Reviews with content warning for Homophobia - The Boy in the Red Dress

When a woman is murdered in her aunt's speakeasy, 16-year-old Millie feels everything collapse on her shoulders. And the worst part? Her best friend, a drag performer, is the #1 suspect.

I really enjoyed this book. I love that the book is full of characters from the LGBTQIA community. Considering it's set in an older era, it's refreshing to see this.

The book is told from Millie's perspective. She is stubborn and proud, but would do anything to protect her friends. Marion is a character with a troubled past, who doesn't fully open up. Kitty Sharp is an ambitious and talented gossip columnist.

This story makes us reflect on the discrimination and privilege of certain communities. The fact that the main culprit was a drag performer, and the innocent were privileged rich people speaks volumes about the system.

I really enjoyed this book. Overall, I liked that it was a historical novel mixed with murder and a dash of romance.

CW: Graphic= Murder, Homophobia, Death. Moderate= Misogyny, Racism, Police brutality. Minor= Vomit, Alcoholism, Forced institutionalization

Content Warnings

ghostlyprince's review against another edition

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dark mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Content Warnings

anniereads221's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

Content Warnings

plumpaperbacks's review against another edition

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mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Where’s the hype for this book?? It’s a historical murder mystery with a majorly queer cast of lovable characters and a sapphic romance. Though it’s not action-heavy, it’s an ever-intriguing mystery that definitely deserves more hype. I loved Millie, Marion, Olive and Bennie. I loved the vibes of the book, and the way it kept me guessing until the very end. Although there were some slower spots, I was never bored. I would’ve liked a bit more from the ending, but it was still satisfying, and overall, I definitely recommend this book.

Representation

bisexual protagonist
gay side character
lesbian love interest of color
sapphic romance (f/f)
sapphic side character + couple
queer side characters
side characters of color

Content Warnings

eddine's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

love the setting and the mystery

the cloak and dagger felt liek my kind of safe space and i wanna be in it so bad

this book made my mind think on who the killer really was

i loved millie and her loyalty despite her abandonment issues

i loved lewis although i doubted lewis. im sorry lewis

i loved marion and how unapologetically himself he is

screw philip leveque

Content Warnings

mxfahrenheit's review

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adventurous emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Content Warnings

beautifulpaxielreads's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

Content Warnings

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