The Blue Line Letters

A 2025 Foreword INDIES Finalist in Young Adult Fiction

A Multnomah County Library Best Teen Book of 2025

Colorful locals, a smart girl from school, and an enigmatic character known as the Prophet. Seventeen-year-old Ty is stuck riding Portland’s MAX Blue Line every day of the summer before his senior year, but what could be a boring commute turns into a discovery of human nature, an exploration of Ty’s own inner thoughts, and opportunities to make new friends. Equipped with official summer assignments—to read Jane Eyre and write about what he learned over the summer—Ty also picks up a few unofficial assignments, including making astute observations about his fellow MAX riders and the colorful world around him, and recording what he sees in a series of letters addressed to his teacher Ms. Warne. Now, if he could only capture the attention of his high school classmate Janie who also rides the Blue Line.

From one end of the Blue Line to the other, from old wounds to new love, and all the stops in between, Ty gains a deeper understanding of human behavior, community, and even the inner workings of his own heart. The Blue Line Letters is a coming-of-age story, a love letter to mass transit (and Portland), and a comical, heartfelt ride that readers won’t want to disembark.

Steven Christiansen is a writer and high school counselor. Originally from St. Anthony, Idaho, Steven gravitated toward books and literature from a young age and taught high school English in the Portland area for fifteen years before transitioning into a counselor role. A coming-of-age story about the power of relationships and community, The Blue Line Letters is the author’s debut young adult fiction novel and the Multnomah County Library Writers Project 2023 choice, as well as the Distinguished Favorite of the 2024 Independent Press Award. When he’s not working, Steven enjoys spending time with his wife, a playwright and director, and their four children. He loves mass transit and otters.