press, and Calahan Skogman, for this e-ARC in exchange for a honest review

my acquaintance with Calahan is through Matthias, but my decision to request the ARC of his debut novel was driven by my profound admiration for his writing. his ability to infuse his written words with a myriad of emotions makes it easy for me to empathize with his characters and leaves me in awe of his literary prowess.

the editors wrote on their “Dear Reader” page that Blue Graffiti is a bluesy ode to small-town life. i love tragic, heartbreaking stories — be it specifically romance or just general slice of life, sadness leaves a deeper impression on me. feeling blue was what i expected most from this book. in the first chapter, i thought the bluesy would mostly come from sad love — unrequited, forbidden, dangerous, you name it. so, i unconsciously lowered my expectations (i instinctively do so regarding romance books). i’m glad to be proven wrong. oh, Cal, i shouldn’t have doubted you.

it’s so true to say this book is a love letter to Johnston. as someone who had never stepped on American soil, Johnston grew on me through Cal’s descriptions. it could be his own interpretation, or it might be the expectations he has of this city. either way, i envy having such a place you can always return home to. to live in a place for a long time and never once want to leave it despite all the bad memories? oh, i’d take the first chance that comes to me to leave this city i grew and (still) live in.

i envied Cash; i didn’t understand him at first.

as the story went on, it wasn’t only Cash who finally understood himself better; i felt i was by his side throughout his journey.

if i could highlight Cal’s writing, it could be one whole post alone. his writing is a poetic beauty – he can describe even the most ordinary things in such an artistic way. i could read his writing forever. perhaps this aspect alone could make this book my favorite.
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i’ve only found two male authors who can turn an intimate scene into a moment of worship; it’s Caleb and now Calahan. i mentioned this in one of my posts about how an intimate scene needs to be written so beautifully for me to be able to read it (personal taste & opinion, of course). i thought it’d freak me out to read an intimate scene written by men, but Calahan quickly earned my trust and respect. the way he wrote it made me feel safe to be around and read it. somehow, the respect the character shows also represents how Cal, as the author, respects women.
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i wish i could explain more, but i’m afraid i’d talk too much about it. to summarize this long rambling, this book offers me comfort, safety, and honesty. it validates the complicated feelings i harbor about my parents and the city i live in, feelings of love, frustration, and longing. it also reminds me that the world is vast; we just need to keep going. the emotional journey this book took me on is one i won’t soon forget.

Sorry, I tried, I really did, but I just couldn’t get into this book and I had to call it a day at the 60% mark. I don’t often DNF books, in fact I honestly can’t remember the last time I did, if ever. But I just couldn’t find the interest to carry on with this book. Sorry. It was written in a way that I felt was trying too hard to be stylistic and new, but it made it hard to get into the story, and the plot was lacking. I was expecting a love story, from the blurb, but this was depressing. Thank you netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read it.

I am already skeptical about celebrity books and while this one was poetic, it was also bleak and depressing and not a love story like they made it seem. It was also extremely long winded and tried to be an older version of the outsiders but failed. I mourned the hours lost in reading this book but saved myself money from going to one of his book signings so hooray I guess.

I couldn’t get though this book. I DNF’d at 40%. It’s giving drunk uncle telling you his life stories at a family BBQ. You desperately want to go hangout with all your cousins but your uncle hasn’t seen you in years. He started off with a life lesson at some point but it’s lost now. Is he just talking about his high school buddies? Your eyes keep wandering off to your cousins, all having fun, but your uncle doesn’t get the hint. He just keeps talking. Was this review long winded and generally about nothing? That tracks.

I wanted to like it. I’m all for small Midwestern town. Sign me up. But also, give me some plot with it.

Bleh! Not for me. I didn't realize this was written by a famous until after I finished it - kind of glad I didn't know, because now I know I truly judged this on the merits of it's writing and wasn't secretly judging it for being written by an actor.

I found this repetitive and slow. Little to no plot. A cloying voice that began to grate on me at about 15% in.