Review: My Mum Tracy Beaker by Jacqueline Wilson

Publication Date: October 4th 2018
Publisher: Doubleday Publishers
Source: Purchased

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Blurb: 

Tracy has returned, hand in hand with her daughter Jess, she’s ready to make her childhood dreams come true.
Jess and Tracy Beaker are the perfect team. They do everything together.
Jess thinks Tracy is the best mum ever, even when she shouts at her teachers!

Tracy has made the perfect home for Jess, leaving The Dumping Ground far behind her.Yes, their flat’s a bit mouldy. It’s only just big enough for two. And the Duke Estate is a bit scary. But it’s their happy home.

Until Sean Godfrey, Tracy’s rich boyfriend, whisks them away to his mansion, life of fast cars and celebrity stardom.Will Jess’s brilliant mum turn into a new person altogether? And will Tracy realise that her childhood dream might not be what she needs after all?

 This is the first book in years that I have been so excited about, that I purchased it on its release day! 

If you don't know, Jacqueline Wilson has played a huge part in not only helping me fall in love with books but also in my formative years as a child and teenager. When I found out that Jacqueline was revisiting the character of Tracey as an adult, I knew it was going to be one I needed to buy. 

The novel is so perfectly reminiscent of "old" Jacqueline Wilson novels while also being set in the modern day. Tracey now has a child and it is so interesting to see how this stroppy, moody girl has grown into an independent, responsible and fiercely protective mother of her child, Jess. Jess and Tracey's relationship is so lovely and caring. It is so heart warming to read about their loving relationship when usually in Wilson's novels the children are in  the mix of very volatile dysfunctional family's. 


Another aspect I enjoyed of the novel was the voice of Jess. Wilson has perfectly captured the more timid Jess's voice and en-captured the modern young girl. We see this as Jess names her imaginary dog "Snapchat" and the difference in the playground talk she experiences at school. Jess was such a wonderful character to read about, fiercely loyal to her mum, funny, shy and all round adorable. 

The writing style of the novel is exactly what you expect from Jacqueline, beautiful descriptions, funny scenes, family moments and all accompanied by Nick Sharratts wonderful illustrations. Reading this novel was like slipping into a warm bath of nostalgia for me. I loved revisiting all of these old characters again in modern setting and seeing how life has changed after we turned that final page all those years ago. Another interesting part, I enjoyed was the slight hinting at Cam's sexuality as she develops a close relationship with a woman. Although I would have loved to see this more explicitly stated, I think it was great to include in the novel. 

Overall the novel was wonderful nostalgia bliss. Tracey Beaker has got to be one of the most iconic characters in children's literature and this novel will definitely stay with me.