Patrice is a brilliant writer and her stories are authentic and heart-warming. Would buy anything she writes always read her books – she never disappoints.

Wasn’t a huge fan of Lawrence’s debut, Orangeboy, so I put off this book for far too long considering I ended up absolutely loving it.

The relationship between Bailey and Indigo is very realistic, and I found myself rooting for them harder than I’ve rooted for most couples in YA that I’ve read this year.

Loved Indigo’s style and her music taste is impeccable, but I also loved the fact that Lawrence wasn’t afraid to show the way that childhood trauma can deeply impact upon people for a very long time – it isn’t something that you just grow out of or get over, and oftentimes the people who have been through that trauma don’t even know themselves how deeply they have been affected. Quite a predictable twist at the end of the book, but it was handled with tact.

Unfortunately I did not get on with this book and therefore cannot rate it very highly. I really struggled to connect with the characters and storyline.

An interesting story by a talented author. You find yourself rooting for the characters throughout the story and wanting so badly for things to work out.

I struggled to get into this book initially but having listened to the author at Hay I persisted and really enjoyed it. Many of the themes fit with my own personal experience which made it more poignant for me.

I could understand Indigo’s fears of hurting those around her, of being scared of becoming close to anyone. I could also understand Bailey’s wish to support her. 

Their relationship was sensitively portrayed.  It seemed real and believable. 

A hard read but a positive ending - a  real way forward for Indigo.

Another brilliant story from Patrice Lawrence. You can't help but feel for the characters, and root for them.

Another outstanding portrayal of teen life from an author of immense talent and vision.

Indigo is new to London, having lived in the foster system her whole life, she’s moved from school to school and has a tendency to lose her cool, especially when people bring up her mother. Bailey is a 17 year old boy in the same sixth form as Indigo. When the two meet, they instantly hit it off. All Indigo wants to know is who she is, as she doesn’t remember her parents and lost contact with most of her siblings. When Bailey gets contacted by a homeless man that seems to know more about Indigo than she does herself, he has to make a decision that may ruin his new-found relationship with Indigo.

I read Indigo Donut a month ago but I’ve been in such a blogging slump it has taken me forever to actually sit down and write this review, so I apologise for our lack of posts.

I hadn’t heard about Indigo Donut until it popped up on NetGalley, but I had heard of Patrice Lawrence and her award-winning debut Orangeboy. So, despite my over-growing list of eARCs I had to read, I requested this. And I’m really glad I did.

I’ve tried to actively read more UKYA this year than I have done in previous years, mainly because more of it has started to appeal to me – there are more published works by BAME authors. Indigo Donut was an emotive and compelling read that largely focused on the foster system, a rare topic in YA. That, along with the compelling characters with strong personalities and an interesting mystery, made this an enjoyable read. Indigo and Bailey’s personalities complemented and contrasted with each other really well. Indigo was angry and distant while Bailey was calm and wants to get close to people.

Overall, Indigo Donut is a compelling read that highlights important topics such as race, class, and other things that teenagers face. It also has a nice music element which I’m sure fans of music will appreciate. Overall, an engrossing read that I would highly recommend, especially for those looking for a diverse UKYA read.

From the author of Orangeboy comes Indigo Donut - another fast-paced contemporary, this time with the overtones of, rather than an overt debt to, a thriller. Lawrence tackles issues of class, social issues, foster care and dysfunctional relationships in the vein of Phil Earle and Tanya Byrne. She pays particular attention to Indigo's anger and violent outbursts, which she believes are an unavoidable family inheritance. Much of Indigo's attitude stems from her desire to keep anyone she cares about - like latest foster parent Keely, who seems like she's going to stick - 'safe' by allowing herself to be sent away from them. Bailey, on the other hand, is more naive and far more middle-class, with his own room full of guitars, which spells trouble for his infatuated crush on Indigo as he tries to protect her and gets involved in a pretty dubious quest on the orders of someone he barely knows. 

The spiky-naive dynamic between Indigo and Bailey is unusual and interesting for YA. The moments which focus on them as characters and individuals are the book's best, but with the basic premise difficult to invest in, it may leave readers scrambling to find a foothold. I was reading an advance copy, but it seemed almost rushed, like there were whole sentences or chapters missing which would have better built the narrative. It's dialogue-heavy and covered in slang, which will undoubtedly cause it to date quite quickly, and it's not for younger readers. The prose is very jerky and undeveloped, lacking the richness of description and warm pacing that make a top-notch contemporary.

A full version of this review will appear on my blog at a later date.

I really enjoyed Patrice Lawrence’s Orangeboy earlier this year and was excited to see what she had in store for us next. Indigo Donut did not disappoint.

Indigo has a tragic past that she’s unable to hide from: Bailey has a perfect looking middle-class life but there are secrets hiding beneath the surface. Although there’s attraction between the two, their differences make it hard for them to come together: Indigo can’t relate to Bailey’s happy family, and he can’t help trying to fix her broken one, with the help of a mysterious stranger who won’t leave him alone.

Indigo’s past was truly tragic and I felt so bad for her. After the violent actions of her dad, she’s convinced herself she’s inherited something evil from him that makes her a danger to those around her. Even in a stable foster placement with a loving foster parent and brother, she finds herself pushing them away and isolating herself.

Bailey has a much more stable home life, with his parents still together, although there are clearly problems there. I thought he was a really sweet character, and even though I knew it was wrong, I understood why he started meddling with Indigo’s family. It was well intentioned, even if it was misguided.

There’s a really great resolution to this story and I was so pleased to see something work out for Indigo, after everything she’s been through. Her and Bailey’s developing relationship was great: it wasn’t too love-at-first-sight, there was friendship and care in there and it felt refreshing to read.

This is an intriguing YA mystery with a sweet, tender relationship and wonderful messages on family and identity.

I absolutely loved Patrice Lawrence's debut novel Orangeboy, so when I had the opportunity to read Indigo Donut I jumped at the chance. I also bought myself a copy, because I knew it was going to be an amazing read. It really was! I think Patrice Lawrence has just become one of my auto-buy authors. Her writing is exceptional. Indigo Donut is everything I look for in a story. Gripping, many layers, complex and most importantly for me, it has great heart.

Indigo Donut is about a girl named Indigo who is in foster care. She is fed up of everyone thinking they know everything about her, due to being in the press after being found by her mum's dead body when she was a toddler. It was said that Indigo's father killed the mother. Her father was imprisoned. Some of the girls at Indigo's new school pick up on Indigo's background and use it to torment her. (These girls actually enraged me whilst I was reading!) But then Bailey's story line began to pick up! <3 Bailey is known for his ginger Afro and his 'cool' dad who happens to be a social worker. Bailey can't put up with the bullying and sticks up for Indigo. From that day on, Indigo and Bailey grow closer. Indigo's early life is a mystery and Bailey is intrigued, especially after a run in with a homeless man that seems to be stalking them...

I thought Indigo Donut was an absolutely stunning piece of fiction. It really explored family and identity. I grew to love both Indigo and Bailey throughout and loved following their stories and their relationship. I adored Indigo's foster mother. Patrice Lawrence really has a way of making you fall for her characters and root for them.

Patrice Lawrence's writing is simply beautiful. There was a wonderful analogy about a donut.

'She was like one of those donuts from the cheap shelves in supermarkets. Everything seemed all right until you bit into the middle and there was just nothing.'  - Indigo Donut

This quotation really spoke to me and completely sums up why I enjoy Patrice Lawrence's writing. I could absolutely imagine how Indigo felt about herself.

'Though when she was with Bailey last night, it was like there'd be something else inside her, something sweet and good. Not filling the space all the way up, but enough. You think there's nothing there and then the first splodge of jam hits your tongue. You just want to smile.'- Indigo Donut

<3 I just adore Patrice's writing. In just a few sentences, she totally captured Indigo's feelings and my heart. I can't help but rave about this book. It totally exceeded my expectations. More please!

2017 is year that’s asking us to question who we are. Where do we stand, what do we represent, who represents us and where do we belong. Fittingly then, young adult authors, notably influential amongst their demographic, are confronting this subject in their novels and presenting real stories which are relatable, believable and challenging. 

Patrice Lawrence’s follow up to the Bookseller’s Young Adult Book Prize winner Orangeboy, is an excellent example of the ways in which authors are using the genre to ask questions, make statements and represent their readers. 

It tells the story of Indigo, a young girl who has been pushed from foster home to foster home after an array of issues arising from a trauma suffered in childhood. Indigo finds at every school she is the most Google-able student and because of that, everyone thinks they know something about her. The same is true when she starts at a new school and becomes the target of the ‘mean girls’. Preparing to tough it out alone, Indigo is surprised to find an ally in Bailey, the school’s music-aficionado. He’s also used to being the target of others’ jokes – he’s mixed-race and is known for his ginger afro, so he knows something of what she is going through.

What starts as a tentative friendship – interspersed with Indigo’s belief that at any moment Bailey will abandon her – becomes a teenage romance which is neither sweet nor simpering nor too over developed. Bailey’s proximity to Indigo sees her growing in confidence and in self-belief but it could also prove dangerous… 

Bailey has been approached by a stranger from Indigo’s past who has information about a secret which could change everything she thought she knew… but is he well intentioned or is there something more sinister at work? 

In this novel, Lawrence has managed to find the perfect balance between teenage-romance and teenage youth-culture and issues which makes it an utterly compelling read. With characters both complex and intensely likeable, this is a real page turner that holds a contemporary relevance and, if one reads just below the surface, both sheds light on and throws into question cultural issues of identity, belonging and a sense of place in the world. 
A novel which is heartening and heart-breaking in equal measure, Indigo Donut is at its heart a story of transcendent friendship truth and a love of one’s city. A timely and thoroughly recommended read.

I loved this. Patrice has such a distinctive and accurate teenage voice. The story alternates between the points of view of Indigo and Bailey, two teenagers at the same school, from different backgrounds. Indigo is a foster child from a mother who has seven children, named after the colours of the rainbow - and was murdered by her husband, Indigo's father. 

Bailey is the son of a solidly middle class family - a family with a cat with a Japanese name, and a music room full of guitars. Indigo finds it hard to relate to his life, and Bailey finds it difficult to see past Indigo's violent past - especially when a homeless man with a connection to her, approaches him about her. 

This is a really important addition to the UKYA canon, one which is going to be a classic in years to come.

I have to confess to not having got round to reading 'Orangeboy' yet, so this was my first Lawrence read...and it won't be my last.
Touching story about identity and family, with a very believable romance between the two main characters. Though the story itself has the potential to uncover raw hurt, it's done with tenderness.

Another excellent YA novel from Patrice Lawrence, winner of the 2017 YA Book Prize. Indigo Donut completely engaged me with its story of a girl who witnessed the murder of her mother by her father as a child and has spent her life since then in care. Indigo is a really cool character, with realistic levels of complexity; I loved the way Lawrence made her taste in music, especially Blondie, central to her personality, and she's a very compelling and interesting character throughout. Indigo's backstory, which could easily have fallen into melodrama, is handled superbly, allowing the reader to understand and sympathise with the character; I was really caught up in the escalating revelations about her past and how these impacted on the present. I liked the friendship between Indigo and Bailey, as well as Indigo's relationships with her foster mother and brother. Lawrence covers some hard-hitting issues in Indigo Donut but never in a heavy=handed way; at times, the book feels far lighter in tone than the subject matter would seem to allow, which is a real skill. I recommend this to teen and adult readers alike.
Full review to be published at wildeonmyside.wordpress.com in July.

Tough themes are handled deftly & the writing is excellent but it's the wonderful, memorable characters at the heart of this love story that make it so riveting. Very good.