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In Trouble
Jamie and Elaine have been best friends forever, and now they're finally juniors in high school. Elaine has a steady boyfriend, and Jamie could have one―if she'd just open her eyes and see Paul. But Jamie has a bigger problem to worry about. Then Elaine gets "in trouble"―something they thought only happened to "other" girls. Are there any good choices for a girl in trouble?
In Trouble is a novel born of author Ellen Levine's interviews with women who came of age in the late 1950s and early 1960s, including those who knew what it was like to be a teen facing a horrible choice. In the decades before Roe v. Wade , a young woman "in trouble" had very few options―and all of them meant shame, isolation, and maybe much worse. Jamie and Elaine's stories are just two among the thousands of stories of teenagers facing unplanned pregnancies.
In Trouble is a novel born of author Ellen Levine's interviews with women who came of age in the late 1950s and early 1960s, including those who knew what it was like to be a teen facing a horrible choice. In the decades before Roe v. Wade , a young woman "in trouble" had very few options―and all of them meant shame, isolation, and maybe much worse. Jamie and Elaine's stories are just two among the thousands of stories of teenagers facing unplanned pregnancies.
210 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2011
10 people are currently reading
322 people want to read
About the author
Ellen Levine
86 books50 followersEllen Levine's books have won many awards and honors, including the Jane Addams Peace Award. Although she enjoys writing both fiction and nonfiction, most of Ellen's books for young readers have been nonfiction. "Writing nonfiction lets me in behind the scenes of the story. I enjoy learning new things and meeting new people, even if they lived 200 years ago."
Ellen Levine was born in New York City. She received her B.A. degree in Politics from Brandeis University, graduating Magna cum laude. She has a Master's degree in political science from the University of Chicago and a Juris Doctor degree from New York University School of Law. She has worked in film and television, taught adults and immigrant teenagers in special education and ESL programs, and served a law clerkship with Chief Judge Joseph Lord, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania. A former staff attorney with a public interest law group, Levine now devotes her time to writing, lecturing, and teaching. She is on the faculty of Vermont College's MFA program in writing for Children and Young Adults.
Ellen Levine divides her time between New York City and Salem, New York.
Ellen Levine was born in New York City. She received her B.A. degree in Politics from Brandeis University, graduating Magna cum laude. She has a Master's degree in political science from the University of Chicago and a Juris Doctor degree from New York University School of Law. She has worked in film and television, taught adults and immigrant teenagers in special education and ESL programs, and served a law clerkship with Chief Judge Joseph Lord, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Pennsylvania. A former staff attorney with a public interest law group, Levine now devotes her time to writing, lecturing, and teaching. She is on the faculty of Vermont College's MFA program in writing for Children and Young Adults.
Ellen Levine divides her time between New York City and Salem, New York.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
December 26, 2011
A strong and relevant topic. Good historical detail. Horrible writing.
The main problem with In Trouble was that nothing fit. Each chapter felt like a separate vignette. Jamie’s thoughts never stayed consistent to one character. The quick switches to movie “scripts” were interruptive.
Mrs. Levine talks about interviewing several different women who lived during the book’s time period for information in her author’s note. The reader can tell before even reaching the afterword- and in a bad way. It is easy to see when a different women’s experience happens, whether in Jamie’s dreams, her various relatives, or the many pieces of information Elaine receives in the pregnancy home.
The book was also too convenient. Any one of these things is supposed to be a minority occurrence in the 1950s, early ‘60s. So why do all of these things happen to one character? In her time setting she is a statistical anomaly!
I found out that this book is a sequel to one of Mrs. Levine’s earlier novels. She hangs on to an old set of characters and dumps an entirely new set of events on them. In Trouble would have been a better book if it was a historical-fiction short story anthology of the different experiences of the women Mrs. Levine interviewed, instead of shoved-together events in one book in which the readers can pick out which happenings came from each interview.
The main problem with In Trouble was that nothing fit. Each chapter felt like a separate vignette. Jamie’s thoughts never stayed consistent to one character. The quick switches to movie “scripts” were interruptive.
Mrs. Levine talks about interviewing several different women who lived during the book’s time period for information in her author’s note. The reader can tell before even reaching the afterword- and in a bad way. It is easy to see when a different women’s experience happens, whether in Jamie’s dreams, her various relatives, or the many pieces of information Elaine receives in the pregnancy home.
The book was also too convenient. Any one of these things is supposed to be a minority occurrence in the 1950s, early ‘60s. So why do all of these things happen to one character? In her time setting she is a statistical anomaly!
I found out that this book is a sequel to one of Mrs. Levine’s earlier novels. She hangs on to an old set of characters and dumps an entirely new set of events on them. In Trouble would have been a better book if it was a historical-fiction short story anthology of the different experiences of the women Mrs. Levine interviewed, instead of shoved-together events in one book in which the readers can pick out which happenings came from each interview.
May 27, 2011
The back of this book explains it succintly in one sentence. It [the book] offers a disturbing portrait of what it was like to be a young woman long before Juno and Bristol Palin. These days, a young, unmarried woman having a baby makes more news due to its entertainment aspect, rather than the shock factor as it was in 1956, which is when this book is based. Some parts of the story remind me of its setting - mentions of Elvis Presley's latest tv appearance being a notable one. Other parts make me feel like the same situation could be happening right now.
Even today, many women don't have a choice or say as to what happens to their bodies. Abortion isn't legal everywhere in the world. Yes, some who are anti-abortion may say that it will cause promiscuity since it offers a way out when a woman is pregnant and doesn't want to be. Maybe we need to know how it is to not have a choice to understand the value of one. That message is echoed by the protagonist's father who has just returned from jail - there is a power of being able to open and close doors when you feel like it, afer you've been robbed of this simple right for so long.
In some ways, we are miles ahead of where we were in 1956. At the same time it feels like we haven't moved a step.
Even today, many women don't have a choice or say as to what happens to their bodies. Abortion isn't legal everywhere in the world. Yes, some who are anti-abortion may say that it will cause promiscuity since it offers a way out when a woman is pregnant and doesn't want to be. Maybe we need to know how it is to not have a choice to understand the value of one. That message is echoed by the protagonist's father who has just returned from jail - there is a power of being able to open and close doors when you feel like it, afer you've been robbed of this simple right for so long.
In some ways, we are miles ahead of where we were in 1956. At the same time it feels like we haven't moved a step.
September 14, 2011
Tackling serious topics can be tricky for a young adult novel. Writers can easily fall into a trap of presenting one side of a debate thinly cloaked in character and plot devices. The novel can become a parody of the Afterschool Special and focus on its message rather than its story.
In Trouble by Ellen Levine is not one of those books. Although teen pregnancy is at the center of her story, Levine’s characters drive the story. The 1950s New York setting helps remove issues surrounding teen pregnancy from a modern reader’s world, but Jamie Morse, Levine’s 16-year-old protagonist, could easily eat lunch in any high school cafeteria today.
Spoilers ahead.
Readers meet Jamie during a phone call with her best friend, Elaine. Elaine needs Jamie’s help to sneak off for a weekend with her college boyfriend. Jamie’s views of teen sex are colored by her recent date-rape experience. As if that weren’t enough for Jamie to deal with, her father will be returning home from 11 months in prison. He was sentenced for contempt of Congress as part of the McCarthy hearings.
The McCarthy connection could serve as a novel on its own that may not belong in In Trouble. The conviction speaks to how Jamie’s father thinks and what his family supports means in the larger context of the novel, and it serves to flesh out Paul, Jamie’s would-be boyfriend and editor of their school’s newspaper. Those aspects could have been developed differently.
When Elaine discovers she’s pregnant, Jamie contacts an older cousin for information about abortions. Soon, her entire family is involved, although Jamie, like her father, refuses to name names beyond assuring her family she is not the pregnant girl.
A less talented writer would use the family discussions as a focus for the novel’s debate, presenting one (or several) sides of the argument. Because Levine has a gift for breathing life into even minor characters, the family discussions are natural. No character stands out as a straw man.
Jamie’s aunt reveals a long-ago abortion to Jamie in confidence. And In Trouble picks up a slight lecturing tone as Aunt Shelia tells Jamie that pregnancy doesn’t happen only to loose girls and premarital sex does not make Jamie’s friend a slut. The sentiment is echoed in Levine’s afterword, which also adds historical context for the book.
Elaine holds strong to her belief that her suddenly absent boyfriend will marry her and they’ll raise the baby together, but eventually her secret becomes apparent to her parents. Elaine is sent to a Catholic home for unwed mothers, a decision Jamie finds hard to understand.
Jamie’s difficulty intensifies when she discovers the rape has led to her own pregnancy. Since she never told her family about the attack, she feels she cannot tell them about the pregnancy. She tells Paul, who goes with her to a doctor for a pregnancy test. The two pretend to be married in order to receive the test.
After a failed attempt to get an abortion — the unlicensed abortionist discovers Jamie isn’t 18 — Jamie ends up telling her parents. Jamie’s family is the polar opposite of Elaine’s, and her parents help her get an abortion. Shortly after the procedure, Jamie learns Elaine was forced to give her baby up for adoption.
The book ends somewhat abruptly. Elaine and Jamie’s friendship is irrevocably changed by their different decisions. Jamie’s relationships with Paul and her father are at the beginning of something new or something to be mended. Levine doesn’t continue with Jamie’s reactions to the abortion, which works for the novel. Jamie’s reactions aren’t something to come and go in the space of a few weeks. Levine told the story she wanted to tell and leaves the next pieces to the reader’s imagination.
The publisher lists the interest level as ages 12 to 18. In Trouble may not be appropriate for the younger part of that age group who may not be ready for discussions the book is sure to engender. Jamie and Elaine represent different answers to teen pregnancy, although the novel comes down more on the pro-choice side of the abortion debate because Jamie tells the story. If Elaine narrated In Trouble, the book may have come down more on the pro-life side. Levine’s afterword details her own perspective on the debate.
More than being a pro-choice or pro-life book, In Trouble’s main message is one of support for and from family and friends. The characters behave like real teenagers of any time would, and the story flows naturally.
In Trouble by Ellen Levine is not one of those books. Although teen pregnancy is at the center of her story, Levine’s characters drive the story. The 1950s New York setting helps remove issues surrounding teen pregnancy from a modern reader’s world, but Jamie Morse, Levine’s 16-year-old protagonist, could easily eat lunch in any high school cafeteria today.
Spoilers ahead.
Readers meet Jamie during a phone call with her best friend, Elaine. Elaine needs Jamie’s help to sneak off for a weekend with her college boyfriend. Jamie’s views of teen sex are colored by her recent date-rape experience. As if that weren’t enough for Jamie to deal with, her father will be returning home from 11 months in prison. He was sentenced for contempt of Congress as part of the McCarthy hearings.
The McCarthy connection could serve as a novel on its own that may not belong in In Trouble. The conviction speaks to how Jamie’s father thinks and what his family supports means in the larger context of the novel, and it serves to flesh out Paul, Jamie’s would-be boyfriend and editor of their school’s newspaper. Those aspects could have been developed differently.
When Elaine discovers she’s pregnant, Jamie contacts an older cousin for information about abortions. Soon, her entire family is involved, although Jamie, like her father, refuses to name names beyond assuring her family she is not the pregnant girl.
A less talented writer would use the family discussions as a focus for the novel’s debate, presenting one (or several) sides of the argument. Because Levine has a gift for breathing life into even minor characters, the family discussions are natural. No character stands out as a straw man.
Jamie’s aunt reveals a long-ago abortion to Jamie in confidence. And In Trouble picks up a slight lecturing tone as Aunt Shelia tells Jamie that pregnancy doesn’t happen only to loose girls and premarital sex does not make Jamie’s friend a slut. The sentiment is echoed in Levine’s afterword, which also adds historical context for the book.
Elaine holds strong to her belief that her suddenly absent boyfriend will marry her and they’ll raise the baby together, but eventually her secret becomes apparent to her parents. Elaine is sent to a Catholic home for unwed mothers, a decision Jamie finds hard to understand.
Jamie’s difficulty intensifies when she discovers the rape has led to her own pregnancy. Since she never told her family about the attack, she feels she cannot tell them about the pregnancy. She tells Paul, who goes with her to a doctor for a pregnancy test. The two pretend to be married in order to receive the test.
After a failed attempt to get an abortion — the unlicensed abortionist discovers Jamie isn’t 18 — Jamie ends up telling her parents. Jamie’s family is the polar opposite of Elaine’s, and her parents help her get an abortion. Shortly after the procedure, Jamie learns Elaine was forced to give her baby up for adoption.
The book ends somewhat abruptly. Elaine and Jamie’s friendship is irrevocably changed by their different decisions. Jamie’s relationships with Paul and her father are at the beginning of something new or something to be mended. Levine doesn’t continue with Jamie’s reactions to the abortion, which works for the novel. Jamie’s reactions aren’t something to come and go in the space of a few weeks. Levine told the story she wanted to tell and leaves the next pieces to the reader’s imagination.
The publisher lists the interest level as ages 12 to 18. In Trouble may not be appropriate for the younger part of that age group who may not be ready for discussions the book is sure to engender. Jamie and Elaine represent different answers to teen pregnancy, although the novel comes down more on the pro-choice side of the abortion debate because Jamie tells the story. If Elaine narrated In Trouble, the book may have come down more on the pro-life side. Levine’s afterword details her own perspective on the debate.
More than being a pro-choice or pro-life book, In Trouble’s main message is one of support for and from family and friends. The characters behave like real teenagers of any time would, and the story flows naturally.
June 3, 2016
I did finish this book, but overall I didn't enjoy as much as I thought I would.
The book takes place in the mid 1950's where Elvis is the craze and sex before marriage is looked down upon. The book centers around two girls, Jamie and Elaine. Jamie has a large Jewish dominant family and father who was arrested for being a member of the Communist Party. Elaine has overprotective parents watching her every move while dating a boy in college who's pressuring her to have sex. When Elaine gets pregnant, she remains hopelessly in love with her boyfriend who is ignoring her at all cost and a hopeless dream of a family with him. Jamie ignores her cousin at all cost after the incident, until it happens.
Spoilers
I enjoyed the plot and setting of book. I haven't read many books dealing with teen pregnancy and abortions. It's now glamorized with shows such as Teen Mom and Sixteen and Pregnant. I didn't realize back then how looked down upon it was. It was interesting to see how the characters faced the decision of keeping an unwanted pregnancy or not.
However, it was predictable what would happen. Jamie with her understanding family does anything to help her regardless of what happened and eventually get an abortion for her. Okay. The people that were around Jamie either knew that she was pregnant and tried to help as much as possible or didn't look down on her. Paul and Georgina were with her at doctor's check ups. Okay. On the other hand,Elaine has overprotective parents and wanted to shroud the pregnancy as much as possible. In the end she doesn't get to keep her baby or a happy family with Neil. Yup.
The writing wasn't great at all. Once she got a decent start, it stopped with a Run! It stopped the flow of reading and was hard to keep going continuously. I felt when reading how awkward some sentences sounded and didn't connect. Anyone can have words to make a book, but to make a story you need more. It wasn't able to make a story, just tell.
The characters were pretty much one dimensional. Elaine was the only one stereotypical in my opinion. She was a girl hopelessly in love and holding onto sweet nothings from her boyfriend. She was so hopelessly in love, she believed he'd come back, he'd love her, he'd have a family with her. HA, NOPE. Jamie was a strong character, but didn't have much life in her either. She was there for her best friend, she didn't want to have a baby for it would interrupt her future, and she was realistic of what would happen. Jamie's dad was adjusting to everyday life after jail and a political prisoner. Interesting, but not in depth. Then I felt as if the other characters were just there or filler to the story. They wouldn't be enjoyable or memorable characters.
I honestly felt like this story was a dystopian in my mind for some odd reason. I think it's because nowadays it's so common to have sex before marriage and teen pregnancies aren't always looked down upon know, but again glamorized by television. It just didn't click with me how bad it was back then to be a teen and pregnant. It didn't make it deep enough for me to realize how bad it was then. The Doctor Who episode, Are You My Mommy, (can't remember the title) made a deeper realization to me than this book. It did seem bizarre how secret it was, by sending the teen mom away to give birth or the almost black market abortion clinics.
I just didn't enjoy this book as much as I thought. Meh.
The book takes place in the mid 1950's where Elvis is the craze and sex before marriage is looked down upon. The book centers around two girls, Jamie and Elaine. Jamie has a large Jewish dominant family and father who was arrested for being a member of the Communist Party. Elaine has overprotective parents watching her every move while dating a boy in college who's pressuring her to have sex. When Elaine gets pregnant, she remains hopelessly in love with her boyfriend who is ignoring her at all cost and a hopeless dream of a family with him. Jamie ignores her cousin at all cost after the incident, until it happens.
Spoilers
I enjoyed the plot and setting of book. I haven't read many books dealing with teen pregnancy and abortions. It's now glamorized with shows such as Teen Mom and Sixteen and Pregnant. I didn't realize back then how looked down upon it was. It was interesting to see how the characters faced the decision of keeping an unwanted pregnancy or not.
However, it was predictable what would happen. Jamie with her understanding family does anything to help her regardless of what happened and eventually get an abortion for her. Okay. The people that were around Jamie either knew that she was pregnant and tried to help as much as possible or didn't look down on her. Paul and Georgina were with her at doctor's check ups. Okay. On the other hand,Elaine has overprotective parents and wanted to shroud the pregnancy as much as possible. In the end she doesn't get to keep her baby or a happy family with Neil. Yup.
The writing wasn't great at all. Once she got a decent start, it stopped with a Run! It stopped the flow of reading and was hard to keep going continuously. I felt when reading how awkward some sentences sounded and didn't connect. Anyone can have words to make a book, but to make a story you need more. It wasn't able to make a story, just tell.
The characters were pretty much one dimensional. Elaine was the only one stereotypical in my opinion. She was a girl hopelessly in love and holding onto sweet nothings from her boyfriend. She was so hopelessly in love, she believed he'd come back, he'd love her, he'd have a family with her. HA, NOPE. Jamie was a strong character, but didn't have much life in her either. She was there for her best friend, she didn't want to have a baby for it would interrupt her future, and she was realistic of what would happen. Jamie's dad was adjusting to everyday life after jail and a political prisoner. Interesting, but not in depth. Then I felt as if the other characters were just there or filler to the story. They wouldn't be enjoyable or memorable characters.
I honestly felt like this story was a dystopian in my mind for some odd reason. I think it's because nowadays it's so common to have sex before marriage and teen pregnancies aren't always looked down upon know, but again glamorized by television. It just didn't click with me how bad it was back then to be a teen and pregnant. It didn't make it deep enough for me to realize how bad it was then. The Doctor Who episode, Are You My Mommy, (can't remember the title) made a deeper realization to me than this book. It did seem bizarre how secret it was, by sending the teen mom away to give birth or the almost black market abortion clinics.
I just didn't enjoy this book as much as I thought. Meh.
December 26, 2011
Carolrhoda Lab does it again with another gripping story that I get to gush about. Although I will say this is probably my least favorite out of the CL books I've read. I still think very highly of it but I do feel it was lacking something that the other CL books had, mainly depth.
The situation that Jamie and Elaine go through is terrifying. Hell, it's terrifying now, let alone 60 years ago where you were either biblically virginal or a whore, irrespective of what happened to you to get into that "in trouble" position. Elaine's problem was really front and center and while it pulled me in, it also pushed me away from Jamie a bit, and it was her story. So a bit of a flaw in the story-telling. You could really feel for Elaine through Jamie. You could feel her impossible situation but at the same time you could feel Jamie's helplessness when it came to helping her friend. Elaine was a bit lost when it came to the other half of the problem and I know I got frustrated right along with Jamie when Elaine just couldn't see the forest for the trees.
And then things start opening up about Jamie. The little flashes seen throughout the story come to light and things start to click into place. That horror that was projected onto Elaine comes right back around to Jamie. Her situation's different, though. Jamie had more support and options. But here's where I think the story starts to fizzle, when it really gets into Jamie's problem.
Jamie attempts to terminate her problem on her own which results in some terrible moments in the story and I will say I had some tears but the story reached a point where it just zoomed by and before I knew it it was over. It left me wanting more and I think considering the situation of the plot, it would have rendered that. Instead there's a fade to black moment, some skimming and the end of the story. It's Jamie's story but as a reader I was never privy to Jamie coming to terms with her decisions. She made them, yes, but any repercussions she had were skipped over. I think the story could have been so much more had those issues been drawn out more.
IN TROUBLE really is a good story and a quick read but I think it's quickness does more against it than for it. That depth that I think is required for such a topic is absent and the focus is really on the wrong person. And then the story ends far too abruptly to have any real resolution. But it's still good. I liked what I was reading. I could connect with Jamie and I felt everything she did. But overall IN TROUBLE lingered on story elements that should have been shorter and dashed by moments that should have been more drawn out. I ended up feeling a little robbed at the end. I wanted more, especially for the topic. Yes, it sucked what women had to go through back then when they got "in trouble" and it's because of that that I don't feel it should have been glossed over when it got to be Jamie's turn.
Still, I'd recommend to read IN TROUBLE. Just keep in mind going in that for the topic, the story doesn't go very deep.
The situation that Jamie and Elaine go through is terrifying. Hell, it's terrifying now, let alone 60 years ago where you were either biblically virginal or a whore, irrespective of what happened to you to get into that "in trouble" position. Elaine's problem was really front and center and while it pulled me in, it also pushed me away from Jamie a bit, and it was her story. So a bit of a flaw in the story-telling. You could really feel for Elaine through Jamie. You could feel her impossible situation but at the same time you could feel Jamie's helplessness when it came to helping her friend. Elaine was a bit lost when it came to the other half of the problem and I know I got frustrated right along with Jamie when Elaine just couldn't see the forest for the trees.
And then things start opening up about Jamie. The little flashes seen throughout the story come to light and things start to click into place. That horror that was projected onto Elaine comes right back around to Jamie. Her situation's different, though. Jamie had more support and options. But here's where I think the story starts to fizzle, when it really gets into Jamie's problem.
Jamie attempts to terminate her problem on her own which results in some terrible moments in the story and I will say I had some tears but the story reached a point where it just zoomed by and before I knew it it was over. It left me wanting more and I think considering the situation of the plot, it would have rendered that. Instead there's a fade to black moment, some skimming and the end of the story. It's Jamie's story but as a reader I was never privy to Jamie coming to terms with her decisions. She made them, yes, but any repercussions she had were skipped over. I think the story could have been so much more had those issues been drawn out more.
IN TROUBLE really is a good story and a quick read but I think it's quickness does more against it than for it. That depth that I think is required for such a topic is absent and the focus is really on the wrong person. And then the story ends far too abruptly to have any real resolution. But it's still good. I liked what I was reading. I could connect with Jamie and I felt everything she did. But overall IN TROUBLE lingered on story elements that should have been shorter and dashed by moments that should have been more drawn out. I ended up feeling a little robbed at the end. I wanted more, especially for the topic. Yes, it sucked what women had to go through back then when they got "in trouble" and it's because of that that I don't feel it should have been glossed over when it got to be Jamie's turn.
Still, I'd recommend to read IN TROUBLE. Just keep in mind going in that for the topic, the story doesn't go very deep.
January 28, 2012
Abortion is a topic few YA authors dare to broach in their books, and this reality alone would be enough reason for me to applaud award-winning author Ellen Levine's 2011 young adult novel In Trouble. But the book has plenty of merit as an unsentimental look at the hard choices (or lack thereof) teens confronted when they became pregnant in the 1950's.
The film noir style cover, portraying a lonely teenaged girl waiting late at night on a deserted street, sets the stage for this dark novel set in 1956 New York, when choices for young girls who got themselves "in trouble" were limited indeed. The author tells the story of best friends Jamie and Elaine, who both find themselves with unwanted pregnancies while in high school. However, the pregnancies are ultimately dealt with in very different ways, with a sensitive portrayal of how two different families dealt with this difficult situation.
Note: some spoilers....
Elaine has a steady boyfriend already in college, and is sure that he will marry her when she tells him about the pregnancy. Jamie's circumstances, on the other hand, are slowly unveiled by the author through a series of nightmares as the reader realizes that she was date-raped by a friend of her sophisticated Manhattan cousin. Jamie's family is already under plenty of stress, since her dad has just been released from prison, having been convicted for refusing to answer questions during the McCarthy hearings. But when they discover her circumstances, her family steps up, even helping her find a doctor who will do an abortion, despite abortions being illegal at the time. Elaine, on the other hand, is sent to a home for unwed Catholic girls, where she is pressured to give up her baby for adoption despite her wishes.
In Trouble is based on dozens of interviews Levine conducted, and although the characters are fictional, each event in the book actually happened to someone. In an author's note, Levine explains why she felt compelled to tell Elaine and Jamie's stories. "If we don't know what has happened, we can't appreciate our choices today and what we might lose if laws are changed," she writes. She explains that although we might think things are totally different today, with the availability of legal abortion, in 87% of U.S. counties you can't get a legal abortion, because there's no doctor who will do it.
I believe this is an important novel for young people, particularly girls to read; unfortunately, I'm not sure it will be widely purchased by school and public libraries. Despite the fact that Levine has won many awards for her work, including a Caldecott Honor for Henry's Freedom Box, few of the library systems in my area (Southern California) have purchased it, although the novel came out in September. Whether this is because of the controversial subject matter or limited budgets, I can't say, but I hope librarians will not be reluctant to add this to their collections because the book deals with abortion. It is a gripping story that deserves to be on the shelves.
The film noir style cover, portraying a lonely teenaged girl waiting late at night on a deserted street, sets the stage for this dark novel set in 1956 New York, when choices for young girls who got themselves "in trouble" were limited indeed. The author tells the story of best friends Jamie and Elaine, who both find themselves with unwanted pregnancies while in high school. However, the pregnancies are ultimately dealt with in very different ways, with a sensitive portrayal of how two different families dealt with this difficult situation.
Note: some spoilers....
Elaine has a steady boyfriend already in college, and is sure that he will marry her when she tells him about the pregnancy. Jamie's circumstances, on the other hand, are slowly unveiled by the author through a series of nightmares as the reader realizes that she was date-raped by a friend of her sophisticated Manhattan cousin. Jamie's family is already under plenty of stress, since her dad has just been released from prison, having been convicted for refusing to answer questions during the McCarthy hearings. But when they discover her circumstances, her family steps up, even helping her find a doctor who will do an abortion, despite abortions being illegal at the time. Elaine, on the other hand, is sent to a home for unwed Catholic girls, where she is pressured to give up her baby for adoption despite her wishes.
In Trouble is based on dozens of interviews Levine conducted, and although the characters are fictional, each event in the book actually happened to someone. In an author's note, Levine explains why she felt compelled to tell Elaine and Jamie's stories. "If we don't know what has happened, we can't appreciate our choices today and what we might lose if laws are changed," she writes. She explains that although we might think things are totally different today, with the availability of legal abortion, in 87% of U.S. counties you can't get a legal abortion, because there's no doctor who will do it.
I believe this is an important novel for young people, particularly girls to read; unfortunately, I'm not sure it will be widely purchased by school and public libraries. Despite the fact that Levine has won many awards for her work, including a Caldecott Honor for Henry's Freedom Box, few of the library systems in my area (Southern California) have purchased it, although the novel came out in September. Whether this is because of the controversial subject matter or limited budgets, I can't say, but I hope librarians will not be reluctant to add this to their collections because the book deals with abortion. It is a gripping story that deserves to be on the shelves.
August 19, 2011
Some spoilers although I don't think knowing them will ruin your enjoyment.
This book is kind of tricky to review because it looks at abortion during the 1950s, when abortion was very much illegal in the United States but is been read by a 21st century audience where abortion is still very controversial if technically legal (according to the author's note, 87% of US counties are effectively denied the choice because there is no doctor willing to perform the procedure). I was hoping for a fairly impartial (meaning not strongly for or against abortion) book. Other reviews I've read thought it was very pro-abortion; I thought it leaned in that direction but was not as blatant as others thought.
What it is in support of though is choice. There are two girls (and I say girl because they're only sixteen) who get "in trouble" during the course of the book and their actions after their pregnancies are revealed. One girl is Elaine, who slept with her boyfriend without a condom because he said that it would show she loved him. After she realizes her pregnancy, he ignores her and her parents take control, telling her what she is going to do, keeping her hidden from the outside world, and denying Elaine any choice in the matter. Elaine is sent to a home, where her baby is given up for adoption, leaving Elaine feeling bereft.
The main character Jamie has a different story. She was raped before the book starts and hopes that nothing will result of it. Even before she knows she's pregnant, she's thinking about the options open to a young girl because she sees Elaine's situation; she knows about the whispers that follow a "fallen" "slut" and she dreams about college and a career. Luckily for Jamie, she has a supportive family who listen to what she wants and help her implement her choice.
But the book is not all about pregnancy and abortion. Jamie is a writer who loves movies and several scenes are presented in a movie script typeface, showing how she has to separate herself from the events (for example, her rape is presented in this format). Although Jamie is not the easiest character to get to know, I fell for her straightforwardness and her worries about growing-up.
While I enjoyed reading all of the above, especially because the chapters were short and the prose was to the point, I was disappointed with the historical setting. Jamie's father is a political prisoner, having been denounced as a Communist; this is explored a little but not enough for my taste. And the book is set in the 1950s but not enough is made of that setting. Except for the teenage characters' innocence and the lack of computers/cell phones, it felt very contemporary.
Overall: Recommended with a caveat about the rape scene for those who may be sensitive to such.
This book is kind of tricky to review because it looks at abortion during the 1950s, when abortion was very much illegal in the United States but is been read by a 21st century audience where abortion is still very controversial if technically legal (according to the author's note, 87% of US counties are effectively denied the choice because there is no doctor willing to perform the procedure). I was hoping for a fairly impartial (meaning not strongly for or against abortion) book. Other reviews I've read thought it was very pro-abortion; I thought it leaned in that direction but was not as blatant as others thought.
What it is in support of though is choice. There are two girls (and I say girl because they're only sixteen) who get "in trouble" during the course of the book and their actions after their pregnancies are revealed. One girl is Elaine, who slept with her boyfriend without a condom because he said that it would show she loved him. After she realizes her pregnancy, he ignores her and her parents take control, telling her what she is going to do, keeping her hidden from the outside world, and denying Elaine any choice in the matter. Elaine is sent to a home, where her baby is given up for adoption, leaving Elaine feeling bereft.
The main character Jamie has a different story. She was raped before the book starts and hopes that nothing will result of it. Even before she knows she's pregnant, she's thinking about the options open to a young girl because she sees Elaine's situation; she knows about the whispers that follow a "fallen" "slut" and she dreams about college and a career. Luckily for Jamie, she has a supportive family who listen to what she wants and help her implement her choice.
But the book is not all about pregnancy and abortion. Jamie is a writer who loves movies and several scenes are presented in a movie script typeface, showing how she has to separate herself from the events (for example, her rape is presented in this format). Although Jamie is not the easiest character to get to know, I fell for her straightforwardness and her worries about growing-up.
While I enjoyed reading all of the above, especially because the chapters were short and the prose was to the point, I was disappointed with the historical setting. Jamie's father is a political prisoner, having been denounced as a Communist; this is explored a little but not enough for my taste. And the book is set in the 1950s but not enough is made of that setting. Except for the teenage characters' innocence and the lack of computers/cell phones, it felt very contemporary.
Overall: Recommended with a caveat about the rape scene for those who may be sensitive to such.
June 23, 2011
I went into reading In Trouble with low expectations. I saw the ratings and read the reviews on Goodreads and they didn’t have me all too hopeful for the book. I wanted In Trouble to be a good book, to deliver the message it intended to bring to the reader. But although I can appreciate what Levine was trying to do, in the end she failed for me.
In Trouble is about two best friends, Jamie and Elaine. Everything is peachy until Elaine contacts Jamie, they meet up and Elaine tells her best friend that she is pregnant. Neither of them knows what to do so Jamie tries to find ways for Elaine to get an abortion and Elaine struggles to find out what she really wants.
What I liked about the book:
There is not all that much. I liked some of the characters, Jamie (even though I often wanted to shake her), most members of her family and Paul.
It was a quick read, easy to breeze through, despite the writing.
What I didn’t like:
The writing. It was clunky and messy. It jerks the reader around, tears him out of one scene and stuffs him into the next without any flow or notice. I was often thrown off, because I didn’t know what was going on all of a sudden. There is barely any transition between scenes and it makes for an unpleasant reading experience.
There are letters incorporated into the story but one couldn’t always tell if it actually was a letter since some of them were written in cursive font and others were not. I would’ve liked to see consistent formatting here.
The “movie-going-on-in-Jamie’s-head”-scenes. They simply didn’t work for me. They felt out of place and didn’t add anything to the story even though they were probably supposed to paint a picture in the reader’s mind. There is one of those scenes in the book, it’s written like a movie script but then suddenly we’re back to the writing of the rest of the book but still written in a different font when we’re then thrown back in movie script style. Either the formatting has to emphasize that part or everything has to be written in the same style.
Elaine. I found her a completely unsympathetic character. I don’t have the patience for naïve and love blind characters. She hangs onto her boyfriend in such vigour, it made me want to skim over her scenes.
I think In Trouble would’ve worked better as some kind of biography. Levine’s writing in the Author’s note was much more pleasant to read than the rest of the book and I wish she would have adapted it for the story.
Disclaimer: An ARC of this book has been provided by Netgalley and the publisher for reviewing purposes.
In Trouble is about two best friends, Jamie and Elaine. Everything is peachy until Elaine contacts Jamie, they meet up and Elaine tells her best friend that she is pregnant. Neither of them knows what to do so Jamie tries to find ways for Elaine to get an abortion and Elaine struggles to find out what she really wants.
What I liked about the book:
There is not all that much. I liked some of the characters, Jamie (even though I often wanted to shake her), most members of her family and Paul.
It was a quick read, easy to breeze through, despite the writing.
What I didn’t like:
The writing. It was clunky and messy. It jerks the reader around, tears him out of one scene and stuffs him into the next without any flow or notice. I was often thrown off, because I didn’t know what was going on all of a sudden. There is barely any transition between scenes and it makes for an unpleasant reading experience.
There are letters incorporated into the story but one couldn’t always tell if it actually was a letter since some of them were written in cursive font and others were not. I would’ve liked to see consistent formatting here.
The “movie-going-on-in-Jamie’s-head”-scenes. They simply didn’t work for me. They felt out of place and didn’t add anything to the story even though they were probably supposed to paint a picture in the reader’s mind. There is one of those scenes in the book, it’s written like a movie script but then suddenly we’re back to the writing of the rest of the book but still written in a different font when we’re then thrown back in movie script style. Either the formatting has to emphasize that part or everything has to be written in the same style.
Elaine. I found her a completely unsympathetic character. I don’t have the patience for naïve and love blind characters. She hangs onto her boyfriend in such vigour, it made me want to skim over her scenes.
I think In Trouble would’ve worked better as some kind of biography. Levine’s writing in the Author’s note was much more pleasant to read than the rest of the book and I wish she would have adapted it for the story.
Disclaimer: An ARC of this book has been provided by Netgalley and the publisher for reviewing purposes.
October 9, 2011
Story Description:
A film noir atmosphere weaves through this unabashedly political novel that addresses issues of abortion and free speech. Levine (Henry’s Freedom Box) evokes nostalgia for an era of multigenerational families living together, Automats, soda fountains, and Bogart films, while emphasizing the power wielded by social taboos. Sixteen-year-old Jamie tells the parallel stories of two teenage pregnancies in McCarthy-era New York City and her father’s recent imprisonment for political activism. In a first-person narrative that focuses on Jamie’s feelings of helplessness and anger, she reports occasional thoughts or memories that frighten her as if writing a screenplay: “Tight close-up on striped shirt with bull’s-eye on back.” When her friend Elaine gets pregnant by her boyfriend, she imagines they will get married, though Elaine’s ashamed Catholic parents have other ideas. Jamie’s pregnancy results from a violent rape; terrified of confiding in her family, she attempts various “remedies,” such as drinking vodka and throwing herself down the stairs. Encouraging historical awareness and personal empowerment, an author’s note compares 1956 attitudes about women and abortion with the present, noting that obtaining a legal abortion has become increasingly difficult. A gripping, relevant read. Ages 12–up.
My Review:
Seventeen-year-old Elaine becomes pregnant in the 1950’s during a time when girls are blamed for the pregnancy. The guys were rarely even thought of and the girl was usually slapped with labels such as: slut, whore, loose woman, and considered dirty. In typical fashion from that era, Elaine’s parents force her to sign documents to turn the baby over to Catholic Children’s Services when the baby is born although Elaine wants to marry Neil and keep the baby. Her best friend Jamie is raped by a friend of a cousin who takes her to a wine tasting party and although asked to “stop” many times over, he didn’t. How the parents of these girls handled their pregnancies were quite different.
Abortion was illegal and often time girls would try to end the pregnancy themselves, at times ending up bleeding to death or doing so much harm to themselves as to prevent any further pregnancies in the future and carrying a baby to full term.
Ellen Levine has penned a novel about a very delicate subject during a delicate time in history and I would encourage all young girls and guys between the ages of 12 and 18 to read it. It also makes for good reading for parents as well.
A film noir atmosphere weaves through this unabashedly political novel that addresses issues of abortion and free speech. Levine (Henry’s Freedom Box) evokes nostalgia for an era of multigenerational families living together, Automats, soda fountains, and Bogart films, while emphasizing the power wielded by social taboos. Sixteen-year-old Jamie tells the parallel stories of two teenage pregnancies in McCarthy-era New York City and her father’s recent imprisonment for political activism. In a first-person narrative that focuses on Jamie’s feelings of helplessness and anger, she reports occasional thoughts or memories that frighten her as if writing a screenplay: “Tight close-up on striped shirt with bull’s-eye on back.” When her friend Elaine gets pregnant by her boyfriend, she imagines they will get married, though Elaine’s ashamed Catholic parents have other ideas. Jamie’s pregnancy results from a violent rape; terrified of confiding in her family, she attempts various “remedies,” such as drinking vodka and throwing herself down the stairs. Encouraging historical awareness and personal empowerment, an author’s note compares 1956 attitudes about women and abortion with the present, noting that obtaining a legal abortion has become increasingly difficult. A gripping, relevant read. Ages 12–up.
My Review:
Seventeen-year-old Elaine becomes pregnant in the 1950’s during a time when girls are blamed for the pregnancy. The guys were rarely even thought of and the girl was usually slapped with labels such as: slut, whore, loose woman, and considered dirty. In typical fashion from that era, Elaine’s parents force her to sign documents to turn the baby over to Catholic Children’s Services when the baby is born although Elaine wants to marry Neil and keep the baby. Her best friend Jamie is raped by a friend of a cousin who takes her to a wine tasting party and although asked to “stop” many times over, he didn’t. How the parents of these girls handled their pregnancies were quite different.
Abortion was illegal and often time girls would try to end the pregnancy themselves, at times ending up bleeding to death or doing so much harm to themselves as to prevent any further pregnancies in the future and carrying a baby to full term.
Ellen Levine has penned a novel about a very delicate subject during a delicate time in history and I would encourage all young girls and guys between the ages of 12 and 18 to read it. It also makes for good reading for parents as well.
August 25, 2011
“He said if I’d do it, it meant I love him.” She was almost pleading. “I do love him.”
Two high school girls, Elaine and Jamie, find themselves “in trouble” — unmarried and pregnant, something that isn't supposed to happen to good girls. In Trouble is told through Jamie’s point of view, but Levine captures the emotional and psychological damage that both girls suffer as they struggle with their predicaments, family dynamics and major life decisions.
Depiction of the time period’s judgmental attitudes, lack of women’s rights and reproductive education, as well as the hush-hush mentality regarding women’s sexuality and independence is eerily accurate.
In Trouble reminds us that today, sixty years later, many women still feel shame and hopelessness when faced with rape, unwanted pregnancy and sexual expectations. Many young women cannot find support when they need it most. Levine debunks myths surrounding women and sexuality. In Trouble provides answers and resources for young women, emphasizing that every situation can be solved, even when it seems there is no one to turn to and nowhere to go.
Okay, time to get personal:
“Girls shouldn’t tempt boys into committing a sin.”
Besides its compelling synopsis, I was drawn to In Trouble for two reasons:
(1) I was eighteen years old when I became pregnant with my son. As an unwed pregnant teen, doctors and midwives tried to make all medical decisions for me. They even pushed me toward the possibility of abortion when I was five months along because a test showed that my son had a 3% chance of birth defect. Fortunately, I had the courage to stand up them and state I was capable of making my own decisions. But that experience has always haunted me.
It made me question: How many young women DO NOT know they have the right to make their own decisions?
(2) Last year. I took a women’s history class at the University of Massachusetts. It opened my eyes to the mistreatment of women throughout history and helped me understand why our rights are still fragile today. Despite the legalization of abortion and birth control, women are still conditioned to feel shame, guilt and obligation when it comes to their bodies, especially young women. We must continue to fight for our freedom and educate future generations about our history.
Review by Sera
Wovenstrands
Two high school girls, Elaine and Jamie, find themselves “in trouble” — unmarried and pregnant, something that isn't supposed to happen to good girls. In Trouble is told through Jamie’s point of view, but Levine captures the emotional and psychological damage that both girls suffer as they struggle with their predicaments, family dynamics and major life decisions.
Depiction of the time period’s judgmental attitudes, lack of women’s rights and reproductive education, as well as the hush-hush mentality regarding women’s sexuality and independence is eerily accurate.
In Trouble reminds us that today, sixty years later, many women still feel shame and hopelessness when faced with rape, unwanted pregnancy and sexual expectations. Many young women cannot find support when they need it most. Levine debunks myths surrounding women and sexuality. In Trouble provides answers and resources for young women, emphasizing that every situation can be solved, even when it seems there is no one to turn to and nowhere to go.
Okay, time to get personal:
“Girls shouldn’t tempt boys into committing a sin.”
Besides its compelling synopsis, I was drawn to In Trouble for two reasons:
(1) I was eighteen years old when I became pregnant with my son. As an unwed pregnant teen, doctors and midwives tried to make all medical decisions for me. They even pushed me toward the possibility of abortion when I was five months along because a test showed that my son had a 3% chance of birth defect. Fortunately, I had the courage to stand up them and state I was capable of making my own decisions. But that experience has always haunted me.
It made me question: How many young women DO NOT know they have the right to make their own decisions?
(2) Last year. I took a women’s history class at the University of Massachusetts. It opened my eyes to the mistreatment of women throughout history and helped me understand why our rights are still fragile today. Despite the legalization of abortion and birth control, women are still conditioned to feel shame, guilt and obligation when it comes to their bodies, especially young women. We must continue to fight for our freedom and educate future generations about our history.
Review by Sera
Wovenstrands
August 20, 2011
Lerner Publishing Group has been extremely gracious in allowing me to read an ARC of this novel, via Netgalley, prior to its recent release, and I must say I really enjoyed this novel. I know it’s been getting very mixed reviews, but I absolutely loved the narrative style Levine uses to tell the story of two girls facing a terrible choice. It’s not the most happy topic in the world, this is true, but this novel is very well written and explains what life was like in the 1960s. The story is told through the voice of Jamie as she struggles to come to terms with not only her father’s political imprisonment, but also with something devastating that happened to her (no spoilers).
This first person narrative explains her thoughts and feelings about her father, her friend’s predicament, and love in general, all the while interspersing the narrative with Jamie’s personal demons coming to the forefront as she tries to push them back. Hence, she’ll be in the middle of explaining something to the reader and will suddenly veer off with a thought that pops into her head, very quickly coming back to the original topic at hand. While I can see how some readers may be annoyed by this tactic, I found that it really helped show Jamie’s psyche, especially as she deals with the trauma of having a father accused of communism, and a secret that haunts her. She is a very devastated being, closing in on herself, allowing her secret to tear her soul apart. She stops herself from giving the advice, and saying the things she needs, and wants, to say to her pregnant friend all because she has lost the ability to stand strong. This is a very powerful novel and I recommend it to all ages...
To read my full review (8/25):
http://bookvacations.wordpress.com/20...
This first person narrative explains her thoughts and feelings about her father, her friend’s predicament, and love in general, all the while interspersing the narrative with Jamie’s personal demons coming to the forefront as she tries to push them back. Hence, she’ll be in the middle of explaining something to the reader and will suddenly veer off with a thought that pops into her head, very quickly coming back to the original topic at hand. While I can see how some readers may be annoyed by this tactic, I found that it really helped show Jamie’s psyche, especially as she deals with the trauma of having a father accused of communism, and a secret that haunts her. She is a very devastated being, closing in on herself, allowing her secret to tear her soul apart. She stops herself from giving the advice, and saying the things she needs, and wants, to say to her pregnant friend all because she has lost the ability to stand strong. This is a very powerful novel and I recommend it to all ages...
To read my full review (8/25):
http://bookvacations.wordpress.com/20...
May 3, 2011
I said I would try to be fair when reviewing this, and it will be hard for me. Oh well.
This is a book about abortion and the McCarthy hearings. It takes place in the mid '50s. Two girls get "in trouble" (euphemism for pregnancy - one is raped and the other sleeps with her boyfriend and is dumped afterward). Of course, back then abortion was illegal and pregnancy out of wedlock was taboo and frowned upon.
I thought the prose was unremarkable, although I did like the little movie script interludes that show the main character's thought processes (it is this method that details the rape, by the way).
It is very anti-McCarthy (I could say a lot about how much I cannot stand Communism, but I won't say it here) and it is very pro-abortion and the author even mentions as much in the author's note.
Some reviewers feel that this book portrays how difficult the decision to get an abortion really is, and that not all women just go "oh, I'm gonna get an abortion". Well, that's not what I read. The character that actually does get an abortion makes the decision as soon as she discovers she's pregnant. The character who gives up her child for adoption is portrayed as naive and clueless, and the whole idea of adoption - giving up your child after carrying it for nine months - is portrayed as ridiculous, while the notion of getting an abortion is portrayed as wonderful, convenient, etc.
I can't speak for anyone else, but this book did not change my mind about abortion. Then again, I am almost thirty years old. It might influence a teenager's opinion on abortion. This is something parents should be mindful of when letting their kids read this book (it won't be released until September, 2011).
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read this book.
This is a book about abortion and the McCarthy hearings. It takes place in the mid '50s. Two girls get "in trouble" (euphemism for pregnancy - one is raped and the other sleeps with her boyfriend and is dumped afterward). Of course, back then abortion was illegal and pregnancy out of wedlock was taboo and frowned upon.
I thought the prose was unremarkable, although I did like the little movie script interludes that show the main character's thought processes (it is this method that details the rape, by the way).
It is very anti-McCarthy (I could say a lot about how much I cannot stand Communism, but I won't say it here) and it is very pro-abortion and the author even mentions as much in the author's note.
Some reviewers feel that this book portrays how difficult the decision to get an abortion really is, and that not all women just go "oh, I'm gonna get an abortion". Well, that's not what I read. The character that actually does get an abortion makes the decision as soon as she discovers she's pregnant. The character who gives up her child for adoption is portrayed as naive and clueless, and the whole idea of adoption - giving up your child after carrying it for nine months - is portrayed as ridiculous, while the notion of getting an abortion is portrayed as wonderful, convenient, etc.
I can't speak for anyone else, but this book did not change my mind about abortion. Then again, I am almost thirty years old. It might influence a teenager's opinion on abortion. This is something parents should be mindful of when letting their kids read this book (it won't be released until September, 2011).
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for letting me read this book.
April 6, 2011
I wish this book had worked for me, because its message and topic are things I’m extremely interested in. Unfortunately this is a Did Not Finish for me. I do like certain aspects of the book--showing how hard a decision it is for a woman to get an abortion, and that it’s not something a woman does just because she feels like it. She doesn’t just wake up one day and think “Oh, I think I’ll get an abortion today.” No, weeks of agonizing goes into it, as well as the shame and anger from family and friends. I like that Levine shows that, because it’s something that seems to have been forgotten in past years.
It was really the writing that put me off this book. It was very scattered and messy, like a first rough draft where you’re just jotting down the dialogue and trying to get a feel for the scenes before coming back later and adding more stuff in. Maybe it’s a certain kind of style that just doesn’t work for me, I don’t know. Scenes had little to no transition, and we were told and not shown certain things happening, like an argument Jamie has with Elaine over a boyfriend early in the book. I would have rather seen that than have only a paragraph talking about it from Jamie’s POV, days days after the fact, because it felt a little out of place with what was happening with the rest of the scene.
I tried to stick with it, but eventually I had to give up around page 110. The writing style was just too hard for me to get into, and I didn’t really feel invested in any of the characters when I should have. In Trouble has an important message to send to teens and I’m sad that it couldn’t work for me.
Disclaimer: I received my copy from NetGalley.
It was really the writing that put me off this book. It was very scattered and messy, like a first rough draft where you’re just jotting down the dialogue and trying to get a feel for the scenes before coming back later and adding more stuff in. Maybe it’s a certain kind of style that just doesn’t work for me, I don’t know. Scenes had little to no transition, and we were told and not shown certain things happening, like an argument Jamie has with Elaine over a boyfriend early in the book. I would have rather seen that than have only a paragraph talking about it from Jamie’s POV, days days after the fact, because it felt a little out of place with what was happening with the rest of the scene.
I tried to stick with it, but eventually I had to give up around page 110. The writing style was just too hard for me to get into, and I didn’t really feel invested in any of the characters when I should have. In Trouble has an important message to send to teens and I’m sad that it couldn’t work for me.
Disclaimer: I received my copy from NetGalley.
March 22, 2012
I found this book to be a little disjointed at times, and some of the jarring transitions between scenes pushed me out of the world I was reading about and trying to be immersed in (as with all books) but these points do nothing to minimize the bravery exhibited by the author in writing about such a tough subject matter in a sensitive and entertainingly educational way.
Set in the 1950's, this book is about abortion. Or to be more exact, the options that girls who found themselves "in trouble" in those days had. Abortion certainly wasn't legal, and hardly talked about unless you were in the most trusted company, or the most dire circumstances. Often, "bad" girls who found themselves "in trouble" were shipped away to Catholic Homes for Girls, and there they were fed, housed and made to work until their delivery, at which point their babies were taken away (sometimes forcefully) to be put up for adoption. Other women died enduring unsanitary and untrained back-alley procedures. And any medically certified doctors who were caught to be performing abortions were jailed immediately. It was a dark time for women's rights, and in this book, an even darker time for Jamie. Jamie has been dealing with her best friend's pregnancy secret so much, she has repressed her own - that of a sexual assault. Unfortunately for her, it becomes impossible to ignore what happened, when she finds herself, a good girl, "in trouble."
Recommended for mature readers who are interested in the history of this topic.
Set in the 1950's, this book is about abortion. Or to be more exact, the options that girls who found themselves "in trouble" in those days had. Abortion certainly wasn't legal, and hardly talked about unless you were in the most trusted company, or the most dire circumstances. Often, "bad" girls who found themselves "in trouble" were shipped away to Catholic Homes for Girls, and there they were fed, housed and made to work until their delivery, at which point their babies were taken away (sometimes forcefully) to be put up for adoption. Other women died enduring unsanitary and untrained back-alley procedures. And any medically certified doctors who were caught to be performing abortions were jailed immediately. It was a dark time for women's rights, and in this book, an even darker time for Jamie. Jamie has been dealing with her best friend's pregnancy secret so much, she has repressed her own - that of a sexual assault. Unfortunately for her, it becomes impossible to ignore what happened, when she finds herself, a good girl, "in trouble."
Recommended for mature readers who are interested in the history of this topic.
November 9, 2011
We've seen a lot of YA novels tackle the topic of teen pregnancy, but IN TROUBLE by Ellen Levine is the first one I've read to look at girls "in trouble" from this angle. Taking place in the 1950s, IN TROUBLE is the story of a teen girl who's best friend has recently moved away. Jamie misses Elaine dearly, and they keep in touch through letters -- letters in which Elaine is constantly singing the praises of her college boyfriend. But when the unthinkable happens, and Elaine becomes pregnant, even Jamie can't help her. She tries -- talking to her aunt, her cousin, trying to convince Elaine that there are options out there other than being locked away in a Catholic home for girls where they will force her to give up her baby.
But the thing is, Jamie has her own trouble. Trouble she can't tell her mom or her grandmother, or even her friend Paul. And it isn't until she confronts what happened to her on that night -- a night that she is trying so hard to forget -- that she will be able to help herself.
I loved every moment I spent with IN TROUBLE. The voice is distinct, and the 1950s New York setting is perfectly painted. Even with such a hard topic, Ellen Levine manages to bring out hope, to show the strength of her characters, and to relate to the modern reader. This is absolutely a read that I'll be recommending to anyone who will listen, and a story that both historical fiction buffs and contemporary fiction lovers will enjoy.
But the thing is, Jamie has her own trouble. Trouble she can't tell her mom or her grandmother, or even her friend Paul. And it isn't until she confronts what happened to her on that night -- a night that she is trying so hard to forget -- that she will be able to help herself.
I loved every moment I spent with IN TROUBLE. The voice is distinct, and the 1950s New York setting is perfectly painted. Even with such a hard topic, Ellen Levine manages to bring out hope, to show the strength of her characters, and to relate to the modern reader. This is absolutely a read that I'll be recommending to anyone who will listen, and a story that both historical fiction buffs and contemporary fiction lovers will enjoy.
November 13, 2012
As two young teenaged friends are getting use to the high school setting in the 1950’s, they both find themselves to be in trouble. While trying to find some help, there aren’t many options. But as time moves on, they realize that they need to support each other as much as they can because back then, there wasn’t much to do about pregnancies among young girls. In this book, the personalities of the characters Jamie and Elaine come out to tell a story, in which I think was pretty good.
In Trouble by Ellen Levine is a story written to show how there are many complications that people come across when they unfortunately face teen pregnancies. The consequences from the time the book took place in are far worse than the consequences now days, because of troubles finding good doctors, no abortions until the age of 18, and many other factors.
In the beginning of the book, the main character, Jamie talks about her dad who was sent to jail. But, I’m not really sure that I liked how that part was incorporated into the main idea because it didn’t tie into anything that the story was about. As the story went on, and things got much more interesting, I started to enjoy it more and more.
My recommendation would go to people facing teen pregnancies just to see what it is like in another person’s point of view. Overall, I think that Ellen Levine did a great job getting into my head and really making me think about what it would be like to be a pregnant teenager.
In Trouble by Ellen Levine is a story written to show how there are many complications that people come across when they unfortunately face teen pregnancies. The consequences from the time the book took place in are far worse than the consequences now days, because of troubles finding good doctors, no abortions until the age of 18, and many other factors.
In the beginning of the book, the main character, Jamie talks about her dad who was sent to jail. But, I’m not really sure that I liked how that part was incorporated into the main idea because it didn’t tie into anything that the story was about. As the story went on, and things got much more interesting, I started to enjoy it more and more.
My recommendation would go to people facing teen pregnancies just to see what it is like in another person’s point of view. Overall, I think that Ellen Levine did a great job getting into my head and really making me think about what it would be like to be a pregnant teenager.
September 5, 2011
This book is going to get mixed reviews and thoughts about it. Just like Rage by Jackie Morse Kessler, books that talk about uncomfortable topics are going to get some bad reviews. This book covers an important topic that many young girls face today, pregnancy.
A few things I liked about this book. Ellen Levine has set the time back in 1965, and the story revolves around two high school girls. She brings the topic about pregnancy into the story, and what the young girls of that time thought about it. It’s not so different than now, but back then, it was more shameful. It is told in the point of view of Jamie’s; who recently found out her friend Elaine is pregnant.
What I like so much about Levine’s writing, is that she brought us into the story and see what Elaine was going through on making decisions on her pregnancy. Making that big of decisions, she also had pressure from family and friends, and not so good of a boyfriend. One term that comes up is abortion, which back then was illegal.
Then, there were a few things I didn’t like. The story was choppy. At points of the story, I felt confused and wasn’t quite sure if I was going to finished the book. All in all, I think some young adults should give this book a read. You need this type of information, rather you’re pregnant or not. It’s good to be informative about topics such as this.
-Alice
A few things I liked about this book. Ellen Levine has set the time back in 1965, and the story revolves around two high school girls. She brings the topic about pregnancy into the story, and what the young girls of that time thought about it. It’s not so different than now, but back then, it was more shameful. It is told in the point of view of Jamie’s; who recently found out her friend Elaine is pregnant.
What I like so much about Levine’s writing, is that she brought us into the story and see what Elaine was going through on making decisions on her pregnancy. Making that big of decisions, she also had pressure from family and friends, and not so good of a boyfriend. One term that comes up is abortion, which back then was illegal.
Then, there were a few things I didn’t like. The story was choppy. At points of the story, I felt confused and wasn’t quite sure if I was going to finished the book. All in all, I think some young adults should give this book a read. You need this type of information, rather you’re pregnant or not. It’s good to be informative about topics such as this.
-Alice
October 6, 2011
In Trouble explores the options that a young lady had in the 1950s when it came to being "in trouble." Today our options include abortion, adoption and keeping the baby, but in the 1950s abortion was illegal, keeping the baby was a stigma, so adoption was the option most accepted; however, this was not always the best option for everyone. In the book, Jaime's best friend Elaine figures out that she is pregnant and Jaime tries to help Elaine with her situation thus showing the reader the different options.
In Trouble also gives us a clear look of how the 1950s were by having Jaime's father be a political criminal being charged with communism. He has just been released from prison and throughout the book you learn more and more about his "crime" and punishment.
In Trouble was overall a good book. It grabbed me from the beginning and kept me reading; however, I felt that maybe the book was trying to do too much at one time. For example, randomly the narrative would switch to a script to show that Jaime was viewing her life as a movie. I found myself being distracted by these and would have rather the narrative stay as prose. It also seemed to have so many topics throughout- abortion, adoption, communism, movies, rape, journalism, love... Too much to focus on (though all done realistically and interestingly).
In Trouble also gives us a clear look of how the 1950s were by having Jaime's father be a political criminal being charged with communism. He has just been released from prison and throughout the book you learn more and more about his "crime" and punishment.
In Trouble was overall a good book. It grabbed me from the beginning and kept me reading; however, I felt that maybe the book was trying to do too much at one time. For example, randomly the narrative would switch to a script to show that Jaime was viewing her life as a movie. I found myself being distracted by these and would have rather the narrative stay as prose. It also seemed to have so many topics throughout- abortion, adoption, communism, movies, rape, journalism, love... Too much to focus on (though all done realistically and interestingly).
September 19, 2011
Recommended Ages: grades 8 and up
"Jamie and Elaine have been best friends forever, and now they're finally juniors in high school. Elaine has a steady boyfriend, and Jamie could have one--if she'd just open her eyes and see Paul. But Jamie has a bigger problem to worry about. Then Elaine gets "in trouble"--something they thought only happened to "other" girls. Are there any good choices for a girl in trouble?
In Trouble is a novel born of author Ellen Levine's interviews with women who came of age in the late 1950s and early 1960s, including those who knew what it was like to be a teen facing a horrible choice. In the decades before Roe v. Wade, a young woman "in trouble" had very few options--and all of them meant shame, isolation, and maybe much worse. Jamie and Elaine's stories are just two among the thousands of stories of teenagers facing unplanned pregnancies." - product description
This was an interesting topic for a book, but unfortunately there just wasn't much to this book. I was realy hoping for some better character development from Jamie. Also, Jamie's family was so supportive of her, which is fantastic, but I feel as though that would have been the minority for girls in this situation. I wish the author would have delved more into Elaine's story.
"Jamie and Elaine have been best friends forever, and now they're finally juniors in high school. Elaine has a steady boyfriend, and Jamie could have one--if she'd just open her eyes and see Paul. But Jamie has a bigger problem to worry about. Then Elaine gets "in trouble"--something they thought only happened to "other" girls. Are there any good choices for a girl in trouble?
In Trouble is a novel born of author Ellen Levine's interviews with women who came of age in the late 1950s and early 1960s, including those who knew what it was like to be a teen facing a horrible choice. In the decades before Roe v. Wade, a young woman "in trouble" had very few options--and all of them meant shame, isolation, and maybe much worse. Jamie and Elaine's stories are just two among the thousands of stories of teenagers facing unplanned pregnancies." - product description
This was an interesting topic for a book, but unfortunately there just wasn't much to this book. I was realy hoping for some better character development from Jamie. Also, Jamie's family was so supportive of her, which is fantastic, but I feel as though that would have been the minority for girls in this situation. I wish the author would have delved more into Elaine's story.
September 6, 2011
This is a great book about getting "in trouble". I remember the days were times were like this. My mom freak out one time cause when I was in eighth grade back in 1998-99 school year, a girl in my class got pregnant. My mom flipped out, questioning me about "boys." Granted, my mom was only doing what she felt she needed to be done. But back then, teen pregnancies were not that common. And getting "in trouble" was wrong.
I will say that I really enjoyed this book. I think the author did a wonderful job on capturing the essence of the time period and what it was like for a young girl to get in trouble like that. This book reminded me of the movie Riding in Cars with Boys, but with slightly more drama. This book deals with the issues of abortion, adoption, and of course keeping the baby. I love that the author gave different point of views in dealing with getting in trouble.
I think that this book can be very controversial. I know for every girl it is a different situation.Some are forced into it, while others have no other choice. And just like this book, each girl has to do what is right for her.
I will say that I really enjoyed this book. I think the author did a wonderful job on capturing the essence of the time period and what it was like for a young girl to get in trouble like that. This book reminded me of the movie Riding in Cars with Boys, but with slightly more drama. This book deals with the issues of abortion, adoption, and of course keeping the baby. I love that the author gave different point of views in dealing with getting in trouble.
I think that this book can be very controversial. I know for every girl it is a different situation.Some are forced into it, while others have no other choice. And just like this book, each girl has to do what is right for her.
January 15, 2014
I read In Trouble by Ellen Levine. Right away the cover caught my eye, the black and white with the street and my friend pointed it out to me. I got hooked right away and it was hard putting down the book sometimes. I didn't think i was going to get hooked in on a book about women in the 1950s and early 1960s.
With the two main characters Jamie and Elaine being best friends and in there junior year in high school,I could somewhat connect to them. With one friend being in a steady relationship with no troubles and with Jamie just not opening her eyes to see what was right in front of her they were set. Until some troubles came about in Elaine's relationship that not even her best friend could help her with.
This trouble was hard for everyone and Elaine didn't know how to tell the people she loved. Then Jamie had a little trouble herself that she could tell no one not even her friend Paul. Things take big turns your junior year and this was just another store like most love stories in high school. But I will just let you all at that. You can read yourself to find out the "trouble's" in Jamie's and Elaine's life.
With the two main characters Jamie and Elaine being best friends and in there junior year in high school,I could somewhat connect to them. With one friend being in a steady relationship with no troubles and with Jamie just not opening her eyes to see what was right in front of her they were set. Until some troubles came about in Elaine's relationship that not even her best friend could help her with.
This trouble was hard for everyone and Elaine didn't know how to tell the people she loved. Then Jamie had a little trouble herself that she could tell no one not even her friend Paul. Things take big turns your junior year and this was just another store like most love stories in high school. But I will just let you all at that. You can read yourself to find out the "trouble's" in Jamie's and Elaine's life.
February 23, 2013
Jamie, a 17-year-old girl living in 1956 New York, tells her story as she deals with the sudden, unintended pregnancy of her best friend Elaine. Elaine is Catholic and is facing adoption at worst; she believes her college boyfriend will marry her, although he never returns her calls. Meanwhile, Jamie is dealing with her father’s return from prison, whose grilling by Joe McCarthy has landed him with a contempt of Congress charge, and what is soon revealed to be her own repressed date rape and consequent pregnancy.
This was a really strong read, with realistic characters throughout, a good sense of the time period and contemporary history, and a straightforward plot centering on the two girls’ pregnancies and their consequences. Anyone interested in the history of women’s health, the 1950s, or a solid page-turner will appreciate this book, but it seems particularly timely in light of current battles for women’s reproductive health. Highly recommended for 8th grade up.
This was a really strong read, with realistic characters throughout, a good sense of the time period and contemporary history, and a straightforward plot centering on the two girls’ pregnancies and their consequences. Anyone interested in the history of women’s health, the 1950s, or a solid page-turner will appreciate this book, but it seems particularly timely in light of current battles for women’s reproductive health. Highly recommended for 8th grade up.
August 3, 2011
The complete writer's review can be found at: http://lorettajokapinos.blogspot.com/ but here's an excerpt:
My friend and fellow NetGalley user, Sera Rivers suggested I review In Trouble. I thanked her a bunch of times. As a woman, a mother of a daughter, a nurse and writer, this book moved me. As I said above, I read it in one sitting-a matter of hours. And yes, I cried. I cheered. I felt inspired. It's the type of book that should be read in schools and discussed at length. (Though I have no doubt it'll be banned.) History need not repeat itself. We should, as women, be supporting each other-even if we don't agree. I really hope this book makes it onto at least a few required reading lists for young adults 13-14 years and older. I know it's on mine forever. Though I didn't love everything about how the book was crafted, I still rate it 3.5 out of 5 stars.
My friend and fellow NetGalley user, Sera Rivers suggested I review In Trouble. I thanked her a bunch of times. As a woman, a mother of a daughter, a nurse and writer, this book moved me. As I said above, I read it in one sitting-a matter of hours. And yes, I cried. I cheered. I felt inspired. It's the type of book that should be read in schools and discussed at length. (Though I have no doubt it'll be banned.) History need not repeat itself. We should, as women, be supporting each other-even if we don't agree. I really hope this book makes it onto at least a few required reading lists for young adults 13-14 years and older. I know it's on mine forever. Though I didn't love everything about how the book was crafted, I still rate it 3.5 out of 5 stars.
October 2, 2011
This review is based on an e-galley from NetGalley.com
Not quite what I expected, but still an excellent book In Trouble had me hooked after the first page. The short chapters and the lack of fluffy, flowing description make this a quick and enjoyable read. In Trouble follows the lives of two friends who get 'in trouble' in the 1950s and the few options they have. One girl is pregnant after being pressured into sleeping with her boyfriend. The other is attacker by her cousins friend and finds herself in an unwanted situation. One girl wants her baby one does not. Can they turn to their parents, their friends? All they seem to have is each other, but with so much stress and pressure even their friendship starts to fall apart. A great story! Without going into too much detail In Trouble tells the story of many young women from the 1950s and the tough times they went through.
Not quite what I expected, but still an excellent book In Trouble had me hooked after the first page. The short chapters and the lack of fluffy, flowing description make this a quick and enjoyable read. In Trouble follows the lives of two friends who get 'in trouble' in the 1950s and the few options they have. One girl is pregnant after being pressured into sleeping with her boyfriend. The other is attacker by her cousins friend and finds herself in an unwanted situation. One girl wants her baby one does not. Can they turn to their parents, their friends? All they seem to have is each other, but with so much stress and pressure even their friendship starts to fall apart. A great story! Without going into too much detail In Trouble tells the story of many young women from the 1950s and the tough times they went through.
October 31, 2014
I think that this book, so far, is fantastic. It's everything I like in a book, when I first got the book I thought that it'd be a stupid book so I just got one because I had too. But now, that I actually started to read it. I don't want to stop! It's mysterious, has drama, the suspense kills me a lot, maybe it would you too! You have no idea on what's going to happen when you read, unless you finish the whole book. I don't think I've actually liked a book this much, ever. It's weird for myself wanting to read, I don't usually like it, but this book is nothing at all like I had in mind it'd be. It's a whole lot better than I thought. It surprised me, usually nothing from the school library is really that good. I didn't thinkI'd actually read it, but I am and it's a great book! But if you want to find out why I like it so much, you're going to have to read it yourself and find out!
September 12, 2015
For me this is one of those books that i will look back at for some while since it impacted my life and how i view women struggles with not just children but how they were treated and how people viewed them in the mid 1900's.
The writing style was very simple and light in a way. this book really got me thinking about how our societies view and reaction on teen pregnancies have changed. I asked my mom how her highs school in the late 80's was and it was very different from this book.
I enjoyed the story and the family dynamic very much. The families struggle with bonding made me shed a few tears, i'm very glad it got resolved. I like these characters and how some friendships grew for Jamie as she shared her secret. But my favorite thing about this book is that it got me thinking and i love when a book can get you to do that.
The writing style was very simple and light in a way. this book really got me thinking about how our societies view and reaction on teen pregnancies have changed. I asked my mom how her highs school in the late 80's was and it was very different from this book.
I enjoyed the story and the family dynamic very much. The families struggle with bonding made me shed a few tears, i'm very glad it got resolved. I like these characters and how some friendships grew for Jamie as she shared her secret. But my favorite thing about this book is that it got me thinking and i love when a book can get you to do that.
April 28, 2011
I love reading novels with subject matter like this one because it’s so entrenched in real life that I can’t help but imagine it being true. Plus, while I’m pro-choice in matters such as these, I’m fascinated on the process that other people go through in order to make their own decision.
This novel deals with heavy subject matter and might not be for all people. Aside from pregnancy, it deals with religion and politics and while I liked the novel well enough, it just wasn’t enough. I’m giving it a 4/10.
Stay tuned for a more in-depth review closer to the publication date.
I was graciously provided this eARC though netGalley by Carolrhoda Books.
This novel deals with heavy subject matter and might not be for all people. Aside from pregnancy, it deals with religion and politics and while I liked the novel well enough, it just wasn’t enough. I’m giving it a 4/10.
Stay tuned for a more in-depth review closer to the publication date.
I was graciously provided this eARC though netGalley by Carolrhoda Books.
October 17, 2011
Jamie is concerned for Elaine, but she also has problems of her own. Her father has just returned home after being jailed for his refusal to name names during the McCarthy hearings, and Jamie’s relationship with him is still fragile. She’s also hiding a secret equal to Elaine’s while staying in New York City with her older cousin Lois, she was raped by one of Lois’ friends and is too ashamed to tell anyone what happened. But when Jamie realizes that she’s skipped a period, she suddenly finds herself in just as much trouble as Elaine. They are both pregnate now and the end is a mistery and Elaine has to give her baby away either if its abortion or adoption.
April 22, 2011
You guys know the Rent parody in Team America?
That is this book and teen pregnancy. Good lord. The girls are in trouble! What will they doooo?
I wish this book wasn't so overdone and poorly-written. The message is one that is important in this day and age. Women need choices and resources, damn straight.
Of course, women also need well-written and -plotted books. So there's that.
(read: 27)
Everyone has AIDS!
AIDS AIDS AIDS!
AIDS AIDS AIDS AIDS AIDS AIDS!
Everyone has AIDS!
That is this book and teen pregnancy. Good lord. The girls are in trouble! What will they doooo?
I wish this book wasn't so overdone and poorly-written. The message is one that is important in this day and age. Women need choices and resources, damn straight.
Of course, women also need well-written and -plotted books. So there's that.
(read: 27)
September 7, 2011
I got In Trouble from Netgalley and it was one of my first accepted books. I have had In Trouble for a while and have only just got around to reading it.
The book follows two friends, Jamie and Elaine, as they try to get through a mutual problem. They have their ups and downs like any other friendship does, but in the end things end up ok for them.
The book also hints at family and some slight religion and a mention of rape.
I thought In Trouble was a quick but well written read, and it gave me a glimpse into what life in the 1950s-1960s was like.
The book follows two friends, Jamie and Elaine, as they try to get through a mutual problem. They have their ups and downs like any other friendship does, but in the end things end up ok for them.
The book also hints at family and some slight religion and a mention of rape.
I thought In Trouble was a quick but well written read, and it gave me a glimpse into what life in the 1950s-1960s was like.
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