Dress Codes for Small Towns
English
By (author): Courtney Stevens
A Golden Kite Honor Book of 2018 * A Kirkus Best Book of 2017
A poetic love letter to the complexities of teenage identity, and the frustrations of growing up in a place where everything fits in a boxexcept you.David Arnold, New York Times bestselling author of Kids of Appetite
Courtney Stevens firmly reasserts herself as a master storyteller of young adult fiction; crafting stories bursting with humor, heart, and the deepest sort of empathy.Jeff Zentner, 2017 Morris Award Winner for The Serpent King
Courtney Stevens carries us into the best kind of mess: deep friendships, small town Southern gossip, unexpected garage art, and unfolding romantic identity.Jaye Robin Brown, author of Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit
As the tomboy daughter of the towns preacher, Billie McCaffrey has always struggled with fitting the mold of what everyone says she should be. Shed rather wear sweats, build furniture, and get into trouble with her solid group of friends: Woods, Mash, Davey, Fifty, and Janie Lee.
But when Janie Lee confesses to Billie that shes in love with Woods, Billies filled with a nagging sadness as she realizes that she is also in love with Woodsand maybe with Janie Lee, too.
Always considered one of the guys, Billie doesnt want anyone slapping a label on her sexuality before she can understand it herself. So she keeps her conflicting feelings to herself, for fear of ruining the group dynamic.
Except its not just about keeping the peace, its about understanding love on her termsthis thing that has always been defined as a boy and a girl falling in love and living happily ever after. For Billiea box-defying dynamoits not that simple.
Readers will be drawn to Billie as she comes to terms with the gray areas of love, gender, and friendship, in this John Hughes-esque exploration of sexual fluidity.
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