katiej 's review for:

The Illustrated Mum by Jacqueline Wilson

4.0

dark emotional reflective fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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The Illustrated Mum follows Dolphin, a quirky and imaginative girl living with her eccentric, tattoo-covered mother, Marigold. Marigold struggles with mental health issues, and Dolphin often finds herself trying to hold things together, especially when her older sister, Star, starts pulling away. As Marigold’s behaviour becomes more unstable, Dolphin is forced to face some difficult truths about love, family, and what it means to grow up.

I re-read The Illustrated Mum ahead of the upcoming sequel, and returning to it as an adult and now a mum myself was a moving experience. As a child, I was drawn to Dolphin’s voice and her fierce love for her mum, Marigold. But this time, I found myself reading between the lines, noticing the quiet heartbreak, the instability, and the moments where love and chaos blur. Jacqueline Wilson never shied away from complexity, and this story is a powerful reminder of how different a book can feel when you come back to it years later. I’m looking forward to finding out what’s happened to Dolphin, Star and Marigold in the years that will have past, I’m also hoping that the sequel is just as raw and gritty as the original.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Mental illness