Violets Are Blue by Barbara Dee

Release: October 12th 2021
Format: Hardcover, eBook
Publisher: Aladdin
Source: Rockstar Book Tours
Find it at: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD, Bookshop.org

From the author of the acclaimed My Life in the Fish Tank and Maybe He Just Likes You comes a moving and relatable middle grade novel about secrets, family, and the power of forgiveness.

Twelve-year-old Wren loves makeup—special effect makeup, to be exact. When she is experimenting with new looks, Wren can create a different version of herself. A girl who isn’t in a sort-of-best friendship with someone who seems like she hates her. A girl whose parents are together , and doesn’t have to learn to like her new stepmom.

So, when Wren and her mom move to a new town for a fresh start, she is cautiously optimistic. And things seem to fall into place when Wren meets potential friends and gets selected as the makeup artist for her school’s upcoming production of Wicked.

Only, Wren’s mom isn’t doing so well. She’s taking a lot of naps, starts snapping at Wren for no reason, and always seems to be sick. And what’s worse, Wren keeps getting hints that things aren’t going well at her new job at the hospital, where her mom is a nurse. And after an opening night disaster leads to a heartbreaking discovery, Wren realizes that her mother has a serious problem—a problem that can’t be wiped away or covered up.

After all the progress she’s made, can Wren start over again with her devastating new normal? And will she ever be able to heal the broken trust with her mom?

About the Author:

Barbara Dee is the author of twelve middle grade novels published by Simon & Schuster, including Violets Are Blue, My Life in the Fish Tank, Maybe He Just Likes You, Everything I Know About You, Halfway Normal, and Star-Crossed. Her books have earned several starred reviews and in many best-of lists, including the The Washington Post’s Best Children’s Books, the ALA Notable Children’s Books, the ALA Rise: A Feminist Book Project List, the NCSS-CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People, and the ALA Rainbow List Top Ten. Barbara lives with her family, including a naughty cat named Luna and a sweet rescue hound named Ripley, in Westchester County, New York.

Violets Are Blue Review:

Let me start by saying I love how the author wrote this book. The characters in the story are neither good nor bad, and the author portrays them realistically. For instance, Wren does not instantly hate Vanessa or her father when she sees them together. She gets along nicely with Vanessa, which I thought was a fantastic start to the tale.

Speaking of Wren, I thought she was a wonderful character. She goes through many changes and family issues, and I thought she handled them very well. From Annika, Isla, and Raleigh to her friendship with Poppy and Kai, it was nice to see how she juggled school with her family affairs. I adored Poppy and how she was a fun influence on Wren.

The highlight of the story, however, was Wren’s relationship with her mother. The mother is the most flawed character in the tale, and I felt she was so self-centered at times as she doesn’t consider Wren’s feelings. Wren’s mother goes through mood swings and depression because of her divorce from Wren’s father and doesn’t handle it well. I felt the author depicted their relationship perfectly.

Moreover, I enjoyed how the author added the theme of makeup as the backdrop to the story. Wren’s passion for trying on special effects makeup as she sees videos by Cat FX inspired me to see a few such videos myself. It was also fun to see how Wren worked with the tech crew for the production. On a side note, I also enjoyed the references to Wizard of Oz and Wicked.

Overall, “Violets Are Blue” is an emotional contemporary middle-grade novel that highlights how a parent’s emotions affect their child’s mindset, and I found it a profound read.

Giveaway Details:

3 winners will receive a finished copy of VIOLETS ARE BLUE, US Only.

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I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the Violets Are Blue by Barbara Dee Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!