Jenna (Falling Letters)'s Reviews > Dress Coded

Review originally published 5 July 2020 at Falling Letters. I received a free copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Dress Code Enforcement

My instinctual response to the enforcement of the dress code in Dress Coded was that it’s a bit over top and leans almost into parody. It’s like every single bad story you’ve heard about dress coding happening at one school. Unfortunately, I’m sure there are schools just like Molly’s. The message and actions of Molly and co. will still resonate with any kid who’s been asked to cover their shoulders or change into longer shorts, even if it’s not been in as embarrassing or aggressive situations as at Molly’s school.

Speaking Out

Molly read to me as your average white middle schooler. She doesn’t stick out much. She doesn’t get into anything too exciting or risque. At first glance, she doesn’t seem 'interesting' enough to be a protagonist. But she sees an injustice and raises her voice about it. Dress Coded highlights what this generation of young students can achieve, with their keen sense of justice and access to new technologies.

I loved the relationship between the high school, middle school, and elementary school students. The high school girls are keen to support the middle schoolers, because they know what they’re going through and want to help them make a change. As well, Molly and her classmates will move to high school before administration enacts any changes, but they still want to make a difference for the elementary schoolers coming up.

Interestingly, dress coding is only a problem at Molly’s middle school. The high school doesn’t enforce the dress code. I wonder how common that it is? My own experience was reversed (i.e. dress code more strictly enforced at high school. Of course, that was 10+ years ago now…)

A Sibling with Addiction

Molly’s relationship with her older brother Danny forms a significant subplot. Danny’s in grade 11. He has a vaping addiction and has been selling to kids at Molly’s school. Molly has always had a difficult relationship with her brother, even before vaping entered the picture. She wants him to treat her like a big brother should – she wants kindness, friendship, support – but he treats her poorly and takes advantage of her desire for a good relationship with him.

This subplot is almost equal to the main plot. Their relationship isn’t perfectly resolved by the end of the story. There are steps forward and steps back. Molly learns that she’s not to blame for Danny’s treatment of her. I haven’t read many middle grade stories that depict imperfect sibling relationships, so I really appreciated that narrative. (Writing this makes me realize I wouldn’t say no to a YA novel from Danny’s perspective.)

‘Diverse’ Representation?

While there’s lots to love about this book, it isn’t perfect. A couple questionable moments stood out to me. A Black girl from Trinidad appears about 70% into the story to share her experience with a boy who wouldn’t stop touching her hair. The teacher told Talia she needed to fix her hair, instead of telling the boy to stop. Her story appalls Molly and co.; teachers and parents “listen with horrified expressions” and “shake their heads”. (As if the only racist experience Talia had at that school was with that one teacher…) While I think it’s good that this example of racism is included, I wish Talia had been a more fleshed out character and not just an example/lesson.

A more prominent character throughout the book is Molly’s friend Megan, who has cerebral palsy. We hear stories from when Molly and Megan were little. They hang out together. A few incidences address the bullying Megan experiences. It wasn’t until about 65% of the way through that I started to question if Megan's portrayal might be read as ‘inspiration porn’. This is when Molly directly asks Megan, “How are you still happy? How has all that horrible stuff not affected you?” Megan answers that her mom taught her not to give them her energy, which resonates with Molly. I think Megan is a well-rounded character, but I would like to hear from #ownvoices reviewers on this. While Megan’s portrayal may be problematic, I can say I would have liked Talia to have been a larger part of the story, like Megan is.

💭 The Bottom Line:With two story lines on keenly relevant topics converging on the point of a young girl learning to speak up and make a change, Dress Coded makes a strong addition to today’s contemporary middle grade. Pair with Maybe He Just Likes You.