Laura loves hanging out with Nina from school. Nina is confident, funny and loyal, and both her parents are doctors. The more time Laura spends with Nina, the more she envies her posh address, big house and garden. Nina has two brothers, Little Richard (nicknamed after the singer) and older brother Daniel, who is always kind and friendly. Laura often stays for dinner at the Bertrams which is full of laughter, plenty of food fit for a restaurant, and a delicious pudding for afters.

In contrast, home for Laura is a simple affair. Her prefab home is undoubtedly the nicest in their area, but still is in a street dubbed ‘Shantytown’ by her Grammar School classmates. Attending the school on a scholarship due to her excellent grades, Laura hides her address from Nina as long as she can. With hard working parents who are proud of her achievements, she still dreams of a life like Nina’s.

Trying to keep up with Nina gets increasingly difficult as they venture out to cafes and movies in their school holidays. A trip to the local swimming pool begins with trepidation as Nina wears a bikini and a European holiday tan, and Laura squeezes into her old bathing suit with an anchor on her flat chest.

When Nina starts waving at some boys on the diving boards, Laura is horrified, but does her best to look sixteen like Nina is trying to pull off. The boys who look a lot older close up, reveal they are French exchange students. Nina immediately looks at ease and trying to match her confident friend, Laura agrees to one of the boys walking her home, including a detour on the way.

Laura and Nina’s friendship begins to falter in the next few months as Laura realises how controlling her friend is. As school resumes, this rift grows bigger. Laura has tried to ignore it, but soon has more important worries. Something else she’s tried to ignore has been discovered. She is pregnant.

Mortified and devastated at the scandal, her parents send her to a unmarried mothers home. At only 14, still very naive and incredibly homesick, Laura meets other girls her mother would label “Rough,” or “Tarts” or “Unsuitable,” who in fact are caring, and friendly. She makes bonds that get her through what will be the hardest time of her short life, but ultimately make her strong, resilient and determined to fight for what she feels is right.

At 481 pages, Baby Love is a longer read, and a positively captivating one. The first half of the story allows us to get to know Laura with all her dreams, worries and imaginings. She has squabbles with her friends, cares about her schoolwork, grumbles about her parents and longs  for more than she has. Aspirations to keep up with a wealthy friend are agonizing, and result in a huge mistake that she doesn’t even realise she’s making.

Her realisation and terror of what is happening to her is heart wrenching, and the whip-like backlash of those meant to be close to her, terrible but credible to this era of the 1960s. The second half of the novel introduces new characters all caught in the same situation and all thrown into the pain and turmoil of forced adoptions.

Jaqueline Wilson has captured all of this brilliantly in her world renown style of straight from the heart, uncluttered, authentic story telling.

 The rear of the book includes a note on sexual consent and some (UK only) organisations and resources available for anyone needing support or information.

Author – Jacqueline Wilson

Age – 13+

Another Jacqueline Wilson novel for older readers (Click on the Cover for a review)

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(2022, Penguin, Betrayal, Family, Friendship, Growing up, Historical, Love, Peer Pressure, School, Secret, Pregnancy, Pregnant, Shame, Belittled, Unmarried mother, Home, 1960’s, Blended Family, Hope, Despair, Loss, Adoption, Childbirth, Teen Mum, What will the neighbours think? Rich & Poor)