Girls Under Pressure

Girls #2

by Jacqueline Wilson

Magda is tall and glamorous, Nadine is willowy and 'gothic' and Ellie, well, Ellie is just plain normal. The three girls have been best friends 'forever' but now Ellie is convinced she's fat; Nadine wants to be a model; and Magda worries that her appearance is giving guys the wrong idea... They all long to change their looks and they're all under pressure!

Genres: Young Adult, Childrens, Fiction, Romance, Contemporary, Middle Grade, Chick Lit

205 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Jacqueline Wilson was born in Bath in 1945, but spent most of her childhood in Kingston-on-Thames. She always wanted to be a writer and wrote her first ‘novel’ when she was nine, filling in countless Woolworths’ exercise books as she grew up. As a teenager she started work for a magazine publishing company and then went on to work as a journalist on Jackie magazine (which she was told was named after her!) before turning to writing novels full-time.

One of Jacqueline’s most successful and enduring creations has been the famous Tracy Beaker, who first appeared in 1991 in The Story of Tracy Beaker. This was also the first of her books to be illustrated by Nick Sharratt. Since then Jacqueline has been on countless awards shortlists and has gone on to win many awards. The Illustrated Mum won the Guardian Children’s Fiction Award, the 1999 Children’s Book of the Year at the British Book Awards and was also shortlisted for the 1999 Whitbread Children’s Book Award.

Double Act won the prestigious Smarties Medal and the Children’s Book Award as well as being highly commended for the Carnegie Medal. The Story of Tracy Beaker won the 2002 Blue Peter People’s Choice Award.

Jacqueline is one of the nation’s favourite authors, and her books are loved and cherished by young readers not only in the UK but all over the world. She has sold millions of books and in the UK alone the total now stands at over 35 million!

In 2002 Jacqueline was awarded the OBE for services to literacy in schools and from 2005 to 2007 she was the Children’s Laureate. In 2008 she became Dame Jacqueline Wilson.

Reviews

[Craneinthepond · Rating 2 out of 5]

A decent attempt at writing about a topic the author did not fully understand-

I read this book twice, once when I was very young, and again a week ago, a few months into recovery from my own eating disorder.

While this book is informative about anorexia, bulimia and EDNOS (the symptoms, effects and characteristics of the disorders are woven into the stories of Ellie and Zoë), and portrays very well the impact of eating disorders on the sufferer's family, Ellie herself seemed more like a charicature of an anorexic than a realistic interpretation of a sufferer-she immediately decides to starve herself, and her body dysmorphia is described as developing imstantaneously, rather than slowly developing from anorexic behaviours into the full-blown disorder. After months of self-starvation, she is seen to simply 'decide' to get better rather thN begin the slow process of recovery. Also, Ellie's disorder is described as being very much about food, rather than other issues behind the illness.

I'd recommend this to young people wanting to learn about eating disorders rather than actual sufferers.

[Laura Lovesreading]

At times we can really be our own worst critics

Girls under pressure is the second book in the four part Girls In Love Series. In this book the girls are dealing with the pressure of their bodies. Nadine wants to be a model and is having issues pursuing this career. Ellie is struggling with body dysmorphia and thinks she’s fat and Magda is having issues with boys and how they physically perceive her. IT’S A LOT

This book is targeted for teens but it should really come with trigger warnings because this was not an easy read. It was hard reading Ellie going through the struggles of her weight. Even her friend Zoe’s story was tough. It was emotional to read because I know in today’s times with social media, the pressure for young girls to look ‘perfect’ is at an all time high.

Jacqueline for me tackled the book in how I would presume most young girls would view themselves. I can admit that I was overly critical about my looks and weight when I was younger and I’m very confused as to why because I was very lean and athletic. But we always think we can look better or want to change certain parts of body even if fundamentally there is nothing wrong with us, right?

It was a very sensitive and interesting read, that again had me glued in. I will say that the ending felt rushed, and a resolution came way to quickly, which realistically I don’t think it would be that simple due to the severity of the issue.

Jaqueline's book’s always feel like a life lesson. This book reminds you to not compare yourself to other people and to love yourself just how you are.

Again, I am not rating this series, as I’m only reading to remember the characters and the issues they dealt/ went through and for nostalgic purposes.

ONTO BOOK THREE… GIRL OUT LATE






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⋆｡°✩pre read⋆｡°✩
Really enjoyed book #1
Slightly nervous for this one as it covers a very difficult subject
Cant remember how well the author tackled it. 🤞🏾💛💚🧡

[Sarah ♡ (let’s interact!) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Girls Under Pressure can read quite heavy for anybody who has struggled with self-esteem and body image issues. The topic of eating disorders is covered with Ellie’s negative self talk leading into bulimia, and then the character Zöe being in the thralls of anorexia, so please proceed with caution if you think that this would trigger you in any way. Zöe’s experience seemed written better at times, but both did feel realistic from a teenage girl’s perspective. This is pretty much the theme throughout the whole book.
The pressures for the other two girls, Nadine and Magda, are that Nadine has been scouted for modelling tryouts for a fashion magazine and Magda has an identity crisis when she finds out that boys are labelling her as “easy”. This is a frank look at the trials and tribulations of teenage girlhood.

I remember enjoying the later books in the series more when I first read them as a child/young teen (specifically Book #4, ”Girls In Tears”) so I will be continuing on with this series in preparation for Jaqueline Wilson’s adult continuation of the Girls series. There is a lot of nostalgia to her books and it’s making me want to re-read some more of my childhood favourites. I don’t know what happened to my copies of her work other than Vicki Angel. I definitely owned Lola Rose and The Illustrated Mum to name a few, but must have borrowed some from the library. Ended up ordering a boxed set of 21 more of her books lol some that I read as a child and some that I missed!

3 Stars

tw:// ED

[Maddie]

This was such a meaningful exploration into self image and value. Each girl in this series brings something completely different and their friendship is so supportive.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book two of the four-part "Girls" series, featuring three best friends as they grow into adolescence. Our protagonist, Ellie, is a very realistic character - I certainly felt the best connection with her whilst reading the series for the first time.

This book is more grown up than the first; Ellie and her friends are starting to worry more about how they look and in particular, their weight. Sadly typical of the target age of readers, this book helps the reader to gain some perspective in how she views her self worth.

It's interesting when you consider how these books were published in a generation before the Internet and social media really took off. Had they been written now, I feel the storyline would be much different.

[Undomiel Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

*re-read*

One of my favourite series in my younger teen years, and still a great comfort read to me today! This series is very close to my heart, and is relatable for all girls out there. it deals with lots of common issues many girls face in their teen years, and handles them in a funny, loving, heartwarming manner.

[Ashleigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

So there's a lot happening in this book: Ellie has become obsessed with her weight and wants to lose some, Nadine has the opportunity to become a model and Magda has an identity crisis when she finds out local boys think she's 'easy'. Oh and suddenly Dan has become very distant with Ellie..

I've read quite a few YA and Adult books about eating disorders and I feel like this book didn't tackle the subject very well. While Zoe's anorexia and depiction felt very realistic, Ellie's bulimia/ED was a bit off. She seems to recover from it almost as quickly as it begins, with no professional help or any help whatsoever. Yeah, she might have been scared off by seeing Zoe in the psychiatric unit, but she goes from 100 to zero, real quick. It felt like the book was trivialising her ED. Bare in mind, I have never suffered from an ED but in my experience, I don't think it was well presented in this book.

Another okay book in this series. I believe I've only read the first 2 books so we'll see what book 3 brings!

[Chloe Reads Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a really difficult one for me. I had a lot of issues with my eating when I was a teenager and I can't help but see some of my thought processes in this book, which I would have read around the same time. This book handles some really difficult topics, surrounding body image, anorexia and bulimia. It's hard for me to say that 271 pages is enough to quite tackle these issues in a productive way.

[Bee]

Okay, so The Girls series is tackling some really important issues, and I wish I'd actually read them when I was 13!

[Zoë MacPherson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely should not have been reading this as a 12 year old

[Niamh Delahunty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have chosen this book to review as it is one that particularly stands out in my mind going back to my earlier years of finishing primary school and entering second level. This writing is based around a young girl who begins, in the shadow of her “skinny beautiful model” friends, to self deprecate and struggle with weight and appearance issues. It is a book that portrays some very serious issues around self esteem, and zones in on the dynamics of the pressures of being a teenager in the 21st century, giving a very real depiction of the thought processes of a young girl suffering from an eating disorder. It is innocently written yet is unusually entertaining in how the story is illustrated. As an adult reading this again, I realise the passiveness we can portray to child and teenage hang ups, seeing these issues as “phases” or sometimes simply plots for attention. Yet overall, if not addressed in a viable way, this kind of self evaluation can have massive impact on the ability and stability of that child to grow in a healthy and fulfilled way. I have chosen this specifically as, even though I am working towards becoming a primary teacher, these issues are something that are coming more and more to the forefront in recent years, and more attention is being given to such matters as weight and appearance for children younger and younger all the time. It’s something I am reflective on as an aspiring primary teacher to have esteem building and awareness of the things we say and do and the example we give to children at such an impressionable age, central to my teaching at all times, regardless of subject or student; a little nudge towards prevention rather than cure.

[Loops Herrera · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started reading this book Two weeks ago and I loved it. It not only relates to
how I feel but I am pretty sure it related to many of my friends and other girls out there.
This book opened my eyes into knowing how important it is to take care of my body.

The main characters are three best friends: Magda, tall and beautiful, Nadine is “gothy”
and Ellie is just the “normal” one. Ellie made herself think that she was fat so she got
trapped in this hole where all she wanted to do is not eat and lose weight. Nadine the
tall and skinny one wants to be a model and she is also the one that everyone wants
to look like. And Magda just worries that how she looks is giving guys the wrong idea
about her.

Ellie made herself suffer a lot she starved herself and she never was satisfied about
how she looked. She lost a lot of weight and got to her limit but she wasn't satisfied she
pushed herself too much.

This book is just and example of how teens and women suffer about their physical
appearance. All they thought about is to change how they looked but did they learn how
to accept themselves for who they were?

Theme: I think the theme is "Passion". Passion can drive you to do so many things in life either good or bad. It just depends on the decisions you make. Like Ellie and her friends made terrible decisions because they didnt like how they looked. Poeple need to take their passion and make something good out of it not something bad :)

[Sophie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have given this a 1 star because it is a TERRIBLE book for teenage girls to be reading.

I first read this when I was 13/14 and it supported my eating disorders and so I loved it as it helped me keep track of crash dieting and obsessive excercising.

I have since re-read this as an adult and I am ashamed of this book. The way it refers to the psychiatric ward, the ways it refers to young girls suffering from anorexia (both sexist and ableist) as being “silly” and “choosing to starve themselves”. Well anorexia is a serious psychiatric illness that affects males, females and all genders AND it is not a choice.

Furthermore, the book talks about how unattractive anorexic people look - how kind to be so nasty about others with a serious illness.

I would NEVER allow any child to be reading this book as it is so triggering and supportive of Eating Disorders (from the view of someone who has suffered with them since 11/12) I saw this book as inspirational.

It is clear the author had NO IDEA about eating disorders and put zero effort into her research, instead thinking they develop instantaneously and that you also recover instantaneously…..no, just no.

I warn every parent not to allow their child to read this.

[Katy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is probably the most problematic/traumatic of the 4 but also the most entertaining. It was honestly triggering even for me and there is no way I would let a teenager read this. Also we never find out what happened to Zoe in the end?? There wasn’t really a good conclusion it was just kind of like Ellie’s over it now. She definitely should have gone to some sort of therapy

[Nia Thomas]

this one was dark

[Georgia · Rating 3 out of 5]

the nostalgia #2!!!

[Chloe Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m currently re-reading the Girls series in anticipation for the adult follow up being released in September.

This is the book from the series that I remembered the most. It’s always stuck in my mind. Ellie is struggling with her self image. She feels that she is ‘fat’ and is comparing herself to everyone who crosses her path, especially her two best friends Magda and Nadine. She sets about trying to lose weight, thinking that not eating, or bingeing and then throwing it back up is the way to get to the size she wants to be.

Ellie’s image of herself is completely distorted, an issue that so many young girls, and women in general face. Her body image and body confidence is at an all time low. Her obsession with dieting puts a strain on her relationships with both her friends and her family. I personally felt that Jacqueline Wilson explored the topic of eating disorders well, in a realistic way that many young people will, unfortunately, relate to. It’s my hope that young people reading this will feel a little less alone, and will also see the devastating effects that eating disorders can have, helping them to seek help before it gets out of control.

Reading it as an adult, it’s upsetting knowing that the world is now an even harder place to be a girl/woman. The invention of social media has only made it harder. It’s a bittersweet read - hard to read at times but also a great instalment in the series. I also really love Ellie and step-mum Anna’s relationship and how it’s evolving as the series goes on.

Looking forward to re-reading the last two books ☺️

[the.f6aim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Girls Under Pressure should honestly be read by each and every girl living in this world. IT IS SO EDUCATIONAL (Girl-wise)!!!
Let's get to the fun part then.
The thing with this book is the way is has been written, by the point of view of our main character Ellie, who is one of the funniest characters I have had the joy to "read". She is your normal teenage girl struggling through her weight problem and looks. The way in which Ellie describes herself and her "adventures" is so cute, and I am sure she can relate to all us girls out there! This is a great book that will make you feel full of life by the end of it. From the Girls Under series, this is honestly my top favorite one.

[Sarah :) 🕺🏻 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has a lot of trigger warnings that I did not even think about when I was younger

[Hally · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Rating to be taken with a pinch of salt as these books aren't aimed at 30 somethings!)

For years I couldn't bring myself to even look at this book on a shelf because of the feelings it brought up in me. This re-read as an adult has been helpful, and having recovered from eating disorders I can now see the real message behind this book: how EDs are so all-consuming they take everything from the sufferer. I think this is portrayed well, with just enough subtlety but an element of warning, too. For vulnerable teenagers, though, I'm unconvinced by how helpful books about eating disorders even are at all. When empathising so closely with a character, it's difficult not to have certain thoughts and feelings activated if you already have those tendencies.

I didn't personally relate to Ellie's intense focus on body image, but that's not to say this isn't the case for some ED sufferers. I could also read between the lines (or maybe project) to understand the deeper reasons behind Ellie's fixation. I agree that her disordered behaviours do come on quickly and are resolved relatively quickly too, but considering the length of this book I think JW gives tackling the complexity of eating disorders a good shot and mainly succeeds. I love her writing style; the warmth, the everyday detail, the humanness, and the subtle traumas mixed in with the more overt. These first two books stuck with me, but I so look forward to being reminded of what teenage Ellie, Magda and Nadine get up to next before we re-meet them as adults with the release of Think Again next week.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm going to be honest here! I struggled with this book. There is nothing bad about the book itself, but it covers topics too close to things I am dealing with in my own life. How I didn't see that it would be related to eating disorders and diet culture when there is literally a pair of scales on the front cover 🙈 Again, sad that a book written almost 30 years ago is still relevant to what people are going through now is heartbreaking. I don't think it is good for young girls to be reading about the thoughts and feelings of a girl with an eating disorder, but also, it's a topic that needs talking about.

[loz.sandom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rereading a childhood classic - god, I'd forgotten how much I'd clung to this book when I was going through my own problems with food and mental health. While to most people JW was clearly not romanticising these awful illnesses, I was grateful to have a character to relate to... maybe not the healthiest take at 11 years old! still, rereading it at 28, it's giving nostalgia and only a tiny hint of triggering 😂 I wouldn't be who I am today without these books, for sure.

[Ngọc · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nàng này suy nghĩ giống như mình hồi trước, mỗi tội mình không bị ám ảnh kinh hoàng đến thế=))Gì mà ăn xong đi móc họng chứ?=))Bây giờ mình chẳng nghĩ đến giảm cân gì cả, chính mình hơi mũm mĩm tí thì có sao đâu, miễn vẫn có tiền mua sách là được rồi=))

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Again, some quite outdated language but a typical JW. This was was overall actually very sad. It hurt my heart how Ellie talked about her body and the things she did. Sadly quite relatable.
I did enjoy this though and the resolution. Will be reading the next two and so excited for the new one

[Jennifer Rahman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Forgot how satisfying it is to read YA books, they're so quick! Enjoyed this again, and in classic JW style she covered some hard hitting topics. This would be so different if it was published now but I do have to respect her covering these somewhat (at the time) unaddressed topics. Will continue my venture into the Girls series.

[Kloe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Once again just like listening to my teenage self’s thoughts. Definitely forgot how much I loved these as a kid

[Faye Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm re-reading this series (nearly 20 years later) in preparation for reading Think Again. This second instalment in the series is better than the first, narrative flows in a much better way and takes a sensitive view on eating disorders. Very easy, quick read these days!

[Emily Pugh · Rating 4 out of 5]

a true jacqueline wilson classic <3 i remember reading this when i was younger and shocking how much she DIDNT tiptoe around the topic of anorexia 😭

[˖⁺‧₊˚lou˚₊‧⁺˖ · Rating 4 out of 5]

guys, im feeling triggered

[Taz Warner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I read this book at the age of 12 to 14 when I was going through a similar situation with my weight
It hit more years later because I felt alone then but I know now I wasn't