Jacqueline Wilson Books Were Crazy

[@fozjag]

Hey guys, I just wanted to say thank you for all the support on this video. I very nearly didn't upload it and it's performing so much better than I was expecting! I'm so glad these books meant as much to you all growing up as they did to me. A part 2 to this video is needed I think! Be sure to subscribe if you enjoyed, I really appreciate the support 🖤

[@jennieredhead]

Would adore a part 2!

[@alkahinat4558]

If you do a part 2 I’ll definitely be tuning in! This analysis was done so well ❤

[@echoanddandelion8890]

Holy shit, I forgot about My Sister Jodie 😢 I definitely didn't forget about Love Lessons though, that shit lives in my head rent free

[@Imreallyboredsick]

@fozjag Thanks for making this video. Her books were such an escape for me growing up and hold many great memories for me. Though watching this video, it's suddenly hit me how nuts some of her books were. Anyway please make another part if you want to.

[@richardking420]

jacqueline wilson was so fundamental for kids with issues and real life problems that you never saw represented anywhere else in kids media, she was the only one writing our stories. i remember reading a book of hers and finding the first disabled character I'd ever seen in a kids book, i was so beyond excited 😊 forever grateful for that tbh Great video, would love to see a part 2 😊

[@skootergirl22]

Yea in sleep over think the sister had CP

[@Roadent1241]

Wait, I missed a disabled book? Which was that?

[@richardking420]

@@Roadent1241 sleepovers 😀

[@greenghoul157]

I find it sweet that these books were written for kids who feel alone in heavy unconventional situations, when I was growing up there were a lot of kids in foster homes, living with their grandparents or having a family that were addicts

[@Imreallyboredsick]

If you read Jacqueline's autobiographies about her childhood and teenagehood, you'll find that even though it isn't nearly as bad as her novels, she came from a bit of a broken home herself. She said her parents despised each other and should have been divorced, except that wasn't socially acceptable in the 1950s and '60s. She seemed to be a bit of a shy, dreamy girl and a misfit like a lot of her protagonists. I highly recommend her autobiographies.

[@ooihuiqi310]

Bro Jacqueline Wilson was my fave growing up.

[@aurora_skye]

Same!

[@CandiWildManes]

Samee

[@melodyvalentine8779]

Same. I think we all loved her books and the TV shows based on them.

[@jessm1327]

The Hetty Feather series and Lola Rose were always my favourites - I like that Wilson wrote about heavy themes. Lola Rose helped me feel so much less alone as a kid.

[@theskinnymongeese9501]

Lily Alone wasn't traumatising but it was definitely sad and made me look into child abandonment statistics when I was like 10. I'm glad her novels existed it opened me up to experiences and situations I would have otherwise been totally uninformed about.

[@fozjag]

The mum in Lily Alone had to be one of the worst JW parents and I hated that Lily defended her the whole novel :(

[@lesbiangoddess290]

​@@fozjag she had no business raising children. Absolutely wild

[@jennieredhead]

Lilly alone really upset me. The mum in that book really annoyed me. The worst Wilson parent ever. Did not deserve her kids!

[@Ihrtkls]

Frr and being able to relate to things asa kid thinking ur the only one who goes through it

[@c.leighx]

​@fozjag yes! Or atleast just admit she was safer on her own but I guess it does a good job of showing how kids are in denial about how bad some people and situations are

[@nevade_]

the illustrated mum is soooo underrated!! it was my favourite back when i was in primary school but not gonna lie, it probably changed some of my brain chemistry

[@ScorpionFlower95]

Same

[@skootergirl22]

I can't remember if I read it before, but I do remember seeing it

[@seththeshrimp1955]

That was my favourite too! I always wanted be a foster carer after reading it

[@cryingwatercolours]

did you watch the movie? it’s devastating

[@archiermanilo23]

Honestly, explaining Tracy Beaker to my american/canadian friends is one of my favourite passtimes. They were over across the pond with Mr. Rogers and Sesame Street meanwhile we had CBBC and a show about orphans.

[@RibbitRibbit-j6p]

CBBC shows where just a lil wild 😂 being 8 and coming home from school exited to watch the new episode of a bunch of traumatised children and then watching a show about werewolves afterwards was definitely interesting 😂

[@fruitchewx127]

Man I had almost forgotten, not to mention the sequel programme The Dumping Ground

[@skootergirl22]

Foster kids not orphans some still had neglectful parents

[@user-lz1qg6qy1d]

*multible shows about orphans 😭

[@Steph-zo5zk]

my mum didn't realise Jacqueline Wilson did teen books until one day at like 7 or 8 I took Dustbin Baby over to her and asked her to explain what April's mum had done to her wrists in the bathtub and she was very upset that the teen books looked so similar to the kid ones. There really isn't/wasn't much oversight on which books kids can take out of libraries back then as well. It was like if you're a kid/teen reading you automatically get the halo-effect and adults won't look twice. It was cool for me in a lot of ways getting to learn all this stuff I knew I wasn't supposed to know yet, but absorbing some of the stories mentioned here so young without any conversation/context from adults may have screwed me up a bit especially as a teen. I seemed to take the explanation about April's mum in-stride at the time and I don't remember being particularly disturbed by the concept of suicide, I found it pretty easy to understand and empathise with once it was explained so I don't think that part was actually that problematic for me. But Girls Under Pressure and Love Lessons definitely warped my brain for a while as I related to Ellie and Pru the most. Probably wouldn't give those to a kid or teen myself, definitely not to read on their own

[@cryingwatercolours]

that’s fascinating, i think over time it got much clearer what books were more aimed at children and which ones were older but the distinction is important. then again i do believe being exposed to these things as a kid was important, even tho i didn’t understand the bath thing for years (i thoughts maybe she hit her head or fell asleep and drowned) i feel it was good to learn more of broken homes, tho they were all worse than mine, it helped get perspective on others as well as know i’m not alone… it’s a hard topic

[@gracehannah6440]

I loved Jacqueline Wilson growing up, I remember my mum reading Lola Rose to me and she couldn’t read past the first few chapters. The scene where the dad beats up the mum and Lola was so graphic and distressing. They were good books and coming from a broken & dysfunctional home they really helped me not feel alone.

[@silver_dusk]

For a second i thought you were talking about Cookie, I had forgotten its name until now, that book also had an abusive, narcissistic father who was rich but treated the mom and daughter like crap, that book is probably I think the only Jacqueline Wilson book I got to read when I was younger back in primary school, and the moment where the girl's rabbit gets implied to have been killed off secretly by the dad after her birthday was kinda mortifying, looking back that book was pretty depressing, even though the end was pretty nice all things considered with the girl and mom leaving for a better life elsewhere.

[@dustycrowb0nes]

The Suitcase Kid was my comfort book when my parents had their divorce

[@eggzuki]

i love her. candyfloss is my all time favorite book, i read it in 4th grade and it made me cry as i was still recently out of an abusive home and had to leave my father, the father daughter dynamic made me cry so hard and i still cry when i read it. i need to read more of her work honestly.

[@graceical2822]

I wrote to her when I was a kid, having read all of her books up to that point. I told her that the book I had last read was The Suitcase Kid, and I loved seeing Raddish the Sylvanian Family rabbit one of the characters had as I was obsessed with them. She told me that Raddish was her favourite "character" she had written as she actually has a mascot of a Sylvanian Family rabbit called Raddish that lived on her desk. She drew me a picture of him, which was so sweet! I wish I still had it, no idea what happened to it.

[@really-quite-exhausted]

Girls under pressure was the first time I'd come across disordered eating at all. My takeaway was that Ellie's situation "wasn't that bad really" because she wasn't hospitalised like that other girl, and that surely it must be *easy* to "cure" an eating disorder by just thinking about how some people have it worse. Thank god i did not develop an ed myself because my critical analysis skills were zero at age 11 😂

[@fozjag]

I also thought Ellie's situation wasn't that bad when I read it as a child, re-reading for this video it was so much worse than I had remembered

[@chane11ee7]

Jaqueline Wilson RAISED me and I’ve read all of her books. I’m so glad you talked about how problematic some of them were though…it helps validate younger me when I would read these icky scenes and feel a type of way…

[@mayapapaya0101]

needed this vid so bad. never knew i needed it till it came up but i needed this. jacqueline wilson fan to lesbian pipeline real. bad girls is the one that stands out to me the most ... reading when she got arrested for the shoplifting is a core memory for me

[@skootergirl22]

Girls just hanging out is gay?

[@fozjag]

Jacqueline Wilson fan to lesbian pipeline IS so real omg

[@mayapapaya0101]

@@skootergirl22 huge if true

[@leahevehumphries]

Hahaa I’m bi but the point still stands 😆

[@Ostralucia]

She herself is lesbian and her recent books are about lesbians it is so real

[@fleabaggins]

I remember DEVOURING her books by the handful when I was between the ages of 8-13. The victorian books were like crack to me. But I do remember reading Love Lessons at the tender age of 9 and even then I felt icky despite it being romanticised. Don’t really know what Jackie was thinking with that one…

[@juliannazajda8883]

i used to read all of these RELIGIOUSLY as a kid - let me tell you reading girls out late at the age of 10 really confused me lmfao

[@fozjag]

Magda had no business showing up at Mr. Windsor's HOUSE like that hahaha

[@sarahqb1168]

Girls Out Late gave me the most unreal expectations of teenagerhood

[@aishaputman3934]

Same! I was chatting to my kid's teacher recently to try and work out an actually age appropriate time for her to read them because I think years 3 - 5 were not it 😂

[@lbhreads]

they were insane but i think they made me a way more empathetic child (and in turn an adult) with the themes they explored

[@Yggdrasilincarnate]

Lola Rose was the one I remember a lot - the scene where Jayni felt she had to confront the shark tank to make her Mother better really resonated with me as someone who struggled with OCD as a child. But yes that one was quite dark, so was the Illustrated Mum.

[@cemeterygxtes]

i have such a vivid memory of my 8 year old sister violently sobbing after finishing the book my sister jodie 😭

[@eeveebean1]

As someone that grew up on Jacqueline Wilson books, one of the books I remember the most was Kiss. It was the first book I'd ever read featuring an LGBT character and it was handled so so poorly. The gay best friend kissing the main female character at the end as a "reward" for her pursuing him constantly (despite knowing his sexuality) was such a bad ending. I really wish that book was used as an opportunity to discuss sexuality, friendships, and how to healthily deal with unrequited love, instead of just being this poor gay character just going THROUGH it for the entire book😭 I absolutely adored her books for years but looking back, a lot of them were definitely questionable and I can't believe this is one of the first videos I've seen talking about it!!

[@fozjag]

I remember I had started reading Kiss and my mum found it and took it away so I never got to finish it 😭 I had no idea that was the ending though! I will have to go back and read it

[@ajc94]

It's kind of left ambiguous as to whether Sylvie knew Carl was gay and was deluding herself or just genuinely didn't know. I think it would've been interesting to read the story from Carl's point of view or have Sylvie fall in love with Miranda

[@RibbitRibbit-j6p]

@@fozjagah yes the classic confiscating of Jaqueline Wilson books 😂

[@geekishedits4749]

She has more recently written a book called "Love Frankie" with a saphic main character which is handled much better and although it is a cliche trope she goes for, it is a pretty good way to introduce LGBTQ+ to tweens imo

[@No.1TurtleAnthem]

I mean, Jacqueline herself has been in a lesbian relationship herself for the past 20 or so years, so we must give her some credit for knowing how the world works for gays

[@livingsocks]

when a teacher was dating a student in my British secondary school in ~2004, we knew it was happening but we didn't think it was that wrong. Nobody had talked to us to say, hey, it's not ok if adults behave that way with schoolchildren in their care. Plus we thought we were little adults. Nobody thought to talk to the police or their parents. I think there is more awareness of predatory behaviour now.

[@AM-pleistocene]

It's annoying because Pru in Love Lessons was the character whose life was most like mine when I was a young teen reading it.. I was very isolated by my parents, my father was abusive, I had absolutely no freedom or autonomy, I was bullied relentlessly and i didnt understand a lot of things due to being do isolated. Iwas developing my sexuality and because it had no outlet it caused me to act in similar ways to Pru. I remember feeling so gutted too when Pru and Rax didn't run away together, it was something I would have dreamed of, to get away from my situation and have my sexuality and sense of self validated, I could not have thought critically about it at the time. I recognise the victim blaming as well, i often felt no one was on my side so reading how she got blamed and expelled (something that actually happened to me at 14 because the school didn't want to deal with the pretty extreme abuse I was getting and preferred to expell me instead) it didn't give me much hope. It really was the most relateable book for me as a kid unfortunately, I just wish it had given me some hope and maybe helped me see what to look out for in terms of being exploited by men, something I wouldn't learn until too late.

[@fozjag]

I'm so sorry you experienced all of this, I hope you are in a better place now 🩷

[@nellfromhell7192]

If love lessons had a million haters I'd be one of them. If love lessons had a thousand haters I'd be one of them. If love lessons had 5 haters I'd be one of them and if love lessons had zero haters then I would cease to be. I love Jacqueline Wilson but I will never get over how bad it was

[@fozjag]

I thought it was this tragic heartbreaking story the first time I read it (at around 10 or 11 so definitely way too young) and then I remembered it randomly one day as an older teenager and was like how the hell did that actually get published???

[@doctorwholover1012]

Genuinely!! I think it could be a really good book for teens as it is if they added a SINGLE disclaimer at the back of the book that's like "if anyone tries to put you in Prudence's position, call the fucking cops and GTFO outta there IMMEDIATELY" because genuinely? As a narrative it is very compelling and very well written for the age group, and could really help shed light on the reality of that situation for girls that age without coming across as dismissing them for being immature or 'falling for' the teacher's behavior! Like as a kid/teen reading the book it felt very much like JW understood how abused teens might experience a relationship for the first time. The ending is basically what ruins it. It's basically a PG-13 rewrite of Lolita from her perspective where she never realizes how bad her situation is, which is hella messed up ngl.

[@hezzabeth]

I thought it should have ended with the teacher getting arrested for god sake.

[@lilypad2714]

I was a huge Jacqueline Wilson fan when I was like 10 years old and I completely forgot about Love Lessons but I remember being so sad that Pru and Rax didn’t end up together, but looking back holy shit it was dodgy 😭 his family deserved better :’D their relationship reminded me of Ezria from PLL (which I also shipped at first 😭😭) because it’s not really implied to be a bad thing and it’s more of a “forbidden love” kind of thing instead of predatory and awful :’)

[@Gleamiarts]

I remember reading the synopsis for it when i was about 13 and felt so nauseous 🤢 its so gross

[@ajc94]

**rare JW lore incoming** the main family in Love Lessons are recycled characters from her older, out-of-print book "Waiting for the Sky to Fall" which came out in the mid-80s. Katherine, the protagonist, is quite similar to Prue except MUCH less sympathetic and the plot is quite different - there's no romance with a teacher. I wonder if Jacqueline wanted to revisit the characters and have another go at making them more likeable. Anyway, fantastic video and I'd love to see a part 2!!

[@fozjag]

This is so interesting I never knew this!

[@robynsrecs2183]

I think why Jacqueline Wilson’s books worked especially for me [someone who dealt with poverty and bullying and questioning sexuality but never bore witness to divorce, abuse and affairs] Is they teach us to sympathise with the victims of these situations, these unpleasant situations from the point of view of a child, the child of abusive neglectful celebrities [Little Darlings], the death of a loved one [Vicky Angel, My Sister Jodie], alone because the people around you are so wrapped up in their own lives to notice you [The Suitcase Kid] and romantics that are creeps or sleazes or in reality deadbeat dads [Girls, Lolita Lessons, Clean Break] in a lot of cases these characters just have to come to grips with it but for us this likely led to a lot more sympathy and understanding about children in care, LGBTQ, shaped opinions about bad things like adultery, bullying, grooming, physical abuse and so on and leads us to strive to do better when we’re older or do something about it.

[@bebbibabey1246]

Wow i have so many of these stories crammed in my formative years memory bank and had no idea so many were Jaqueline Wilson. I might have been a little young to read some of them tbh (the badger scene in my sister Jodie still haunts me), but between that and my unregistered internet access at a young age, those books really taught me a lot about grief, family, and the struggles of growing up in poverty, things i couldnt really process or conceptualise at such a young age. I loved the Lottie project, midnight, and Little darlings the most, i reread those until they fell apart

[@em-emma-em]

Dustbin baby traumatised me as a preteen

[@fozjag]

When she pushed Pearl down the stairs I was like 👁👄👁

[@C87-q9j]

Someone in my class read a bit to their mum and she got it banned from the school library lmao

[@RibbitRibbit-j6p]

I have such vivid memory’s of being in class at like 9 and this girl getting the book out and showing the illustration of the paper doll with ink splatter and going to teacher what do you think that is the teacher was like ‘ink’ and she goes ‘no it’s blood because she kill’s herself’. I was just there like excuse me??? Obviously then I read it like a year later the age 10 😂

[@blanketeer6321]

Yeah I read it when I was about 9 or 10 🙃

[@skootergirl22]

Like in Japan they abandon their babies in coin lockers in America dumpsters

[@amazingspiderlad]

She was like the only author I would read as a kid and I was so disappointed I couldn't find anything else like her books. I still often have her audiobooks on as background noise.

[@openbooksalot]

i loved this lady’s books as a preteen. the illustrated mum was my favourite and i lost count of how many times i reread it. i think i related to the protagonist as a lonely little girl with a troubled mother and an absent father. the “girls” series was also pretty formative for me i also enjoyed all the “problematic” ones, though even at the time i could tell they were pretty messed up and inappropriate for kids my age 🤣 love lessons was craaaazy

[@dominiquenorman3913]

I fuckin ADORED Jacqueline Wilson as a child. Probably one of my first special interests. There’s so many that are up there as favourites but one I’ve not seen mentioned yet is Diamond Girls ! I was so adamant that I was going to name my future daughter after Dixie as a kid lmao

[@fozjag]

I'll be covering The Diamond Girls in Part 2 :)

[@darkacadpresenceinblood]

i don't remember anything else but i vividly recall being traumatized af by diamond girls, bc i completely internalized one of the girls' fear that their mom was gonna die during the birth lol

[@libbyniella]

How have I blanked these storylines out from my memory 😭 as you were speaking I was like Yh omg dustbin baby was my favourite because I’ve been through a similar thing not left in a dustbin obviously but the whole going through different homes and it helped to feel less lonely

[@Κάσσι]

Jacqueline was one of my favourites when I was seven to ten years old. I'd love to sit down and reread her books now that I'm older.

[@XxMyntEditsxX]

Something I’ve noticed is that in almost every book JW writes that is for older kids, there is nearly always a mention of EDs, weight or both. And it really had be wondering if JW ahead actually been through an ED herself, it made me sad to think about but it might be true. Another thing - she usually included broken homes in her stories, and in ‘My Secret Diary’ she mentions that her mother and father don’t always seem to have the best relationship. I also found it interesting that quite a few of her books show the main character to be: .A girl .Between age 7-14 (Butterfly Club, age 7 and some older books, 14) .Shy or insecure in some way .Creative .Loves reading I feel that her books might subtly be a reflection of herself as a child and teen, in each character she writes - and that’s what allows her stories to be so brilliantly written. However I do agree - what on earth was she thinking with some of these.

[@GeorgiaMarie98x]

I really loved this video, such a great rundown and gave me a new perspective on books I haven’t read since I was a kid! The look on my face when I realised that Vicky’s ghost was a manifestation, or that April found her adopted mother dead. Mind blown! Would love a part two!

[@jademcl4727]

I never realised how fucked up these novels were as a child bc a lot of the content was just my life loll I still look back on them with fondness. A lot of them were lesbian coded, especially 'Midnight,' which I'm loving as a queer adult. I'm having so much fun rereading my old jaqueline wilson books 💖

[@ajc94]

@@jademcl4727 violet was down bad for jasmine

[@fozjag]

I remember being FURIOUS when Jasmine and Will kissed I thought it was definitely going in the other direction!

[@jademcl4727]

@fozjag Aw, same. Now I read it and think, "I KNOW girl. I know how it feels. " 😂😂😂 I can't believe I never copped it as a child when I read it the first time.

[@AstroNotWasTaken]

FINALLY SOMEONE WHO SAID IT

[@ajc94]

@@fozjag the book is dedicated to Trish who is Jacqueline's partner so I wonder if that was intentional on some level!

[@Swampwater633]

The Hetty Feather series and Diamond were always my favourite as a kid. Also that one about the gal who accidentally puts her sister in a coma by shoving her off the bunk bed I've read that so many times.

[@Nova-c5k]

The Worst Thing About My Sister ❤

[@Krusty_bot63]

The Worst Thing About My Sister? That part where Marty pushes her sister off her bunk bed sending her to hospital was such a tone shift since most of the book is them bickering, at least the ending is sweet

[@aislinnkerr5618]

I've been wanting this video to exist for YEARS omg

[@TeenJournals]

I loved Jacqueline Wilson as a kid. As an adult, I'm like whoa wtf was I reading? 😂😂 I do like that Jacqueline Wilson wanted to write for kids who might be able to relate to some of the issues she was addressing

[@-b_i_b_b_y-]

JW's books were so important to me growing up, more than I even realised, and I still check out her latest releases when I'm in a bookshop. I've got a lot of free time recently, reckon it's time to revisit them and see what stuck and what shocks. Will definitely be reading the new Girls book- hope it reunites some of us who grew up on the original series because that would be nice.

[@alolisa113]

the story of tracey beaker popped into my head a few months ago and i couldn't remember the name for the life of me so your video came just in time! Thank you so much!!!

[@fozjag]

🩷

[@eyestotheskies]

I work in a library and sometimes wonder about whether we should really still be carrying Love Lessons. Or, if thats censorship, whether it ought to come with a disclaimer or warning. Same with girls under pressure - having read it as a young teen it definitely gave me ideas.

[@glumdrops3678]

I am so glad someone’s talking about this because WOAH. I love her writing so much she really characterised the more rubbish subjects of life in such an understandable and believable way that really helped me get through some of my own heavy life on occasion. I only ever got mine from charity shops and i remember being aged 6, and an avid reader that loved Jaqueline Wilson and picked out Vicky angel, and the old lady at the till warned my mum it was a sad one.

[@goblin-teeth]

So glad the algorithm showed me this, brought back so many memories

[@ScorpionFlower95]

I am so glad I am not the only one disliking Russell. I read the series as a teenager and back then, I remember other girls my age not finding his behaviour disgusting or anything. And yes, Nadine and Martha were total d*cks in the last one. I had no idea a 5th book was coming out, I can't wait to have some of that old nostalgia coming back, although I am worried that it's gonna be a book where Ellie gets less of what she deserves, again. Illustrated mom is also amazing, although very sad to read, same as that book with an abused teen taking refuge in her best friend's attick and that other book with an orphan girl who finds her mother's cat dead in the closet, and tries to conceal the fact.

[@fozjag]

If Russell has no haters I am dead

[@Bsketches]

Loved her books, she visited my school aged about 10 because she lived nearby (I would often see her walking around when I lived in Kingston upon Thames.) I do think back and think her books had a positive impact on me reading it as a boy, just because they had a female perspective but didn't feel like they were "girls books." to me.

[@EmmaJ_95]

The illustrated mum was my go to read as a kid as well as Candyfloss, couldn't read best friends because that hit to close for home for me (I live in Scotland and my friend lives in England, she was adopted by two wonderful English people, still feel a bit sad about it)

[@misfitangel8637]

Not to mention, she wrote a book about teen pregnancy awhile ago. I was utterly shocked when I saw that one. It’s called baby love. Yeah, looking back now her books were definitely a little dark for kids, but I honestly loved them, and I would still read them now. I devoured them when I was a kid. Literally all of the books you mentioned I read when I was 10 or 11, every single one in this video. Yeah, love lessons was absolutely Cray Cray, especially reading it as young as I did. I definitely agree in that when I was reading it, I really wanted Pru and Rax to end up together, it literally felt like an updated version of Romeo and Juliet to me. It was crazy. I remember crying at the end of the book because they didn’t end up together, little 11-year-old me. Now I kind of wanna cry at the end of the book, but because Prue was treated so awfully in a situation that was not her fault, and was absolutely his, and the book wanted you to think that the teacher was this nice innocent man who was just Led astray by unstable, sheltered, sad little prudence. It is really really messed up, but ethics aside, I do still love this book. The illustrated Mum is definitely one of my favourites, but that shit was intense. Again, I was 11 when I read it, and I remember vividly reading that scene where the mother was pouring bleach on herself or something. Also, yeah, my sister Jodie low-key traumatised me at the age of 10, and it’s really memorable to me because I actually got the audiobook version that I bought signed by Jacqueline Wilson herself. I met her at A book signing, and she signed that piece of paper inside the case. It’s crazy to think about that now and how she most likely would’ve known that I would’ve been traumatised by the end of that book, just like the other kids who read it, and yet she still wrote happy reading or something like that. Absolutely nuts. Vicky angel also scared the shit out of me when I read it. That shit was like a horror movie for 11-year-old me, super depressing too. There was also cookie, with the domestic abuser father. That was actually really upsetting to read. The Victorian books were really heavy too, like she absolutely did not hold back on the trauma and brutality, in the books written for children. I remember reading kiss and being so shocked that there was literal blatant swearing in it, when the characters were like 13, but it was really cool that she wrote a book centred around a gay character, which most children’s offers wouldn’t have dared to even touch back in those days. The Tracy Beaker books had some pretty dark stuff in them too, which I was so surprised about since my first exposure to it was the TV show, but yeah, some of the adults were literally abusive. Yeah, looking back her stories were definitely wild for kids. I’m honestly surprised my mum let me read some of them, especially love lessons. I got that out from the library at my school, and I literally had to take a permission slip home that she had to sign to say I could read it. She was always cool like that. I definitely respect Jacqueline Wilson though, and the fact that she wasn’t afraid to tackle these subjects. I generally like art that verges a little bit on the controversial, providing it’s not really offensive or anything, so I really respect her for that. She definitely raised some important issues, and helped me through a lot of stuff that I went through as a kid. She was definitely an integral part of my childhood, and whether that’s a good or a bad thing I’m not really sure, but I’ll never forget her legacy. I’m definitely excited to read the new girls novel, since I’m pretty sure this one is targeted to adults, and I’m never read an adult book from her. I’m really excited to see what it’s gonna be like, and I’ll definitely be buying it. This was a great video, and I would definitely watch a part two if KZbin decides to notify me about it, since I haven’t seen many videos on her, and I think there’s definitely a lot to be discussed with her writing. I definitely wanna reread some of these now. Oh yeah, and I almost forgot to mention midnight, which was honestly virgin on incest. Weird.

[@aurora_skye]

I adore Baby Love! What did you think of it?

[@fozjag]

To this day Midnight is one of the STRANGEST books I've ever read, I didn't know what to make of it even as a child

[@keelyhawthorn9721]

Looking for a mention of midnight.

[@DARKINBLADE.]

I remember Vicky Angel the most and how my older sister refused to let me read it. I was in Primary School at the time and in hindsight I understood why she did not want me to read it. Ended up getting into Skulduggery instead.

[@omniscient.nescience]

I'm a horror writer, and The Cat Mummy was an inspiration was an inspiration for one of my short stories. I had it on audiobook as a kid. Wild shit.

[@amandakopecky662]

You are absolutely right! Looking back as a child the body image and eating disorder aspect of that book actually affected me and was my first foray with that theme - so to the teacher/older man aspects which as you said, I too shipped so hard. 🤯 Great. Idea and still love her and her books despite the flaws of that era.

[@shani.ninety]

I still have all the books in my mums loft (I’m 32 now) lol nostalgia ❤🎉

[@MATTELMADE]

Omg yaaay I’m so glad KZbin recommended this!!! I read My Sister Jodie and Dustin Baby when I was 9 and boy when I tell you I wasn’t prepared 😂😂😂 going to an English all girls school though I definitely saw how she was able to adapt those situations into novels because I knew a lot of girls going through the same things

[@fleurgriffthis4294]

When I was a kid the copy of my sister Jodie that we had in my primary school library had the last couple chapters ripped out. I had to borrow it from my local library just to finish it. I cried a lot at that book but I remember really liking it.

[@montyandrews6213]

Entertaining video and a trip down memory lane for me, I would definitely watch a second video on these books. I think because I was reasonably young when I read these at 10 and 11 it didn't hit me how disturbing some of the situations were, I didn't pick up on the fact that Nadine was drugged for instance. I remember I pitied Rax being "trapped" by his children and boring suburban life, I certainly wouldn't feel that way now.

[@fozjag]

Didn't realise Nadine had actually been drugged until I was re-reading in prep for this video either!

[@rampion1228]

I read Vicky Angel when I was 11 and it was one of my favourite books. In hindsight I see what you mean about it not exactly being age appropriate. The scene that hit me the hardest was Jade rewriting the memory of Vicky's death to make it directly her own fault.

[@AlexFlannery-rl4zv]

I would loveee if you did a part 2 to this !! I need to read the books again as an adult cause I loved them growing up but my memory is terrible for stuff like plotlines in books. The other comments about the Jacqueline Wilson fan to lesbian pipeline, I didn't realise she was gay at first and when I found out I was like welllll, that makes a lot of sense hahaha of course I loved her as a child

[@alexf3036]

I LOVED her. Still have those books.

[@dancerchronicles]

I unfortunately read Vicky Angel when I was about 10 or 11 or something and was horrified by the first chapter lmao. Dustbin baby was one of my favorites though.

[@tuxedodogstopmotion5339]

I loved these books but damn were they so real when we were so young :/

[@cosmicamberx]

i remember watching a tv adaptation of dustbin baby when i was younger on cbbc and that stuck with me for life. i honestly couldn’t agree more with your overall evaluation about how you do get closure in the end but it’s so unbelievably sad throughout. i love your style btw you’re so cool!!

[@fozjag]

Thank you 🥺🩷

[@alicegallagher9291]

I also think JW filled such an important hole in the preteen/kids market. So many books for preteens were about kids from normal loving families, and usually some romance, or just a general slice of life about school etc- or fantasy books! I think, for the most part, JW did a great job at introducing difficult topics to preteens, such as death, mental illness, abusive homes and difficult living situations- and most importantly she made people who were actually going through those things feel less alone, and have characters that they could actually relate to. Her work was SO important to me growing up

[@jasminefox44]

What I love about Jacqueline's books is that there is always a book that you can relate too and will help you as a child, mine was suitcase kid and illustrated mum, it helped me so much throughout my childhood feeling like the characters understand you.

[@azzyjeffs]

I thought I didn’t read many Jacqueline Wilson books, but apparently I did! All the memories came flooding back, flashes of anger and annoyance when you mention characters that were bumholes, whose names I had long forgotten. Great video 🙂👍

[@rachael275]

Jacqueline Wilson had me in a chokehold as a pre-teen/teen!! The book that traumatised me was Lola Rose. It dealt with a lot of heavy topics, that a 7yr old shouldn't be reading

[@Jayeatsrocks]

I agree with what you said about Jacqueline Wilson’s books making kids feel less alone. I grew up in a home similar to one of the main character of Cookie, with an emotionally volatile dad and I was also being slightly more overweight than other kids in my year, like Cookie was. Her books really helped me realise I could get help and find a safer place for me to live and be at peace without fear of violence.

[@ames-inthe-grass]

no because i’ve been wanting to talk about love lessons for a WHILE oh my goodness that book is a problem and literally no one has said anything about it

[@fozjag]

I have no idea how the publishers were on board with it!

[@LauraM-kr9wv]

Jacquline Wilson has - she said in an interview that she regrets writing it and wouldn't have written it now.

[@AineBoshell]

Omg so glad I found an Irish content creator making the niche videos I didn’t know I needed

[@Ostralucia]

FINALLY someone talks about this omg I’ve been talking about this for years!!!!!I literally learned English from reading these when I was like 7-8

[@VeeVeeBB]

I HAVE FOUND MY PEOPLE :D I was obsessed with Jacqueline Wilson books from 8-13 years old. Cookie, Rose Rivers, and Hetty Feather were my jam. ✨I read Vicky Angel in my preteen years and tried to keep a straight face when reading it because I realised that it wasn't age appropriate lol Cookie was the first novel I ever got and I used to reread it like every week for a few years, it definitely awakened my interest in art and baking.

[@thec0nch]

only just started the video is but i was pleasantly surprised to see a video about jacqueline wilson in my recommended, you look awesome by the way!

[@fozjag]

Thank you 🩷🩷🩷

[@kay-412]

dude jaqueline wilson was one of my favourites when i was younger, especially hetty feather. although i grew up in a nice household, i feel like it was really good in helping me develop empathy around situations like that and i’ve never been afraid to support people etc who are in them. i read them for sure when i was

[@Jasmineee3000]

I loved this video soooo much. I remember being obsessed with Love Lessons and wishing I could have that. Now I look back and think holy SHIT what??!!! Really well thought out commentary, good work 🫶🏻 Also, when I subscribed I was expecting you to have like thousands of subscribers?!!! Not often you see such great commentary content this early in a KZbinrs career! Can’t wait to see what else you do!

[@ihaveaname699]

oh my god okay just wanna say the thumbnail melting into the video so perfectly is a power move

[@story_moon_Liam308]

It's an amazing video! Would like a second one if possible!Seriously, great work 👏!

[@robin_jayne]

7 year old me religiously re-read the illustrated mum

[@amycox5733]

I was immensely disappointed to find you don’t really have any more videos on this sort of topic! You have a really lovely voice and presentation style, I think you have potential to get pretty big if you keep at it!

[@tallic967]

I LOVED HER BOOKS AS A KID I STILL HAVE MOST OF THEM OMG I'M SO GLAD TO SEE SOMEONE TALKING ABOUT HER BOOKS

[@ChanelleDenning]

hiii, i love this video so much, jacqueline wilson's books were my lifeee when i was younger. if you do end up making a part 2, pleeeeease cover diamond, this was my favourite book of hers and intrigued me so much when i was younger.

[@umgeorgia]

YESS PART 2!!! i had and still have my jacky collection and lola rose was one of the only “bigger” books that i finished and it made me cry but i can’t remember why pffft

[@kamikamkamm]

Lily alone was my absolute favourite when I was young, I would love to see you talk about it in a part 2

[@metalhusky101]

finally someone talking about this! i loved her books so much growing up

[@KitKat17700]

I loved Jacqueline Wilson growing up! Please do a part 2💚

[@brody_savana]

Tw ED when I was 14 I read girls under pressure to fuel my bulimia, I’d just reread the bits that reinforced my Ed. Still loved all her books growing up

[@fozjag]

I hope you are in a much better place today 🩷

[@glumdrops3678]

No because the negative self talk in the girls… series was IMMENSE!!! I literally did that for my anorexia. And parents neverrrr know where it came from.

[@ellajackson4272]

Jacqueline Wilson was a staple for every British preteen/ teen girl back in the day.

[@alabamawhirley2385]

I’ve been buying my 8 year old Jacqueline Wilson books from charity shops and we’ve collected nearly all of them now. I’ve had to put a few away for when she’s older but the ones we’ve read together, I forgot how sad they are.

[@ElinorMahoney]

Also a NEW GIRLS BOOK? I DIDNT KNOW ABOUT THIS IM SO EXCITED OH MY GODDD

[@WellWoopdidoo]

I had similar experiences with Girls Under Pressure and disordered eating. The first JW book I read was Gubbslyme (very cute, I do recommend) but i was like 6-11 yo reading these so most of them made me cry or gave me nightmares. It hardened me somewhat for when I was 13 and ended up reading my mum’s copy of The Lovely Bones and The Bonesetters Daughter because “it’s got bones in the title, probably spooky and exciting”. Think I’ll just stick to the Edge Chronicles though. I do have a postcard from Jacqueline, my brother wrote to her when we were little kids in the 90s and asked if she would dedicate a book to me, she politely said no but it was super sweet of him and a really nice postcard.

[@teadrinkerfication9160]

Yes The Edge Chronicles!!! I LOVED those when I was little!! Need to go back and read them

[@fozjag]

It's so cool that she wrote back!

[@aurora_skye]

She was my favourite author growing up! I've actually been rereading some as an adult. I'm rereading Little Darlings at the moment. My favourites were the Hetty Feather series, Lily Alone and Opal Plumstead. One of her more recent books, Baby Love, is for older readers and it's one of my favourite books! Thanks for making this video 🩷

[@juniarchive]

Please do a second part!

[@Jillyowls]

Very good video, would love to see more of these

[@fruitchewx127]

I wasn't massively into Jacqueline Wilson, though the books were all over the primary school library. I did read one or two books (the longest whale song I remember specifically, and a table in my year 5 class read The Illustrated Mum for guided reading which was where I first heard of depression) I do remember watching the CBBC adaptations as well, Tracy Beaker, The Dumping Ground, Hetty Feather (which I remember being super depressing)

[@bizarre3228]

I loved watching cbbc hetty feather, my mum used to record it and I’d watch loads of them in one go

[@amycox5733]

The end of My Sister Jodie SHATTERED me. I never read Girls in love, and I think I only read some of Love Lessons

[@jamesspillane5490]

Ms. Wilson respectfully what the fuck

[@ilexdiapason]

i went to the school she described in jacky daydream, so her books were a huge part of my life and all of this is a very precious memory

[@ElinorMahoney]

Honestly, this video has made me want to go back and reread her books. The reason why I’m able to go back and read them even now, despite the fact that I’m almost 18, is because it never felt like Jacqueline Wilson was talking down to the reader and treating them like a child. Odds were that the people reading her books had similar difficult upbringings, so reading books about kids with divorced parents was always so inspiring to me because I was the same, and there was always a sense of maturity surrounding her books that even as a kid I loved.

[@ArrowOdenn]

I loved the Girls series of books and the audiobooks read ɓy Brigit Forsyth. Forsyth died in December 2023 and i can't imagine anyone else reading Ellie's voice. Looking forward to a 5th novel though. I love Wilson returning to her child characters now as adults.

[@ajc94]

She's a fantastic narrator isn't she! I love how she gives the characters individual voices

[@ArrowOdenn]

Turns out the new narrator is Carrie Hope Fletcher

[@diabolicalpotate]

Is there a date for the fifth book? I really enjoyed these as a youngster. Also agree that I like that she revisits her characters as adults, I liked the ones with Tracy Beaker and her daughter!

[@millystars]

i used to read her books RELIGOUSLYY. reading them at age 10 changed my brain chemistry for sure 😭

[@Raych-]

She was by far one of my favourite authors as a child and I had the privilege of meeting her at the Carnegie awards.