Girls Under Pressure (Girls #2)

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Author(s)

Jacqueline Wilson

Publisher

Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Genre(s)

General Fiction

Age Range

12+

Release Date

June 11, 2002

ISBN

0385729758

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Ellie thinks she looks awful. Horrible. FAT. Her best friends are both drop-dead gorgeous and Ellie’s sick of being the ugly duckling. So she goes on a diet. And she even starts to exercise, much to her friends’ and her gym teacher’s amazement. Ellie’s hungry all the time, she works out every spare second, and she’s turned into a grouchy meanie. But if her friends don’t want to deal with the new and improved Ellie, that’s their problem. It’s better to be thin than happy. Isn’t it?

Editor reviews

2 reviews

An honest look at eating disorders

September 18, 2003 (Updated: June 15, 2026)

Overall rating

4.0

Plot

4.0

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Ellie, like a lot of girls her age, feels fat. Her two best friends, Magda and Nadine, are skinny and beautiful. Ellie feels like a cow next to them.

Ellie really isn't fat. She's normal-sized, if there is a such a thing. But after a trip to the mall where Nadine and Magda join a group of girls trying out for a modeling spot, Ellie can only see herself as a huge, blubbery whale.

Sound familiar to anyone? If you're a teenager, there's a pretty good chance you've felt this way yourself at least once in your life.

Ellie tries to just not eat, which any doctor can tell you is not the way to go. She soon finds herself in a vicious cycle of not eating, then binging and purging.

She also starts exercising a bit, which is a good thing to do, unless taken too far. While swimming, she meets up with an old friend from school. Zoe has an even more serious problem than Ellie. She's taken weight loss to health-threatening levels that even Ellie can recognize as dangerous.

Zoe winds up in the hospital and Ellie winds up coming to her senses, after quite a bit of struggle. Reading the book, you want to alternately slap her or cheer for her. This is an honest book. Ellie can be at times perfectly horrid and illogical, then sweet and sincere. Yep, just like a real teenage girl.

Of the books in the Girls Trilogy, this might be my favorite. The other books in the series are a little more typical in their storylines (first love, first date, the progression of friendships). This one has an edge. I recommend it especially for teenage girls.

Kimberly Pauley Top 10 Reviewer 393 reviews

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15 reviews

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4.7

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GOOD!

May 12, 2011 (Updated: June 15, 2026)

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5.0

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5.0

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Reader reviewed by paigee

this is a very amazing book,i am in the middle of it.i really didnt know that zoe ended up going to the hospital so finding that out kinda bummed me,but i did get to the part where it is talking about how she still thinks she if afat and that Ellie thinks that she looks like abag of bones.

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A good insight but lacking in ways.

October 22, 2007 (Updated: June 15, 2026)

Overall rating

4.0

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4.0

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Reader reviewed by Izzy

Overall, it is a good book. It tells the story of a young girl, who next to her best friends, feels she is a slob. After an outing to he local mall, her fear is confirmed when she hears some wannabe models say she is fat. She then enters into a viscious crash diet which soon becomes a cycle of starving, binging and purging.

Jaqueline Wilson tells the story well. It gives realistic insights into the thoughts, feelings and weaknesses of someone with an eating disorder. It is slightly lacking on the physical effects that an eating disorder can have on a young girl. It briefly mentions the stopping of periods but other than that and the appearance of the person suffering, there isn't much in the way of repercussions.

Other than that, it is a well written book and is definately worth reading.

Guest

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my opinion

May 04, 2007 (Updated: June 15, 2026)

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5.0

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5.0

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Reader reviewed by jemma

Girls under pressure is an outstanding book especially when ellie's emotions are described but it also is a bad influence on young girls who think that they are fat as the book proves that by not eating, you will lose weight and by saying that forcing yourself to be sick you will not put on weight if you eat so young girls who think that they're fat may stop eating and become bulimic.

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girls under pressure

January 03, 2007 (Updated: June 15, 2026)

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5.0

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5.0

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Reader reviewed by frankie

I think that this is the best book out of the series. Its funny and interesting and although the other books are good to this book has more drama in it. From being a teenage girl I think that quite alot of people feel the same way as Ellie and what she has been through in life.

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Great Book

November 07, 2006 (Updated: June 15, 2026)

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5.0

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Reader reviewed by Bevin

This book is amazing! I recomend it to all teenage girls. I myself am one and i thought this book shared something that most books dont. Most books (like the rest of the GIRLS books) are all about First dates, First loves, etc. this one tells you the struggles a normal teen has with weight as any other normal teen. This was a GREAT book.

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Fantastic Teens!!!!!!

June 09, 2006 (Updated: June 15, 2026)

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5.0

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5.0

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Reader reviewed by Nisha

This book is exellent!!! It helps teens in sticky situations and deals with problems that girls really have. It related to me and probly other girls. It is sad,funny,cool... its a book you can never put down! I think Jaculine Wilsonis a great author and knows about girls growing up and the canges they go through! this was a delightful book to read!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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life experiences

May 17, 2006 (Updated: June 15, 2026)

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5.0

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Reader reviewed by angela

i loved this book it talked about what struugles girls are going through and how difficult things could be at times. i really think ellie was and is perfect the way she is she should not change for any one.

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Stefi Dryja

January 25, 2006 (Updated: June 15, 2026)

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5.0

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5.0

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Reader reviewed by Blooch

This story is about a fatgirl called Ellie who goes bulemic and she gets into serious trouble because Anna and her dad get very cross with her for going on a diet ehen Dan and his girlfriend Gail come to see them in their cottage in Wales

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not sure

November 14, 2005 (Updated: June 15, 2026)

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4.0

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4.0

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Reader reviewed by JJ

i liked this book and i know a lot of girls fell like her including myself but i am unsure of how i felt about the book. don't get me wrong it was great but i found some parts very depressing but that is just me!

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the living with your weight book

June 27, 2005 (Updated: June 15, 2026)

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5.0

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Reader reviewed by sara

I love the way the author deals with eating disorders in this book.She lets the character have one and lose weight but stops it before it gets out of control.Also this book teaches you that it doesn't matter how much you weigh you are loved anyway.

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