Review Detail

I have to admit, I'm somewhat picky on books that deal with teenage pregnancy. Our son's birthmother was fourteen when she had him. My own sister had her baby at age eighteen and decided to keep him. I've also been to numerous birthmother panels where teens have described what they went through with being pregnant. Not all gave their babies up for adoption either.

One thing that hooked me to this story was the writing. Greenman does a great job showing us seventeen-year-old Thea and the struggles she goes through from finding out she's pregnant to deciding whether or not to keep the baby. I also liked how Thea is the one who decides what to do and even when others around her try to steer her to do something else, she's the one who makes the choice. There is one scene, where she goes to get an abortion that rang out so real to me. She ends up walking out and at the back of her head thinks the whole pregnancy thing will do the same thing. Another scene shows her trying to make it work out with Will, the birthfather. She really wants them to be a family and tries to ignore little things like Will not feeling the same way. Plus her own family dynamics are pretty true too.

I did find some issues with both of their families sitting down and deciding to give them money to start out. I don't know many families that do this. Instead I've seen how hard it is when the birthmother does decide to keep the baby. My own sister had a really hard time with her choice even when our family tried to help out.

But Greenman doesn't dwell on this but rather shows Thea realizing her choices will be hard and even painful like seeing her best friend Vanessa go off to college without her. Thea is a strong character who grows with each choice she makes. I also admire how she makes her own plans that might include living without Will. To me that is realistic and also truthful.

This is a moving tale of hope that digs deep within the hearts of each character. You can't help but be hooked at the end.