Title: Girls in LoveAuthor: Jacqueline Wilson
Genre: Relationships, Problems, Teenage, Juvenile Fiction
Publication: Corgi, 2003
Pages: Paperback, 156 pages
Source: I own it :)
Ellie is starting ninth grade and she's dead set on finding herself a boyfriend. Her two best friends seem to have all the luck in the love department, but our heroine will stop at nothing to join the ranks. Even if it means pretending her 12-year-old pen pal is her gorgeous, head-over-heels-in-love beau. Naturally, chaos ensues, as it always does when one tries to live a lie, but with Ellie's dry, self-deprecating wit and the antics of her boy-crazy buddies, this is sure to be a year to remember.
I have read many of Jacqueline Wilson's books, some of them I loved (Hetty Feather! <3) and others weren't really my cup of tea, this one...wasn't my cup of tea. It is hard to write this review, because this book is aimed for teenagers to read, it has some content that is not suitable for younger readers, under thirteen I would say, yet it is written really simply and not much happens during it. So the writing style would, in my opinion, be for a nine or ten year old. Which was a bit weird, because you are reading about these three teenage girls who act far beyond their years, but the way Jacqueline Wilson writes Girls in Love is similar to the books I read a couple of years ago. So it depends on the reader, if you want a book filled with lots of twists and turns and a lot to a story, this book might not be for you. But if you want just a quick, simple read, then this, well, you might like it.
Okay, onto the content and the plot. This was a quick, quite enjoyable read, that you could probably read in one sitting. I didn't find there was a lot to the story, nothing unique or shocking happened, which I was disappointed about. :(
The content, I found, was a bit inappropriate. The way the three main characters, Ellie, Magda and Nadine, talked about boys was a bit disturbing to be honest. These girls are only thirteen, yet they are thinking of doing stuff with a boy that you shouldn't really even be thinking about at that age! This put me off the book. A few comments I have seen about Girls in Love, said that it must be read by every girl in the country. I don't agree. I think this book will put thoughts in young girls' minds that they shouldn't know and think about. Such as love bites and clubbing and a few other things that I don't really want to mention in my review. I don't think this is a good book for girls to "look up" to.
I also found myself getting a bit annoyed with the protagonist, Ellie. She consistently whined about her weight and her appearance and how her friends and every other girl looked so much better than her. I was thinking, if she feels so unhappy with herself then why doesn't she put a plan in action to try and correct what she thinks might be wrong about her appearance, and I think there is nothing wrong with her appearance. This, however, also makes other girls think that no one will like them if they are shy and quiet and if they are not happy with their figures.
However, what I did like about Girls in Love, was how close her, Magda and Nadine were. Ellie was so sweet to Nadine when she was going through a tough time, and that speaks a really good message.
Overall this is a quick read that might not appeal to younger readers, and older readers who like a complex plot. This book wasn't really my cup of tea, but maybe it will be yours!
I give it: 2 CUPCAKES!
