Vicky Angel

Vicky Angel is a short novel written by Jacqueline Wilson. This book by Wilson is complex, and explores themes that can have extreme effects on the readers. In saying that, I would use this book for year 6's and even year 7's to touch upon some important issues that students may have been involved with in some way.

Vicky and Jade are best friends and do everything together. One day, walking home from school together, Vicky is involved in a tragic accident which leaves her fighting for her life. Unfortunately she does not pull through and leaves Jade broken hearted and without her best friend. This is until of course, Jade believes that she can still see Vicky when she 'turns up' to visit her. At first, this is exciting for Jade as she has her friend back, however the problems soon started. Sometimes Vicky would be in a bad mood and treat her badly, sometimes she would be happy, and soon Jade begins to realise that this Vicky isn't the one she knew and loved. As the story progresses, Jade goes to see a counselor which can sometimes be hard for her as Vicky is 'there.' Eventually the counselor is able to break through Jade's silence and is able to help her. As Jade tries to move on, she is able to take control of certain aspects of her life. She is able to make new friends and also learns that she has the attention of a boy that Vicky never let her talk to. In the end, Jade is able to move on without having Vicky 'with her' all the time, and learns that she will always be in her heart no matter what.

Wilson has explored complex themes through death, friendship, family and bravery. These themes can be very tough to explore and Wilson has done it in a fantastic way. Not only is it about death and losing a best friend and a loved one, but also about Jade finding her own path in life, and how grief can be used to move forward in life. I believe that Wilson's underlying message throughout this story is that no matter what, that person will always be with you and would want the best for you. So live your life, make them proud, follow you dreams and never forget that they will always be with you in some special way.

As I previously said, these are very complex themes to explore for students, so I would not necessarily use it in a class setting, but it can be good for individual reading. I believe that students could really connect with this novel, as everyone has someone very special to them that they would never want to lose. It can be a very tough and involving read however I think that students would enjoy the book enormously and gain lots from it.