Jacqueline Wilson never fails to please and her fans clamour at the slightest hint of a new book from their favourite author. This time Ellie, Magda and Nadine, teenage heroines of Girls Under Pressure and Girls in Love, are growing up (and out!) and getting to grips with their parents, their boys and their bodies as the roller-coaster from childhood to adulthood speeds up and hots up.

Ellie--plain and plump with frizzy hair (not drop-dead-gorgeous like Magda or supercool like Nadine)--meets the man of her dreams over a burger and a sketch-book and finds that her father's instructions to be home by 9 pm at the very latest have fallen through her hormone-addled sieve of a brain. She would much rather be snogging with Russell, but what will he think of her if she admits she has to be home at such a ridiculously early hour? The real problems arise when Ellie and her buddies take a trip to London to see their favourite singer and find themselves caught up with a van-load of dodgy blokes who have more than dancing in mind.

As sparky and true-to-life as ever, Wilson takes the bull by the horns and tackles teenage dilemmas with a reverence and wit that will doubtless continue to turn heads long into the future. Realism--more the everyday-worrisome kind than the gritty kind--plays a huge part in her work. She portrays the onset of the teenage years with a warmth, understanding and humour that cuts to the bone while at the same time provoking laughter at the sheer madness of it all.

This is an excellent book for older children. It's great as part of the series, but it stands strongly on its own too. The story is suitable for ages 11 and above and the running time is four hours and 45 minutes. --Susan Harrison