Violets Are Blue is about Wren, a sixth grader who lives with her mom. Wren watches Cat FX, an internet celebrity who teaches how to do special effects makeup to escape from reality. During Wren’s spring break, Wren flies to Brooklyn to see her dad who is getting remarried. However, when Wren moves to a new town with her mom, Wren is given the opportunity to do the makeup for her new school’s Wicked play. When Wren makes a new friend, Poppy, she is able to open up and share her thoughts with her. However, Wren starts noticing her mom’s unusual behavior. As she deals with these challenges, Wren finds out that her mom has a serious condition which cannot be cured.
I think that Violets Are Blue was overall a great book. I feel that the author, Barbara Dee, did a great job creating a character that is passionate about special effects makeup. Also, as I was reading this book, I felt that Wren’s challenges felt realistic and understandable. However, I was not a huge fan of the writing style of this book. I think that the book felt disconnected at points because of the writing style. My favorite character was Wren because she cared for her mom a lot. Usually in many young adult books, the main character is always opposed to their parents, but in this book, Barbara Dee did a spectacular job not implying that.
A memorable thing about this book is the part when Wren goes to visit her dad in Brooklyn. I think this is memorable because this was the starting of the plot and it was the beginning of a lot of the realistic events which take place in the book. If Wren hadn’t gone to Brooklyn, she also wouldn’t have realized that she was going through many life challenges.
Reviewed by Radhika, Twin Hickory Library
HCPL TeenScene's Read + Review 