Baby Love

Product Information

She lived in a place where there wasn’t much hope and perhaps, she developed much more than I’ve given her grace for. Her prefab home is undoubtedly the nicest in their area, but still is in a street dubbed 'Shantytown' by her Grammar School classmates. But to keep ourselves on our toes, we have a rule that author gender is alternated, girl-boy-girl-boy, and the continents always rotated (with occasional glitches). When Nina starts waving at some boys on the diving boards, Laura is horrified, but does her best to look sixteen like Nina is trying to pull off.

I knew it would be well written and sensitively tackled as Jacqueline Wilson so often does and I knew it would be handled well. I will always wonder at her ability to understand and translate such tough subjects and emotions into her words so beautifully. Shame about Nina and Daniel (both of whom I really liked) but at the same time, I couldn't see how Laura and their lives would fit together again after everything. She can immediately transport you back to being a teenager and discovering the adult world for the first time. Sent away to save them from shame, Laura meets girls just like herself, whose families have given up on them – and they become a family for each other at the most difficult time in all their lives.A story of family, adoption, consent, growing up, sex education, friendship and standing up for yourself. Laura’s defining quality is her love of literature: she mostly reads classics that have been left on her dad’s coach, mirroring her reality. I was surprised when I so easily slipped back into the world of Jacqueline Wilson at the ripe old age of 29.

Watching Laura and her friend Nina navigate to teenage hood and become interested in sex, boys and ‘growing up’ (well, in Nina’s case anyway), and I honestly can’t believe how quickly I eagerly devoured this book. Jaqueline Wilson has captured all of this brilliantly in her world renown style of straight from the heart, uncluttered, authentic story telling. I found her writing to be just as engaging and well-paced as I did when I was a teenager, which surprised me. I've been a Jacqueline Wilson fan since my teens and once again, she doesn't hold back in exploring difficult topics and bringing you on an emotional journey. She has squabbles with her friends, cares about her schoolwork, grumbles about her parents and longs for more than she has.Laura herself does grow as a character when she thinks about the expectation placed on her vs Leon, but that is briefly stated and then never mentioned again really.