Jacqueline Wilson reveals cover for new adult sequel to Girls series

Author surprised five unsuspecting fans with an early glimpse at the cover

Dame Jacqueline Wilson has unveiled the cover for her first adult novel, a sequel to her much-adoredGirls in Love novel.

It was announced in March that the 78-year-old author will soon releaseThink Again, an adult-focused extension of her Girls book series, catching up with Ellie, Magda and Nadine – her formerly teen characters who are now navigating obstacles such as motherhood, work, and love.

In a new video shared on social media, the author is seen surprising a group of five unsuspecting superfans with an early glimpse at the cover of the forthcoming book.

The five lucky fans are all adults who grew up reading Wilson’s novels as children, with one of them seen in the video clutching a 2009 copy of Hetty Feather in their hands. Several were moved to tears when they met the widely adored children’s author.

The design of Think Again is predictably more grown-up than its predecessors. It has a light-pink background with the book’s title in a red and white shaded font, while Wilson’s name glows on a cobalt blue background at the top of the page. There are two illustrated dice on the cover, above a line of text that reads: “So you think you know what’s coming?”

The original four-part Girls series began with 1997’s Girls in Love, followed by Girls Under Pressure (1998), Girls Out Late (1999), and Girls in Tears (2002).

Each instalment was narrated by the witty and romantic teen protagonist Ellie Allard, while also touching on the lives, lusts and loves of her best friends Magda and Nadine.

The new novel will reintroduce Ellie today as she tackles single motherhood, rising rents, and a potential new love interest.

The synopsis reads: “Being an adult isn’t quite what Ellie Allard dreamed it would be when she was 14 years old. Though she’s got her beautiful daughter Lottie, life-long best friends Magda and Nadine and her trusty cat Stella, her love life is non-existent and she feels like she’s been living on auto-pilot, just grateful to be able to afford the rent on her pokey little flat.

The cover for the Girls adult sequel ‘Think Again’ (Transworld Books)

“But this year, on her birthday, the universe seems to decide it’s time for all that to change – whether Ellie wants it to or not. As she navigates new, exciting and often choppy waters, she’s about to discover that life will never stop surprising you – if only you let it.”

In a statement, Wilson teased several surprises in store for readers of her new novel, and noted that it was her long-held curiosity about the characters after adolescence, which led her to write another chapter in their story.

She said: “I’ve always wondered whatever happened to Ellie, Magda and Nadine, the teenagers in my Girls series. I’ve decided to find out what they’re up to nowadays. It’s been great fun writing for adults for a change. I think everyone reading Think Again will be surprised.”

Wilson, 78, will release her first adult novel in September (Penguin Random House / Twitter via Jacqueline Wilson)

Think Again will be published by the Penguin division Transworld, while the Girls novels will be reissued by their original publisher, Penguin Random House.

The books were adapted into an ITV series titled Girls in Love in 2003, and ran for two seasons before ending in 2005.

Olivia Hallinan played Ellie, while Amy Kwolek and EastEnders star Zaraah Abrahams played Nadine and Magda, respectively.

Think Again will hit shop shelves in September 2024 and is available to pre-order now.