Dress Codes for Small Towns

Courtney Stevens knows her way around words like she knows her way around souls. I wanted to stop and highlight so many beautiful sentiments, observations, descriptions, bits of dialogue, but I didn't want to stop reading. The Hexagon of teen characters was so empathetically portrayed in all their similarities and differences that they became real people I just haven't met yet. I imagine that Courtney knows what each of them carries in their pockets, which is their favorite pair of socks, and the dream they had last night--deep knowledge. As an older reader well out of my teens I appreciated the depictions of less than perfect but well-meaning, loving, and sometimes baffled parents. No easy-out of sending kids to boarding school--these kids have families, context, history. Of course, that's all about the vehicle. The story itself is a beautiful coming of age at a phase of life where there are far more questions than answers (does that ever end?) and the struggle to define oneself in the midst of history and expectations and assumptions is fully explored. I love and unconditionally recommend this book.

The good things about this book: it has representation of some lesser understood sexualities and it does get the small town feel - as someone who has lived in a small town and has lived in Kentucky, this is exactly what small town Kentucky can be like. The issues I had: for a good chunk of the book I was confused as to exactly what was going on, and why this and that were such big focuses of the book as a whole. I realized later that because the book does such a good job of portraying the small town where everyone knows everyone, you have to really become a part of the Hexagon before you can fully get into the story, or at least that's how it was with me. I can't give it five stars because I couldn't get immersed in it at first, but it was a nice story, and there were several things about the ending that I really, really liked.

Courtney Stevens has this beautiful ability to create relatable characters who undergo events most if not all of us endure. Her stories are woven in a simplistic yet dynamic style that keeps the reader wanting more. This is an author who is unafraid to have her characters ask the real, relevant questions about life, love, and God that we have more than likely asked ourselves at one point or another, and she is also unafraid to give her opinion on the matter without forcing it down your throat. Her stories are entertaining, realistic, and thought-provoking, and after you turn the last page, you're left with your heart warm and your brain contemplating your own answers to the questions the story poses. This is not the only story written by Courtney Stevens, and I suggest reading the rest penned by her too. You will not regret it.

Loved Billie and her Hexagon friends- she loved her hometown, her friends, but boy did she have internal questions that kept her second guessing throughout most of the book. I really liked Davey and his side story (esp the one about Billie as a mask wearing girl). A great read about small towns, clergy families, and the power and love that friendship nurtures, heals, and grows. I read this for #2jennsbookclub to be discussed Thursday, Dec 13 at 8PM EDT- it is a quick read so jump into it and JOIN us for a twitter chat that is absorbing

I love, love, love this book. I've read it several times now and it's the sort of book that I want to crawl into and never leave.Dress Codes for Small Towns is about love. Billie McCaffrey loves her friends, she loves her town, she loves her mom and dad... she's so in love with life, the book practically glows with it. It's impossible not to love her, and the things she loves, back! But sometimes love is messy. Billie may be in love with her two best friends who may be in love with each other. Her town may not love her as much as she loves it. And her dad's love feels conditional. It's a lot for a kid to deal with, but the book never becomes angsty; it's warm and cozy to the core. That's not to say there aren't real stakes here. Billie and her friends nearly burn down the local church, a beloved town festival is on the verge of disappearing forever, and the end of high school is approaching... some of Billie's friends will stay in Otters Holt after they graduate and some won't. It's a distressing time for these characters, but they meet these problems with an infectious passion.Billie is beyond clever and utterly charming, her friends are lovable goofballs, Woods and Janie Lee are adorable and Davey is a sweetheart, Otters Holt is idyllic and I want to move there ASAP, and the ruminations on sexuality, individuality, faith, and--of course!--love all fit together seamlessly. I will read this book again and again.

I think I needed this book a lot in high school. Even though the religious themes might’ve put me off, Stevens intertwined it as a positive sidekick to the LGBTQIA+ themes that are so often ignored in the world as a whole.Would recommend for a fun contemporary with true heart.

I absolutely love this book! It’s very relatable for teens and young adults living in small towns (especially LGBTQ+ and Goth/Alternative).I’m a Children’s Librarian in small town Appalachia and I bought a copy for our YA section after reading.

Great coming-of-age story with a lot of nuance. A small-town Southern girl explores her identity by testing physical and social boundaries, including gender identity, same-sex attraction, nostalgic traditions, and mostly accidentally setting fires to churches. I read this as an adult but it’s great for anyone who likes a good emotional conundrum or three.

This story follows a bisexual girl named Billie, who is the daughter of a priest in a small, religious town. It can be harsh growing up on the LGBTQIA+ spectrum in a religious area with small-town mentality, but despite Billie's reputation for getting into trouble, I really loved and appreciated how the town gave her a chance. There is so much to this story, between love triangles, and figuring out gender and sexuality, and getting a first taste at freedom - but this book also deals with being in unconditional love for a hometown that you might always have to fight to be accepted in. I loved the friend group, and the town traditions, the bi rep, and the gender and self-acceptance discussions. This is a perfect summery (or quarantine!) read and I highly recommend you check this out!

I don't think I've read a kinder and more loving book. The characters Stevens created are more real than reality and I needed more time with them and their world.

The book was in a good condition and the story was also something new. I loved it!

Beautiful book. 💫