‘Think Again’: Jaqueline Wilson’s novel grapples with the realities of being a late millennial

Many people when they “grow up” wonder when the penny will drop and they’ll finally feel like a fully fledged adult. There have been consistent studies and articles on this subject. In fact, one British study of 18 to 30-year-olds this year found that attitudes to being an adult are shifting as traditional milestones become out of reach.

At 40, Eleanor Allard (aka Ellie) feels much the same and considers herself, to paraphrase the iconic words of Britney Spears, “not a girl, not yet a woman”. This is an enduring theme in the much-anticipated return of Jacqueline Wilson’s Girls in Love series.

Originally featuring four books, Girls in Love (1997), Girls Under Pressure (1998), Girls Out Late (1999) and Girls in Tears (2002), the series followed Ellie and her two best friends, Magda and Nadine, as they navigated their teens. These books were a hit with young girls and broached topics like boys, first sexual feelings and body image issues and changes.

So, when Wilson announced that, 22 years after the last book, she would be publishing a new one for the original fans of the series, British millennials rejoiced. Think Again is Wilson’s first book for an adult audience, but fans of the original series will be happy to see that a lot of what they loved remains. Think Again is a comforting and funny...

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