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katykelly's review
4.0
Same-sex relationship tale from the mistress of pre/adolescent family stories.
Wilson has a knack for both talking in the voice of a contemporary young person and covering some quite personal topics with sensitivity and humour. I've read quite a few of hers, and had to try this one, based on the premise.
Within the family unit (divorce, Dad with new partner, Mum with MS) we zoom in on Frankie. A young teen, she's coping with her parents' new lives and her Mum's diagnosis, then struggling as bullies descend on her at school.
But the main bully actually doesn't turn out to be anything like that. Frankie and Sally find things in common, become close, and Frankie realises her feelings for the other girl are anything bit platonic.
Wilson captures the flush, excitement and passion of first love very well indeed. An adult reading will smile a wistful smile at the memories it reignites, Frankie does embody all of us in the first flushes of optimistic and overwhelming 'crush'.
She articulates for readers how first love might feel, the positives and the negatives, how a burgeoning relationship might progress, and how the consequences can be dealt with.
I enjoyed Frankie's travels through her own sexual awakening. With a 13-year-old protagonist, this is suitable for readers younger than she, kissing and discussing feelings the extent of the action. The narrator on the Audible version captures her young voice very well, and Wilson brings the story to life with a lot of speech and thought, and a familiar world readers will be able to visualise.
Lovely to see mainstream and popular writers covering topics, themes and characters that will get their readers thinking and talking.
For ages 10-14.
With thanks to Nudge Books for providing a sample Audible copy.
Wilson has a knack for both talking in the voice of a contemporary young person and covering some quite personal topics with sensitivity and humour. I've read quite a few of hers, and had to try this one, based on the premise.
Within the family unit (divorce, Dad with new partner, Mum with MS) we zoom in on Frankie. A young teen, she's coping with her parents' new lives and her Mum's diagnosis, then struggling as bullies descend on her at school.
But the main bully actually doesn't turn out to be anything like that. Frankie and Sally find things in common, become close, and Frankie realises her feelings for the other girl are anything bit platonic.
Wilson captures the flush, excitement and passion of first love very well indeed. An adult reading will smile a wistful smile at the memories it reignites, Frankie does embody all of us in the first flushes of optimistic and overwhelming 'crush'.
She articulates for readers how first love might feel, the positives and the negatives, how a burgeoning relationship might progress, and how the consequences can be dealt with.
I enjoyed Frankie's travels through her own sexual awakening. With a 13-year-old protagonist, this is suitable for readers younger than she, kissing and discussing feelings the extent of the action. The narrator on the Audible version captures her young voice very well, and Wilson brings the story to life with a lot of speech and thought, and a familiar world readers will be able to visualise.
Lovely to see mainstream and popular writers covering topics, themes and characters that will get their readers thinking and talking.
For ages 10-14.
With thanks to Nudge Books for providing a sample Audible copy.
healinglola's review
5.0
I had this lovely delivery last week! Jacqueline Wilson was the reason I started reading! She's covered so many different topics through the years in her stories and I have felt every emotion a long the way. Although I'm 25 now, I just had to preorder this! I read this yesterday and I really enjoyed it. I remember reading Kiss when I was younger, but I truly wish I could've read this when I was 13/14 and really struggling with my sexuality. It covers parents struggling with illnesses, family breakups, peer pressure, bullying and the typical anxieties of being a teen.
charl0ttelucy's review
4.0
my inner child wanted to read another Jacqueline Wilson book and this was probably the most perfect one to go with. All about first loves and discovering yourself from a young age, it’s a book I’d have loved to have read when I was younger.
This book was written in true Jacqueline Wilson style, I loved Frankie and her family, especially her relationship with her sister Zara. It was nice that there were no family tragedies in this book, it was a feel good story and it was nice to follow Frankie through her sexuality journey and discover herself.
The ending was a bit underwhelming and left me wanting more but I appreciated it nonetheless.
This book was written in true Jacqueline Wilson style, I loved Frankie and her family, especially her relationship with her sister Zara. It was nice that there were no family tragedies in this book, it was a feel good story and it was nice to follow Frankie through her sexuality journey and discover herself.
The ending was a bit underwhelming and left me wanting more but I appreciated it nonetheless.
georgiamaynard's review against another edition
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
issie_emma's review against another edition
5.0
For young people nowadays to have books like this is beautiful ❤️
hermoonreads's review
4.0
I can't understate how amazing it felt to read this. Wilson was my favourite writer during my preteens, I owned every book she wrote and was always excitedly waiting for the next one. And now at 25, my amazing wife gifted me this, a sapphic teen love story.
I can relate a lot to Frankie and her experiences of coming out, and of trying to date someone who was worried about their reputation around school. It felt so authentic, from the feelings and confusion, to the pride and happiness.
I'm in no way someone who cries at books or movies, but I must admit a moment between Zara and Frankie at the end really did bring tears to my eyes.
I'm so, so glad this book exists, and that queer youth have access to these sorts of stories now!! (And that an iconic childhood author came out as a lesbian!!!)
I can relate a lot to Frankie and her experiences of coming out, and of trying to date someone who was worried about their reputation around school. It felt so authentic, from the feelings and confusion, to the pride and happiness.
I'm in no way someone who cries at books or movies, but I must admit a moment between Zara and Frankie at the end really did bring tears to my eyes.
I'm so, so glad this book exists, and that queer youth have access to these sorts of stories now!! (And that an iconic childhood author came out as a lesbian!!!)
aleksandranowacka_x's review against another edition
5.0
it’s impossible to not love a jacqueline wilson book.
vampirerat's review
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
I enjoyed this a lot despite having a few issues with it.
Stuff I Iiked: the relatability of Frankie realizing she's queer - cutting the hair off her doll that "wanted to be a boy", admiring the girl get ing the short haircut, throwing up after she sees her crush flirting with a straight boy (mood). I also loved Mr White and Ivneet and the library - very much Buffy vibes. It was cool that Frankie's mum's MS was treated with sensitivity but also realistically and that the wider issues of ableism within capitalism were hinted at.
Stuff I didn't like: The word lesbian was never used in the book, apart from a derogatory version of the word as a homophobic slur. Fair enough if Frankie as a character labels herself gay over lesbian, but for Jacqueline Wilson's first book about a lesbian character I just found it kinda odd for the word to be unspoken. Especially when "lesbian" is still pretty stigmatised and treated as a bad or inappropriate word. If this had come out when I was 14 it definitely wouldn't have done my relationship with the word any favours. I also thought, as other reviews have said, that Frankie lacked introspection in her queer realisation. It very much jumps from: Sammy has a crush on Frankie, Frankie see's herself and Sammy as just friends, Frankie has a crush on Sally, so Frankie is gay. Obviously this could be enough to for Frankie to realise she likes girls and not boys but I do think it's a little over simplified and she doesn't really think about it very much. I also think the ending was very rushed and unsatisfying, not enough was resolved for my liking.
Overall a good book with some likeable characters (Mr White, Bear) and lovely moments especially for a young teen audience I'm sure (I'm 24 for context). But lacked some depth that I know JW is very capable of.
I listened to this in audiobook form :)
Stuff I Iiked: the relatability of Frankie realizing she's queer - cutting the hair off her doll that "wanted to be a boy", admiring the girl get ing the short haircut, throwing up after she sees her crush flirting with a straight boy (mood). I also loved Mr White and Ivneet and the library - very much Buffy vibes. It was cool that Frankie's mum's MS was treated with sensitivity but also realistically and that the wider issues of ableism within capitalism were hinted at.
Stuff I didn't like: The word lesbian was never used in the book, apart from a derogatory version of the word as a homophobic slur. Fair enough if Frankie as a character labels herself gay over lesbian, but for Jacqueline Wilson's first book about a lesbian character I just found it kinda odd for the word to be unspoken. Especially when "lesbian" is still pretty stigmatised and treated as a bad or inappropriate word. If this had come out when I was 14 it definitely wouldn't have done my relationship with the word any favours. I also thought, as other reviews have said, that Frankie lacked introspection in her queer realisation. It very much jumps from: Sammy has a crush on Frankie, Frankie see's herself and Sammy as just friends, Frankie has a crush on Sally, so Frankie is gay. Obviously this could be enough to for Frankie to realise she likes girls and not boys but I do think it's a little over simplified and she doesn't really think about it very much. I also think the ending was very rushed and unsatisfying, not enough was resolved for my liking.
Overall a good book with some likeable characters (Mr White, Bear) and lovely moments especially for a young teen audience I'm sure (I'm 24 for context). But lacked some depth that I know JW is very capable of.
I listened to this in audiobook form :)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Bullying, Abandonment, Chronic illness, Fatphobia, Vomit, Ableism, Alcohol, Classism, Lesbophobia, and Outing
Minor: Addiction and Medical content
A university student (18+) flirts with and dances with Frankie who is 13. This age gap is never addressed. There are multiple mentions of dieting and "healthy eating". Frankie's mum's friend Coral also makes some weird comments about how handsome Frankie's best friend Sammy is. This is brushed over and treated as normal.ame_lia's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5