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Thursday 16 June 2016

Book Review: Rent a Bridesmaid by Jacqueline Wilson

Last Updated: 8 June 2021

Rent a Bridesmaid by Jacqueline Wilson book cover

AD* | Tilly can’t believe it when her best friend Matty is asked to be a bridesmaid. In Tilly’s favourite daydream, she’s kitted out in the most beautiful bridesmaid dress, walking down the aisle behind a beautiful bride. The one wedding she’d really like to attend is her own mum and dad’s. But as that’s never going to happen, it’s time for Tilly to make her own dream come true – and put her bridesmaid services up for hire...

A fabulous, funny and moving story about the power of friendship from the mega-bestselling author of Tracy Beaker, Hetty Feather and Katy. Full of beautiful illustrations by much-loved illustrator, Nick Sharratt.

Continuing my two-day Jacqueline Wilson takeover (you can find yesterday's review of Katy here), today I have a review of one of her newest titles, Rent a Bridesmaid. 

Rent a Bridesmaid is a book telling the story of Tilly, a young girl whose biggest dream is to be a bridesmaid. When her best friend Matty gives Tilly her very own bridesmaid dress, Tilly takes the opportunity to put her bridesmaid skills to the test, advertising her bridesmaid services.

Touching

Although this sounds like a simple, light-hearted story on the surface, as any Jacqueline Wilson fan will know, there is, of course, a deeper reason behind Tilly's desire to be a bridesmaid. The one wedding Tilly really wants to be a bridesmaid for is her parent's wedding. Her whole dream pivots around her desire for her parents to get back together again, which to read is both equal parts sweet and touchingly sad.

So instead, Tilly becomes the bridesmaid for as wide a variety of couples as you can imagine. The friendships she strikes up with these couples are lovely - proof that the unlikeliest of circumstances can throw up the most genuine friendships and relationships. Tilly's friendship with Matty is also a pleasure to read about. The two girls are polar opposites, not just in personality but in terms of their lifestyle too. But despite this, the way they gel together and become best friends is very well written.

Another Success for Wilson

I felt this one was a little slow to get going, but the story itself is as touching as any of Wilson's finest work. Jacqueline Wilson is one of those rare authors with the ability to write a children's book that adults can easily read as well as children without becoming disinterested. From an adult's perspective, I still found this book to be incredibly heartfelt and emotional. Perhaps even more so than a child would find it as many younger readers would subconsciously gloss over the subtle nuances of mood and character, focusing instead on the main theme of friendship. Either way, Rent a Bridesmaid is a joy to read and is sure to be another success for Jacqueline Wilson.

Rating: 3 stars

Rent a Bridesmaid is available to buy now.

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* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

What's your favourite Jacqueline Wilson book? Let me know in the comments below!

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