Line #27 Literature/LolaRose


1	[[quoteright:978:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/91aetgd3ncl_sl1500_6.jpg]]
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3	''Lola Rose'' is a 2003 novel by Creator/JacquelineWilson, aimed at preteens.
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5	It follows the story of a young girl named Jayni Fenton, who is forced to run away from home with her mother and younger brother to escape her violent father, adopting the name 'Lola Rose' in the process in an attempt to make herself seem more mature and sophisticated. However, as things gradually go FromBadToWorse, Jayni finds herself being forced to act far more grown-up than she's able to cope with.
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7	!!Contains examples of:
8	* AbuseDiscretionShot:
9	** When Jayni initially describes her father Jay's physical abuse of her mother Nikki, she doesn't do so in detail; she recalls Jay saying he was going to "teach [Nikki] a lesson she'd never forget", then says that after her father stormed out she tried to call an ambulance, only for Nikki to shake her head no (she couldn't talk because her face was swollen). This alone makes it clear how serious the beating was.
10	** It's subverted later, when Jayni's father [[WouldHurtAChild hits her]] for the first time, then beats her mother for defending her. It's kept brief, though this being the first time Jay's abuse is described in detail on-page, it makes the moment even more shocking (especially for a book aimed at children).
11	* AbusiveParents:
12	** Jay is verbally abusive, and eventually physically abusive as well, to Jayni; she mentions he interrogates her about her mother's supposed affairs, and shouts at her and calls her nasty names if he's in a bad mood. He also beats Jayni's mother where she can see and hear (she mentions having to help tend to Nikki's injuries), which is indirect abuse. The inciting incident of the novel is Jay hitting Jayni for the first time when she finally stands up to him.
13	** Nikki can also be somewhat [[ParentalNeglect neglectful]] and borderline verbally abusive, and at one point slaps Jayni, but she's a lot better than Jay and tries hard to care for her kids (notably, she ditches Jay and moves far away after Jay hits Jayni, saying she absolutely won't let him beat her kids).
14	** Nikki and Barbara's father was abusive to them growing up. Barbara mentions that he once slapped Nikki's legs until they were red and often told her she was a waste of space who would go to hell. Barbara hints that he was abusive physically and verbally to Barbara herself until she grew big enough to fight back.
15	* {{Acrofatic}}: [[spoiler: Auntie Barbara. Justified, in that she takes classes in judo and Thai martial arts]].
16	* AgeGapRomance: Between Nikki and Jake. Jayni is shocked when she's first introduced to him, due to him being a twenty year old college student and much younger than she expected. She at one point comments to her mother that he's "more my age than your's". Nikki's own age is left somewhat ambiguous, though as she had Jayni when she was seventeen, she's likely in her late 20s. [[spoiler:The relationship doesn't work out for various reasons, with Jake citing the fact he's only 20 and doesn't want to be tied down with a partner and stepkids as just one of the reasons]].
17	* AgeInappropriateDress: At one point, Jayni, who is around ten or eleven, dresses up in some of her mother's clothes and make-up, and actually goes out like that, hoping she looks older. This includes high-heels, a tight T-shirt and a bra (stuffed with tissues), as well as "half of Boots' make-up counter" on her face. She does actually succeed in getting a bit of attention from a few boys, though it [[DeconstructedTrope doesn't so end well]] when one boy, Ross, kisses her against her will to show off to his gang. She also gets in trouble with Nikki for wearing her clothes without her permission.
18	* AllGirlsWantBadBoys: [[DeconstructedTrope Deconstructed]]. Jay, a former rock band member and the "toughest man on the estate" is a violent and domineering {{Jerkass}} who beats his wife. Later, Jayni seems attracted to Ross, the leader of a local gang of boys, but quickly goes off him when he treats her like a dog rather than a girl and forcibly plants a kiss on her.
19	* AmbiguouslyGay: Steve and Andy. They have lived together for some time, Nikki gets annoyed that they're being too 'friendly' with her new boyfriend and at one point they come downstairs wearing short dressing gowns, with the implication that they're not wearing anything underneath and shoved the dressing gowns on quickly to investigate a disturbance.
20	* {{Animal Motif\|s}}: Jayni associates her father with [[ThreateningShark sharks]]. She develops a phobia of sharks after seeing them in the aquarium, which is implied to be due to underlying anxiety and trauma about her father. She sometimes has nightmares about sharks looking for her. At one point, she creates a collage at school about her family and impulsively sticks a picture of the shark on the page beneath the figures representing herself, Nikki and Kenny (she'd been discussing fathers with Harpreet at the time); she tries to cover it up with other pictures but still knows the shark is there, symbolizing how Jay is a constant presence even if he can't be seen. [[spoiler:Jayni convinces herself that standing in front of the shark tank for one hour will cure Nikki's cancer, believing that if she can overcome her fear of her father her mother will be spared]].
21	* AnnoyingYoungerSibling: Kenny comes across as one at times to Jayni, though [[BigSisterInstinct she loves him anyway]] and it's clear he's just messed up by all the crap he's been through.
22	* ArchnemesisDad: Jayni's abusive father Jay is the primary antagonist. Although she hates and fears him for hurting her and her mother, Jayni also uncomfortably admits that part of her still loves him and feels sorry for him after they all run away.
23	* BewareTheNiceOnes: [[spoiler: Jay]] finds out [[CurbStompBattle the hard way]] why threatening [[spoiler: Auntie Barbara]]'s family in front her is a bad idea.
24	* BigBeautifulWoman: Barbara. Jayni states that from the neck up, she could easily win any beauty contest.
25	* BigSisterInstinct: [[spoiler: Barbara]] towards [[spoiler: Nikki]], in particular physically defending her when [[spoiler: Jay tries to attack her]].
26	* BittersweetEnding: [[spoiler: Jay no longer terrorises the family, they move in with Auntie Barbara and Nikki's cancer is in remission, though it's not confirmed if it is fully cured (and there's always the chance it could come back). The last sentence really sums it up: "We're going to live happily ever after. Fingers crossed"]].
27	* CallingTheOldManOut: Jayni does this to her dad early in the book; when she refuses to go to bed out of fear he'll beat her mother and he asks what's "gotten into [her]", she snaps and gives him a ReasonYouSuckSpeech, saying he spoils everything with his violent tempers and asking why he can't "be a real dad". This prompts Jay to hit Jayni, setting off the main events of the book.
28	* ChekhovsGunman: [[spoiler: Auntie Barbara]]. She is mentioned a few times in the first half of the novel. Then, when Jayni is left home alone with Kenny whilst [[spoiler: Nikki is in hospital]], she realises [[spoiler: she can call Barbara for help, prompting her to come look after them]].
29	* CoolAunt: [[spoiler: Barbara quickly becomes one to Jayni and Kenny]].
30	* CoolTeacher: Ms Balsam, [[PuttingThePalInPrincipal the headmistress]] of Larkrise Primary, is a very laid-back and understanding teacher, who doesn't always "dot every i and cross every t" and does her best to support her students and their families. She also [[BigDamnHeroes rescues Jayni]] from a gang of boys making her uncomfortable.
31	* CurbStompBattle: [[spoiler: Jay]] is no match whatsoever for [[spoiler: Auntie Barbara]], who's a trained fighter.
32	* CutHimselfShaving: Jayni says that if Nikki has to go to hospital after being beaten by her husband, she never tells on him, instead claiming she got her injuries tripping and falling over, or some such. After Jay punches her and gives her a bloody nose for defending Jayni, Nikki tells a cab driver she got it walking into a lamppost. He instantly guesses she's actually been hit by her husband and suggests going to the police. Nikki gives the same excuse to a hotel receptionist, though he's barely paying attention (it's ''that'' kind of hotel).
33	* DaddysGirl: Jayni initially pretends to be one to avoid angering her father; she secretly hates him because of his abuse (though she later admits she still loves him too, to an extent). Harpreet is a more straightforward example.
34	* DarkestHour: When Jayni is stuck home alone looking after Kenny due to [[spoiler: Nikki going into hospital to remove a breast lump]], she runs out of food and money and has no one to turn to for help. It gets to the point where she considers stealing to get food for them when she remembers [[spoiler: her mother's estranged sister and calls her for help]].
35	* DesperatelyCravesAffection: Nikki. It gets to the point where she [[spoiler: actually ''calls Jay'', her abusive estranged husband, to let him know where they are after she has to get a breast lump removed, out of sheer desperation for someone to love her and take care of her]]. Predictably, [[NiceJobBreakingItHero it ends in disaster]].
36	* DeusAngstMachina: ZigZagged with Jayni, Nikki and Kenny. On one hand, [[TraumaCongaLine spectacularly horrible things keep happening to them]], but on the other, they also have some amazingly lucky things happen, such as winning ten thousand pounds on a scratch card, successfully guilt-tripping the emergency housing staff into giving them an apartment and Nikki getting a job on a pure fluke by going into a particular pub to buy cigarettes. One of the main themes of the book is arguably that sometimes in life, really bad or really good things can happen and you just have to make the best of it.
37	* DiscOneFinalBoss: [[spoiler: Jay is the biggest threat in the first two thirds of the book, with Jayni constantly fearing he will find them. Then, after Jay is kicked out for good by Barbara, the final third of the book switches focus to Nikki and the family trying to overcome an equally intimidating foe: breast cancer]].
38	* DisproportionateRetribution: Jay found out his wife cheated on him and proceeded to beat her so badly, she couldn't leave the house for a week because of the bruising and her young daughter considered calling an ambulance. And this is just ''one'' example.
39	* DomesticAbuse: Jay provides one of the most prominent and disturbing examples of this trope in Jacqueline Wilson's novels. He is blatantly emotionally and physically abusive towards his wife Nikki and terrorises his kids too ([[TheUnfavourite Jayni]] more so than Kenny). He has a habit of shouting at, threatening and insulting Nikki for doing the slightest thing to set him off (often if he thinks she's flirting with other men) and he regularly beats her bloody to "teach a lesson". Nikki has been to the hospital a few times because of the injuries Jay has given her (though she never tells on him); on one occasion Jayni recalls Nikki 's face being so swollen she couldn't talk, she couldn't go out for weeks because of the bruises and that her breasts and stomach "were black". [[spoiler:Jay is even prepared to hit Nikki while she's bedridden following breast cancer surgery, due to finding out she'd been with another man]]. Jay also engages in the classic abusive tactic of love bombing, crying and apologising to Nikki once he's cooled down, promising he'll change and showering her with gifts. Jayni says that it never lasts long before he gets violent again.
40	* DrowningMySorrows: Nikki occasionally does this. [[spoiler: After finding out she has a breast lump, she gets very drunk whilst working her shift at a pub, resulting in her being fired for drinking on the job]].
41	* DudeMagnet: Nikki. Unfortunately, she tends to attract men [[FatalAttractor who are no good for her]]...it also sets off her [[CrazyJealousGuy abusive husband]] if other men pay her attention.
42	* EveryoneHasStandards: Nikki puts up with Jay verbally abusing her and beating her bloody, but the moment he becomes violent towards her daughter, she fights back and runs away with her kids, telling Jayni she "won't stand" for Jay beating their children.
43	* EveryoneLovesBlondes: Nikki is blonde and constantly described/depicted as beautiful and sexually attractive. She was even a glamour model years ago. Barbara is also said to be blonde and quite attractive. Jayni herself has this opinion, wishing she were blonde instead of having brown hair and planning on dying it once she's older.
44	* FamilyUnfriendlyViolence: Jay's physical abuse of Jayni and Nikki and the aftermath of their injuries (especially the latter's) are quite gruesome and disturbingly realistic for a kid's book.
45	* ForWantOfANail: The events of the book may have gone quite differently if Nikki hadn't casually decided to buy a scratch card from the newsagents', resulting in her winning ten thousand pounds.
46	* GoldDigger: Jayni believes Jake is one, seeing as he's a poor student who's shacked up with a woman who has won the lottery [[spoiler: and leaves pretty quickly when the money runs out]]. He claims he isn't and in his defence, he does seem to care about Nikki to an extent [[spoiler: and can hardly be blamed for wanting out of his relationship with her - she has just lost her job, has two kids to look after, clearly has a lot of issues and baggage, and Jake's only about 20]].
47	* GracefulLadiesLikePurple: Barbara wears purple most of the time and is said to move quite gracefully in spite of her extra weight. [[spoiler: Crosses over with PurpleIsPowerful when she's revealed to be a badass]].
48	* GroinAttack: [[spoiler:Barbara]] delivers one to [[spoiler: Jay]] in defence of Nikki and the kids.
49	* HairTriggerTemper: Jay. Jayni states that she thinks his brain is wired funny to explode at random intervals, as sometimes the slightest of things or nothing at all can set him off.
50	* HarmfulToMinors: Almost everything that Jayni and Kenny go through in the novel, but especially being exposed to domestic violence.
51	* HatesTheirParent: Jayni states that she knew she hated her father after seeing her mother's bruises from him beating her worse than ever. Him verbally abusing her and eventually hitting her across the face when she calls him out [[{{Understatement}} doesn't improve her opinion of him]]; however, she later privately admits to herself that part of her still loves him as well as hating him.
52	* HopeSpot: Early in the novel, Jayni starts to wonder if things will be alright after all when Jay is happy to find out about the lottery money and insists they all go out as a family to celebrate. [[ForegoneConclusion Goes without saying]] that it doesn't last long.
53	* {{Hypocrite}}: Jay hits his wife if another man "so much as looked at her", but he himself openly flirts with other women - ''in front of'' his wife no less.
54	* KickTheDog: After punching Nikki for trying to defend their daughter, Jay kicks her whilst she's [[KickThemWhileTheyAreDown lying on the ground]]. It's also mentioned that at her mother's funeral, Nikki tried to hug her father only for him to push her away and say it was ''her fault'' her mother got sick (with cancer). Jay also goes out of his way to be nasty to Barbara, mockingly calling her "Barbie" and a "fat freak".
55	* KiddieKid: Kenny, in a contrast to [[WiseBeyondTheirYears Jayni]], sometimes acts younger than expected for his age, he's about six, but [[TantrumThrowing throws tantrums]], takes Jayni [[LiteralMinded literally]] when she play-pretends they're in Australia (in the middle of London), hates it when anyone besides his family tries to touch him and still wets the bed. It's strongly implied he acts this way due to [[PlayedForDrama the trauma and stress]] of living in a violent home, then being uprooted and moved to a new city and school with little warning.
56	* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Steve. He can be a bit of a snob and is condescending towards Jayni and her family, but he still provides them with food when they run out and also comes to their assistance armed with an umbrella when he hears the fight between [[spoiler: Jay and Barbara]].
57	* MamaBear: When Jay hits her daughter, Nikki leaps at him and claws his face with her nails, enduring a savage beating in the process. She then takes both her children and flees to London to protect them. [[spoiler: Auntie Barbara later kicks Jay's butt using martial arts when he threatens her sister, niece and nephew]].
58	* MaybeMagicMaybeMundane: Did Jayni's 'ordeal' at the shark tank really [[spoiler: cure her mother's cancer]]? Jayni herself acknowledges it's very unlikely to be the case, but she still feels better for it.
59	* MeaningfulName: Jayni's name is spelt in such an unusual way because she's named after both her parents (Jay and Nikki), as she "[[BabiesMakeEverythingBetter brought them together again]]". Her choosing the name [[MeaningfulRename Lola Rose]] is an attempt to shed her [[SociallyAwkwardHero awkward]], ShrinkingViolet self and become more sophisticated and grown-up (and possibly to distance herself from her father)...with mixed results.
60	* MeaningfulRename: The end implies that Jayni will continue living as Lola Rose, an identity she struggled to live up to for most of the book.
61	* MinorLivingAlone: [[spoiler: Jayni and Kenny for a few weeks when Nikki has to go into hospital]].
62	* MyGreatestFailure: Near the end of the novel, Nikki reveals she deeply regrets [[spoiler: having an affair with her sister's fiancé Michael a few weeks before the wedding, as it caused a rift between them and ruined Barbara and Michael's relationship. Barbara says that although she was furious with Nikki at the time, she's happy they've made up again now. She also admits that in hindsight she blames Michael more (Nikki was just sixteen while Michael was a grown man, so he should really have known better) and at least she found out she didn't actually love him as much as she thought she did before they got married]].
63	* NamedAfterSomebodyFamous: Nikki renames herself Victoria, after Victoria Beckham (''"I always liked Posh best of all the Spice Girls"'').
64	* NoTellMotel: The family checks into a very shifty hotel on their first night in London, having nowhere else to go. Features staples such as grimy toilet seats, a bed cover with cigarette stains and neighbouring guests arguing or listening to their TV's full blast all night long. The guy at the front desk drags himself away from his TV just long enough to take Nikki's money, barely even listening to her spiel about getting a bloody nose from [[BlatantLies walking into a lamppost]]. The family checks into a much nicer hotel the following morning.
65	* OhCrap: When Jay finds [[spoiler: a pair of Jake's underpants which he had left behind, causing him to realise Nikki had [[BerserkButton been with another man]] during their separation]].
66	* ParentsAsPeople: Nikki, so very much. She is a very flawed person, but loves her children and tries to look after them as best she can, despite struggling with her own issues.
67	* ParentalSubstitute: Kenny hopes that Jake, Nikki's new boyfriend, will become one and treats him like a father. However, it's deconstructed, as Jake is barely more than a kid himself (he's in college still) and is clearly just looking for a fling with Nikki.
68	* PoliceAreUseless: Nikki has this opinion, saying that they're "useless when there's a domestic" which is why she doesn't call the cops on Jay.
69	* PottyFailure: Kenny wets the bed a lot; it's strongly implied to be a side-effect of the trauma he's gone through. He also [[BringMyBrownPants wets himself from terror]] when he sees [[spoiler: Barbara and Jay fighting]].
70	* PromotedToParent: Jayni mentions that her mother tends to let her take responsibility. She also has to "mop up" after her brother and mother (when the latter's been beaten up by her husband). Later, when Nikki starts working night shifts at a pub [[spoiler: and has to go into hospital]], Jayni is solely responsible for Kenny.
71	* PutOnABus: Jay is absent for most of the story after the family goes on the run. [[spoiler: He [[TheBusCameBack turns up again]] near the end of the book, but after threatening Nikki, Barbara kicks his ass and [[PutOnABusToHell he takes off]], never to return]].
72	* ProtagonistTitle: The title of the novel refers to Jayni, the main character and narrator, or more specifically [[MeaningfulRename the name she takes]] after running away from her abusive father.
73	* [[TheRunaway Running Away From Home]][=/=]ScrewThisImOuttaHere: Nikki, Jayni and Kenny flee their home at the beginning of the story to escape from Jay's abuse, especially due to Nikki's fear he will start beating Jayni as well. The novel largely chronicles their attempt to start a new life in London, including [[MeaningfulRename changing their names]] to avoid being tracked down by Jay (Nikki Fenton becomes Victoria Luck, Kenny becomes Kendall and Jayni becomes [[ProtagonistTitle Lola Rose]]).
74	* SiblingYinYang: Nikki and Barbara, who are said to be like "chalk and cheese". Barbara is tall, rather fat, sensible, and apparently only ever had one serious relationship (which ended badly), while Nikki is small, slim, immature, and loves getting attention from guys (though it doesn't usually end well for her). About the only things they have in common is that they're both blondes, have pretty faces and love Nikki's children very much.
75	* SmallRoleBigImpact: Jay, discounting flashbacks or [[ImagineSpot Imagine Spots]], only appears in the first three chapters [[spoiler:and again near the end]], but is singlehandedly responsible for almost everything that happens in the novel and is a threatening presence throughout the story.
76	* StoutStrength: Barbara is a large, stout woman, but is incredibly skilled at martial arts.
77	* SuckySchool: Larkrise Primary is a downplayed example. It's severely underfunded, to the point that it might actually be closed down in a year, it's situated on the WrongSideOfTheTracks and has a barbed wire fence (Nikki speculates on whether it's it keep the kids in or other people out). However, headmistress Ms Balsam is a CoolTeacher who does her best to keep the school running and supports her students, and overall it doesn't seem ''too'' bad.
78	* TakeCareOfTheKids: Nikki asks [[spoiler:her sister Barbara]] to look after her children in case [[spoiler:she dies of cancer]], as she doesn't trust her estranged husband to raise them.
79	* TakingTheKids: The basic premise of the novel is Nikki fleeing [[JustifiedTrope her abusive husband]] along with their two children. Although Jay had been abusing her for years, [[LoveMartyr she simply put up with it]] until he hits their daughter; believing he will start beating Jayni as well, she finally decides to leave him to protect them. Jayni is completely fine with it because her dad terrifies her, while her brother Kenny takes a bit more persuading because he's younger and doesn't fully understand what's happening. When Nikki later wonders if she overreacted, Jayni reassures her she did the right thing.
80	* TallDarkAndHandsome: Jay is described as such and attracts a lot of female attention. Deconstructed in that whilst he's good-looking, he's also a violent bully.
81	* TeenPregnancy: Nikki was only seventeen when she had Jayni. It's implied her young age and her parents' lack of support is part of the reason she initially stayed with Jay, despite his abuse of her.
82	* ThoseTwoGuys: Steve and Andy, two young men who live in the flat above Jayni and her family, are almost always seen together when Jayni interacts with them. It's implied they [[AmbiguouslyGay might be in a relationship]].
83	* TokenMinority: Jayni's friend Harpreet and her family are Indian, while the majority of the other main characters are white.
84	* TheTopicOfCancer: Jayni's grandmother and one of Harpreet's great aunts are both mentioned as having died from cancer. [[spoiler:The second half of the novel largely focuses on Nikki being diagnosed with and battling breast cancer]].
85	* TraumaticHaircut: [[spoiler:Nikki is upset and initially resistant when Barbara suggests cutting her hair short while she's going through chemotherapy, as she's always had long hair. Barbara persuades her to go through with it as she hopes that having shorter hair will stop it from falling out so much; unfortunately it doesn't work and Nikki ends up completely bald, although they keep Nikki's cut hair so she can wear it with headscarves]].
86	* TroubledChild: Both Jayni and Kenny. Jayni suffers from low self-esteem and anxiety, Kenny acts more like a toddler than a six year-old sometimes, is prone to emotional outbursts and doesn't much like interacting with other kids. They both grew up with a violent father who beats their mother and is verbally abusive to Jayni, at the least, as well as having to run away and start a new life from scratch.
87	* TurnedOffByTheJerkass: Nikki insists she loves her husband Jay and sticks by him even though he is frequently physically and verbally abusive towards her, including never telling on him even when his abuse lands her in hospital. However, when he hits their daughter Jayni for calling him out on his abuse, Nikki leaves him that very night and takes their kids with her, saying she won't stand for him beating Jayni and believes that once he's started on her he won't stop. [[spoiler:Nikki later takes Jay back in a MomentOfWeakness, as she's lonely, physically frail and terrified due to a recent breast cancer diagnosis, but she ditches him for good after he tries to hit her again and attempts to attack her sister for defending her (emphasis on ''[[CurbStompBattle attempts]]'')]].
88	* TheUnfavorite:
89	** Jayni is to her father. He seems to prefer Kenny, never hitting or verbally abusing him. [[spoiler: Later, when Jay is talking about starting over with his family, he mentions his wife and son, but seems to forget about Jayni until Nikki prompts him. Jayni has the feeling he blames ''[[NeverMyFault her]]'' for Nikki running away with the kids, even though she did it because he punched Jayni]].
90	** Nikki was to her father. While he was a {{Jerkass}} to both Barbara and Nikki, she really got it in the neck because she was very rebellious and acted out a lot. He said she'd end up going to hell and even blamed her for ''her mother getting cancer'', saying she died of shame because her youngest daughter was "living with a vicious criminal". While he's [[JerkassHasAPoint got a point]] about Jay being bad news, this implies that he blamed his daughter for being abused and it's further implied one of the reasons Nikki stays with Jay is because [[FreudianExcuse her family is so unsupportive and never showed her affection.]]
91	* ViolenceIsDisturbing: Both Jayni and Kenny are messed up mentally from seeing their mother being beaten by their father; reading about her injuries and Jay beating Jayni and Nikki is pretty disturbing for the reader too. After seeing the fight between [[spoiler: Barbara]] and [[spoiler: Jay]], Jayni and Kenny are both briefly frozen in shock and Kenny actually [[BringMyBrownPants wets himself]].
92	* WackyParentSeriousChild: Nikki and Jayni, respectively; Nikki tends to be quite impulsive and fun-loving, while Jayni thinks more about the long-term and is quite introverted. {{Deconstructed\|Trope}} and PlayedForDrama all the way, as Nikki's unwillingness to take responsibility and emotional immaturity leaves her ten/eleven year old daughter to pick up the slack, which doesn't make things any easier for either of them. It's made clear they do love each other though, and Nikki does ''try'' to be a responsible parent; in one notable instance she insists Jayni has to attend school while Jayni sulks about not wanting to go.
93	* WeightWoe: Jayni is very self-conscious about her weight and worries she'll end up very fat like her Auntie Barbara. She does seem to have a tendency to comfort eat when she's upset or stressed (which is a ''[[TraumaCongaLine lot]]''), but it's unclear if she's actually overweight or just exaggerating it in her mind.
94	* WifeBasherBasher: [[spoiler: When Jay attempts to strike Nikki in front of her, Barbara uses martial arts to defend her and threatens to kill him if ever comes near Nikki and the kids again]].
95	* WiseBeyondTheirYears: A rather sad example with Jayni. She is forced to behave and think in a more mature manner because of her circumstances and is exposed to things no child should be. It's deconstructed too, as she eventually realises that as a kid, there are some things she simply cannot cope with or handle by herself, nor should she have to.
96	* WouldHitAGirl: Jay. He beats his wife (even when she was [[ImperiledInPregnancy pregnant with Kenny]]) and attacks [[spoiler: Barbara]] with a broken mug.
97	* WouldHurtAChild: Jay losing his temper and hitting his young daughter across the face is the catalyst for the events of the novel. Barbara and Nikki's father also used to hit them.
98	* YoureNotMyFather: Jayni says this almost word for word when Jake tries to forbid her from going out.

Context Literature / LolaRose