A really nostalgic read - having read The Illustrated Mum as a child, and then again under the new perspective of an adult, this was an enjoyable read. Especially as I am the same age as Dol in this story.
It was a good story and interesting to see what had come of the characters.
I'm amazed Dol got a job with children without having to fill out any DBS forms, but we can suspend belief for fiction.
Thanks for the chance to read

Picture Imperfect is solidly aimed at adult readers who enjoyed The Illustrated Mum and want to revisit the characters twenty years on.

The story opens with Dol receiving a late night phone call to say that her mother, Marigold, is having a mental health episode at Gatwick Airport. She is expected to drop everything and somehow find a way to collect Marigold and remove her from the situation. As this unfolds we see that she has no car and no real support network - her sister has moved to Scotland and her only nearby friends are her colleagues at the tattoo studio she works at. She therefore turns to her new bedsit neighbour out of desperation. It's a strong start to the novel and is shot through with Dol reminiscing about her childhood as featured in The Illustrated Mum - it draws a fairly straight and sad line between those days and her current situation.

This book is more of a slice of life than anything particularly plot-heavy - Dol does make a few changes but she's mostly quite passive, keeping the status quo until change is forced upon her and then settling into the next routine. Her main journey through the book is in finding ways to say 'no' to other people's plans for her, and in that sense her character does develop during the course of the story. There's not very much in the way of resolution, more of a feeling that one chapter of Dol's life has ended and another is beginning.

Jaqueline Wilson is always very readable and it was nice to revisit the world of The Illustrated Mum. As with 'Think Again', I did get the impression that Wilson was more interested in writing about the new characters than the old ones. Oli/Owly appears for one meal, and Star makes one visit and a few phone calls.

Overall this book is probably worth picking up if you're nostalgic about the original, but don't go in expecting the same high-energy style. It's too focused on men for my tastes, but nonetheless I quite enjoyed reading it. I'd give it 3.5 stars and if another book came out in the series I'd read it.

Thank you to the publishers for providing a free ARC. This review is left voluntarily.

Illustrated mum was one of my all time favourite JW novels and I was slightly apprehensive how it would feel revisiting such a well loved world... I needn't have worried.
The step forward in time is seemless and whilst it's still immediately JWs trademark style and tone, it feels naturally older.
Without wanting to give anything away the journey we see Dolphin go on feels completely real and natural, not necessarily neat and tidy, in fact beautifully imperfect.
The presence of Marigold (and Star) is entirely necessary but well balanced against Dolphin's own story, the new characters we meet and relationships we see her build feel natural and real (special mention to Dr Gibbon).
There is no doubt you'll groan along the way but you'll also feel and cheer for Dol finding her way.
Whilst I absolutely enjoyed Think Again for the nostalgia there still felt like a little jump between her younger writing to an adult story and content but Picture Imperfect has achieved this transition far more naturally, it feels just (im) perfect.

another wonderfully nostalgic return for jacqueline wilson. the illustrated mum was a perfect choice to revisit, the ‘happy ending’ forever tinged with a sad feeling that nothing much will ever change for dolphin. i loved getting to see her grow, properly, and start to live for herself instead of her mum and the people around her.

(but also, jackie, i know these are more about healing the trauma but please. just a tad more. pull my heart from my chest and stomp on it just a little more with the next one.)

3.5 stars, rounded up to 4

The Illustrated Mum remains a firm favourite of a childhood spent rereading Jacqueline Wilson books until they - quite literally - fell apart. As a child, I loved and related desperately to Dolphin's eccentricities. As a teenager and again as an adult, I kept discovering layers and layers to the book and the characters and marvelled at how much I readily accepted as a child. So when I heard Jacqueline Wilson was releasing an adult sequel, I just had to get my hands on it.

First off, I devoured this entire book in one sitting and catapulted me out of a reading slump. Jacqueline Wilson has always has this intense readability to her books and Picture Imperfect was no exception. While I can see how some people don't like how her adult books don't read particularly "adult" in the writing style, this isn't something that bothers me personally as her style feels warm and nostalgic.

In this book, Dolphin is 33 - the same age as Marigold was in The Illustrated Mum - and we see how her chaotic and messy childhood has impacted Dolphin into adulthood. Dolphin herself is messy, but relatable and her character felt very true of someone who would have experienced the childhood she did. I enjoyed reading about her life, how she grows and how her character grows and how she discovers what she wants out of life, rather than what she feels she SHOULD want. The love triangle felt a little undercooked to me, but I did enjoy her relationship with Lee and Lee's little daughter. Where I really felt the book did well was her complex relationship with Marigold and how she comes to terms with her mother and her childhood.

My main criticism of the book is something I've seen before with Jacqueline Wilson books, predominantly a sudden and perhaps a bit rushed of an ending, and how many plot points are started, but not concluded. However, I do recognise that, in real life, situations do get left unresolved and things don't always work out neatly, but just as personal preference, I do prefer a little bit more of a resolution to things and not as much left dangling.

Overall, it was a real treat to delve into these beloved characters again and I had a great time with the book for what it was. I would be interested in seeing how Dolphin's story continues to evolve and any other adult sequels to other Jacqueline Wilson books too!

Thanks so much to Penguin Random House and NetGalley for the free e-Arc.

Having thoroughly enjoyed Wilson’s adult sequel Think Again (a continuation of the Girls series), I was delighted to see that it wasn’t a one-off; she’s now writing for adults too, and even better, this latest one revisits my favourite from childhood! I was obsessed with The Illustrated Mum, both the book and the TV adaptation they made (starring Holliday Grainger as Star!). I still want a little frog tattoo between my toes, just like Marigold.
Well, I’m pleased to report that Picture Imperfect was actually perfect for a fan like me. Dolphin remains the Dolphin I knew and rooted for, even if she has shortened her name, and the romance elements were handled well - nice and natural, and not too predictable. I wanted to re-enter the Wilson reading bubble I used to experience as a child, and I managed that here!

I’m probably the exact target audience: I read The Illustrated Mum when I was close to Dolphin’s age in the book and now I’m reading Picture Imperfect and Dol is almost my exact age now. There’s always some nostalgia in revisiting characters from childhood, and to see where they have ended up, but it was equally quite sad to them now: life has not completely worked out for any of them it seems. The book is quite graphic at times and it’s definitely not for a younger audience. I’m not sure that I’m 100% satisfied with the storylines and ending, and the character interactions were quite uncomfortable to observe at times. If you’re an older Jacqueline Wilson fan, give it a go, and see what you think…

What a brilliant book from Jacqueline Wilson. No surprise there but it was just wonderful. Totally captivating all the way through and what a treat to revisit these amazing characters. Highly recommended.