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The Pregnancy Project
Growing up, Gaby Rodriguez was often told she would end up a teen mom. After all, her mother and her older sisters had gotten pregnant as teenagers; from an outsider’s perspective, it was practically a family tradition. Gaby had ambitions that didn’t include teen motherhood. But she wondered: how would she be treated if she “lived down” to others' expectations? Would everyone ignore the years she put into being a good student and see her as just another pregnant teen statistic with no future? These questions sparked Gaby’s school project: faking her own pregnancy as a high school senior to see how her family, friends, and community would react. What she learned changed her life forever, and made international headlines in the process.
In The Pregnancy Project, Gaby details how she was able to fake her own pregnancy—hiding the truth from even her siblings and boyfriend’s parents—and reveals all that she learned from the experience. But more than that, Gaby’s story is about fighting stereotypes, and how one girl found the strength to come out from the shadow of low expectations to forge a bright future for herself.
In The Pregnancy Project, Gaby details how she was able to fake her own pregnancy—hiding the truth from even her siblings and boyfriend’s parents—and reveals all that she learned from the experience. But more than that, Gaby’s story is about fighting stereotypes, and how one girl found the strength to come out from the shadow of low expectations to forge a bright future for herself.
218 pages, Hardcover
First published January 17, 2012
250 people are currently reading
6370 people want to read
About the author
Gaby Rodriguez
9 books53 followersGaby Rodriguez was repeatedly told she would end up a teen mom like her mother. As a high school project, she faked her own pregnancy to find out how her community would react. What she learned changed her life, and made international headlines in the process.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,073 reviews
December 29, 2015
The writing seemed very juveline, and this girl is supposed to be 18. The backstory about her family took up a good half, and it dragged on. The actual content about her MONTHS pretending to be pregnant were only a few pages. The same thoughts about her family being disappointed repeated incessantly. I didn't really feel bad for the way she was treated because she brought this upon herself knowing what would happen, and honestly I don't know what point she was trying to make. That pregnant teens are looked down on? Yeah, no shit. Everybody already knew that. How badly they're treated? Well Gaby didn't seem like her life was too bad, she kept all her good friends and her boyfriend. She wasn't called any horrible names, and the things people said about her - please, she was 16, my toddler niece could come up with more hurtful words. I've missed the point here.
The second half is probably 90% her talking about defying stereotypes and how she's upset that everyone could believe she would get pregnant. What stereotype did she defy? She wasn't actually pregnant. She is a smart, ambitious Latina girl who seemed like she had her whole life ahead of her. Of course people aren't going to believe you got pregnant!
The drama with her brother's drinking seemed like random filler to me. And to mention that at your presentation? That's incredibly tasteless.
It's to be noted that I've never written a review. This book deserved it.
The second half is probably 90% her talking about defying stereotypes and how she's upset that everyone could believe she would get pregnant. What stereotype did she defy? She wasn't actually pregnant. She is a smart, ambitious Latina girl who seemed like she had her whole life ahead of her. Of course people aren't going to believe you got pregnant!
The drama with her brother's drinking seemed like random filler to me. And to mention that at your presentation? That's incredibly tasteless.
It's to be noted that I've never written a review. This book deserved it.
April 8, 2012
I'm not really sure how to rate this one.
Did it hold my attention/interest? Yes.
Was it a quick read? Yes.
Was the back story a little too long--in other words, does it take half the book to get to the project itself? Yes. Some of the back story was important. But was it half-the-book important? I'm not sure.
Did the writing get a little preachy? Yes. At times. The whole book was about how people shouldn't stereotype other people. And how if people make mistakes, you shouldn't keep banging them on the head with those mistakes and pounding in your judgments over and over and over again. You should be more supportive and encouraging. The other message, perhaps, is that you can overcome the negative messages that surround you. If your parents, siblings, family members, teachers, friends, enemies, whoever, are telling you that you're worthless and can't do something and that you'll never ever ever ever ever get anywhere in life, then you don't have to believe it and stay trapped in that. You can be better than what others say you can be.
Were the messages good ones? Yes, for the most part. Not truly new or original, but practical enough I suppose that you can always hear them one more time.
Could the author get a little annoying with her judgments? At times. I won't lie.
Is it the best-best-best book ever written? No. Of course not. It is what it is. It is straight-forward, nothing deep or literary. The prose won't amaze you. You probably won't be gushing about this one.
But did it overall interest me until the end? Yes. For the most part.
Generally speaking, this one had plenty of details, just not the exact details I was hoping for. I wanted more details on the project itself. How she really went about faking the pregnancy day by day, week by week, month by month. What effect this truly had on her relationships--not just the summing up at the very end. In the end, this one definitely was all about tell and not much showing.
So how do you rate a book that held your interest well enough but isn't that breath-taking in the end?
Did it hold my attention/interest? Yes.
Was it a quick read? Yes.
Was the back story a little too long--in other words, does it take half the book to get to the project itself? Yes. Some of the back story was important. But was it half-the-book important? I'm not sure.
Did the writing get a little preachy? Yes. At times. The whole book was about how people shouldn't stereotype other people. And how if people make mistakes, you shouldn't keep banging them on the head with those mistakes and pounding in your judgments over and over and over again. You should be more supportive and encouraging. The other message, perhaps, is that you can overcome the negative messages that surround you. If your parents, siblings, family members, teachers, friends, enemies, whoever, are telling you that you're worthless and can't do something and that you'll never ever ever ever ever get anywhere in life, then you don't have to believe it and stay trapped in that. You can be better than what others say you can be.
Were the messages good ones? Yes, for the most part. Not truly new or original, but practical enough I suppose that you can always hear them one more time.
Could the author get a little annoying with her judgments? At times. I won't lie.
Is it the best-best-best book ever written? No. Of course not. It is what it is. It is straight-forward, nothing deep or literary. The prose won't amaze you. You probably won't be gushing about this one.
But did it overall interest me until the end? Yes. For the most part.
Generally speaking, this one had plenty of details, just not the exact details I was hoping for. I wanted more details on the project itself. How she really went about faking the pregnancy day by day, week by week, month by month. What effect this truly had on her relationships--not just the summing up at the very end. In the end, this one definitely was all about tell and not much showing.
So how do you rate a book that held your interest well enough but isn't that breath-taking in the end?
March 29, 2012
Gaby Rodriguez grabbed headlines with her senior project.
With the knowledge and blessing of her mother, boyfriend and senior project committee, she faked being pregnant in order to better understand the stigma and societal reaction to teen mothers.
The Pregnancy Project is a look back at the project, what Gabby learned about herself, her family, her school and society as a whole and her reaction to her post-reveal fifteen minutes of fame.
Recommended by Unshelved's Friday book recommendations, The Pregnancy Project is a fascinating, compelling story of how teenage pregnancy is viewed in our society. Rodriguez addresses the trials she faced as well as the questions of how her friends, family and peers would react when they found out it her pregnancy wasn't real. Gabby spent a lot of time thinking through how she would physically change if expecting, but she didn't factor in the emotional changes and toll the project would take.
The book, while interesting, doesn't seem to go deep enough into the implications of Gabby's plan and it's impact on her long-term. Like a DVD commentary for a recent release, not enough time has elapsed to give those involved the distance needed for deeper analysis.
Update: A comment on this review pointed out something that I should have mentioned in the original review. During the process, Rodriguez does make her boyfriend aware of the project, but he's not allowed to tell his parents or friends the true nature of what's going on. The book does address some of the stigma he encounters, especially from his parents.
Also, I have to admit part of me is curious to hear some follow-up in the years to come of the impact this has had on Rodriguez and her relationships.
With the knowledge and blessing of her mother, boyfriend and senior project committee, she faked being pregnant in order to better understand the stigma and societal reaction to teen mothers.
The Pregnancy Project is a look back at the project, what Gabby learned about herself, her family, her school and society as a whole and her reaction to her post-reveal fifteen minutes of fame.
Recommended by Unshelved's Friday book recommendations, The Pregnancy Project is a fascinating, compelling story of how teenage pregnancy is viewed in our society. Rodriguez addresses the trials she faced as well as the questions of how her friends, family and peers would react when they found out it her pregnancy wasn't real. Gabby spent a lot of time thinking through how she would physically change if expecting, but she didn't factor in the emotional changes and toll the project would take.
The book, while interesting, doesn't seem to go deep enough into the implications of Gabby's plan and it's impact on her long-term. Like a DVD commentary for a recent release, not enough time has elapsed to give those involved the distance needed for deeper analysis.
Update: A comment on this review pointed out something that I should have mentioned in the original review. During the process, Rodriguez does make her boyfriend aware of the project, but he's not allowed to tell his parents or friends the true nature of what's going on. The book does address some of the stigma he encounters, especially from his parents.
Also, I have to admit part of me is curious to hear some follow-up in the years to come of the impact this has had on Rodriguez and her relationships.
June 2, 2021
I'm editing this review, 9 years after it was first posted, because I'm in a less judgmental space now, I guess. I do remember the book, though, even 9 years later, and what I particularly remember was the way that the "project" came across as a sort of preachy, self-righteous exercise that the author undertook to show people how cruel they could be to girls experiencing teenage pregnancy... and then, waltzed back to her regular life without much of a second thought for the teenagers still stuck in that situation. That rubbed me the wrong way then, and it still does now.
January 4, 2018
5 Stars
I really liked this book! I loved everything about this book from the beginning to the end.I have wanting to read this book a really long time now and I finally got a chance to read this book and I am glad. What happens this book is that Gaby Rodriguez is faking her pregnancy when she is only high school because she wants to see what her friends and family would think about her when she is pregnant. While reading this book it was interesting on what everyone thinks about her when she is pregnant. Some of the answers that was given to her had changed quick before she told them that she was pregnant. I really love and adore Gaby. I would read this book over and over again. I would recommend this book to anyone.
I really liked this book! I loved everything about this book from the beginning to the end.I have wanting to read this book a really long time now and I finally got a chance to read this book and I am glad. What happens this book is that Gaby Rodriguez is faking her pregnancy when she is only high school because she wants to see what her friends and family would think about her when she is pregnant. While reading this book it was interesting on what everyone thinks about her when she is pregnant. Some of the answers that was given to her had changed quick before she told them that she was pregnant. I really love and adore Gaby. I would read this book over and over again. I would recommend this book to anyone.
January 18, 2012
This is an amazing book! Parents, if your kids are old enough to have received "the talk," I would strongly recommend you pass this book along to them (after reading it yourself, of course!) The maturity and compassion of this young woman is something we all should strive for.
This book was a quick read, full of humor and questions that make you rethink your daily judgments and actions.
This book was a quick read, full of humor and questions that make you rethink your daily judgments and actions.
March 14, 2013
Wow! What a book. I think everyone should read this. What a brave girl to do a project so controversial. I think this should be a requirement for all girls to read, and supplementary material for guys to read. Everyone will benefit from reading this book, which is all about breaking through stereotypes and being an empowered person. It was a great read.
April 23, 2012
Interesting experiment and idea but the writing was awful. Could've done without the anti-choice comments.
May 18, 2012
3.5 ~ Personally, I'm surprised to see the hatred for what this girl did. I can see people close to her feeling duped but us strangers? Not getting it. Quite frankly I'm ecstatic the girl is smart enough to value life. Let's face it, there are a lot of grown men and women not that smart. I wish every single young person in the world grew up thinking like this.. maybe then it would last. If you ask me, I say her Mom did a hell of a lot right, not wrong.
Gaby mentions a YouTube video in her book, Children See, Children Do. She talked about it in a manner that told me I'd actually look it up. (I usually plan such things and never actually do them.) I did it. And it is indeed a powerful video. Not one semi-observant person in this world can honestly claim they haven't seen a kid reenacting their parent(s). I see it all the time and not only with my own daughter.
Usually we see it as something cute. But what it we saw it and it was ugly? That's what the video shows.
Link here ~ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHi2dx...
I think Gaby's idea was great. I've had teenage friends who had children and became wonderful parents. The stereotypes and assumptions help no one. If Gaby showed that to one person a real difference was most likely made. I'd wager she showed that to a hell of a lot more than one person.
I don't think it's right to judge Gaby for what you see a poor choice by her Mother or siblings. That makes no sense to me. It looks to me like Gaby took her surroundings and learned from them. That's more than what a lot of us do, myself included.
I'd have liked some pictures included, her before, during, after. Maybe the school or her with family or good friends.
The writing isn't remarkable but I don't think it's meant to be. It's the story that's remarkable. And I'll be the first to say that this teen wrote a more intelligent book than many, may adults have. I say good for her. I hope she made some money, had some fun and changed some lives in the process. I hope she goes on to do more great things.
Gaby mentions a YouTube video in her book, Children See, Children Do. She talked about it in a manner that told me I'd actually look it up. (I usually plan such things and never actually do them.) I did it. And it is indeed a powerful video. Not one semi-observant person in this world can honestly claim they haven't seen a kid reenacting their parent(s). I see it all the time and not only with my own daughter.
Usually we see it as something cute. But what it we saw it and it was ugly? That's what the video shows.
Link here ~ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHi2dx...
I think Gaby's idea was great. I've had teenage friends who had children and became wonderful parents. The stereotypes and assumptions help no one. If Gaby showed that to one person a real difference was most likely made. I'd wager she showed that to a hell of a lot more than one person.
I don't think it's right to judge Gaby for what you see a poor choice by her Mother or siblings. That makes no sense to me. It looks to me like Gaby took her surroundings and learned from them. That's more than what a lot of us do, myself included.
I'd have liked some pictures included, her before, during, after. Maybe the school or her with family or good friends.
The writing isn't remarkable but I don't think it's meant to be. It's the story that's remarkable. And I'll be the first to say that this teen wrote a more intelligent book than many, may adults have. I say good for her. I hope she made some money, had some fun and changed some lives in the process. I hope she goes on to do more great things.
September 5, 2012
I have been eyeing this book for quite some time now. It's a short hard back and I wan't sure if I wanted to invest $17 when I can read it in one sitting. Well, lo and behold, my library just got it in so I snagged it. I did in fact end up reading this book in one sitting. I think the thing that struck me the most about this book is how easily I can relate to it. Having been a teen mother myself I knew what she was feeling. And even though she wasn't really pregnant, she still experienced the same humiliation that she would have if she was.
I find so much strength in Gabby's words as she pours her heart out between these pages. She has such a strong disposition that makes you really root for her. I couldn't imagine keeping a secret like she did for 6 months. However, I wished she would have carried the pregnancy longer. It would have been more real. I get why she didn't though. She did want to have some of her senior year with out being pregnant!
One thing I was very impressed with is her writing. It is very clean and doesn't have a lot of curse words. There are a few, but they are tastefully placed throughout the book. I would feel comfortable giving this to a mature middle school student with no thought.
Afterthoughts: All in all this is a good book to read. The underlying message of stereotyping is set forth very well. It is a book that makes you think about your life and how your actions affect others. The only reason I gave it four stars is because some of the times there is a bit of a random rambling that goes on. Almost like an inner monologue that presses on for longer than it should. Other than that, it is a great read. It isn't often that I will sit and read an entire book in one sitting!
I find so much strength in Gabby's words as she pours her heart out between these pages. She has such a strong disposition that makes you really root for her. I couldn't imagine keeping a secret like she did for 6 months. However, I wished she would have carried the pregnancy longer. It would have been more real. I get why she didn't though. She did want to have some of her senior year with out being pregnant!
One thing I was very impressed with is her writing. It is very clean and doesn't have a lot of curse words. There are a few, but they are tastefully placed throughout the book. I would feel comfortable giving this to a mature middle school student with no thought.
Afterthoughts: All in all this is a good book to read. The underlying message of stereotyping is set forth very well. It is a book that makes you think about your life and how your actions affect others. The only reason I gave it four stars is because some of the times there is a bit of a random rambling that goes on. Almost like an inner monologue that presses on for longer than it should. Other than that, it is a great read. It isn't often that I will sit and read an entire book in one sitting!
June 7, 2016
Wow, this book was much better than I was expecting! I just grabbed it off the shelf without having heard of it before. It is quite well-written (especially for being written by a teenager!) and flows nicely. It's a super-quick read. I'm very impressed with this normal, down-to-earth girl and her desire to think big and influence others.
Brings up great food for thought about stereotypes and self-fulfilling prophecies. I loved her wisdom about how we should treat pregnant teens. They've already made their mistake, so why do we need to punish them by shaming them? [It reminds me of some great parenting advice I once read - let the child's mistake be their consequence.] Instead, we should support them (which is not the same thing as congratulating them). Telling them that they'll never finish school now and 'just forget about college and all your dreams - you've got responsibilities now!' is not helping anyone. Having children out of wedlock, dropping out of high school - these things occur in cycles in so many families. But if we can help just one teen to break that cycle, think what it means for her posterity? For our society!
I also appreciate the insight into why so many teen fathers bail when their girlfriends get pregnant. If they are immediately barraged by dooming lectures of 'look what you've done down' and 'better get a job - your fun is over' of course they're going to run. I still think that pregnant girls receive far more shaming than the boys and there are plenty of irresponsible young men out there who wouldn't stick around for a baby no matter what, but this book made me think about what negative messages could mean for a decent young man who might actually intend to take responsibility, but gets scared or overwhelmed.
Brings up great food for thought about stereotypes and self-fulfilling prophecies. I loved her wisdom about how we should treat pregnant teens. They've already made their mistake, so why do we need to punish them by shaming them? [It reminds me of some great parenting advice I once read - let the child's mistake be their consequence.] Instead, we should support them (which is not the same thing as congratulating them). Telling them that they'll never finish school now and 'just forget about college and all your dreams - you've got responsibilities now!' is not helping anyone. Having children out of wedlock, dropping out of high school - these things occur in cycles in so many families. But if we can help just one teen to break that cycle, think what it means for her posterity? For our society!
I also appreciate the insight into why so many teen fathers bail when their girlfriends get pregnant. If they are immediately barraged by dooming lectures of 'look what you've done down' and 'better get a job - your fun is over' of course they're going to run. I still think that pregnant girls receive far more shaming than the boys and there are plenty of irresponsible young men out there who wouldn't stick around for a baby no matter what, but this book made me think about what negative messages could mean for a decent young man who might actually intend to take responsibility, but gets scared or overwhelmed.
July 28, 2017
This was a great book that offers up inspiration and conversation. Loved it!
The front of the book was a little heavy on backstory. It helped me to understand what drove Gaby to choose her Senior project though.
I was amazed at her level of commitment. You get a sense of the tension that was there (both physically and mentally)...but if it were me it would've been impossible probably.
The highlight of the book is her presentation and reaction. I especially like how Gaby kept coming back to her relationship with Mr. Myers. Myers reacts most honestly. He worries for her. He can't hide his concern for her coming struggle. Later, he feels betrayed (I would too!).
Beyond the conversation of stereotypes and finding hope in bad times, there is a lot of potential in this book to discuss the ethics of the project. I don't think I would have approved it if I were in charge.
All in all, great!
The front of the book was a little heavy on backstory. It helped me to understand what drove Gaby to choose her Senior project though.
I was amazed at her level of commitment. You get a sense of the tension that was there (both physically and mentally)...but if it were me it would've been impossible probably.
The highlight of the book is her presentation and reaction. I especially like how Gaby kept coming back to her relationship with Mr. Myers. Myers reacts most honestly. He worries for her. He can't hide his concern for her coming struggle. Later, he feels betrayed (I would too!).
Beyond the conversation of stereotypes and finding hope in bad times, there is a lot of potential in this book to discuss the ethics of the project. I don't think I would have approved it if I were in charge.
All in all, great!
November 21, 2014
When I first started this book I didn't really like it because the beginning was kind of boring but I made myself keep reading it. It wasn't until about page 100 that it started to pick up and get much better. I would recommend this book to someone who really wants to read it and doesn't mind a slow start. I loved the book and thought that it was written very well but could've been a bit more interesting.
April 3, 2013
I had heard about this story through various news sources, but I wasn't sure what to expect.
The book was a very quick read, but I can't tell if that was because it was written by a high school student, because it was a page-turner, or because I skipped pages constantly. That third point is, unfortunately, a fact for me with this one. I VERY rarely, if ever, skip around a book, but I found myself bored of reading the same thing over and over (and over), and quite honestly, wanted to get to the action. The fact that we had so much backstory may be good to some, but to me, it was simply too much. I didn't need every detail of Gaby's life story in order to connect to her, and all it did, really, was push me away from being able to connect. By the time the "Preg-NOT" part of the story began, I was so bored. I almost didn't finish.
But alas, that was the part I was reading for, so I got to it. It was easily the best part of the book, although I did find her voice quite whiny in this part. And the intro of the book - well, I understood it once I got to this part obviously, but I found it ridiculous as the Prologue or whatever. It set up a whole different tone for the story than what actually existed.
I find her project admirable, and her results really interesting and informative. But the rest of the book, I could do without. I know she's only in high school, but I think you can be a much better - and much more succinct - storyteller even at that age. It would do her well to learn where to say "enough is enough," in my opinion.
The book was a very quick read, but I can't tell if that was because it was written by a high school student, because it was a page-turner, or because I skipped pages constantly. That third point is, unfortunately, a fact for me with this one. I VERY rarely, if ever, skip around a book, but I found myself bored of reading the same thing over and over (and over), and quite honestly, wanted to get to the action. The fact that we had so much backstory may be good to some, but to me, it was simply too much. I didn't need every detail of Gaby's life story in order to connect to her, and all it did, really, was push me away from being able to connect. By the time the "Preg-NOT" part of the story began, I was so bored. I almost didn't finish.
But alas, that was the part I was reading for, so I got to it. It was easily the best part of the book, although I did find her voice quite whiny in this part. And the intro of the book - well, I understood it once I got to this part obviously, but I found it ridiculous as the Prologue or whatever. It set up a whole different tone for the story than what actually existed.
I find her project admirable, and her results really interesting and informative. But the rest of the book, I could do without. I know she's only in high school, but I think you can be a much better - and much more succinct - storyteller even at that age. It would do her well to learn where to say "enough is enough," in my opinion.
April 22, 2015
Reading the back of the book intrigued me initially. A young girl with such ambition and need to find a reaction drew me to read this book. The Pregnancy Project: A Memoir by Gaby Rodriguez with Jenna Glatzer takes place in a high school full of judgemental teens. This true story explains the senior year of Gaby Rodriguez.
Every senior had to chose a project to accomplish throughout the whole year. Gaby thought about working with needy children, but something better came to mind. Gaby decided to fake a pregnancy to see the reactions of the people around her, as a social experiment. She wears a fake belly to school and the gossip begins to flow. Her life becomes much more hard, even though if she wanted to she could take the stomach off.
In the end, when Gaby revealed that she wasn’t pregnant, the whole school was astonished. I liked how Gaby then explains how she would like to use her knowledge to help young women going through the same thing fight off rumors and stereotypes.
I recommend this book to basically anybody. This is an important message that everyone should hear. Having such a young girl, do something so big, is really important. 5 stars.
Every senior had to chose a project to accomplish throughout the whole year. Gaby thought about working with needy children, but something better came to mind. Gaby decided to fake a pregnancy to see the reactions of the people around her, as a social experiment. She wears a fake belly to school and the gossip begins to flow. Her life becomes much more hard, even though if she wanted to she could take the stomach off.
In the end, when Gaby revealed that she wasn’t pregnant, the whole school was astonished. I liked how Gaby then explains how she would like to use her knowledge to help young women going through the same thing fight off rumors and stereotypes.
I recommend this book to basically anybody. This is an important message that everyone should hear. Having such a young girl, do something so big, is really important. 5 stars.
April 8, 2012
This book was only mildly interesting. Most of the book is telling the reader about her family rather than the project. The point of the project was to show how everyone stereotypes pregnant teens and gossip about them. When it proves to be correct there isn't anything beyond it. I didn't really learn anything about it.
I wanted to punch her in the head for the things she said about Planned Parenthood. She visited them once and they steered her towards a hospital that deals with teen mothers. She could have done with some lessons in family planning. The author never dealt with her own sex life. She knows where babies come from, but we know nothing about the school sex ed program, which seems like it would directly be influencing the happenings at this school.
Poorly written, even with a ghost writer; the book used language and phrasing that was completely unnatural for a high school student, while still being simplistic.
When compared to the documentary The Education of Shelby Knox this book falls far short. I do not think she will go on to work with women's issues like Knox.
I wanted to punch her in the head for the things she said about Planned Parenthood. She visited them once and they steered her towards a hospital that deals with teen mothers. She could have done with some lessons in family planning. The author never dealt with her own sex life. She knows where babies come from, but we know nothing about the school sex ed program, which seems like it would directly be influencing the happenings at this school.
Poorly written, even with a ghost writer; the book used language and phrasing that was completely unnatural for a high school student, while still being simplistic.
When compared to the documentary The Education of Shelby Knox this book falls far short. I do not think she will go on to work with women's issues like Knox.
February 8, 2017
This book was great, and it really opened my eyes to the facts and details abour teen pregnancy, and how hard it is to live with it.
February 18, 2025
im sorry but she’s kind of annoying. like i get the idea behind the project and i think it’s good but honestly it fell flat for me when you think about the community impact it could have. when she is describing her final presentation she just talks about how we shouldn’t stereotype and should live however we want to live. but i think the impact part is instead of stereotyping, have grace for someone in a different scenario for them and help them out. and airing your brothers dirty laundry in front of your whole school (even if they already know it) feels slimy.
she’s also very loudly pro-life which just feels a bit tone deaf. like she’s kind of exploring community resources for teen moms but she’s not necessarily supporting them. and for teen pregnancy to be so prevalent in your community and you still don’t see how an abortion could be beneficial for someone is wild. it just feels kind of naive.
overall an interesting read but not necessarily something i would recommend.
she’s also very loudly pro-life which just feels a bit tone deaf. like she’s kind of exploring community resources for teen moms but she’s not necessarily supporting them. and for teen pregnancy to be so prevalent in your community and you still don’t see how an abortion could be beneficial for someone is wild. it just feels kind of naive.
overall an interesting read but not necessarily something i would recommend.
March 1, 2017
This book is a nonfiction/memoir. It does not belong to a series. The book is moderately long. It is a challenging read, mostly because you can’t read it all in one sitting. The reader should know that the author is writing a true story. This really happened to her, and it’s all true. This book is like other memoirs because it is in first person, and it tells a true story. The targeted audience is ages 14 - 20.
Sometimes, to move past stereotypes, you must become one yourself. Gaby was sick and tired of being judged, so she did something about it. She faked her own pregnancy as a social experiment, to see the reactions of those who’d told her for years that she would become a teen mom just as the rest of the women in her family. Gaby is the main character, as the book is in first person. Her antagonists are those who judge her without looking at her story. I think the real theme of this book is to never assume. In the book, people assumed Gaby would be pregnant as a teen, because that’s all her family had ever done. But rather than looking deeper and basing their assumptions on something real, they jumped to conclusions. Gaby’s words are powerful, and change your opinions on the classic phrase, “Don’t judge a book by it’s cover.”
Gaby and her family live in Toppenish, Washington. Her family resides mainly in broken homes and near poverty.
I’ll be the first to admit, I cried during this book. I cried for more reasons than just because it was a sad story, or the book made me feel bad for Gaby. I cried because I knew that this sort of prejudice was happening in life, everyday. Despite the disappointment in society that came with this book, I loved it. I liked this book because it was real. I loved the honesty Gaby had with the reader, and that she was open. The only thing I disliked about the author’s writing style is that she skimmed over some details that could’ve been important to the reader’s understanding. For example, some of the reactions Gaby described weren’t as in-depth as they should’ve been. I definitely felt what the author was aiming for readers to feel. Throughout the book, I was flabbergasted by the inequality of Gaby’s treatment. Once again, I was disappointed that Gaby left out the important reactions both to her reveal that her pregnancy was fake, and to her proposal of the project to her mom, boyfriend, and principal. The only part that felt unreal to me was Gaby’s mother’s acceptance of her project. I felt that there should’ve been some hesitancy there, but I do understand that some parents are more lenient than others. The book was interesting and held my attention. It would be a useful addition to a school or public library.It was easy to understand the ideas.
Sometimes, to move past stereotypes, you must become one yourself. Gaby was sick and tired of being judged, so she did something about it. She faked her own pregnancy as a social experiment, to see the reactions of those who’d told her for years that she would become a teen mom just as the rest of the women in her family. Gaby is the main character, as the book is in first person. Her antagonists are those who judge her without looking at her story. I think the real theme of this book is to never assume. In the book, people assumed Gaby would be pregnant as a teen, because that’s all her family had ever done. But rather than looking deeper and basing their assumptions on something real, they jumped to conclusions. Gaby’s words are powerful, and change your opinions on the classic phrase, “Don’t judge a book by it’s cover.”
Gaby and her family live in Toppenish, Washington. Her family resides mainly in broken homes and near poverty.
I’ll be the first to admit, I cried during this book. I cried for more reasons than just because it was a sad story, or the book made me feel bad for Gaby. I cried because I knew that this sort of prejudice was happening in life, everyday. Despite the disappointment in society that came with this book, I loved it. I liked this book because it was real. I loved the honesty Gaby had with the reader, and that she was open. The only thing I disliked about the author’s writing style is that she skimmed over some details that could’ve been important to the reader’s understanding. For example, some of the reactions Gaby described weren’t as in-depth as they should’ve been. I definitely felt what the author was aiming for readers to feel. Throughout the book, I was flabbergasted by the inequality of Gaby’s treatment. Once again, I was disappointed that Gaby left out the important reactions both to her reveal that her pregnancy was fake, and to her proposal of the project to her mom, boyfriend, and principal. The only part that felt unreal to me was Gaby’s mother’s acceptance of her project. I felt that there should’ve been some hesitancy there, but I do understand that some parents are more lenient than others. The book was interesting and held my attention. It would be a useful addition to a school or public library.It was easy to understand the ideas.
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March 23, 2013Marlee Bickmore
Ms. Emmett
Academic English 10
17 March 2013
This book is the true story of a young girl, Gaby Rodriguez, and her senior project. Gaby came from a family with a history of teenage pregnancies. She herself had not been pregnant, but was aware that many people expected her to get pregnant since her mom and sisters all had been teen moms. Gaby was different from her sisters in that she was smart and planned to go to college to start a better lifestyle than the one she had been raised in. Though her childhood was hard, especially since she did not have a father most of the time, her mom was a kind, caring, and loving woman who offered up all she had to her children. Gaby decides to fake a teenage pregnancy to see how people would react to her situation, given the stereotype her family had given her. She writes about how this project changed how people at her school and around her treated her and viewed her.
People who read this book can take away two important lessons. The first lesson involves the consequences of teenage pregnancy, even before the parenting begins. Gaby has to go through a lot of emotional pain involving the disappointment from her family members and also her boyfriend's parents. The second lessons readers learn is about the side effects of gossip that may not be normally seen. A lot of the people at Gaby's school begin to treat her poorly and judge her based on her situation. Gaby proved stereotypes false, and had also proved that one person can make a difference and that individuals do have the power to make a difference in their lives.
I recommend this book to teenage girls in high school. Though the book has a slow beginning mostly based on her family history, once the story of the actual project is told it is very interesting. Middle schoolers would not gain a lot from reading this book because I think most would not be mature enough to understand a lot of the pain that Gaby had to go through. High schoolers would be able to put themselves in Gaby's shoes since they know all about how evil and emotionally devastating rumors and gossip can be. I also think it teaches valuable lessons about how abstinence can avoid many problems that can make one's life stressful and different than they had hoped. This book is very insightful to how a teenage girl can fight against stereotypes and fight through harassment and pain.
Ms. Emmett
Academic English 10
17 March 2013
This book is the true story of a young girl, Gaby Rodriguez, and her senior project. Gaby came from a family with a history of teenage pregnancies. She herself had not been pregnant, but was aware that many people expected her to get pregnant since her mom and sisters all had been teen moms. Gaby was different from her sisters in that she was smart and planned to go to college to start a better lifestyle than the one she had been raised in. Though her childhood was hard, especially since she did not have a father most of the time, her mom was a kind, caring, and loving woman who offered up all she had to her children. Gaby decides to fake a teenage pregnancy to see how people would react to her situation, given the stereotype her family had given her. She writes about how this project changed how people at her school and around her treated her and viewed her.
People who read this book can take away two important lessons. The first lesson involves the consequences of teenage pregnancy, even before the parenting begins. Gaby has to go through a lot of emotional pain involving the disappointment from her family members and also her boyfriend's parents. The second lessons readers learn is about the side effects of gossip that may not be normally seen. A lot of the people at Gaby's school begin to treat her poorly and judge her based on her situation. Gaby proved stereotypes false, and had also proved that one person can make a difference and that individuals do have the power to make a difference in their lives.
I recommend this book to teenage girls in high school. Though the book has a slow beginning mostly based on her family history, once the story of the actual project is told it is very interesting. Middle schoolers would not gain a lot from reading this book because I think most would not be mature enough to understand a lot of the pain that Gaby had to go through. High schoolers would be able to put themselves in Gaby's shoes since they know all about how evil and emotionally devastating rumors and gossip can be. I also think it teaches valuable lessons about how abstinence can avoid many problems that can make one's life stressful and different than they had hoped. This book is very insightful to how a teenage girl can fight against stereotypes and fight through harassment and pain.
March 28, 2021
Okay so....
This book is an incredibly quick read, I read it in about an hour and a half, give or take a little.
But I'm.... struggling a little bit with it. The actual interesting part, where Gaby is faking her pregnancy takes up no more than 50 pages (20%), with the reveal taking up another 10 (4%). A quarter of the book that's supposedly about this pregnancy project is actually about the fake pregnancy. (To be fair, there are another 20 pages (8%) or so of Gaby coming up with the idea of faking a pregnancy, but then again, that's almost half the length of time spent on the fake pregnancy part!)
The first what feels like forever is spent on Gaby's family and how all of her siblings are just such a disappointment for having teen pregnancies, which, uh, kind of sends mixed messages since this whole project is supposed to be about combating that.
She also dips a little bit into proselytizing, if very briefly. Once when she talks about Planned Parenthood, and how pro forced birth she is (I'm paraphrasing) and how terrible it would be if anyone thought she was there for.... (whispers) an abortion. *eyeroll* The other time that stuck out was whenever she mentioned welfare, particularly at the end, and how people should really 'pull themselves up by their bootstraps' (okay, I might be reading into it a little bit, but that's definitely the vibe I was getting).
She did rub me the wrong way with the "why do people give in to stereotypes about themselves", like, honey, you're what, 12? She just strikes me as incredibly naive, and in this case, it can cause some harm.
But, at the end of the day, it was more or less an interesting read. I really wish there was more time spent on the project itself, how it affected the people around her, and things liek that, and less time on the slooooow build up, but hey. It is what it is.
This book is an incredibly quick read, I read it in about an hour and a half, give or take a little.
But I'm.... struggling a little bit with it. The actual interesting part, where Gaby is faking her pregnancy takes up no more than 50 pages (20%), with the reveal taking up another 10 (4%). A quarter of the book that's supposedly about this pregnancy project is actually about the fake pregnancy. (To be fair, there are another 20 pages (8%) or so of Gaby coming up with the idea of faking a pregnancy, but then again, that's almost half the length of time spent on the fake pregnancy part!)
The first what feels like forever is spent on Gaby's family and how all of her siblings are just such a disappointment for having teen pregnancies, which, uh, kind of sends mixed messages since this whole project is supposed to be about combating that.
She also dips a little bit into proselytizing, if very briefly. Once when she talks about Planned Parenthood, and how pro forced birth she is (I'm paraphrasing) and how terrible it would be if anyone thought she was there for.... (whispers) an abortion. *eyeroll* The other time that stuck out was whenever she mentioned welfare, particularly at the end, and how people should really 'pull themselves up by their bootstraps' (okay, I might be reading into it a little bit, but that's definitely the vibe I was getting).
She did rub me the wrong way with the "why do people give in to stereotypes about themselves", like, honey, you're what, 12? She just strikes me as incredibly naive, and in this case, it can cause some harm.
But, at the end of the day, it was more or less an interesting read. I really wish there was more time spent on the project itself, how it affected the people around her, and things liek that, and less time on the slooooow build up, but hey. It is what it is.
April 4, 2012
Gaby Rodriguez is a young Hispanic woman who for her Senior project decided to do something personal to her. After coming from a long line of teen parents (wed and unwed), she wanted to show how teens were stereotyped when they became pregnant (or had a girlfriend that became pregnant). She succeeded in showing how you could be one of the top students in your class, maintain all your grades, but still be criticized and thought of as a failure by becoming pregnant (even though the pregnancy was a fake). Gaby hid the falseness of her pregnancy from all except a few select people and felt the repercussions from family members, her boyfriend’s parents, teachers and friends. She and the select few that knew her situation kept journals so that they could report their “findings” to the other students and faculty. What Gaby did was something of epic proportions and has had great ramifications, even though the pregnancy was false. Most supported what she did and was interested in knowing what her findings were. Others still found ways to condemn her. However, the most surprising was the media interest shown in Gaby and her project.
This book gets to the heart of a serious matter for teens. Gaby shows no condemnation for teen mothers (as many do) and attempts to show people that teen mothers can be successful with the right support. I would recommend this book to child development classes and any girl going through that phase in her life where she can only think that life would be better if she had a baby. Gaby gives a unique perspective as one of almost 10 siblings and all have had children as teens.
This book gets to the heart of a serious matter for teens. Gaby shows no condemnation for teen mothers (as many do) and attempts to show people that teen mothers can be successful with the right support. I would recommend this book to child development classes and any girl going through that phase in her life where she can only think that life would be better if she had a baby. Gaby gives a unique perspective as one of almost 10 siblings and all have had children as teens.
April 1, 2013
Gabby Rodrigues was the byproduct of a teen pregnancy. Because of her family history people automatically assumed that she would become a teen mom too. In spite of her high gpa, and ambition, the world automatically though that she was doomed to repeat history. Gaby really wanted to make a difference for her senior project, and so she faked a teen pregnancy. Her mom, sister, boyfriend, best friend, and principle were the only ones who knew that her "pregnancy" was really a social experiment. This is a autobiographical account of what happened.
I really really liked this story. I realized that I was terrible at judging pregnant teens. I somehow assumed that because I did not get pregnant as a teen I had the right to automatically judge them...apparently most adults feel this way. Gaby describes feelings of loneliness and isolation, even though she was not really even pregnant. If you want to better understand what a teen mom goes through during pregnancy, read this book. Gaby is an extremely motivated and intelligent high schooler, but the minute she gets "pregnant" everyone treats her like a statistic. It was a quick, easy, and interesting read. I highly recommend it.
I really really liked this story. I realized that I was terrible at judging pregnant teens. I somehow assumed that because I did not get pregnant as a teen I had the right to automatically judge them...apparently most adults feel this way. Gaby describes feelings of loneliness and isolation, even though she was not really even pregnant. If you want to better understand what a teen mom goes through during pregnancy, read this book. Gaby is an extremely motivated and intelligent high schooler, but the minute she gets "pregnant" everyone treats her like a statistic. It was a quick, easy, and interesting read. I highly recommend it.
March 28, 2012
I know there is a lot of complaining about this, but to start, this book talks about real life. No one uses logic in real life, no matter how smart a person is, until after the fact. I thought that this book shows real life and describes a part of someone's life really well, especially considering where Gaby came from. She was not shy about her family's past or her role in the family.
The project itself was risky and, to be fair, no other person would really want to do that in real life. However, it needed to be done, and her background was perfect to help with her project. The only downside is that the author is still in college, so there are some questions still raised by the end of the book. However, it is still good and fits real life, since that is what a memoir is, a small part of someone's life.
This book works as a good memoir and captures the society we live in as a reminder to tread cautiously about the way you treat others, especially teen mothers. It isn't one life you affect, but two or more.
The project itself was risky and, to be fair, no other person would really want to do that in real life. However, it needed to be done, and her background was perfect to help with her project. The only downside is that the author is still in college, so there are some questions still raised by the end of the book. However, it is still good and fits real life, since that is what a memoir is, a small part of someone's life.
This book works as a good memoir and captures the society we live in as a reminder to tread cautiously about the way you treat others, especially teen mothers. It isn't one life you affect, but two or more.
February 11, 2013
Gaby's mom first got pregnant at 14, and Gaby's seven older siblings all had children before they could legally drink. So nobody is terribly surprised when Gaby announces that she's pregnant. Disappointed, sure--she was supposed to have learned from all their mistakes--but not surprised. But what Gaby hasn't told them is that she's not really pregnant: it's all part of a social experiment for her senior project, viewing the effects of stereotypes and how people react to an unplanned pregnancy--and how they treat a teen mother.
The writing is kind of blah, but the story is interesting enough that I think it could easily be used on the summer list, particularly with the Common Core requirements of more non-fiction. Makes good points about what it means to live down to other people's expectations, and might make students a little more aware of what happens when they gossip about classmates (or others).
The writing is kind of blah, but the story is interesting enough that I think it could easily be used on the summer list, particularly with the Common Core requirements of more non-fiction. Makes good points about what it means to live down to other people's expectations, and might make students a little more aware of what happens when they gossip about classmates (or others).
December 5, 2017
I rate this book 5 stars because it was interesting and was very detailed. This book made me want to keep reading. At one point over spring break i read about 80 pages in about an hour and a half. I think other people should read this book because it will teach people not to get pregnant at a young age and to really know the consequences. In this book Gaby grows up in a home without a dad. Her mother had her first child at 14. Her mother made her marry the guy. the guy turned out to become an alcoholic. She had 7 more kids with that man then got divorced. Then had Gaby. People told Gaby she was going to become pregnant. She ended up doing a project where she faked her pregnancy to see what people would say about her. She became famous and everyone knew who she was.
May 16, 2022
“What was the difference among women who had abortions; women who abandoned, neglected, or abused their kids; and women who waited until they were ready and loved their kids?”
This is another book I decided to pick up given the current events surrounding Roe v. Wade.
It was a very eye-opening and a fascinating experiment dealing with social stigma and consequences on Gaby as well as the nuances surrounding teen pregnancy in society and the media. I really liked Gaby’s commentary on how we don’t have to be the statistic we fall into, and that we can overcome it.
I loved the format of a story with dialogue and some small essays with research. Personally, I would’ve loved more on the actual project during the months and its ramifications rather than the long backstory.
This is another book I decided to pick up given the current events surrounding Roe v. Wade.
It was a very eye-opening and a fascinating experiment dealing with social stigma and consequences on Gaby as well as the nuances surrounding teen pregnancy in society and the media. I really liked Gaby’s commentary on how we don’t have to be the statistic we fall into, and that we can overcome it.
I loved the format of a story with dialogue and some small essays with research. Personally, I would’ve loved more on the actual project during the months and its ramifications rather than the long backstory.
March 28, 2014
This was really excellent, and the subject was such a great one. How do we keep girls from becoming another "pregnant teen" statistic, and how do we help them if they are? I like Gaby's bravery in doing this project despite the disapproval of her family and schoolmates and think it's great that this was able to speak to so many different women as evidenced by the letters and feedback she talked about towards the end of the book. I wish Gaby the best of luck!!
May 28, 2018
In not going to say this story was mind -blowing that would be a bit of an exaggeration but I can say it was interesting to say the least. I believe now that with the right amount of research and the right support you and fool anybody. I am not by anyway saying the people in Gabby's life at the time this little project was going on was stupid by any means but it takes a special person to fool the world and get away with it.
March 31, 2016
This book was a great read. I first came across this project on Netflix. Later I found out that Gaby wrote a book about what had happened. I am still very happy I read this book. I have to give major props to Gaby for going through this to bring attention to a topic that is not talked about or covered. I would recommend people to read this book.
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