Tag Archives: teen pregnancy

Learning to Breathe

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*Trigger Warning for Sexual Assault*

A victim of rape, sixteen-year-old Indira struggles to conceal her pregnancy from her family, even though it was her cousin who assaulted her.

Indy has tried to do what her grandmother encouraged: to do well in school, to not let boys take advantage of her. So that she doesn’t end up like her mother, who was also sexually assaulted resulting in Indy’s birth.

Having been sent to live with relatives in Nassau, Indy feels that she cannot escape from  her mother’s past. And how long can she hide her pregnancy from her aunt?

Indy tries to find a place where she will be safe. And she struggles with pressure to have an abortion. She is conflicted.

This is difficult story to read because of the graphic description of rape and assault. But I recommend it to readers interested in the #MeToo movement. Also, those who enjoy realistic fiction such as American Street.

The Baby

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The story starts with a 17th birthday party for Olivia at her home, and moves quickly to the totally unexpected delivery of a baby on the bathroom floor by her best friend,  Nicola, who didn’t even know she was pregnant. Nicola is not at all ready to be a mom. As the story progresses, Nicola expects Olivia’s help, but Olivia has her own problems to deal with, including her bullying boyfriend, Jonty, and keeping an eye on younger sister Alice. There is also Nicola’s friend Ben, who is struggling with secrets of his own.

Written from the various points of view of the five main characters, each chapter covers one month from February through June. The author, Lisa Drakeford, is British and the book is set in England.  This is a well written YA book exploring the impact and consequences of an unplanned baby on a group of friends, their families and their futures.  Teenage pregnancy, and especially teenage parenthood, is an important issue which doesn’t appear very often in YA literature. In The Baby the focus is on not only teen pregnancy but also about being a parent, experiencing bullying, domestic violence, and friendship.