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3.36 AVERAGE
3.36 AVERAGE
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
funny
hopeful
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
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
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
I would definitely say there were moments that made me cringe so bad and some of the writing was off but overall a really really good book so gentle and inspiring it was a lovely read.
funny
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Although parts of this book were slightly cringey, the whole thing to me felt like a nostalgic warm hug. I became just as invested in Ellie as I was when I was a child reading the Girls series. Gary can royally get in the bin though, he’s up there as one of my most hated male characters!
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
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:
N/A
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
oh no.
i was really looking forward to reading this, when she first announced a grown up book of characters i had liked as a kid was coming out, i couldn’t wait! but this… this was not it.
i just found it so… dull. there was no coherent plot line, the character development was almost nonexistent and there were no defining moments that stood out for me (and that is including the ‘big’ twist- which i imagine everyone saw coming!) i did feel like i was just making my way through the book rather than enjoying any of the ongoing ‘storylines’.
Ellie felt like her 14 year old self had been trapped inside the body of a 40 year old. now i’m not denying that i do replicate some of my childish behaviours (and i am 28 years old currently), but i am nothing like my 14 year old self. i have grown up a considerable amount and it just felt like Ellie hadn’t. She was still making comments about her friend’s appearances and lives, she was being horrible to and about her dad (even after he gave her a generous gift!) and she was complaining about being alone even when she had made a new friend and got a love interest. i found her attitude towards a lot of issue such as her dad being clearly depressed or her eating behaviours were incredibly immature. Ellie just felt like she hadn’t experienced anything to make her into a 40 year old and that in fact she had woken up one day aged 40 and wrote it down.
i hated Ellie’s relationship with Mr Windsor (and i loved Love Lessons when I was a kid…). it was a pointless relationship and obviously only included to tie it back to the original books. He was awful and it ruined the character from back in the day. if jacqueline wilson were going to focus on a relationship, i wish it had been her one with alice (because again, who didn’t see it coming?!) because by the end there was no pay off. it was rushed and i felt let down by the ending.
sometimes things are better left in the past and i wish this had been one of them. i am nervous about the sequel to the illustrated mum now :/
i was really looking forward to reading this, when she first announced a grown up book of characters i had liked as a kid was coming out, i couldn’t wait! but this… this was not it.
i just found it so… dull. there was no coherent plot line, the character development was almost nonexistent and there were no defining moments that stood out for me (and that is including the ‘big’ twist- which i imagine everyone saw coming!) i did feel like i was just making my way through the book rather than enjoying any of the ongoing ‘storylines’.
Ellie felt like her 14 year old self had been trapped inside the body of a 40 year old. now i’m not denying that i do replicate some of my childish behaviours (and i am 28 years old currently), but i am nothing like my 14 year old self. i have grown up a considerable amount and it just felt like Ellie hadn’t. She was still making comments about her friend’s appearances and lives, she was being horrible to and about her dad (even after he gave her a generous gift!) and she was complaining about being alone even when she had made a new friend and got a love interest. i found her attitude towards a lot of issue such as her dad being clearly depressed or her eating behaviours were incredibly immature. Ellie just felt like she hadn’t experienced anything to make her into a 40 year old and that in fact she had woken up one day aged 40 and wrote it down.
i hated Ellie’s relationship with Mr Windsor (and i loved Love Lessons when I was a kid…). it was a pointless relationship and obviously only included to tie it back to the original books. He was awful and it ruined the character from back in the day. if jacqueline wilson were going to focus on a relationship, i wish it had been her one with alice (because again, who didn’t see it coming?!) because by the end there was no pay off. it was rushed and i felt let down by the ending.
sometimes things are better left in the past and i wish this had been one of them. i am nervous about the sequel to the illustrated mum now :/
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body shaming, Eating disorder
Minor: Lesbophobia
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated