(2013) UQP / Knopf / Hot Key Books
Summary:
When a teenage girl disappears, a small town is awash with rumours: everyone is talking about the dress she wore, a midnight-blue dress made from the remnants of other dresses, a dress of stories ...
For her whole life, Rose Lovell has moved from town to town with her alcoholic father. When they wash up in a coastal sugarcane town, Rose wonders if this time it will be different.
At the local high school, Rose meets Pearl Kelly, who is popular, pretty and intent on tracking down her Russian father. When she convinces Rose to be part of the annual Harvest Parade, Rose must find a special dress for the occasion. She seeks the help of the eccentric Edie Baker, who knows all the town’s secrets and whose own family is a rich tapestry of stories. When Rose agrees to let Edie teach her to sew, she doesn’t realise that nothing will ever be the same again.
The Midnight Dress weaves an intriguing story of loss and longing to the very last page.
Awards:
- Winner: 2014 Sisters in Crime Davitt Awards - Best Young Adult Novel
- Selected for 2014 Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) list of Best Fiction for Young Adults
Reviews:
‘A beautifully crafted story that builds in tension to the final page.’
— Books Publishing 5-star Review and Top Pick
‘This impeccably weighted bildungsroman-mystery is a rare find that many readers will treasure.’
— The Big Book Club
“The writing is exquisite. A magical, painful tale about loyalties, truths and the cost of believing in yourself.’
— The Hoopla
‘This entrancing, clever novel begins with an ending and ends with a beginning.’
— The Advertiser
‘Smart, intricate storytelling loaded with genuinely teen concerns. Atmospheric, lyric and unexpected.’
— Kirkus Reviews
'Foxlee's storytelling has a lyrical beauty that reads like a contemporary fairy tale. This book of mystery, friendship, love, and loss left me with tears in my eyes and a bit of longing in my heart.'
— Publisher's Weekly
‘The layers are many; they coalesce into a dreamlike, eerie whole told in mesmerizing, sensuous prose.’
— Starred Book. The Horn Book Magazine
