Reviews

The Polka Dot Shop by Laurel Remington

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lawbooks600's review against another edition

lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

Representation: It's complicated.
Score: Six out of ten.

I wanted to read The Polka Dot shop for a while but I put it off for a few months until I saw it at a library and picked it up. It seemed like intriguing contemporary realistic novel set in the UK and targeted at a younger audience, at least according to the blurb, but when I closed the final page, it was okay.

It starts with Andy, whose surname remains undisclosed, recounting her life until when she discovers her school does not have a uniform anymore. Instead, it has adopted a free dress policy, much like American schools, but there's no exploration on possible dress code issues, so I must assume the rules are fair and non-discriminatory. Instead of focusing on that topic, the narrative instead concentrates on Andy still wearing her uniform, before eventually giving in and having to wear clothes from the secondhand clothing store her mother owns. There are a lot of Britishisms like the term GCSE, which non-British readers will not relate with.

I've seen storylines that revolve around fashion (typically women's) like this one in other books, but The Polka Dot Shop adds an original twist to it since it contains more vintage fashion, but even with that, I struggled to connect to this one, since I'm not part of the target audience. Andy irritated me with her snobbishness, and the only character development she went through is an appreciation of historical clothing, but other than that, not much of her changed. There are some subplots in The Polka Dot Shop, including ones about a side character with a physical disability and another one with an eating disorder but they only had a brief mention and were mostly in the background, letting Andy get most of the page time. Really? I would've liked to see more of that. I don't know what happens to the character with the eating disorder, though, did she change her ways? If she didn't, it sends a concerning message, saying it's okay to ignore mental health, and there aren't any support networks for her either, which would only make her life more difficult.

The climax is engaging as Andy's mother rebranded the store with a new name, The Polka Dot Shop, and a new building, but at that point I couldn't shake off the feeling I was underwhelmed.

Content Warnings

karenandherbooks's review

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4.0

Review
A determined young girl and her friends set on with determination to make something better in their lives.

I flew through it in a day, it was such an easy read.

This book is cute and inspiring and the world definitely needs more Andy's.
⭐️⭐️⭐️✨️

elatedbooks's review against another edition

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3.5

This made me feel really positively about the future of children’s literature & therefore the attitudes of future generations. I’ve been rereading a couple books from my childhood recently & am kind of shocked by some of their content so if this is the new direction we’re going in I’m all for it. I know that if I’d been exposed to this more inclusive & destigmatising kind of book when I was younger it would have helped me form more positive perceptions of social issues outside of the media and peers & therefore probably made me a better person quicker lol

shanameydala's review against another edition

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3.0

I'm a kick of finding UK middle grade and YA books, because I fell hard for Holly Bourne. Laurel Remington was recommended to me based on my purchase of a Holly Bourne book, so I picked it up. This is the story of 13-year old Andy, a young woman that appreciates fashion, but has a mother that very different taste in clothing. Her mother runs a second-hand clothing shop that Andy cringes over. An assignment in school inspires Andy to make some changes in the shop with the help of her friends and a young man.

This was cute and quick read. Laurel Remington captures young teens in a fun way without condescending, which I absolutely appreciate. I look forward to reading more books by Remington.

goldenbooksgirl's review

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4.0

This is the story of Andie, the daughter of a woman who owns a failing second hand/vintage clothes shop, as she attempts to overcome the dislike of vintage clothing borne from her school`s non-uniform policy and subsequent humiliation by the “fashion police” who disapprove of the items her mum brings for her in order to save her mum`s shop from closure. First of all, Laurel`s descriptive style of writing made learning about the different clothes, particularly the designer dresses that Andie uncovers, so fun and interesting as I could really picture them. Andie is very relatable, and the amount she loves her mum and the way she wants to make her happy despite their differences was touching to read. I also liked the secondary characters, and I especially enjoyed the fact that they were all well fleshed out, with their own problems and goals. The support Andie and her friends gave to each other in order to achieve their aims and the fun they have together was so nice to read about, and I liked their scenes together a lot, as well as those involving their new friend Thomas and how it was shown that it can be difficult to establish a friendship at first. I was rooting for them all to succeed of course, but seeing the shop develop and change was the best of all, and hearing Andie`s plans and seeing how she puts them into action made me admire her as a character even more. Finally, it was so fun to have a few small mentions of the characters from Laurel`s previous books in the Secret Cooking Club series! 4.5/5

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