The Blue Dress by Rebecca Morrison is the kind of middle grade novel that does not need to be loud to be powerful. It takes place in Ashbury Falls and follows Yasmin at the beginning of the teen years, that in between stage where you are still a kid, but you are expected to handle emotions and expectations that feel much bigger than you. Morrison captures that age with a steady hand. The school world feels familiar in the most honest way, the social rules, the constant self awareness, the way one comment can echo in your head long after it was said.
What made this book stand out for me is how layered Yasmin’s experience is. She is navigating friendships that shift and stretch, where loyalty, belonging, and self respect do not always line up neatly. The story understands that friendship pain at this age is not small. It can feel like your whole world is tilting. Yasmin has to learn when to speak up, when to step back, and how to tell the difference between being included and being truly cared for.
The Blue Dress also holds space for Yasmin’s identity as a Persian immigrant. Some classmates make hurtful, stereotyped comments about her Persian roots, and the book does not minimize the impact. Those moments are treated seriously without turning Yasmin into a symbol. She remains a full person on the page, not a lesson.
There is also an important emotional thread around body image and disordered eating. I appreciated that these themes are handled with compassion. The writing does not sensationalize, and it does not preach. It shows how pressure can build quietly, especially when a kid is already carrying so much, and how the harshest voice can sometimes be the one inside your own head. The story also explores a complicated mother and daughter relationship with nuance. Love is present, but it is tangled with fear, mixed messages, and the kind of pressure that can leave a kid feeling like she has to earn peace.
Without spoiling anything, a thread of family secrets adds depth and tenderness to Yasmin’s journey. It reinforces one of the book’s strongest truths, growing up often includes learning that the adults in your life have histories, and those histories shape the present.
If you are looking for realistic middle grade that feels honest, kind, and quietly brave, The Blue Dress is worth your time. It brings readers close to Yasmin’s inner world, and it offers hope that feels earned.
Get your Copy of “The Blue Dress”: https://bookshop.org/a/110077/9780374393601
To Learn more about Rebecca Morrison visit her website: https://rebeccakmorrison.com
