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What Kind of Love?
Recording her experiences in her diary, teenager Valerie Larch talks about her family, friends, dreams for a music career, special new boyfriend, and the pregnancy that changes her life and presents difficult choices.
- GenresYoung AdultTeen
192 pages, Hardcover
First published April 28, 1995
10 people are currently reading
346 people want to read
About the author
Sheila Cole
14 books1 followerLibrarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
This author also writes as: Sheila R. Cole - Psychology
see also: Sheila Cole - Illustrator
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
This author also writes as: Sheila R. Cole - Psychology
see also: Sheila Cole - Illustrator
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
March 1, 2023
I remember reading this book in high school.. I still cried at the end of the book just like I did years ago.
June 29, 2020
I thought it was well-written & very believable. I like it didn't have a perfect, pat ending. Real life isn't a fairytale.
February 17, 2009
What Kind of Love? The Diary of A Pregnant Teenager
This book had its up and downs and I liked, but then again there were parts when I thought this book had no point. At times I felt sorry for Valerie, but at others I was mad she deserved what she was going though and what kind of person still thinks they’re pregnant at 4 months! Valerie, a fifteen year old girl, thinks she has fallen in love with a guy named Peter. When u fall in love, or at least think you did, you do stuff you never expected!! She and Peter dated six months before the unexpected happened. Valerie’s love for Peter resulted in a pregnancy. Valerie has no choice but to tell her parents and their solution is abortion. Then they run to Peter’s parents and they don’t know what to think, all they want for Peter is for him to finish school and go to college. They see the baby as an obstacle and so they decide to send Peter away to study so he can graduate. It’s kind of stupid though, how they plan to run away and get married without any ones consent. I loved when Valerie finally understood peter was not coming back she says, “Good-bye Peter…..I thought I loved you. I though you loved me. But when you love someone, you want t be with them forever, and you want to make them happy. Neither of us were up to that. Maybe it was because we were too young.” In my opinion this book is for everyone, because it teaches you about all the consequences and all the things a pregnant teenager has to go through especially if she isn’t with the baby’s dad. I think Sheila Cole was trying to get a point across when she wrote this book, she was trying to aware teenagers about how easy it is to get pregnant and about the hardships of going through pregnancy. My favorite character was Carrie, she was always there for Valerie to help her and she always gave her good advice. My least favorite character was Peter. He played games with Valerie’s mind and made her believe he was going to come back so they could get married. WHAT A JERK!!! The part that captivated my attention the most and the reason I kept reading this book was because I wanted to see what Valerie would do with her baby. At the end I hated the ending!! It was kind of obvious she would do that with her baby, it’s what every irresponsible mother does but I guess in my mind I was hoping Valerie would change her mind about the baby.
This book had its up and downs and I liked, but then again there were parts when I thought this book had no point. At times I felt sorry for Valerie, but at others I was mad she deserved what she was going though and what kind of person still thinks they’re pregnant at 4 months! Valerie, a fifteen year old girl, thinks she has fallen in love with a guy named Peter. When u fall in love, or at least think you did, you do stuff you never expected!! She and Peter dated six months before the unexpected happened. Valerie’s love for Peter resulted in a pregnancy. Valerie has no choice but to tell her parents and their solution is abortion. Then they run to Peter’s parents and they don’t know what to think, all they want for Peter is for him to finish school and go to college. They see the baby as an obstacle and so they decide to send Peter away to study so he can graduate. It’s kind of stupid though, how they plan to run away and get married without any ones consent. I loved when Valerie finally understood peter was not coming back she says, “Good-bye Peter…..I thought I loved you. I though you loved me. But when you love someone, you want t be with them forever, and you want to make them happy. Neither of us were up to that. Maybe it was because we were too young.” In my opinion this book is for everyone, because it teaches you about all the consequences and all the things a pregnant teenager has to go through especially if she isn’t with the baby’s dad. I think Sheila Cole was trying to get a point across when she wrote this book, she was trying to aware teenagers about how easy it is to get pregnant and about the hardships of going through pregnancy. My favorite character was Carrie, she was always there for Valerie to help her and she always gave her good advice. My least favorite character was Peter. He played games with Valerie’s mind and made her believe he was going to come back so they could get married. WHAT A JERK!!! The part that captivated my attention the most and the reason I kept reading this book was because I wanted to see what Valerie would do with her baby. At the end I hated the ending!! It was kind of obvious she would do that with her baby, it’s what every irresponsible mother does but I guess in my mind I was hoping Valerie would change her mind about the baby.
June 5, 2017
With every Journal entry my heart swelled and my anger grew. Every time something sounded hopeful then broke down for Valerie it tore at my heart.
I'm not 15 any longer and my children are getting bigger everyday. My oldest that was in my belly at that time is turning 18 and graduating from high school. It hasn't been an easy road and I do not promote teen pregnancy, but I remember all to clearly what it felt like.
To feel lost, hopeless, have your dreams shattered, to have to grow up faster and make choices no one your age was having to make. To feel alienated and closed off from the people you thought were your friends and people that are related to you who you thought would be your rock. I've been homeless with a baby with no where to turn, given the option for adoption.
18 years later, I feel I battled, but I made the right choices for myself and my son. The best choices I thought I could make to keep is together and now I have 4 sons. This book was a reminder of all that and I can't say that it didn't make me cry, rage and feel everything that was going on.
I'm not 15 any longer and my children are getting bigger everyday. My oldest that was in my belly at that time is turning 18 and graduating from high school. It hasn't been an easy road and I do not promote teen pregnancy, but I remember all to clearly what it felt like.
To feel lost, hopeless, have your dreams shattered, to have to grow up faster and make choices no one your age was having to make. To feel alienated and closed off from the people you thought were your friends and people that are related to you who you thought would be your rock. I've been homeless with a baby with no where to turn, given the option for adoption.
18 years later, I feel I battled, but I made the right choices for myself and my son. The best choices I thought I could make to keep is together and now I have 4 sons. This book was a reminder of all that and I can't say that it didn't make me cry, rage and feel everything that was going on.
August 28, 2018
How on earth did I come across this book? No idea. But I read it in one sitting, and Cole, I have to say, managed to nail the voice and tone. Just nailed it. The diary that makes up the novel really does sound like it was written by a clueless, idealistic, loving and completely in-over-her-head 15 year old. You cringe. You wince and read through fingers at certain scenes. You root for her even against her own wishes. Anyone who looks down their nose at teens who "get themselves in trouble," or adults for that matter, would do well to read this. It's the best dose of empathy one could hope for.
March 18, 2025
I saw this book pop up on a Goodreads list and immediately recognized both the cover and the title from reading it as a kid.
Upon my re-read, I realized that I didn’t remember anything BUT the cover and title. However, this was a fun trip down some sort of memory lane, even though it was pretty ridiculous.
Upon my re-read, I realized that I didn’t remember anything BUT the cover and title. However, this was a fun trip down some sort of memory lane, even though it was pretty ridiculous.
February 18, 2012
What Kind of Love? offers honest insight into the life of a teenager who is learning the reality of being pregnant. Valerie is a talented violinist, and good student, a good daughter, friend and girlfriend. The old saying "it only takes one time, even your first time" is true for Valerie. After having sex for the first time with Peter, Valeria finds herself pregnant at the age of fifteen. Despite her attempts to keep it a secret, soon everyone knows and Valerie's life is literally turned upside down. Valerie finds herself more alone than ever. With parents pushing for adoption, friends that fizzle out, and boyfriend that is sent away (to get away from Valerie), Valerie is scared, alone and full of questions.
So what makes this book any different from the many other YA Novels that focus on teen pregnancy? Raw honesty. Not all parents are supportive when they find out their teenage daughter is pregnant - Valerie's are not. At first Valerie is full of hope for that 'perfect family' she could have with Peter and their child. The moment Peter is sent away Valerie starts to question her reasons for wanting to keep her own child.
Sheila Cole creates an honest and touching story of the many emotional 'adventures' teen go through when pregnant and alone while growing up too fast and trying to stay young. By using a 'dairy' format, Cole allows you to see into our characters' feelings and thoughts that otherwise would not have been possible. I personally was affected by Valerie's story, moved with compassion for her, understanding yet at the same time frustration at her naiveness about her situation. All of the emotions that make this a fantastic read!
So what makes this book any different from the many other YA Novels that focus on teen pregnancy? Raw honesty. Not all parents are supportive when they find out their teenage daughter is pregnant - Valerie's are not. At first Valerie is full of hope for that 'perfect family' she could have with Peter and their child. The moment Peter is sent away Valerie starts to question her reasons for wanting to keep her own child.
"I wouldn't care so much if Peter were here with me. And he would be if I weren't pregnant. Everything would be different if I weren't pregnant. Oh, God, I wish I weren't. Because there's this thing growing inside me, I am here alone. And I don't know what to do. I've made such a mess of everything. I hate myself."
Sheila Cole creates an honest and touching story of the many emotional 'adventures' teen go through when pregnant and alone while growing up too fast and trying to stay young. By using a 'dairy' format, Cole allows you to see into our characters' feelings and thoughts that otherwise would not have been possible. I personally was affected by Valerie's story, moved with compassion for her, understanding yet at the same time frustration at her naiveness about her situation. All of the emotions that make this a fantastic read!
March 22, 2013
Recently I have been attempting to choose books that are more out of my usual picks, which is how I came to this book. I read the novel What Kind of Love by Sheila Cole.
This novel starts out like a teenage love story. Valerie is a normal high school girl who falls for a boy named Peter Winder. Eventually they decide that they are in love and ready to take the next step in their relationship. Without me providing too much detail, I will just say that Valerie becomes pregnant. Eventually things get very tense and Peter is sent away by his parents, leaving Val to deal with all the drama while trying to finish high school, on her own.
Throughout the novel I felt as though I understood Valerie's feelings very well. An example of this is when she reads the pregnancy test and she writes, "Dear Diary, My hand was shaking so badly I could barely read it, but it was pink, pink for positive. What am I going to do? I can't be pregnant. I am only fifteen" (18). Sections of the novel are written as notes that Peter and Valerie send to each other. I think this is a great way that the author shows directly how the characters feel. All of these aspects come together to create a great novel! Although I an not a reader I completed this whole book in less than a day, and yes, I cried a little at the end.
Theme is very simple in this novel. It is that even if someone says they love you at 15 years old, they don't. Also that you definitely should not rush into something as big as sex, as she says in the end "if it's true love, it can wait" (144). This book provided me with a much better understanding of the risks and prevention's. I would definitely recommend something like this to someone else who may have questions or be unsure about choices in life because it really makes you look at like in the big picture.
This novel starts out like a teenage love story. Valerie is a normal high school girl who falls for a boy named Peter Winder. Eventually they decide that they are in love and ready to take the next step in their relationship. Without me providing too much detail, I will just say that Valerie becomes pregnant. Eventually things get very tense and Peter is sent away by his parents, leaving Val to deal with all the drama while trying to finish high school, on her own.
Throughout the novel I felt as though I understood Valerie's feelings very well. An example of this is when she reads the pregnancy test and she writes, "Dear Diary, My hand was shaking so badly I could barely read it, but it was pink, pink for positive. What am I going to do? I can't be pregnant. I am only fifteen" (18). Sections of the novel are written as notes that Peter and Valerie send to each other. I think this is a great way that the author shows directly how the characters feel. All of these aspects come together to create a great novel! Although I an not a reader I completed this whole book in less than a day, and yes, I cried a little at the end.
Theme is very simple in this novel. It is that even if someone says they love you at 15 years old, they don't. Also that you definitely should not rush into something as big as sex, as she says in the end "if it's true love, it can wait" (144). This book provided me with a much better understanding of the risks and prevention's. I would definitely recommend something like this to someone else who may have questions or be unsure about choices in life because it really makes you look at like in the big picture.
Read
November 22, 2013 Valerie the narrator of the book her world comes crumbling down. She is popular and talented in music. Hoping to start a music career in the future. Her and Peter, the love of her life (Boyfriend), sharing there love for each other they now shared another thing in common which is Val being pregnant. Both still young not knowthing what to do.
But instead of it being both of there problem it turns out to be Val's problem alone for a while. Peter says he loves her, but he wants to finish school, and get on with his life. Val wants to do the same with her life and her music career as well. But she lives each day with the reality of her being pregnant and Peter wanting to forget.Peter then decides to marry her so they can be together. And they work through it.
But instead of it being both of there problem it turns out to be Val's problem alone for a while. Peter says he loves her, but he wants to finish school, and get on with his life. Val wants to do the same with her life and her music career as well. But she lives each day with the reality of her being pregnant and Peter wanting to forget.Peter then decides to marry her so they can be together. And they work through it.
April 14, 2011
I thought this book was really good and in some ways sad. It was really fun to read and interesting. I was kind of mad when she didn't keep her baby and I was also mad when Peter said he wasn't gonna come back. I liked the fact that she went to a new school and met people that were going through the same problem.
August 14, 2024
This was a Re-Read for me. The first time I read this I was in the 5th grade. As a mom of 2 daughters I think this is an eye opening and honest account of a teen pregnancy. If only more books like this were available to kids and teens of various ages right now. I think it would stand as a cautionary tale to the young generation of today.
April 24, 2008
The most beautiful thing that I learn about how the young girl love school. I also learn that she loves music and that dont gave up an her problems and like the book because it help me keep up in our problems
Read
September 17, 2008what I learned about this book was that you should always think twice before doing something in other words just think about the consecuenses =D
Read
March 9, 2009cute!
May 11, 2009
Not to be a teenager mother
September 7, 2010
It kept me wanting to read more and find out more. I'ts a strong book.
January 24, 2013
I read this book in my preteens and boy did it scare me. I think all young girls should read a book to this effect.
February 28, 2021
Soul searching...
November 10, 2010
I borrowed this from my friend's mom. (Sad, I know.) But it was a great read.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews