Unpregnant

Starred review from July 1, 2019
Veronica Clarke, 17, is on track to be valedictorian and already has an Ivy League acceptance when she unexpectedly passes another test, one whose pink lines say she’s pregnant. Unfortunately, she lives in Missouri, where women under 18 need a parent’s permission to get a legal abortion. In desperation, she concocts a plan to have the father, Kevin, drive her to a clinic 1,000 miles away so that she can end her pregnancy. Then she discovers that he intentionally sabotaged their birth control. For help, Ronnie turns to her former best friend, “black hole of anger and darkness” Bailey Butler. Together, they embark on a road trip for the ages, one that includes cow tipping, grand theft auto, and aliens, with Kevin in hot pursuit. The authors’ background in television and film shows, with scene after hilarious scene normalizing the most serious of subjects: how far women must often go to exercise control over their own bodies. Though her desire to avoid teenage parenthood propels Ronnie to act, the trip is also one of self-discovery as she reassesses what partnership really means. A stellar, timely debut. Ages 14–up.

August 1, 2019

Gr 9 Up-Hendricks and Caplan's debut novel tells the story of Veronica 'Ronnie' Clark, who lives a perfect life. It's her senior year and as her school's valedictorian, she's already been accepted to Brown University. She looks perfect and has the perfect relationship with the perfect boyfriend, and a trio of perfect best friends. But when the story opens, she is sitting on the toilet, in the girls' bathroom, staring at a postive pregnancy test. This is not how the last few months of school was meant to go, and she can't share this bit of imperfection with anyone. Except maybe her ex-best friend Bailey Butler, who happens to find out Ronnie's new secret. After asking for Bailey's help, Ronnie embarks on a hilarious road trip from her small town in Missouri to Albuquerque, NM to get an abortion. Though Ronnie knows this trip will ultimately change her life, she is unaware of just how much. The book does a good job of tackling serious topics like teenage pregnancy, abortion, peer pressure, and friendship with light wit and sarcasm that does not feel clichéd. Through the journey, Ronnie comes to realize what it means to be a true friend, despite her own ego, and readers will feel a kinship with both her and Bailey. VERDICT A story that effortlessly delivers difficult topics through humor and adventure, without taking away from their serious nature. It is a must read for fans of Gaby Rodriguez's The Pregnancy Project and Diablo Cody's movie Juno.-Caitlin Wilson, Meadowdale Library, North Chesterfield, VA

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from July 1, 2019
Seventeen-year-old Veronica Clarke's perfect life screeches to a halt when she discovers she is pregnant. A contender for valedictorian, she will be the first in her family to attend college--but her boyfriend intentionally compromises their birth control, and her life is thrown into chaos. Kevin's always been "intense," but Veronica and her straight-laced, straight-A friends thought it was romantic...until he proposes marriage rather than supports her plan to get an abortion. Veronica's seen the impact of young motherhood on her sister and knows it's not the right choice for her, but the nearest abortion clinic that serves minors without parental consent is nearly a thousand miles away, in Albuquerque. If Kevin won't take her, who will? Enter Bailey: Veronica's former best friend, high school loner, and, perhaps most importantly, owner of a car. A stilted transaction between frenemies soon becomes a whirlwind road trip. Both entertaining and educational, the novel contains detailed descriptions of Veronica's abortion research, phone call to Planned Parenthood, and time at the clinic, which demystify abortion and build empathy for those who make that choice. Instead of centering the decision itself, Veronica's narrative emphasizes the situational and emotional hurdles keeping her from what she knows she wants. All main characters are assumed white, and a diversity of experience is evident in characters' socio-economic class and sexuality. Timely, hilarious, and heartfelt. (Fiction. 14-18)

COPYRIGHT(2019) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

August 1, 2019

Gr 9 Up-Hendricks and Caplan's debut novel tells the story of Veronica 'Ronnie' Clark, who lives a perfect life. It's her senior year and as her school's valedictorian, she's already been accepted to Brown University. She looks perfect and has the perfect relationship with the perfect boyfriend, and a trio of perfect best friends. But when the story opens, she is sitting on the toilet, in the girls' bathroom, staring at a postive pregnancy test. This is not how the last few months of school was meant to go, and she can't share this bit of imperfection with anyone. Except maybe her ex-best friend Bailey Butler, who happens to find out Ronnie's new secret. After asking for Bailey's help, Ronnie embarks on a hilarious road trip from her small town in Missouri to Albuquerque, NM to get an abortion. Though Ronnie knows this trip will ultimately change her life, she is unaware of just how much. The book does a good job of tackling serious topics like teenage pregnancy, abortion, peer pressure, and friendship with light wit and sarcasm that does not feel clich�d. Through the journey, Ronnie comes to realize what it means to be a true friend, despite her own ego, and readers will feel a kinship with both her and Bailey. VERDICT A story that effortlessly delivers difficult topics through humor and adventure, without taking away from their serious nature. It is a must read for fans of Gaby Rodriguez's The Pregnancy Project and Diablo Cody's movie Juno.-Caitlin Wilson, Meadowdale Library, North Chesterfield, VA

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.