Reviews with content warning for Death of parent - Think Again

Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

Think Again by Jacqueline Wilson

30 reviews

lateromantic's review against another edition

4.5

funny hopeful lighthearted reflective fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

the little easter eggs to other Jacqueline Wilson books are completely adorable!! and also kind of a flex, she is the queen with all these iconic reads under her belt

I really enjoyed it. It's interesting in this YA world to read the original queen of childhood books write for this new audience of adult easy-readers, but turns out a mildly spicy Jacqueline Wilson is what we all needed. I know it's a romance and you can tell the end from the beginning, but it was charming and full of kindness and anxiety and real-life issues, that special Wilson cocktail that makes books both easy and compelling and makes you come away with renewed confidence and optimism even though they confirm life is never easy.

Content Warnings

megelizabeth's review against another edition

4.0

emotional funny hopeful reflective

Plot or Character Driven: Character

"...he seems so sure I’m feeling exactly the way he does - while I’m veering off his yellow brick road and rushing back to Kansas as fast as I can."

As an OG Jacqueline Wilson stan, this didn't quite live up to my 5-star expectations, but I'm still so glad that we got this glimpse into Ellie's adult life and it was just such a fun and nostalgic (despite also being at some points slightly infuriating) reading experience. I adored getting to spend time with so many of the original characters again, I really liked the way it looks at mother-daughter relationships, and I absolutely loved the direction it ultimately ends up going in.

My main issue was that there's a very prominent storyline that takes up a LOT of page time and it's deliberately icky and uncomfortable but I just felt that, if it had to be included, it didn't have to be done at the expense of the other many great elements of the book that did at times feel a bit sidelined. However, my continuing overarching feeling is one of comfort from thinking that this was probably SO healing for Jacqueline to write <3

Here's to hoping for more sequels!!!

Content Warnings

ellieb1's review against another edition

3.75

emotional funny lighthearted reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: N/A

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Content Warnings

milliebluecapon's review against another edition

4.0

emotional lighthearted reflective fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

amyvl93's review against another edition

3.0

funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

I was beyond excited when it was announced that Jacqueline Wilson would be releasing her first novel for adults this year - and especially when it was announced that it would be picking up with Ellie, Magda and Nadine from her Girls series. My re-read of the series in advance of Think Again had me interested to see how their friendship would build and be stronger in their adulthood, and how they were all getting on decades later - unfortunately, Think Again didn't really answer too much of this.

We're back with Ellie, who is now 40 and working as an art teacher and illustrator, having been a single Mum to her daughter Lotte, whose off to university. Her friendship with Magda, now dating an older man with kids and trying to fit in with the Joneses, and Nadine, a model (?) who is yet to settle down, feels very on the periphery of this book. The main focus is Ellie's chance meeting with Alice, a woman at her local swimming pool who agrees to help her with a graphic novel, and her reconnecting with Gary aka Mr Windsor the Art Teacher.

Ellie still feels very much like her 13-year-old self which on the one hand was instantly nostalgic, and on the other felt a little bit stuck in time. I know I'm not 40, but I definitely felt that Ellie was overly mature in terms of both her vocabulary and way of engaging with the world - I don't know many 40-year-olds who are clueless when it comes to things like mobiles and the internet. In keeping with her younger self, she still feels a bit judgey of other people's choices which whilst true for a teenager felt a little tiresome as an adult.

As pure nostalgia bait I can't bring myself to give this too low a rating, I did find it super readable and I think there were some plotlines that were handled well (view spoiler), and it was nice to revisit some of the characters as adults - Russell turns out how you expect, and Eggs is a pleasant surprise. However, if this is the start of another new series I'm hoping for some better endings and editors.

Content Warnings