Girls in Tears

Girls in Tears is a 2002 young adult novel, written by Dame Jacqueline Wilson and illustrated by Nick Sharratt. It is the fourth installment in Wilson's Girls series and a direct sequel to Girls Out Late (1999). The plot revolves around Ellie and her two friends, Magda and Nadine, with all three of them going through personal emotional struggles. The novel received positive reviews and won the 2003 National Book Awards Children's Book of the Year. In 2024, it was announced that a sequel, Think Again, would be released later that year.

Background
Girls in Tears was published in 2002 by Doubleday, written by Dame Jacqueline Wilson and illustrated by Nick Sharratt. It is the fourth book in Wilson's "Girls" series, following Girls in Love (1997), Girls Under Pressure (1998) and Girls out Late (1999). The series were adapted into a TV show, Girls in Love, which ran from 2003 to 2005. Girls in Tears was originally the last book in the series, but it was announced in March 2024 that Wilson would publish a sequel to the series, titled Think Again.

Premise
In the novel, best friends Ellie, Magda and Nadine are struggling with personal issues, which is testing their friendships. Ellie, the narrator of the novel, is struggling in her relationship with her boyfriend Russell, whilst Magda is grieving the death of her pet hamster, who her friends did not know about. Meanwhile, Nadine gets frustrated over Ellie and Magda warning her about meeting up with a man she has met online.

Reception
In October 2002, Girls in Tears reached number one on the "Children's bestsellers" chart compiled by Nielsen BookScan. The novel won the 2003 National Book Awards Children's Book of the Year.

A writer from Publishers Weekly called the novel an "easygoing, humorous tale", whilst a review from Newcastle Upon Tyne Evening Chronicle wrote that they would recommend it to "all teenage girls". A writer from School Library Journal noted that it would appeal to many girl readers dealing with relationship issues. A reviewer from CBBC Newsround praised the novel, calling it a "fun easy read" and joking that they almost missed their bus stop due to their head being "so deep in the story". They believed that the "really believable" characters were the highlight of the novel, and called Ellie's insecurities "spot on". However, they believed that the reveal of Ellis' true identity was predictable.

Jessica Brunt from BuzzFeed ranked Girls in Tears as her ninth favourite Jacqueline Wilson book, writing, "Waiting for a new Girls book to be released was the '00s equivalent of shutting your laptop on a Friday evening and heading out for a wine...priceless." Brunt noted that the plot involved breakups and reduced communication in the characters' friendships, and revealed that she found the novel less "rebellious" than its prequels. Dusty Baxter-Wright ranked Girls in Tears as the most "distressing" Jacqueline Wilson novel, adding that the entire "Girls" series was "INTENSE". Courtney Pochin from Metro noted how the book "features heart-break all round", and revealed how fans had been wanting Wilson to write a follow up novel to the series.