Losing Louisa

by Judith Caseley

Lacy gets a crash course on life, love, and families

Lacey Levine's family has changed since her parents' divorce. Her mother has turned into a health-food fanatic who wears tight clothes and goes out on dates with a guy named Vinnie. Her father is remarried, and his new wife has just had a baby. Lacey is struggling with the changes and trying to sort out her own crush on a jerk named David when she finds out her older sister, Rosie -- smart Rosie, cheerleader Rosie, Rosie with the angelic singing voice -- is pregnant. At first, it is Lacey alone who supports Rosie as she tries to decide what to do, but soon it becomes a family affair. Abortion seems the right choice until Rosie spends time with her new half sister and starts to think about the baby growing inside her, and even gives her a name -- Louisa. As the family draws together in helping Rosie sort out her options, Lacey discovers that, no matter how it may be configured, family is family. Judith Caseley has written a tender novel about sisters, decisions, and love in its many forms.

Genres: Young Adult

240 pages, Hardcover

First published March 24, 1999

Reviews

[Meaghan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a bit unusual for a teen pregnancy book because it doesn't follow the pregnancy till its conclusion. In fact, only a week or two passes between the time Rosie finds out and the time the book ends. There's not a whole lot of plot there, but there is a beautiful portrait of a remarkable family. The girls' divorced parents obviously adore their daughters even if they don't like each other anymore, and they set aside their differences in order to sit down and help Rosie decide what to do. The father's new wife and their new baby, and the girls' grandmother, are also in the picture. It's a functional blended family with a lot of quirks, refreshing after all the YA novels I've read with decidedly dysfunctional and/or abusive parents.

[Melat · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a really good book so far can't wait to finish it