Red Heart Tattoo by Lurlene McDaniel

Morgan is furious when someone set of fireworks in the middle of the pep rally that she planned and organized. It's going to ruin all of the work that she's put in as president of the student council. Her boyfriend is really supportive, but her best friend is distant and withdrawn, and there's a new guy - a strange guy - who is making her feel things that she's never felt before. Then, on the day before Thanksgiving, something terrible happens. A bomb goes off in the school. People are injured, some critically, and others are killed instantly. Morgan's life will never be the same.

(Mild spoilers below)

There's a nice amount of tension in this book. The identity of the bombers is only revealed at the end, so the readers are kept in suspense and have to guess which - if any - of the main characters are involved. There's a lot of drama in a short amount of pages, and the bombing turns it into a true life-and-death situation. People are never the same as they were before, even if they were able to escape injury. The characters sometimes seem like stock characters, but they're given personality and quirks to save them from being caricatures. I particularly liked how the ending of the book was true to Morgan's identity as a strong woman and student; it could so easily have gone in a different way, but reinforced the idea of living a life that's full of possibilities. Fans of Lurlene McDaniel will find a lot of pages packed with emotion and a story that's speeds a long with a quick pace.

I received a review copy from NetGalley courtesy of Random House Children's Books/Delacorte Books for Young Readers.

Find it at IndieBound. 

Read it with:
Hate List by Jennifer Brown
Hey Nostradamus! by Douglas Coupland
Heart to Heart by Lurlene McDaniel
Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer by John Grisham

The Pregnancy Project: A Memoir by Gaby Rodriguez with Jenna Glatzer

It's difficult to talk about teen pregnancy in a public way. Too often it takes either one of two routes: teen parents are either villainized, judged, and written off or glamourized and placed in situations that become so unlike the majority of teen parents. For her senior project, Gaby Rodriguez wanted to look beyond those portrayals to the real people that the pregnancy involves.Teen pregnancy was something that was very present in her life: her mother had been a teen mom, her brothers and sisters had faced teen pregnancy or young parenthood, and people always told her how she was destined to follow in their footsteps. For her project, Gaby decided to get pregnant - a fake pregnancy - and see how people reacted to her. Would they think that she was living down to expectations? Would the pregnancy nullify all of her good grades and her previous reputation? What would her friends say? What would people who didn't even know her say? Gaby wanted to compile their reactions and talk about the way that pregnant teens are treated. With only her mom, her boyfriend, and a few teachers in on the assignment, she had no idea what she was heading into.

The book is divided into three parts: before, during, and after the 'pregnancy.' I had expected most of the story to focus on pretending to be pregnant, so I was surprised when so much time was spent talking about her family and detailing her relationship with her brothers and sisters. This backstory, however, was crucial to understanding how passionate Gaby was about this project. She didn't just see teen pregnancy in the abstract; she saw it as part of her life. Equally interesting was the media reaction to the story. Almost overnight Gaby was courted by major television networks wanting to tell her story. Many people would think that it would be cool to have The Today Show or Good Morning America wanting to interview you, but when Gaby describes the way that the media hounded her and, for lack of a better word, stalked her, it's not the glamorous story that you might have had in mind. I did wonder how much of this was an attempt at shaping a story - in order to make it clear that she didn't want fame or a book deal or a Lifetime movie, does she go overboard in describing how she tried to hide from the media? Possibly. But I truly do believe that the project came from a very real place, a place that was determined to make a difference and change how people think about teen pregnancy. I do think that the book would have benefited from pictures, especially ones that show what Gaby looked like during her experiment, but the words can stand on their own. At just over two-hundred pages, it's not a long book, but it does tell an incredible story.

Gaby's story is also a Lifetime movie.

Find it at IndieBound. 

Read it with:
Not Afraid of Life by Bristol Palin
Science Fair Season by Judy Dutton
Not My Daughter by Barbara Delinsky

Degrassi Junior High: Shane by Susin Nielsen

Shane has never been the kind of guy who stood out in a crowd. He was never all that popular or the best at anything. That's why he was so surprised when he started dating Spike. She was so confident and popular; everything seemed pretty great. Then Spike got pregnant and Shane's world turned inside out. He tried avoiding her (and the pregnancy) for awhile, but that didn't change anything. His deeply religious parents  barely speak to him, Spike doesn't want anything to do with him, and he has no friends to turn to. Shane feels like his life is out of control. Is there anything he can do to get back on track?

In many ways, Shane is a companion book to Spike, another book in the Degrassi series. Shane starts after Spike is pregnant and opens with him finally telling his parents what's going on. There are some continuity errors and inconsistencies between the two books (and a bit with the TV series), but nothing that really changes anything too much. Shane's story, though, isn't singly defined by his teenager fatherhood. After his daughter is born (when he's only fourteen), Shane gets a job to make more money and makes a new friend who's the classic definition of a bad influence. Shane lies to his parents, blows of his parental responsibilities, and starts experimenting with drugs and alcohol. While Spike has more of a hopeful optimism, Shane reads a bit more like a cautionary tale. Also, I find it very interesting to read about attitudes towards teen fathers and parenthood; more than one person, including adults, tell Shane that it's best for him to just forget about his child, to act like she doesn't exist and move on with his life, and that he's not responsible for any decision Spike makes because that's her life. I love exploring these concepts and how they're presented in books for teens.

Find it at Amazon.

Read it with:
Degrassi Junior High: Spike by Loretta Castellarin and Ken Roberts
Degrassi Junior High: Snake by Susin Nielsen
Word Nerd by Susin Nielsen

Degrassi Junior High: Spike by Loretta Castellarin and Ken Roberts

Spike is used to people looking at her because of her hair, but now people are starting to look at her for a different reason: she's pregnant. Only fourteen years old, she and her boyfriend Shane got carried away in a dark bedroom at a friend's party. Now she must deal with her changing body, classmates' reactions, an unsupportive boyfriend, and a disappointed mother. Will she be able to figure out what the best decision is for herself and the baby?

I remember the original Degrassi (Junior High and High) airing on CBC while I was growing up, but I didn't really get into it until I watched reruns after school in 10th grade. I love the drama of it all and the way that serious storylines, like teen pregnancy, are woven in with storylines about sexy dreams or walking naked through the cafeteria. Anyway. Spike picks up after Spike and Shane "did it" at Lucy's party and early on she discovers she's pregnant; it ends just after the birth of her child. Much of the book, certainly the main storyline, sticks very closely with the TV series; it's been awhile since I watched my Degrassi Junior High DVDs, but I think even whole bits of dialogue are straight from the TV scripts. Does the book stand alone if you haven't seen the TV show? Probably, although it definitely would be a different reading. What I like about this book is that it fills in a bit of background information that doesn't come through in the show, mostly about Spike's relationship with her mother. These books were out of print for a long time but then recently were available again, so if you have a fond memory for Degrassi or are curious about the series, give these books a look.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
Degrassi Junior High: Shane by Susin Nielsen
Star in the Middle by Carol Larese Millward
Butterflies in May by Karen Hart
Degrassi Generations: The Official 411 by Kathryn Ellis

The Implosion of Aggie Winchester by Lara Zielin

Aggie Winchester's life just became extremely complicated. Her friend Sylvia is pregnant - and the father refuses to publicly acknowledge Sylvia or the baby. On top of that, a new girl at school is driving a wedge between Sylvia and Aggie's friendship. Aggie's mom, who is also the principal, is undergoing cancer treatments. And all of this is coming to a head as a rumour starts that Aggie's mom interfered with the prom court elections to prevent Sylvia, a pregnant Goth, from winning. Add in some boy trouble of her own, and Aggie isn't sure what to do anymore. Will things ever get back to normal?

One thing that I thought worked particularly well in this book is how Lara Zielin nailed the high school dynamic of a friend that you're friends with because of circumstance, not because you necessarily like them. Aggie is a particularly interesting character because she's still trying to find out who she is. She doesn't necessarily want to be a Goth, but she doesn't necessarily want to live exactly as her parents want her to. Her rebellion seemed realistic. There was also some extremely questionable parenting choices being made by Aggie's parents, but unlike, say, Wait Till Helen Comes (one of the first books that inspired by 'questionable parenting' tag), the choices are understandable if not necessarily right. Sometimes the strands of the dramas seemed to be bordering on a bit too much, but Zielin has a strong writing style that kept everything in check.

Check out Lara Zielin's website.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
The Six Rules of Maybe by Deb Caletti
Bumped by Megan McCafferty
How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr
Prom Kings and Drama Queens by Dorian Cirrone
Donut Days by Lara Zielin

Swimming to Chicago by David-Matthew Barnes

In the summer, everything seemed like it was going well for Alex. He was in a relationship (a secret relationship, but still some kind of something) with Tommy, a star football player at their high school. His relationship with his best friend Jillian wasn't perfect, but it was nothing that he couldn't deal with. Then things started unraveling. Tommy broke up with him, and as awful as that was, it was only the beginning. New kid in town Robby might be a second chance at...something, but Robby has lots of baggage of his own. While dealing with homophobia, grief, parental relationships, scandal, suicide, teen pregnancy, and small town secrets, is it possible for these two to find a way toward happiness?

My one-word review for Swimming to Chicago would be "drama!" The characters must face difficult emotional situation after difficult emotional situation, all building to a violent conclusion that draws these plots together. I would have liked a chance to spend more time understanding how the characters were reacting to the drama; Jillian, in particular, was a character I felt I knew little about. Because I knew so little, I wondered about the way that she talked to other characters and I didn't always understand why Alex would want to be friends with her (or, at times, why she would want to be friends with Alex). The book is told in two different parts, with a jump of about six months in between. I couldn't shake the feeling that there was some kind of character development or relationship information that I missed out on experiencing. Having said that, though, there is (spoiler alert) a part where a character is brutally attacked because of who he is. The description of this attack is just heartbreaking, beautifully written, and strong reminder that high school is not a safe place for all students.

I received a review copy from NetGalley courtesy of Bold Strokes Books.

Check out David-Matthew Barnes' website for more information.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
The Next Competitor by K.P. Kincaid
The Screwed-Up Life of Charlie the Second by Drew Ferguson
Mesmerized by David-Matthew Barnes

How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr

Jill has had a big hole in her life since her dad passed away in a car accident. It's been the worst year of her life. She's retreated from everyone - her mom, her boyfriend, her friends - and everything and hasn't found a way to go on living. Mandy had one beautiful moment with a boy that she loved and now she's looking for a family to adopt her soon-to-be-born baby. Jill's mother has made a plan to adopt Mandy's baby, bringing all three of them together into each others' lives. Mandy's keeping a lot of secrets, and Jill is reluctant to open up to anyone. Will any of them be able to find what they need?

I love this book. Jill and Mandy are two such strong characters. Either one of them could carry their own story, but joining them together allows for such a deeper story. We got to see each character through each others' eyes. At first I could completely see Jill's perspective and wondered why anyone would want to enter into an adoption without legal agreements and written protection. But then, as Mandy's story unraveled, her actions and perspective started to make more sense. Her life growing up was awful and Jill (and, at times, her mother) was making assumptions based on her own position of privilege. Solid supporting characters were actual characters and not story-based props. Based on her other books, I'm not surprised that I enjoyed Sara Zarr's latest, but finding out how much I enjoyed it was a fun discovery.

See more at Sara Zarr's website.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
Once Was Lost by Sara Zarr
Story of a Girl by Sara Zarr
Calli by Jessica Lee Anderson
Pregnant Pause by Han Nolan
Sweethearts by Sara Zarr

Girls Don't Fly by Kristen Chandler

Myra's life is dominated by duty and practicality. As the second-oldest child in a large family, someone is always asking her for something. She has to look after the younger kids so her mom can work evenings. She has to keep her pregnant older sister calm so that nothing happens to the baby. Without her, the family would probably implode. After a bad breakup, Myra's even more confused about who she is and what she wants to do with her life. Maybe that's why she's spending so much time researching birds and science and a scholarship opportunity to the Galapagos Islands. The idea of going away to study birds in South America is completely ridiculous...but maybe not completely impossible.

I really enjoyed this book and the way it showed a character becoming interested in science and research. Myra is a main character can easily carry her own story. She's a smart, caring, capable teen who's stuck between keeping her family together and trying to make plans for her own life. This book, though, spins this classic teen dilemma in new and interesting ways. At some parts of the book I was so frustrated by Myra's parents. They were asking so much of Myra that it was coming at the expense of her own future. But they weren't bad people; they just didn't have the financial resources to provide everything they wanted for their children. (Minor spoiler alert) I was really happy to see that at the end there's a moment where, in the midst of blaming Myra for the actions of another person, her parents start to realize what they've been asking of Myra. This is a solid choice for teen readers, especially teen girls who are trying to decide if they have the power to 'fly.'

Check out Kristen Chandler's website for more information on Girls Don't Fly.

I received an advance review copy courtesy of Penguin Canada.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
Wolves, Boys, and Other Things that Might Kill Me by Kristen Chandler
Contents Under Pressure by Lara M. Zeises
Everything I Was by Corinne Demas
Populazzi by Elise Allen

Doormat by Kelly McWilliams

Jaime is used to feeling a bit plain next to her friend Melissa; Melissa always has lots of drama going on in her life. But this time Jaime is not prepared for what Melissa has to say: she's pregnant and she wants Jaime to help her. Jaime wants to help but is overwhelmed by how huge it is. At fourteen, she doesn't know how to help Melissa and as a doormat, she's not used to being listened to. Can she figure out the best way to handle this situation?

While not a long book (it comes in at around 125 pages), Doormat covers a lot of emotional territory. How can you help friends without taking on their troubles yourself? What do you do when a friend doesn't listen to reason? It also has an authenticity about high school, helped by the fact that the author Kelly McWilliams wasn't much older than the main characters when the book was written. I was, though, surprised to see the language used around abortion; it seemed like it was straight out of a 1960s story, not one from the 2000s. (Also, at one point a teacher advocates for abortion for teen pregnancy in class, during a lesson - I can't see that happening today without high profile media attention.) This is a good choice for students looking for 100+ page books for school and anyone looking for a solid shorter novel.


Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
My Life as a Doormat (A Comedy in Three Acts) by Rene Gutteridge
Jumping Off Swings by Jo Knowles
The Lit Report by Sarah N. Harvey
Butterflies in May by Karen Hart
How to Deal by Sarah Dessen

In Trouble by Ellen Levine

People always talk about the girls who get in trouble - the ones who grow bigger, the ones with the rumours, the ones who disappear. These are fast girls, girls who went all the way. Jamie's world is rocked when her best friend Elaine reveals that she's pregnant. Jamie starts reaching out to anyone who can help, but it quickly becomes clear that Jamie has issues of her own - and Elaine isn't the only one who has decisions to make.

Spoilery talk below.

There is a lot going on in this book. In addition to the multiple pregnancy threads, Jamie was also violated sexually, and her father has just returned from nearly a year in prison as a political prisoner. There are family secrets, too, that Jamie uncovers as she attempts to help Elaine, and a small romance subplot between Jamie and the editor of her school newspaper. While it was necessary for the plot, I did wonder a bit at the way in which Jamie's family talked about Elaine and her 'trouble'; I get that they are shown to be different than other families, but this just seems to be so different than many other depictions of the mid-1900s. I also wondered if maybe Elaine was a figment of Jamie's imagination - that Jamie was the one pregnant the whole time, but because of the forced sex, she had 'invented' Elaine as a way to deal with it. This didn't turn out to be the case, but Jamie and Elaine are definitely linked and contrasted in many ways. I appreciated Levine's words at the end of the book that point out how difficult it was for young girls who were pregnant in the 1950s and 1960s - and how things have and haven't changed since then. Books like this, that talk about abortion and do not demonize it as a choice, need to be written.

Don't miss Ellen Levine's essay When, Along with her Character, an Author Gets in Trouble.

See more at Ellen Levine's website.

I read an advanced copy from NetGalley courtesy of Carolrhoda Lab.

Read it with:
Henry's Freedom Box by Ellen Levine
Blue Plate Special by Michelle D. Kwasney
The Girls Who Went Away by Ann Fessler
Snow Apples by Mary Razzell
Every Little Thing in the World by Nina de Gramont

It's Not What You Expect by Norma Klein

Carla doesn't know what this summer is going to be like. Usually she and her twin brother, Oliver, head to camp, but this year isn't like other years. Their father has just moved out and their parents aren't giving any explanation why. Now he lives in New York, has grown a beard, and might even have a girlfriend. Does that mean their mom is going to start dating? To keep themselves busy, Carla and Oliver and their older brother Ralph open a restaurant: he cooks and she's the maitre d'. It's a big success, but then they're distracted by Ralph's girlfriend's news - she's pregnant. Carla feels herself growing apart from her twin, and she's not sure that she likes it. Life, love, relationships - it's not what you expect.

(Some spoilers, but I don't think it will really impact reading the book.)

I've really read very little Norma Klein, and I'm trying to fix that. It's hard because her books aren't always very available. I had to request this book through interlibrary loan; my library no longer has any Norma Klein books in its collection. (You might be able to find some at second-hand bookstores or websites or book sales.)

Anyway, this was a strange little book. Two fourteen-year-olds run a hit restaurant with no adult involvement? It's amazing how believably this plot is set up. I was more amazed, though, by the frankness with which pregnancy and abortion are dealt with. Sara Lee, Ralph's girlfriend, decides to have an abortion, and it's dealt with with very little fuss or controversy; while the book doesn't go into the long-term affect that such a decision might have on her (it happens near the end), it does show her after the abortion in a very functional light, moving on with her life. I can't think of any recent middle grade book (and that's really what this is) that deals with abortion in such light; it even has the word 'abortion' on the back cover. There's also a very interesting look at different 'types' of mothers (and different 'types' of women) as Carla sees them, and at fourteen, she's just starting to wonder about her own role as a future woman. I've requested some more Norma Klein titles through interlibrary loans, and I can't wait to dive into them.

Find it at Fantastic Fiction.

Read it with:
Forever by Judy Blume
Taking Sides by Norma Klein
Learning Curves: Body Image and Female Sexuality in Young Adult Literature by Beth Younger

Butterflies in May by Karen Hart

Ali hasn't been feeling well, and she's afraid she knows the reason. A trip to the doctor confirms it: she's pregnant. With her world turned upside down, Ali isn't sure where to turn. She plans on an abortion, but decides against it - and her boyfriend and mother think she's making a big mistake. Over the next months, Ali must face her own fears and make her own decisions for herself and for her baby.

I called Plan B "16 & Pregnant" in book form, but I think Butterflies in May is actually a closer analogy to the TV show. Where Plan B leaves off with the news of a pregnancy still sinking in, Butterflies in May follows Ali through her pregnancy: attending school, thinking about marriage, dealing with disapproving teachers, watching her boyfriend pull away, thinking about college, finding out how much a baby costs, deciding what would be best for her child. Complicating things are the family secrets that her pregnancy brings to light. Teen pregnancy is not a new subject for teen books, but Butterflies in May tells the story from Ali's point of view, making it a much harder book to put down.

I received an eBook to review from NetGalley.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
Too Soon for Jeff by Marilyn Reynolds
What's Happily Ever After, Anyway? by Michelle Taylor
Tell Me a Secret by Holly Cupala
Jumping Off Swings by Joanna Knowles
Not My Daughter by Barbara Delinsky

Plan B by Charnan Simon

Lucy has some plans for her future and she knows exactly what she wants to do. She wants to go to college and become a Spanish teacher; she knows she and her boyfriend - a high school baseball star - are going to live happily ever after. Everything is all planned out - but one thing Lucy didn't plan on was getting pregnant. Now she doesn't know what to do - but she's going to have to switch things over to Plan B.

(Semi-spoilery from here.)

Parts of this story felt like "16 & Pregnant," only in book form.The first half of the book focuses on Lucy's plans for the the future - hers and her boyfriends. She has sex for the first time about halfway through, and almost immediately (in page terms) realizes that she's pregnant. The rest of the book follows Lucy as she breaks the news to her boyfriend (who's initially not that supportive) and her mom (disappointed, scared, and hurt). There are tiny touches about the book that I really love: for example, Lucy tells her boyfriend "it's not babysitting when it's your own baby." That's a message that needs to be said over and over. Also, even though it's a short book, abortion and adoption are considered as real options. The book has an open ending, leaving the reader to guess about what happens next.

Find out more about the series at the Darby Creek page.

I received an advance review copy through NetGalley.

Read it with:
Reaction by Leslie Choyce
Glitter by Babygirl Daniels
Hanging On to Max by Margaret Bechard
Slam by Nick Hornby
Jane Addams: Pioneer Social Worker by Charnan Simon

Borrowed Light by Anna Feinberg

Callisto May, sixteen, has a theory about people: most can be assigned an identity based on astronomy. Some are planets, some are stars. Some, like Callisto, are moons, existing in the borrowed light of others. When Callisto finds out she is pregnant, though, she realizes how little support a borrower actually has.

One of my favourite things about Borrowed Light is how it showed that Callisto's life didn't stop when she discovered she was pregnant. She quickly decides on getting an abortion, but things still have to be dealt with: going to school, taking care of her brother, the details over every day life. Cally's relationship with her five-year-old brother, Jeremy, is the heart of the novel, and their interactions (which are numerous because their mother seems to have abdicated any actual parenting to Cally) consistently ring true with honest emotion. I think this book is out of print now (I read it through an Interlibrary Loan), but if you can find it it's definitely worth reading, especially since abortion is still such a rarely-touched issue in YA books.

Find it at Amazon.

Read it with:
Gingerbread by Rachel Cohn
I Know It's Over by C.K. Kelly Martin
Happily Ever After Anyway? by Michelle Taylor
Every Little Thing in the World by Nina de Gramont

Tell Me a Secret by Holly Cupala

Rand (full name Miranda, formerly known as Mandy) always lived in her sister Xanda's shadow. Now, she lives in the shadow of Xanda's death. Her sister was wild, loud, and captivating; Rand is alone, scared, and unsure about her life and her future. She wants to go to an arts school; her parents want her to consider business. Her boyfriend Kamran has been spending an awful lot of time with her so-called best friend. And then there's that whole positive pregnancy test thing...

I've wanted to get my hands on this book ever since I first saw the cover. I know you can't judge a book by one, but there's something so hauntingly perfect about the cover. (In the end, I actually ended up getting this as an eBook for my new eReader, and the cover didn't come through as much!) Rand had so much pain: her sister's death and the subsequent banning of anything Xanda-related from her parents' house, her artistic frustrations, boyfriend trouble, best friend trouble, former best friend trouble, mom issues, and now pregnancy. It's overwhelming, but rooted in a very real, character-driven way. The ending seemed a little bit too-neatly wrapped up, there it hinted at future struggles, and I could understand why Rand would just want to view everything in as positive a light as possible. I was surprised to see that this was Holly Cupala's first novel; I can't wait to read more.



Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
Zen and Xander Undone by Amy Kathleen Ryan
Snow Apples by Mary Razzell
I Am Not Emanuelle by Nadia Xerri-L
Would You by Marthe Jocelyn
Jumping Off Swings by Johanna Knowles

Snow Apples by Mary Razzell

A small B.C. town feels too small for Sheila now that she's growing up. She wants to finish school, but her mother needs her to quit school and start working to help support the family. Her mother has been supporting the family single-handedly since Sheila's father has been fighting in World War II - and even before then, it wasn't easy. Sheila also has been starting to spend a lot of time with a local boy, and her mother doesn't approve of that, either. Sheila desperately just wants to have a life of her own and be her own person, but she will have to struggle through a number of things in order to find her way.

I think what cinched picking up this novel for me was Mary Razzell's dedication to Carol Shields, who is one of my all-time favourite writers. This was a very interesting look at two women (one a teenager, one a mother) living in a time that wasn't very kind to women, especially in rural areas. The path that Sheila takes sometimes made me want to step in for her own good (especially as she got more serious with Nils), but I think the journey she was on (as terrifying as it was at times) was one that will make her a stronger (fictional) person in the (fictional) future. The edition I read was a 2006 reprint of the 1980s original, and I'm really glad that this book was repackaged for a new audience.


Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields
A Very Fine Line by Julie Johnston
Runaway at Sea by Mary Razzell
Funny How Things Change by Melissa Wyatt
Every Little Thing in the World by Nina de Gramont

Not My Daughter by Barbara Delinsky

Susan has worked hard to overcome other people's perceptions of her. As the high school principal in a small town, her life is under a microscope. Her life is thrown for a loop when her daughter announces she's pregnant. Susan might be able to handle that - but then two more girls, her daughters' best friends, also announce that they're pregnant. The whole town is buzzing that there was a pregnancy pact and that Susan - who was a young, unmarried woman when her daughter was born - is responsible for it.

This book made me so frustrated. Who did these girls think they were? They decided to get pregnant but were not prepared to shoulder any of the responsibility, blindly and naively assured that their parents (their mothers) would take care of everything. Also not on their radar were the guys involved with the pregnancy. Ugh. This just made me sad. And I guess that means that Barbara Delinksy was doing a good job, because I think that was the point. I would be happy to think that it was a figment of her imagination, but it's what I see on things like MTV's 16 and Pregnant and Teen Mom. I really liked the cover of the book, especially after reading the story. The women could be the teens, or the parents (or maybe even both). It's probably just a stock photo, but it's very well chosen.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
Jumping Off Swings by Jo Knowles
The Lit Report by Sarah N. Harvey
Reaction by Lesley Choyce
While My Sister Sleeps by Barbara Delinsky
Girls in Trouble by Caroline Leavitt

Contents Under Pressure by Lara M. Zeises

Lucy is thrilled when she finds out her brother will be coming home for a little while. They've always been close, but since he went away to school, and she hasn't been able to talk to him about starting high school, she feels like they've been drifting away. She's not as happy to learn that his girlfriend is moving home with him. As she explores her own relationship with a hot junior, she's shocked to learn that her brother is going to be a father - and saddened to realize that he's not really stepping up and accepting his new responsibilities. Torn between loving her brother and seeing him as a different person, Lucy feels like there's so much pressure in her life she just might explode.

I liked the teen pregnancy spin on this story (even though Hannah, the girlfriend, is 20, it's still basically a unplanned teen pregnancy). Jack, Lucy's brother, isn't a bad guy, necessarily; as the characters point out, he just doesn't know how to be a good man. So many characters are either good or bad and they rarely deal so fully in the shades of gray. Hannah is a character I was rooting for, as was Lucy. A few references now seem dated (the book was published in 2002), but it was a great introduction to Lara M. Zeises.


Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
Forget You by Jennifer Echols
Into the Wild Nerd Yonder by Julie Halpern
The Carrie Diaries by Candace Bushnell
Fact of Life #31 by Denise Vega
The Six Rules of Maybe by Deb Caletti

Sister Wife by Shelley Hrdlitschka

Unity isn't like other places. Celeste has lived her whole life in Unity's Movement and she knows what to expect; now that she's nearly 15, soon she'll be married off to an older man and join her sister-wives, she'll be expected to have a number of children and submit to her husband, she'll be expected to leave her old life and her parents and siblings behind. Taviana didn't grow up in Unity. She lived a wild secular life until one of the men found her and brought her to Unity, where she's been experiencing safety and security for the first time. When Celeste starts questioning her future and her father, though, Taviana is blamed for filling her head with ideas of the outside world. Things are starting crumble, and no one knows who will be left standing when it all ends.

When I picked up this book, I was expecting it to have a Jodi Picoult-type of vibe (maybe it was the book cover). It's wasn't like that, though, really. By focusing on teens (Celeste, her sister Nanette, Taviana) the book is able to tap in to the rebelliousness and uncertainty of other YA books while adding the element of religious sects and polygamy. Some parts of the book were infuriating (Celeste's mother - one of her father's five wives - is having a hard time with her 8th pregnancy, and all of the medical decisions are left up to her husband), some sad (Nanette is basically a tween but wants to be married to a man as old as her father). The book had a nice readability to it that kept the story moving. The ending seemed kind of quick and neat, but it hinted at the complications that would likely continue for the characters' lives.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
Dancing Naked by Shelley Hrdlitschka
Keep Sweet by Michele Greene
The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams
Road to Bliss by Joan Clark
Faith Wish by James W. Bennett

America and the Pill by Elaine Tyler May

On the fiftieth anniversary of the FDA approval of the birth control pill, Elaine Tyler May has created a very readable history that traces how the pill went from wishful thinking to medical reality to centre of controversy to an everyday reality. I was expecting this to be a dense, heavy look that emphasized the science part of it, but it wasn't that at all. Instead, it focused more on the history, the social implications, and the people involved with the development of the pill. The book was at its strongest when detailing the conflicted attitudes that people had about the pill and when talking about why there isn't yet a male birth control pill. At times some aspects did seem a little bit glossed over (such as the information on the original clinical trials), but the trade-off of this is a book that's approachable for many people. I hope that people do pick this book up, especially women like the ones who contributed to the last chapter in the book on the pill today - it shows how far things have come, and all the changes that had to happen for it to be that way.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
This Man's Pill by Carl Djerassi
The Moral Property of Women by Linda Gordon
Feminism and Pop Culture by Andi Zeisler
BITCHfest edited by Lisa Jervis and Andi Zeisler
Click: When We Knew We Were Feminists by J. Courtney Sullivan and Courtney E. Martin