Picture Imperfect
The feel-good new adult novel and instant Sunday Times bestseller
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3.7 • 32 Ratings
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- £9.99
Publisher Description
THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER
She’s spent her life holding everything — and everyone — together. But she's done being perfect.
Now it's time to be herself.
Dol Westward has always been the dependable one — the steady hand, the peacekeeper, the fixer. Especially when it comes to her unpredictable mother, Marigold. But after years of putting everyone else first, she’s starting to wonder what’s left for her.
When life begins to fray around the edges, Dol realises she’s been chasing an idea of perfection that was never really hers. Old habits, old expectations — they’re hard to break. But maybe imperfection is the only place she can finally feel free...
A story about family, identity, and the messy truth of finding yourself — from the beloved author who always writes real life, honestly told.
READERS ARE OBSESSED WITH PICTURE IMPERFECT:
‘Jacqueline Wilson is a national treasure! Picture Imperfect is at once beautiful, sad, and uplifting’ – Alice Winn
'I devoured this entire book in one sitting . . . it catapulted me out of a reading slump' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'There's something so comforting about reading a Jacqueline Wilson book . . . You can just sink into it' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'Picture Imperfect is everything I didn’t know I needed: tender, messy and deeply relatable' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
‘10/10 would recommend to anyone who loved Jacqueline Wilson as a child, and to anyone who's never read her before this is just the perfect novel of 'adult trying to sort their mess of a life out’ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'A nostalgic hug from the past' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'I obviously hoovered it up. There's something about the way Jacqueline Wilson writes that gets me racing through every page!' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'It's real, raw and completely relatable’ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'It brought all the nostalgia. I could not put this down' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
Instant Sunday Times bestseller, August 2025
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Back in 1999, a generation of young readers were captivated by The Illustrated Mum, Jacqueline Wilson’s moving tale of two sisters coming to terms with their mother’s mental health issues. For Millennials who always wanted to know what happened to its characters—Marigold, the unconventional mum with tattoos and bipolar disorder, and her daughters Dolphin and Star—now’s your chance to find out. Picture Imperfect, its adult sequel, revisits Dolphin aged 33, her slightly chaotic life reflecting the mayhem of her upbringing, but trying to find a way to live for herself rather than those around her. Warm and empathetic, it offers no neat answers to its beloved characters’ struggles, but explores her messiness in a way that’s relatable and real. After all this time, diving back into Dol’s world feels like a wonderfully nostalgic hug.
Customer Reviews
So disappointing
I feel like a traitor, so heartbroken because J Wilson books have been the biggest part of my life, and I couldn’t believe that she started with adult novels. The Girls sequel was okay, but again this just fell so flat and at times, boring. It wasn’t worth paying £11 for and a true fan will understand how difficult this is to write 😞
Sadly disappointing
I can’t lie I’ve been waiting in absolute excitement for this and was extremely disappointed. For those wanting a follow on from the Illustrated Mum and its characters you’re going to be sadly disappointed. I won’t go into spoilers but the majority of the book is focused on brand new characters with no ties to the original. You could easily read this blind, but not in a good way. If you’re wanting a genuine follow on of these characters and a window of what happened to them between the books, you’re going to be sadly disappointed. I feel so let down