Title: Vicky Angel
Author: Jacqueline Wilson
Genre: Middle Grade Fiction
Number of Pages: 171
Rating: B+
Recommended?: Yes
This is the second book I’ve read by Jacqueline Wilson after The Illustrated Mum, which I enjoyed but don’t remember that well. She is seriously crazy prolific. Vicky Angel is actually pretty dark, with some unpleasant implications. I guess that makes sense since it deals with the death of a child, but even so there are aspects that are surprisingly uncomfortable.
Jade lives in the shadow of her brash, charismatic friend Vicky. One day when they’re walking home from school Vicky and Jade are arguing about Vicky signing her up for an extracurricular activity without her knowledge. Vicky steps out into the road and is struck by a car and killed. Naturally, Jade is devastated and feels like she could have prevented the accident somehow.
Then Jade starts being haunted by Jade’s ghost, but the ghost is bossy and mean and seems intent on messing up Jade’s life. There’s some ambiguity here, it’s almost like the ghost Vicky is a distortion of who she was when she was alive and exaggerates the bad aspects of Vicky’s personality. I found myself wondering if Vicky was always a huge bully or if being stuck in limbo made her worse. She always had mean girl tendencies but it’s hard to tell from the brief scene where we see her alive.
I thought it was interesting how ghost Vicky feels both metaphorical and literal, like a twisted-up version of the troubled girl she was before she died but also a manifestation of Jade’s guilt. Vicky tries her hardest to isolate Jade and keep her from making connections with other people, including ‘fat boy Sam,’ a kind-hearted outcast who tries to befriend her. Naturally people think Jade’s crazy when they see her talking to thin air and Vicky even suggests that she commit suicide and join her in the afterlife.
And oh my God, Jade has the most trash parents. I hated both of them so much, they’re so toxic and emotionally abusive. The fact that they really don’t change throughout the book is realistic but also made me feel very bad for Jade. Her dad was openly drooling over Vicky, A CHILD (albeit one who developed early,) when she was alive. Jade’s mom tells her about the affair she’s having and even tells Jade her dad doesn’t give a crap about either of them.
Both parents only care about themselves and are each horrible in their own way. I was so creeped out by Jade’s dad’s behavior toward Vicky, which Jade is disturbingly nonchalant about, acting like it’s normal for dads to act that way around their daughter’s friends. The ending of this book was kind of abrupt, but seeing Vicky move on was also satisfying. Hopefully she can finally find some peace.
Little girls can be mean as hell and Vicky is one ghost you definitely don’t want to be haunted by. This book has a surprising amount of bitterness and bite but also tells a simple, compelling story about toxic friendships and grief. I enjoyed getting to experience Jade’s journey as she dealt with a future without her best friend.
Sarah's Corner 