Jacqueline Wilson is perhaps best known for the edgy, relatable characters we grew up with
from a very young age. Boisterous Tracy Beaker, mysterious Lily from Lily Alone and many
more were the role models we were given and their stories stay with us even today. It felt like
our anxieties and pre-teen angst were validated within the presentation of these characters.
Nothing was ever sugarcoated and, even as children, we were seen for our potential and
the inner workings of our young minds, rather than just for our age.
Writing more than 100 children’s and young adult novels, this meant that between 2000 and
2010, her books were the most borrowed from libraries. Wilson’s literature is timeless,
providing representation for children from all walks of life. Most notably, the Tracy Beaker
series that became a much loved TV show on CBBC was often a raw portrayal of what life is
like in care. If you ask any young adult (especially a girl!) who their favourite author was
when they grew up, it wouldn’t take you long to hear the name Jacqueline Wilson be added
to the mix.
Wilson’s literature is timeless,
providing representation for children from all walks of life.
Much to the excitement of millennials and Gen Z around the country, Wilson is back. Her
new book, Think Again, centres on the lives of three 40 year-old women, navigating sex,
relationships, divorce, and the other messy milestones that inevitably accompany adulthood.
Inducing a wave of nostalgia that will bring you to tears, the three women are none other
than Ellie, Magda, and Nadine – the three much loved characters from the Girls series (Girls
in Love, Girls Under Pressure, and Girls In Tears). Now they have adult problems but Wilson
cleverly maintains their individual personality traits such as the theme of eating disorders
and body positivity.
The most poignant part of this new release is the knowledge that Wilson’s own life
influenced her work. In 2020, she revealed that she had been living with her female partner,
Trish, for 18 years. This experience clearly shapes a queer love story in Think Again and
feels authentic to the theme of queerness rather than forced in to the storyline.
The most poignant part of this new release is the knowledge that Wilson’s own life
influenced her work.
Reassurance is really what we’ve always gone to Wilson for. There is real comfort in being
seen, heard, and then represented in a beautifully illustrated book and any kid who could
relate to a tumultuous home life, bullying at school, or self esteem issues will revel in the
knowledge that this warm feeling is resurrected in Think Again. The adult lives presented are
just as confusing, wonderful, unfair, unpredictable, and full of potential at 40 as they were
when we were rebellious, carefree eight year olds.
The nostalgia forced upon you is enough to make the strongest of readers well up with tears.
We grew up with Jacqueline Wilson, subconsciously saw her as an omniscient parent figure,
and it looks like her literature will be staying with us way into our adult lives.