Another AMAZING book by Barbara Dee that really gets to the heart of what it means to be a middle school age child. Wren finds herself in creating complex makeup art and fits into a new school by being part of the school play and doing the main characters makeup. She is trying to navigate her parents recent divorce and her dad getting remarried and having twins and her mom not being herself. Wren knows her mom is upset about her divorce and that there is something going on but can't figure out what it is. She realizes it is an opioid addiction after her mom has to be sent to a treatment facility. Wren, an aspiring makeup artist, navigates new friendships, her parents recent divorce, her dads new marriage, and her mom’s unpredictable behavior caused by opioid addiction.

Wren feels torn between two homes-living with her withdrawn, single mom who works as a nurse, or with her dad and his new artist wife, pregnant with twins. Wren is fascinated with makeup and follows a certain makeup artist on YouTube, Cat FX. This new interest helps her create a new Wren. She even changes her name. Her mom said she needed a fresh start after the divorce-new town, new hobbies. Her mom likes when she uses her as a model for her special effects makeup and she feels supported in her interests. Her stepmom is more financially stable and keeps her supplies in stock. When Wren spends what mom believes to be an excessive amount of time on the computer, she threatens to take it away unless she starts being more involved at school.
Wren struggles to fit in and finds her niche when she is encouraged to do the makeup for the school production of Wicked. As she gets deeper into her craft, gets closer to having a friend, and builds a relationship with her stepfamily, she becomes increasingly worried about her mom. Things aren’t adding up with missed work shifts, late nights, secrets, hushed phone calls, locked doors, and hours spent in bed. Her mother’s knee injury seems like something more serious. Reality hits on opening night of the show when she learns that her mother has an addiction problem that can’t be masked by any amount of makeup. This was a heart-wrenching, realistic account of opioid addiction and middle school life. It will certainly be added to my classroom shelf as are all of Barbara Dee’s books.

I really loved this one! I loved Wren from the beginning! I think there are a lot of middle grade books out there right now that focus on divorce or parents separating and it is definitely a hard subject to express fully. But I think Barbara Dee does a great job of showing how this has affected Wren but also how she sees it affecting her mom. This is just a really beautifully written book that is a fast read.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

Figuring out who you really are and who you want to be in middle school is a HUGE challenge, but Wren has the added challenge of not getting to make any real decisions about her life because of her parents and other family problems.
Wren falls in love with stage makeup and revealing the real you instead of masking it thanks to YouTube MakeUp tutorials. Balancing newly divorced parents, new family, new school, new friends and her Mom's big secret is weighing heavily on Wren, but she manages to get through it all with a few close friends and deep connections.
Dee does an incredible job of writing real characters in challenging situations that deal with tough topics in an age appropriate way.

If you have not yet caught on that Barbara Dee is a brilliant writer, you are behind the times! She continues to produce modern, unique, and empowering stories that are important for middle grades students. I read Violets are Blue in one sitting. Many children could relate to living with divorced parents, travelling between two families for holidays, and trying to understand how to deal with their emotions for one parent when around the other. Barbara Dee weaves all of this together in the novel, Violets are Blue, telling the story of Wren whose parents divorce and father remarries as well as has twins with his new wife. Wren begins to watch her mother spiral in and out of control. Middle grades children will relate to this novel because Dee is able to connect readers to Wren’s life at home as well as at school. Wren is holding on to the one friend she feels she has while trying to navigate the always murky waters of middle school and not become an outcast. She doesn’t know how to manage her feelings, which is often the case in middle school, but Wren does have one hobby, applying special effects makeup, that helps her find a safe place and release for herself, as well as connect with her mom. Another great book from Barbara Dee with a relatable character to connect with middle grades children. Thank you to netgalley for the e-arc. #hope #empathy #findyourvoice #MGBookClub @Barbaradee2 #VioletsAreBlue #beautifulbookcover

Violets Are Blue is the story about Wren, a girl who loves make-up and learning how to create amazing creations by listening to her favorite artist. Her parents are divorced, and she lives mostly with her mom. She visits her dad and his new wife as well. Wren has been learning that her mom is not as dependable as she wants. Wren is left to spend a lot of time on her own and take care of herself. She does decide to become involved at school in the musical performance of Wicked. She comes out of her shell a bit more and makes some friends. There is an event that happens that changes everything for Wren and her family. This is a touching book, and we learn so much about Wren. She is such a strong character on so many levels. I think readers will love reading this book and discussing the topics in it.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Wren has experienced the divorce of her parents, a stepmom added to her family, a bully at school, and a move to a new town all in a very short amount of time. One good thing happens; Wren gains the friendship of Poppy at her new school. Through her internet idol, CatFX, Wren discovers her passion for creating special effects makeup. Her talent gets her noticed in the upcoming school musical, Wicked. However, home life with her mom is on a rocky road. Wren catches her mom in lies and other strange things are happening that center around her mom's job as an ER nurse. As Wren deals with her own issues and now her mother's, she will discover who she really is...her true self.
Barbara Dee does it again! This MG book brings to light an important issue in our society - opioid drug addiction. Ms. Dee presents this problem in a way that fits the age of the readers and brings the main character's growth to the forefront of the storyline.

This is a wonderful book about Dealing with substance abuse and addiction in a family. I think many readers - young and old - will get something out of this story. Barbara Dee once again hits it out of the park.