Girls Under Pressure - Jacqueline Wilson

Jacqueline Wilson is one of the best childrens authors around today. She started off just writing quite short stories ( Cliffhanger is one of her earlier books) and quickly became a well known and much loved childrens writer by both kids and their parents. She's one of the few authors that can capture the minds of both people and not let them go until the end of the book.

Her writing style is quite chatty and informal, and she often takes the view of children. I've actaully met her, 5 years ago, just before she really "hit it big" and she is a wonderful and generous person.

However, I better get to the actual book!

I didn't choose to read it, but my little sister had it and after she finished reading it I demanded a shot. I read it in just 2 days, before handing it over ot my mum for her turn!!

She narrates the life of a girl called Ellie, who's at that akward stage of life where she's suddenly become interested in her appearance, boys, going out and does fall out with her dad and step mum. We get told all of her thoughts and feelings, and how she views things. This is quite interesting because I can almost relate to some of the things that she did adn see what she was doing wrong.

Ellie has two best friends, Magda and Nadine, who are other main characters in the book. The three of them manage to get into some bother- some serious, some dangerous and some funny. These characters are quite believable but not just ordinary and dull.All in all an enlighteniong and informative read.

This book deals with some problems that young girls can encounter- not being able to accept her step mum after her real mum died, her friends liking boys and having bad experiences with them and the all important weight issue. This issue is the main focus of the story, and we learn of how Ellie becomes bullimic and becomes really quite ill because of it. We also find out how she gets over it. She also goes through a stage of reflection when one of her friends becomes hospitalised because of this.

The book provides a very informative way of describing and telling how to avoid these problems. They're not given in the normal way that early teens are used to- you CAN'T do this or you MUST do that- we're just given a birds eye view of some of the drastically terrible consequences that can arise.

This book is really good, but it's not Jacqueline Wilsons best. If it's your first try of one of her other books. Double act is very highly reccomended by me and it's also won an award. I would say to anyone, read this book as it will make you laugh, cry and sympathise with Ellie throughout her experience. It's probably avaliable from any good bookshop, priced £3.99.