Cathy Hopkins books-what do you think of them and what sort of age are they for?

[Molehillmountain]

Trying not to judge a book by its cover but I can't say I'm filled with joy at the prospect of dd reading them or having to read them to her! Would love some sensible opinions-I sense I'm about to enter a world of girls fiction that is a works away from the nancy drew books I read when I was little!

I used to read them...they're fun. Ever so slightly dated- trainers and fleeces....a bit stupid, bit antifeministy in some parts, but not so bad! Kids can still make her mind up about things but you might want to talk to her about some bits.
One of the characters is very into being 'deep' and she sings in a band and writes her own songs. The only really makeuppy girl can laugh about herself and they all tease her for being vain. Another one is v. creative and makes her own clothes. It's where your DD will learn what 'boy-mad' means, but.....they're really not that bad.

You can read them from about 8/9 I'd say, but you might want to keep them for a bit older. Izzie (the songwriter) experiments with alcohol ("mad mistakes", I think, so you can guess the slant)....you might be comfortable with a pre teen reading about that sort of thing, it's not so bad to know about it.

Thank you! Very comprehensive and helpful! Not for my six year old by the sounds of them but not too dreadful for later on.