Tamara

This is definitely a "slow burner" book, and it feels like it takes at least a good 400 pages before everything starts to really take off and have a good snowball effect. There are a lot of characters in this book, which is sometimes hard to keep track of and remember who is who, but I do feel like this is imperative to the story itself as it makes the devastation of Salem's Lot feel more personal and more catastrophic. I do feel like the ending could have been so much better, as I feel like once they had that final 'lightbulb' moment, I thought "Oh, that's it?"

You can tell this is an older book, especially when it comes to any female characters and an unnecessary description of her breasts at that current moment, but it's still a cracking Vampire story nonetheless.

The Little Board Game Café is a beautifully written and gently paced story with several unexpected moments and little twists. The narrative is written from Emily’s point of view, and the characters are all nicely developed and realistic. Emily is relatable and likeable, so readers will want her dreams to come true and for her to get her own happy ever after ending. I really loved this book - it was such a fun read and super hard to put down! It’s the kind of story you want to curl up on the sofa with a hot drink. I will definitely be reading more titles by Jennifer Page!

Some nice recipes, athough a lot of what we tried seemed to end up being a bit dry. It's also worth doing some of these in the oven rather than an airfyer, especially some of the puddings and pasta bakes.

This is a great beginner-friendly baking book, especially ideal for younger bakers or those just starting out! It starts with a helpful ingredients guide that explains things like which type of butter works best for different techniques, and the different kinds of food colouring and what they’re best used for. There's even a handy conversion table at the back to help with Imperial, Metric, and cup measurements, which makes it accessible for bakers from anywhere.

The recipes are easy to follow, with most including 'top tips' on the page and a photo to go along with trickier steps or designs. Best of all, every recipe we’ve tried so far has turned out delicious!

I really wanted to give this more than two stars, but I simply can’t.

I haven’t read the Girls series before, so these characters were entirely new to me. Even so, the familiar nostalgia of a Jacqueline Wilson novel was very much present, which made me hopeful going in.

Think Again starts off slowly, and for a while, it's difficult to see where the story is actually heading. Once it settles, the pacing improves, and the different threads begin to come together into a clearer narrative. Unfortunately, that’s also where my enjoyment began to fade.

The storyline itself often felt uncomfortable and oddly “off.” Questionable choices are made by both the main character, Ellie, and by Jacqueline Wilson as the author, to the point where the book just felt icky.

While queer representation is always welcome, the way Ellie’s journey is written here feels unbalanced and somewhat forced. The other woman in the relationship isn’t as fully developed as she could be, and their connection reads more like companionship than the passion that’s repeatedly described with another partner. As a result, Ellie’s queer awakening feels muted rather than affirming or triumphant. At the same time, nearly every heterosexual man Ellie encounters is portrayed as a red flag—most notably her cousin, who attempts to pressure her into dating through creepy gifts and non-consensual kissing, and her former art teacher, who is arguably the biggest red flag of all. Whilst it's already uncomfortable that they're in a relationship in the first place, the dynamic with this man becomes repetitive: he behaves badly, Ellie feels uneasy but says nothing, and everything is glossed over with great sex over and over again. The real awakening Ellie needed was right there: understanding that good sex is not a reason to tolerate disrespect or boundary violations. Instead, the book sidesteps this entirely. This messaging becomes especially uncomfortable when Magda and Nadine explicitly tell Ellie that “that’s just how all men are” and that she should simply put up with it and enjoy the sex. Jacqueline Wilson used to be so, so good at driving home those important messages, but in Think Again, this is really not the case.

Overall, Think Again had potential and moments of familiarity, but the execution left me disappointed. It didn’t feel like a comforting, nostalgic Jacqueline Wilson novel, and I finished it feeling more uneasy than moved.