The best thing I can say about this book is, I’m not sure I understand it. Our character in her buttercream yellow swimsuit knows the world is blue. She’s depressed and crying and her tears won’t stop until she sweeps herself down the drain of the pool. She comes back from either the other side or a world of make believe. I’m not quite sure. There are so many different things this could be. This could be a child’s depression and trying to find the light. It could be suicidal thoughts and children, which I really hope it’s not. Wow I’m not the biggest fan of the words in the book because I’m not sure I understand them. I will say the artwork is top-notch and beautiful.

This book took me on an unexpected plunge, mirroring the protagonist's own dive into the depths of a seemingly ordinary swimming pool.

Our young protagonist, a swimmer, once felt at home in the pool, but now feels overwhelmed by its crowdedness. The feeling of claustrophobia leads her to envision a drastic escape: swimming to the deepest part and unplugging the drain. This act transports her to a murky, swamp-like world, reminiscent of a science fiction landscape, where she confronts and embraces all facets of herself. The author uses the crowded pool as a metaphor for the character's internal struggles, leading to a vivid, surreal escape into a science-fiction-esque swamp. In a particularly poignant moment, the swimmer even terraforms the swamp with her own tears, adding a layer of tragic depth to the story. Emerging transformed, her newfound confidence and cheer inspire others at the pool's surface.

This journey of self-discovery, while visually striking in its description, left me somewhat disoriented as to its connection with the initial setting. This book is a bold experiment in blending realism with fantastical elements, leaving the reader to ponder the precise nature of the transformation. While the narrative's surreal elements might have left me somewhat disoriented, I recognize that its unique approach may resonate deeply with other readers through their lived experiences. I applaud the author for their bold attempt at such a uniquely narrated book.

A beautifully illustrated book, this story tells of a sad little girl who imagines a different life. The imagery in the book is profound. This is a deep book for a child, but it is certainly meaningful and full of feeling.

It takes a little too long for the story to progress to the point where we realize the girl isn't depressed and acting on those impulses and instead just wants to play.

Unnaturally Blue hits deep in the feels with such a sad start for someone so blue internally, even bluer than the water she swims in with all of the people who could turn her day around if she'd just let them in and play a game. But soon, she finds a place in the water, deeper than the pool she's swimming in with lots of joyful bodies and finds some peace to remind her that she's stronger than she believes. When she imagines herself to be a sea creature, she emerges into the pool she started swimming in and imagines all of the swimmers as critters of the blue. They all have a joyful time when her mindset turns around. The illustrations were great, conveying the depth of her sadness to emerging happy-for-now. I enjoyed the various water dwellers that in real life I'd never like to encounter.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for providing the e-ARC for me to read. This book is about a girl who feels like she won't fit in. A journey to the unnatural place, deep under the pool in finding herself.

As an adult reader, I find this book very interesting. I spent hours admiring the illustration only!! It gives sureal feeling, somehow makes me a bit uneasy in the middle part of the book. Honestly speaking, the illustration makes it almost like a horror read for younger reader (in my opinion), probably because of the art style and the coloring (a bit too gloomy, I guess). But the proses are poetic, almost like nursery rhymes but make it for older children.