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Dustbin Baby
April knows she was found in a dustbin fourteen years ago as a new-born baby. And now she's fairly happily settled with her foster mother, Marion. But she's desperate to recall what happened in the intervening years, and to see if she can find out where she really came from in the first place. A highly moving but very accessible novel, in Jacqueline Wilson's unique, acclaimed and adored style.
240 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2001
149 people are currently reading
2655 people want to read
About the author
Jacqueline Wilson
399 books5,692 followersJacqueline 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 341 reviews
September 3, 2013
Jacqueline Wilson has written many amazing books, but Dustbin Baby has to be one of my favourites, especially for an older reader, and is a story I will never forget.
April, the main character, is a lonely girl with a vivid imagination who struggles to fit in as she is haunted by her past. Without so much as a note or shawl, April was abandoned by her mother at birth and dumped in a nearby dustbin. Luckily, her constant cries (which later gained her one of her nicknames April Showers) was heard by the local pizza boy, Frankie, who saved her life.
The reader is introduced to April on her 14th birthday, which happens to be on April 1st (hence she adopted the nickname April Fools). For her birthday she receives a pair of earrings from her old-fashioned foster mother Marion - not quite the present April had wished for. Still without a mobile phone, unlike her friends, April and Marion have a dispute and April storms out and sets off on a journey to meet her previous foster parents in order to discover more about her childhood.
April didn’t always have a great upbringing, being moved from home to home and relationships never seemed to last. She witnessed the marital breakdown of the people she trusted the most, which ended in her ‘mummy’ committing suicide as her ‘daddy’ had run off with another woman. She was frequently bullied by another foster child until she eventually retaliated, landing the girl in hospital, and was later coerced into burglary.
Along April’s journey she finds many people from her past and even makes new friends; nevertheless she still feels very lonesome and empty - something is missing. One question remains throughout, will she ever find her birth mother?
In the final chapters of the book April finds the number of who she suspects to be her birth mother, however, later finds out that the number belongs to an excited Frankie who has been looking for her from the day she was taken away. This may not be the happy ending the reader wanted for April but is a happy ending nonetheless as April comes to the realisation of how grateful she is to have a wonderful foster mother, good friends and a new found relationship with Frankie.
This book is ideal for independent reading for older readers from the age of 10, as Jacqueline Wilson discusses many relatable issues such as crushes, fitting in, bullying and parental disputes. The author captivates the reader with April’s story and leaves them always wanting to know more. Readers are able to sympathise with the character and hope that in the end she will achieve what she set out to find and also get the answers to her questions.
As well as being an interesting read, there is also a moral to the story which (in this case) was ‘life may not always be perfect but be grateful for what you have and make the most of it,’ which may be an inspiration to many young readers.
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November 2, 2022
Read as part of The Infinite Variety Reading Challenge, based on the BBC's Big Read Poll of 2003.
Nope.
Nope.
November 15, 2021
The ending could have been better--
First off, Thank you @Terry for recommending me this book and also warning me about the ending because of which I was mentally prepared but even after that, I was HIGHLY disappointed.. like are you kidding me??🤡🤡
Okay, I admit, It's pretty cute, light-read but yes, I was expecting ALOT more--
April, the protagonist is an orphan who was dumped in a dustbin the second she was born.
Been thrown from family to family, care centres, even school for special kids, she finally ended up in her current 'mom', Marion's house.
Okay.
April is a pretty lame character-- a sort of a whining gal'. Confused about her life. 😩
I don't really blame her but then, dude she is like 14 and bruh who can be THAT immature??🤷🏻♀️🤷🏻♀️
The story starts with April, on her 14th birthday, (the 1st of April) sets out to find her 'real' home instead of going to school. (# Dumb point 1)
Then she remembers her past and takes on a, well-- quite a tragic story in which I legit zoned out and was interested the least.😪
At last when I thought that the book would FINALLY get a bit interesting--
I remembered the words said by my friend--
"Don't keep high expectations from the end"😬
And that is what I exactly did.
Neither did April find her real mother, nor did she go on an 'exciting' adventure except going back to her day care centre and the school for special kids just to gather some 'memories' (this was # Dumb x100🙄🙄)
Huh.
Pathetic--
I kinda loved the side characters--
Marion was a sweetheart.💜
Yet April, well she deserved a character glow-up (if you know what I mean)
Soo--
I would rate it 3.5
And recommended if you want a short read BUT be well prepared for the disappointment in the end.🙂
First off, Thank you @Terry for recommending me this book and also warning me about the ending because of which I was mentally prepared but even after that, I was HIGHLY disappointed.. like are you kidding me??🤡🤡
Okay, I admit, It's pretty cute, light-read but yes, I was expecting ALOT more--
April, the protagonist is an orphan who was dumped in a dustbin the second she was born.
Been thrown from family to family, care centres, even school for special kids, she finally ended up in her current 'mom', Marion's house.
Okay.
April is a pretty lame character-- a sort of a whining gal'. Confused about her life. 😩
I don't really blame her but then, dude she is like 14 and bruh who can be THAT immature??🤷🏻♀️🤷🏻♀️
The story starts with April, on her 14th birthday, (the 1st of April) sets out to find her 'real' home instead of going to school. (# Dumb point 1)
Then she remembers her past and takes on a, well-- quite a tragic story in which I legit zoned out and was interested the least.😪
At last when I thought that the book would FINALLY get a bit interesting--
I remembered the words said by my friend--
"Don't keep high expectations from the end"😬
And that is what I exactly did.
Neither did April find her real mother, nor did she go on an 'exciting' adventure except going back to her day care centre and the school for special kids just to gather some 'memories' (this was # Dumb x100🙄🙄)
Huh.
Pathetic--
I kinda loved the side characters--
Marion was a sweetheart.💜
Yet April, well she deserved a character glow-up (if you know what I mean)
Soo--
I would rate it 3.5
And recommended if you want a short read BUT be well prepared for the disappointment in the end.🙂
August 29, 2023
That was definitely a lot.
The ending was a bit rushed, it's what we were waiting for and there wasn't much to it after all. It was a good story overall.
The ending was a bit rushed, it's what we were waiting for and there wasn't much to it after all. It was a good story overall.
Read
December 15, 2023this book is like a little life for children (the girl who summarises jacqueline wilson books on tik tok inspired me to read it)
March 5, 2019
Honestly, I forgot just how dark the story-line for this one was. After putting the book down from reading the last page, I was in total shock. It's one of Jacky's more hard-hitting novels.
Dustbin Baby follows young April, on her 14th birthday and wanting a mobile phone as a present from her foster Mum. Instead, she gets a pair of earrings and after rowing about them, she storms off and fails to show up for school. April decides to visit locations from her past, from her first ever foster home to a graveyard and the area where she was abandoned as a baby. In a dustbin behind a pizza parlour. There are lots of throwbacks to her past, most were scary now reading it as an adult. T/W for discussions of childbirth, violence and suicide of a character. The pacing was really quick but I'm still feeling a little... disturbed. I remember watching the movie though ages ago and enjoying it at the time.
Dustbin Baby follows young April, on her 14th birthday and wanting a mobile phone as a present from her foster Mum. Instead, she gets a pair of earrings and after rowing about them, she storms off and fails to show up for school. April decides to visit locations from her past, from her first ever foster home to a graveyard and the area where she was abandoned as a baby. In a dustbin behind a pizza parlour. There are lots of throwbacks to her past, most were scary now reading it as an adult. T/W for discussions of childbirth, violence and suicide of a character. The pacing was really quick but I'm still feeling a little... disturbed. I remember watching the movie though ages ago and enjoying it at the time.
July 5, 2018
Wilson is really amazing with her orphaned little girl stories. Tracy Beaker was very good, too, and this is excellent. April makes sense as an abandoned girl, so much sense. This is a small book, a quick read, but really worth it, I promise.
February 25, 2025
read Feb 25, 2025 - Feb 25, 2025: 4 stars
August 31, 2020
Dustbin Baby is about 14 year-old April who gets thrown away by her mother whem she was born. April spends 1 day trying to find her biological mother and her other foster mothers. April finds an old friend and some new ones.
April always compares herself to her best friends Hannah and Cathy begging Marion (her foster mother) to get her a phone.
I would definately recommend this story to all Jacqueline Wilson fans.
April always compares herself to her best friends Hannah and Cathy begging Marion (her foster mother) to get her a phone.
I would definately recommend this story to all Jacqueline Wilson fans.
September 29, 2021
This was really good! :D
TBH I could relate to April in like some ways but towards the end it was pretty much disappointing and also our 14 year old protagonist throughout the book made such dumb decisions that I sort of lost interest in the book.
But still, it's a pretty cute, short and light read.
3/5
Recommended!
TBH I could relate to April in like some ways but towards the end it was pretty much disappointing and also our 14 year old protagonist throughout the book made such dumb decisions that I sort of lost interest in the book.
But still, it's a pretty cute, short and light read.
3/5
Recommended!
July 27, 2024
What a ride. I loved the ending, I found it really touching.
August 3, 2016
Jacqueline Wilson has written many amazing books, but Dustbin Baby has to be one of my favourites and is a story I will never forget.
April, the main character, is a lonely girl with a vivid imagination who struggles to fit in as she is haunted by her past. Without so much as a note or shawl, April was abandoned by her mother at birth and dumped in a nearby dustbin. Luckily, her constant cries (which later gained her one of her nicknames April Showers) was heard by the local pizza boy, Frankie, who saved her life.
The reader is introduced to April on her 14th birthday, which happens to be on April 1st (hence she adopted the nickname April Fools). For her birthday she receives a pair of earrings from her old-fashioned foster mother Marion - not quite the present April had wished for. Still without a mobile phone, unlike her friends, April and Marion have a dispute and April storms out and sets off on a journey to meet her previous foster parents in order to discover more about her childhood.
April didn’t always have a great upbringing, being moved from home to home and relationships never seemed to last. She witnessed the marital breakdown of the people she trusted the most, which ended in her ‘mummy’ committing suicide as her ‘daddy’ had run off with another woman. She was frequently bullied by another foster child until she eventually retaliated, landing the girl in hospital, and was later coerced into burglary.
Along April’s journey she finds many people from her past and even makes new friends; nevertheless she still feels very lonesome and empty - something is missing. One question remains throughout, will she ever find her birth mother?
In the final chapters of the book April finds the number of who she suspects to be her birth mother, however, later finds out that the number belongs to an excited Frankie who has been looking for her from the day she was taken away. This may not be the happy ending the reader wanted for April but is a happy ending nonetheless as April comes to the realisation of how grateful she is to have a wonderful foster mother, good friends and a new found relationship with Frankie.
This book is ideal for independent reading for older readers from the age of 10, as Jacqueline Wilson discusses many relatable issues such as crushes, fitting in, bullying and parental disputes. The author captivates the reader with April’s story and leaves them always wanting to know more. Readers are able to sympathise with the character and hope that in the end she will achieve what she set out to find and also get the answers to her questions.
As well as being an interesting read, there is also a moral to the story which (in this case) was ‘life may not always be perfect but be grateful for what you have and make the most of it,’ which may be an inspiration to many young readers
April, the main character, is a lonely girl with a vivid imagination who struggles to fit in as she is haunted by her past. Without so much as a note or shawl, April was abandoned by her mother at birth and dumped in a nearby dustbin. Luckily, her constant cries (which later gained her one of her nicknames April Showers) was heard by the local pizza boy, Frankie, who saved her life.
The reader is introduced to April on her 14th birthday, which happens to be on April 1st (hence she adopted the nickname April Fools). For her birthday she receives a pair of earrings from her old-fashioned foster mother Marion - not quite the present April had wished for. Still without a mobile phone, unlike her friends, April and Marion have a dispute and April storms out and sets off on a journey to meet her previous foster parents in order to discover more about her childhood.
April didn’t always have a great upbringing, being moved from home to home and relationships never seemed to last. She witnessed the marital breakdown of the people she trusted the most, which ended in her ‘mummy’ committing suicide as her ‘daddy’ had run off with another woman. She was frequently bullied by another foster child until she eventually retaliated, landing the girl in hospital, and was later coerced into burglary.
Along April’s journey she finds many people from her past and even makes new friends; nevertheless she still feels very lonesome and empty - something is missing. One question remains throughout, will she ever find her birth mother?
In the final chapters of the book April finds the number of who she suspects to be her birth mother, however, later finds out that the number belongs to an excited Frankie who has been looking for her from the day she was taken away. This may not be the happy ending the reader wanted for April but is a happy ending nonetheless as April comes to the realisation of how grateful she is to have a wonderful foster mother, good friends and a new found relationship with Frankie.
This book is ideal for independent reading for older readers from the age of 10, as Jacqueline Wilson discusses many relatable issues such as crushes, fitting in, bullying and parental disputes. The author captivates the reader with April’s story and leaves them always wanting to know more. Readers are able to sympathise with the character and hope that in the end she will achieve what she set out to find and also get the answers to her questions.
As well as being an interesting read, there is also a moral to the story which (in this case) was ‘life may not always be perfect but be grateful for what you have and make the most of it,’ which may be an inspiration to many young readers
November 14, 2010
drammatico. Storia di una bambina adottata. Morte, delinquenza, abbandoni. Tono generale molto lieve, lo sguardo di una ragazzina. Finale felice ma non troppo
December 15, 2023
De esos libros que te encogen el corazón.
May 5, 2024
Biblically haunting, never felt the same
November 26, 2024
Major trauma for dustbin baby and only minor trauma for 9 year old Chloe, she loved a bit of drama.
October 23, 2025
Childhood re-read.
Jacqueline Wilson was one of the main authors who gave me a love of reading 🧡
Jacqueline Wilson was one of the main authors who gave me a love of reading 🧡
September 21, 2025
this is definitely one of Jacqueline’s more mature novels.
enjoyed it more than i remembered!
enjoyed it more than i remembered!
July 23, 2021
I read this as part of the Jacqueline Wilsathon, which I was super excited to hear announced. Here is the reading vlog: https://youtu.be/fg9WuWRiYz8
I think I must have read this a few times growing up, but I've set the first read to some time in 2007 and rated it 4 stars then (or rather, when I first made my Goodreads account).
As for my 2021 re-read, here are my thoughts:
4 / 5 stars (again)
I couldn't remember anything about Dustbin Baby when I first picked up, despite using it for the readathon prompt of 'Favourite Book' , yet as I read it, I began remembering more and more of the story (although I think it was flashes of the movie coming back to me), and had completely forgotten how sad and dark some of the topics are in this (content warning for: child abuse/abandonment, suicide, abusive relationships, depression, bullying).
I think this is what I think about when Wilson pops into my mind, and also what I love about her as an author, that so many of us growing up were able to be exposed, through her books, about real lives of children that aren't all happy ever after, whether that's something we could relate to or empathise with.
She discusses really hard topics in a way that teaches children to sympathise with others without being incredibly traumatised, or allows children to perhaps see themselves in books, for once, and Dustbin Baby was no exception.
It's certainly a quick read, of which I read in a day, but it was still very impactful. I think the fact that it is set over a course of a day really gives you an intense sort of crash course through April's life and I couldn't help but be sucked into her story and wanting nothing but the best for her.
Although it definitely seems unrealistic for a young girl who hasn't really been exposed to the wider world (think: travelling alone, any real sense of direction of where she's trying to get to, and very little money) as well as the sheer amount of s t u f f that happens in this one day, it didn't take away from my enjoyment and I was enthralled with the story that I never even really noticed in the moment.
I'm glad to have re-read this and equally happy that it was a strong start to my participation in this Jaqueline Wilson dedicated readathon.
Pick it up, give it a go and enjoy! >(^_^)<
Gén
I think I must have read this a few times growing up, but I've set the first read to some time in 2007 and rated it 4 stars then (or rather, when I first made my Goodreads account).
As for my 2021 re-read, here are my thoughts:
4 / 5 stars (again)
I couldn't remember anything about Dustbin Baby when I first picked up, despite using it for the readathon prompt of 'Favourite Book' , yet as I read it, I began remembering more and more of the story (although I think it was flashes of the movie coming back to me), and had completely forgotten how sad and dark some of the topics are in this (content warning for: child abuse/abandonment, suicide, abusive relationships, depression, bullying).
I think this is what I think about when Wilson pops into my mind, and also what I love about her as an author, that so many of us growing up were able to be exposed, through her books, about real lives of children that aren't all happy ever after, whether that's something we could relate to or empathise with.
She discusses really hard topics in a way that teaches children to sympathise with others without being incredibly traumatised, or allows children to perhaps see themselves in books, for once, and Dustbin Baby was no exception.
It's certainly a quick read, of which I read in a day, but it was still very impactful. I think the fact that it is set over a course of a day really gives you an intense sort of crash course through April's life and I couldn't help but be sucked into her story and wanting nothing but the best for her.
Although it definitely seems unrealistic for a young girl who hasn't really been exposed to the wider world (think: travelling alone, any real sense of direction of where she's trying to get to, and very little money) as well as the sheer amount of s t u f f that happens in this one day, it didn't take away from my enjoyment and I was enthralled with the story that I never even really noticed in the moment.
I'm glad to have re-read this and equally happy that it was a strong start to my participation in this Jaqueline Wilson dedicated readathon.
Pick it up, give it a go and enjoy! >(^_^)<
Gén
August 6, 2016
Jacqueline Wilson's books were what introduced me to the fantastic world of reading, it was what turned me into a book lover and I really must thank Jacqueline Wilson for everything she has done.
The great thing about growing up reading Wilson's books is that all her books covers real and important issues and there's no love stories, except for Girls, because the books are for children and her books were mainly about no matter how hard things get and how difficult the situation, the problem isn't you. You can pick yourself up and get through the problem with the help of people who love you.
I found Wilson's books a huge part of me growing up and helping to mature and transition from finding the world as a problem-free paradise to a world where no one is perfect, you see, her books like Cliffhanger sucks you in because it's funny and you find there's a whole range of other books written by Jackie so you read and read and then books like Dustbin Baby hits you in the face and makes you cry but you want to read more because you've never read a book that has made you cry and so as you read more, the books' subjects gets heavier and you grow up until you've read all of her books and you're ready for other books that will make you cry and laugh just as much as Wilson's books did when you were 10.
For the 'tumblr-y' kind of review, this book gave so much feels I CANNOT. Writing this review makes me want to crey and hug April so hard and cradle her and tell her everything is going to be okay even though she might be like 20 or something now. It was the first book that hit me hard in the guts and showed me that the world isn't as nice as it seems and oh dear lord the movie, i cried. I CRIED SO HARD.
Now for the insightful (hopefully) review.
I've no idea why it took me so long to actually write this and thank Jacqueline for writing these books for me to read whilst growing up, anyways, this review doesn't really talk about the plot. Sorry. I got carried away. Read these to your future children, mind you they'll be crying and they'll act quite mature for their age afterwards :P.
The great thing about growing up reading Wilson's books is that all her books covers real and important issues and there's no love stories, except for Girls, because the books are for children and her books were mainly about no matter how hard things get and how difficult the situation, the problem isn't you. You can pick yourself up and get through the problem with the help of people who love you.
I found Wilson's books a huge part of me growing up and helping to mature and transition from finding the world as a problem-free paradise to a world where no one is perfect, you see, her books like Cliffhanger sucks you in because it's funny and you find there's a whole range of other books written by Jackie so you read and read and then books like Dustbin Baby hits you in the face and makes you cry but you want to read more because you've never read a book that has made you cry and so as you read more, the books' subjects gets heavier and you grow up until you've read all of her books and you're ready for other books that will make you cry and laugh just as much as Wilson's books did when you were 10.
For the 'tumblr-y' kind of review, this book gave so much feels I CANNOT. Writing this review makes me want to crey and hug April so hard and cradle her and tell her everything is going to be okay even though she might be like 20 or something now. It was the first book that hit me hard in the guts and showed me that the world isn't as nice as it seems and oh dear lord the movie, i cried. I CRIED SO HARD.
Now for the insightful (hopefully) review.
I've no idea why it took me so long to actually write this and thank Jacqueline for writing these books for me to read whilst growing up, anyways, this review doesn't really talk about the plot. Sorry. I got carried away. Read these to your future children, mind you they'll be crying and they'll act quite mature for their age afterwards :P.
March 2, 2012
A very sad tale of a girl's journey through childhood in the context of being abandoned in a dustbin at birth, fostered, adopted, in care, bullied, used for crime, sent to special school and finally finding some stability in time for her teen years (but she still sometimes rebels against that in that teenage way). On her 14th birthday she bunks off school and goes revisiting her past while recounting her tale to the reader. We begin to see how much better off she is now. Jacqueline has done a brilliant job of writing about these issues in a way that I think she doesn't really get into in the Tracey Beaker 'childrens home' stories.
I'm not sure what age-group this is intended for because in some ways it is quite childish but it's got some serious issues in it that wouldn't really be for little kids.
The bright cartoony cover of this book really doesn't do the inside justice (but I know it's her trademark theme) - it perhaps appeals to a younger audience than it's meant for.
I've read many different books by this author and this type of story is what I love best about her - she's got that uncanny knack of making me cry and seems to really get you to understand how the character must feel, but somehow in a really simple way.
I love the analogy she wrote in this book about how the girl feels like a string of paper dolls and each new placement colours her in differently, which is a theme they used for the illustrations. Brilliant.
I'm not sure what age-group this is intended for because in some ways it is quite childish but it's got some serious issues in it that wouldn't really be for little kids.
The bright cartoony cover of this book really doesn't do the inside justice (but I know it's her trademark theme) - it perhaps appeals to a younger audience than it's meant for.
I've read many different books by this author and this type of story is what I love best about her - she's got that uncanny knack of making me cry and seems to really get you to understand how the character must feel, but somehow in a really simple way.
I love the analogy she wrote in this book about how the girl feels like a string of paper dolls and each new placement colours her in differently, which is a theme they used for the illustrations. Brilliant.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 11, 2022
My second four star review. Dustbin baby had a kick of heat at the beginning with tough family decisions. I felt that April, (aka Danielle) was having a lot of problems with her ex teacher miss bean who is now her foster mother who’s real name is Marion which April calls her. The ending was a little bit frustrating as I didn’t get the full story of did Frankie arrive at the pizza place to meet April? But I never knew if she actually met him and if she remembered his smell. I think overall the added effect of her family being torn apart was a very interesting aspect because April seemed rude at first thought because Marion bought her earrings instead of a mobile which can make her sound very bratty in a bad way. When you get further in and see that her family was never nice to her in her past and being left in a dustbin when you were just out of your mothers tummy is not very loving for a mother to actually put her child through at just minutes old, She didn’t even have a nappy on and her mother wasn’t prepared to have a baby outside of a pizza place. I now get why April was so bratty towards Marion because of her past but she wasn’t the nicest.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 25, 2024
2.5 stars.
This wasn’t great, it didn’t get its hooks into me like a lot of her other stories do. It was a one day road trip type thing with no clear purpose. I didn’t find the characters interesting.
This wasn’t great, it didn’t get its hooks into me like a lot of her other stories do. It was a one day road trip type thing with no clear purpose. I didn’t find the characters interesting.
October 18, 2021
All I can say is that I read this book WAY too young
January 22, 2024
Very good , sad in some parts
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 28, 2022
Έχω διαβάσει πάρα πολλά βιβλία της Τζάκλιν Ουίλσον επειδή είναι η αγαπημένη μου συγγραφέας και έχω σκοπό να τα διαβάσω όλα. Αυτό το βιβλίο όμως μπορώ να πω πως με απογοήτευσε λίγο.
Η πρωταγωνίστρια του βιβλίου μας, η Έιπριλ έχει μια παράξενη ιστορία, καθώς την βρήκαν σε ένα σκουπιδοτενεκέ έξω από μια πιτσαρία όταν ήταν νεογέννητο στις 1 Απριλίου (για αυτό και την λένε Έιπριλ) . Εδώ και χρόνια η Έιπριλ ψάχνει να βρει την μητέρα της και να την ρωτήσει γιατί την εγκατέλειψε.
Ένιωθα λες και η συγγραφέας έγραψε αυτό το βιβλίο υπό την πίεση κάποιου και για αυτό δεν έδωσε το 100% της. Μου φάνηκε πολύ αργό (καθώς όλο το βιβλίο διαδραματίζεται μέσα σε μια μέρα) και στην ουσία η ιστορία δεν προχωρούσε καθώς μας έλεγε συνέχει ιστορίες από τα ιδρύματα που έμενε και από τις αναδοχες οικογένειες που την είχαν υιοθετήσει. Και επίσης το τέλος θα μπορούσε να είναι πολύ καλύτερο από αυτό.
Βέβαια δεν θα το πρότεινα σε παιδιά αλλά σε εφήβους γιατί πραγματεύετε θέματα όπως αυτοκτονία, βία και εγκατάλειψη παιδιών.
Το προτείνω αλλά πιστεύω πως δεν θα σας ενθουσιάσει και απλά θα περάσετε καλά τον χρόνο σας.
3/5✨✨✨
Η πρωταγωνίστρια του βιβλίου μας, η Έιπριλ έχει μια παράξενη ιστορία, καθώς την βρήκαν σε ένα σκουπιδοτενεκέ έξω από μια πιτσαρία όταν ήταν νεογέννητο στις 1 Απριλίου (για αυτό και την λένε Έιπριλ) . Εδώ και χρόνια η Έιπριλ ψάχνει να βρει την μητέρα της και να την ρωτήσει γιατί την εγκατέλειψε.
Ένιωθα λες και η συγγραφέας έγραψε αυτό το βιβλίο υπό την πίεση κάποιου και για αυτό δεν έδωσε το 100% της. Μου φάνηκε πολύ αργό (καθώς όλο το βιβλίο διαδραματίζεται μέσα σε μια μέρα) και στην ουσία η ιστορία δεν προχωρούσε καθώς μας έλεγε συνέχει ιστορίες από τα ιδρύματα που έμενε και από τις αναδοχες οικογένειες που την είχαν υιοθετήσει. Και επίσης το τέλος θα μπορούσε να είναι πολύ καλύτερο από αυτό.
Βέβαια δεν θα το πρότεινα σε παιδιά αλλά σε εφήβους γιατί πραγματεύετε θέματα όπως αυτοκτονία, βία και εγκατάλειψη παιδιών.
Το προτείνω αλλά πιστεύω πως δεν θα σας ενθουσιάσει και απλά θα περάσετε καλά τον χρόνο σας.
3/5✨✨✨
December 27, 2020
Yesterday was Boxing Day, my husband and cat both decided to have a nap about 2pm. I watched Godmothered on Disney+ (Very good!) and then was at a bit of a loose end as they were still both asleep! I finished the history book I was reading and settled down with this and read the whole thing in one sitting. I haven't done that for ages!
I think I have read this before as the Dustbin baby bit at the start felt very familiar but I couldn't remember the rest so it was like reading it for the first time. I felt so sorry for April, she had been through hell with foster parents, children's homes and it was actually worse when she was adopted. That was a real sad story.
I liked how she went back through her past, visiting her old haunts. I loved the ending as well. Obviously kids will love this but if you are an adult and you've never picked up a Wilson book, it will certainly be worth your time.
I think I have read this before as the Dustbin baby bit at the start felt very familiar but I couldn't remember the rest so it was like reading it for the first time. I felt so sorry for April, she had been through hell with foster parents, children's homes and it was actually worse when she was adopted. That was a real sad story.
I liked how she went back through her past, visiting her old haunts. I loved the ending as well. Obviously kids will love this but if you are an adult and you've never picked up a Wilson book, it will certainly be worth your time.
March 24, 2018
There are a LOT of Jacqueline Wilson books on the BBC Top 200 list (thirteen?) & this, I feel, is one of her better ones. Over the years we’ve seen tragic news stories about young women abandoning their babies in school toilets or dumpsters; here Wilson imagines the life of one of those babies as a teen. What happens to these babies? What’s it like to always wonder why you’ve been abandoned? What’s it like to be in the foster care system? How do you come to accept that you will never have the so-called “ideal” family, and be able to value, even love, the family you end up with? I like to think young people will read this and come away with a bit more compassion for those who may be struggling with these issues.
January 7, 2018
really good sad ending
May 4, 2022
modern day classic x
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