Unpregnant

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.