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3.53 AVERAGE
3.53 AVERAGE
I don’t remember the content of that book but i read it when i was a teen, i think i liked it back then!
it was just the beginning of me buying and reading books outside of school books.
it was just the beginning of me buying and reading books outside of school books.
What an interesting book! I did feel it was a bit strange at times, and there are things I would have liked to know more about - like Mary’s family and why Dixie’s mum wanted to pretend Sundance was a boy.
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
Another one of my absolute favourite JW books. But looking back now, the themes in so many of her books are very dark and it makes me wonder if by reading that it somehow shaped the way I am today... hmm I think I just found the topic of my research project!
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Reread it's wonderful and so much happens. I couldn't stop reading it! I love all the diamond girls and want them to be doing well
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
"If we were in a ship it was always an old leaky one, and we were tossing up and down in a storm. Still, as long as we were all clinging together, safe inside the ship, that was all that mattered."
I was an avid Jacqueline Wilson fan as a kid, though I didn't actually remember the details of this one too well and am not sure if I read it more than once back then or not, so I was excited to reread it. I absolutely love reading about sibling and family relationships, so diving into Dixie's world with her three, soon to be four, siblings was super interesting, and much of it very relatable. The exploration of family was very frank and much of it was pretty dark, and there were also other difficult issues explored outside of this too, making for a really heartbreaking and bittersweet story. The writing was also strong and there were many wonderful descriptions, though the dialogue did feel a bit unrealistic at times.
I completely adored our main character Dixie. Her kindness, innocence, and childhood wonder absolutely shined through, she was just a joy to get to know, and my heart broke for her throughout. Seeing everything happening through her young eyes gave a really interesting lens to things that I probably appreciated even more now than I would have as a kid.
It's difficult to know how harshly to judge elements of this book, as there was quite a lot of content that I would be appalled had it been published today, but it needs to be kept in mind that this was written almost 20 years ago. I do think, though, that while some comments can be more forgiven, the heavy reliance on gender stereotypes and the way that 12-year-old Rochelle's 'relationship' with a 15/16-year-old was portrayed both still merit criticism. I also really wished that some elements of the story had been explored further, and that things were wrapped up in more depth and with more nuance.
I did, ultimately, really enjoy my time reading this, as Jacqueline Wilson's books are always a comfort to me and always provide a nostalgia hit when I need one. I don't think, though, that I'd necessarily recommend this one to a kid reading it for the first time today.
I was an avid Jacqueline Wilson fan as a kid, though I didn't actually remember the details of this one too well and am not sure if I read it more than once back then or not, so I was excited to reread it. I absolutely love reading about sibling and family relationships, so diving into Dixie's world with her three, soon to be four, siblings was super interesting, and much of it very relatable. The exploration of family was very frank and much of it was pretty dark, and there were also other difficult issues explored outside of this too, making for a really heartbreaking and bittersweet story. The writing was also strong and there were many wonderful descriptions, though the dialogue did feel a bit unrealistic at times.
I completely adored our main character Dixie. Her kindness, innocence, and childhood wonder absolutely shined through, she was just a joy to get to know, and my heart broke for her throughout. Seeing everything happening through her young eyes gave a really interesting lens to things that I probably appreciated even more now than I would have as a kid.
It's difficult to know how harshly to judge elements of this book, as there was quite a lot of content that I would be appalled had it been published today, but it needs to be kept in mind that this was written almost 20 years ago. I do think, though, that while some comments can be more forgiven, the heavy reliance on gender stereotypes and the way that 12-year-old Rochelle's 'relationship' with a 15/16-year-old was portrayed both still merit criticism. I also really wished that some elements of the story had been explored further, and that things were wrapped up in more depth and with more nuance.
I did, ultimately, really enjoy my time reading this, as Jacqueline Wilson's books are always a comfort to me and always provide a nostalgia hit when I need one. I don't think, though, that I'd necessarily recommend this one to a kid reading it for the first time today.