Dress Codes for Small Towns

Reviewed by: Sarah Cropley - Scarborough Public Library, Scarborough, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: January 6, 2018

Review

Dress Codes for Small Towns tells the story of Billie McCaffery, the preacher's daughter in a small town in Kentucky. She and her five best friends, called the Hexagon, struggle with reconciling their teenage feelings, beliefs, and behaviors with the expectations of their town and their religion. Stevens writes with an authentic voice as Billie struggles with feelings for two or three of her best friends, relationships with her parents, and trying to be different in a town that seems to value being the same. Some readers may be frustrated with Billie's choices and the fact that Stevens chooses not to reveal who, if anyone, Billie ends up with. The novel also takes a while to get started, the first half of the book moved slowly, but the second half flew. However, there are precious few books that explore sexuality and gender expression in a small, Southern town, especially not with such respect and sensitivity. Despite some shortcomings, Dress Codes for Small Towns is a valuable choice for teen collections.

Overall Book Score: very good