Having a sister is like having a best friend forever, someone who is the keeper of our secrets, yet our biggest fights are with them. Any story that’s based on sisters who are the polar opposite of each other and the only thing they agree upon is to disagree, is bound to be interesting. And Jacqueline Wilson’s The Worst Thing About My Sister, is all that and much more.

Melissa, the girly older sister, is all about make-up and frills. Marty, on the other hand, is a tomboy who not just loves sports and playing with boys but she has even come up with a comic book of her own where she’s is a superhero, ‘Mighty Mart’! Their natures, lifestyles, likes and rooms are as different as they can possibly be, so imagine their horror when they find that they have to share a room as mum has to use Marty’s bedroom for her tailoring business.

It’s a book aimed at young readers but young adults will find it too boring. The plot is simple, without too many unexpected twists and turns, except for one major mishap that ultimately brings the two sisters together. But there is ample humour in the simple situations, mainly due to the very different views and behaviours of the sisters. Anyone with a sibling, even without a sister, can easily relate to it.

However, looking at it from a more mature point of view, I did find most of the characters caricatures, especially Melissa, and it seemed odd to show 12 years old girls so obsessed with makeup and dressing up. Yes, girls are interested in these things but they can still be shown as girly without so much focus on their looks-obsession. Jacqueline Wilson has made a name for herself with tweens and she knows how to cater to the taste of middle school girls.

Published in Dawn, Young World, November 11th, 2017