Say No to the Dress

Gr 6 Up–Fourteen-year-old Miri is navigating a particularly awkward season of life, recovering from COVID-19 and adjusting to a sudden growth spurt. Her changing figure makes trying on clothes very stressful. To make matters worse, her complicated family is about to expand: both of her older half-siblings have announced their engagements. They each want Miri to be a bridesmaid, which means double the dress fittings. Some branches of the family celebrate Jewish traditions, and others are nonreligious. This tension provides an engaging backdrop to Miri’s story. The narrative attempts to juggle multiple themes such as body image, friendship, and the friction of blended families, but fails to explore most with significant depth. However, other developments feel unearned. For instance, Miri’s climactic wedding speech resolves a fear of public speaking that was never previously established, and a sudden passion for boxing is introduced and abandoned in a single chapter. However, Miri’s evolving view of “Toxic Tiffany” offers a bright spot, grounding the story in a satisfying subplot about finding friends in unexpected places. David employs leisurely prose and a casual tone that is easy to understand but also easy to put down. Originally published in the UK in 2022, the novel has a largely ambiguous setting, though some of the British references (like McVitie’s biscuits) may trip up U.S. readers. All characters cue as white.