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Baby bad trip (Divers lecture ado)
Olivia fête ses 17 ans. Pendant la fête, des bruits étranges parviennent de la salle de bains : sa meilleure amie, Emma, est en train d'accoucher. Jonty, le petit ami d'Olivia, échange un regard horrifié avec la jeune mère. Olivia a compris : c'est lui le père. Emma tente de se faire à son rôle de mère. Olivia a coupé les ponts, mais Alicia et Ben lui rendent souvent visite. Emma sort pour la première fois avec son bébé et assume les regards accusateurs. Olivia finit par accepter de la revoir ; ensemble, elles décident que Jonty doit se comporter en père. Elles présentent la petite Eliza à la grand-mère de Jonty, qui va forcer ce dernier à assumer ses responsabilités. Très solitaire, Alicia, la soeur d'Olivia, n'arrive pas à se faire des amis à cause de son étrangeté. Grâce à sa grand-mère, Jonty garde Eliza le dimanche. Il ose un jour l'emmener au parc. Les regards sont difficiles, la petite pleure et Alicia passe par là en criant qu'il a été violent avec sa soeur. Jonty apprend dès lors à changer, regrette sa violence avec Olivia (même si leur histoire est finie). En échange, il a "gagné" un adorable bébé, et un sentiment de rédemption. Pour Ben, être gay au lycée est compliqué. Mais il sait garder la tête haute en toutes circonstances.
224 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 1, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 124 reviews
January 27, 2024
When I opened The Baby, I anticipated a quirky, mystery-comedic-misadventure of baby-sitting gone hilariously wrong. With a dash of adolescence adoration. I was grossly mistaken. Instead, I plunged into a pertinent plot involving important issues. The depth of this quickly captivating story, seemingly centered on Olivia’s seventeenth birthday celebration, surprised and delighted me.
The look into Olivia and Jonty’s relationship reveals a rarely addressed, but true tribulation. A hard, honest survey of such a sensitive subject, seen from multiple points of view and various perspectives, proves that even with all of the pieces; a puzzle may not be easily solved. As Olivia better understands Jonty’s world and how it has affected his actions, he learns to analyze and address his issues.
Nicola is sweet and funny. Also, she is insecure and almost desperately eager to please. She makes a mistake. In a real-life kind of way, she makes the same mistake more than once. She was not alone in an ethical error, but solely shouldered the consequences. Initially. I would be remiss if I did not mention Nicola’s mother here, as I definitely dig a reminder that “mature” adults still have room to grow.
Ben is the bond that brings it all together. Being a bit accustomed to the prejudiced cold shoulder, he is a pillar for Nicola as she adjusts to her new life in the public eye. Just as tight with Olivia, he’s even at ease with Alice, her eccentric younger sibling. Maybe he and Jonty are not mates, but neither are they mortal enemies. Besides, they are teenagers; generally open-minded and adaptable creatures.
Ms. Drakeford magically meshes tough topics, tenacious teenagers with the pleasantly peculiar to display a beautiful, big picture that is neither black nor white, but grey in The Baby.
This review was written for Buried Under Books by jv poore.
The look into Olivia and Jonty’s relationship reveals a rarely addressed, but true tribulation. A hard, honest survey of such a sensitive subject, seen from multiple points of view and various perspectives, proves that even with all of the pieces; a puzzle may not be easily solved. As Olivia better understands Jonty’s world and how it has affected his actions, he learns to analyze and address his issues.
Nicola is sweet and funny. Also, she is insecure and almost desperately eager to please. She makes a mistake. In a real-life kind of way, she makes the same mistake more than once. She was not alone in an ethical error, but solely shouldered the consequences. Initially. I would be remiss if I did not mention Nicola’s mother here, as I definitely dig a reminder that “mature” adults still have room to grow.
Ben is the bond that brings it all together. Being a bit accustomed to the prejudiced cold shoulder, he is a pillar for Nicola as she adjusts to her new life in the public eye. Just as tight with Olivia, he’s even at ease with Alice, her eccentric younger sibling. Maybe he and Jonty are not mates, but neither are they mortal enemies. Besides, they are teenagers; generally open-minded and adaptable creatures.
Ms. Drakeford magically meshes tough topics, tenacious teenagers with the pleasantly peculiar to display a beautiful, big picture that is neither black nor white, but grey in The Baby.
This review was written for Buried Under Books by jv poore.
June 24, 2015
When I first heard about The Baby I knew it was something I wanted to read and once it arrived I made short work of it. The Baby is told in multiple points of view, but instead of taking turns, each character gets thier own chapter to explain thier story with thier own month. Olivia in February, Nicola in March, Alice (Olivia's younger sister) in April , Jonty in May, and Ben in June.
The Baby begins with a party, and a very unexpected arrival of a baby. Everyone is shocked and surprised at this arrival, including the baby's Dad. We see this all from Olivia's point of view as she deals with the fact that her best friend is now a Mum and how she ended up pregnant, but also his worries about her sister, and her unhappy relationship with Jonty. Nicola's point of view shows us how she is dealing with being a single parent, with no father initially on the scene, and her best friend M.I.A. Alice's point of view was the one that made me more emotional. I felt sorry for her in how she is picked on in school, how she doesn't really have any friends. But I love how she sees life, how it's all black and white with no gray area Jonty shows us his background, why he is so volatile towards Olivia, and his thoughts on Nicola's pregnancy. With Ben we get to share his fears and his dreams, and his new crush.
The Baby is more than about pregnancy, its about friendship, family, and believing in yourself, having the confidence that you can do anything, from raising a baby, or asking someone out. I like how The Baby is told from multiple points of view and how we see teenagers deal with their own issues and problems. Lisa has done a good job in making these problems accessible and real for others to relate to.
Final Verdict
The Baby is a book that would be great for teenagers looking for a little comfort in a character that is like them. It's simple but effective and makes you look at all of the angles, instead of just focusing on one problem.
The Baby begins with a party, and a very unexpected arrival of a baby. Everyone is shocked and surprised at this arrival, including the baby's Dad. We see this all from Olivia's point of view as she deals with the fact that her best friend is now a Mum and how she ended up pregnant, but also his worries about her sister, and her unhappy relationship with Jonty. Nicola's point of view shows us how she is dealing with being a single parent, with no father initially on the scene, and her best friend M.I.A. Alice's point of view was the one that made me more emotional. I felt sorry for her in how she is picked on in school, how she doesn't really have any friends. But I love how she sees life, how it's all black and white with no gray area Jonty shows us his background, why he is so volatile towards Olivia, and his thoughts on Nicola's pregnancy. With Ben we get to share his fears and his dreams, and his new crush.
The Baby is more than about pregnancy, its about friendship, family, and believing in yourself, having the confidence that you can do anything, from raising a baby, or asking someone out. I like how The Baby is told from multiple points of view and how we see teenagers deal with their own issues and problems. Lisa has done a good job in making these problems accessible and real for others to relate to.
Final Verdict
The Baby is a book that would be great for teenagers looking for a little comfort in a character that is like them. It's simple but effective and makes you look at all of the angles, instead of just focusing on one problem.
August 30, 2016
I'd give the book 3.5 stars! I really liked the concept and the structure of the story, that each of the five characters got a chapter. It was great how new information was slowly revealed throughout the story, and it wasn't just the same event from five different perspectives, but each character taking control of one month of the baby's life.
Alice's section was definitely my favourite because I have a soft spot of children's voices in YA!
Alice's section was definitely my favourite because I have a soft spot of children's voices in YA!
February 6, 2017
The message is dreadful and quite harmful for girls (and boys). The fact that the characters all congratulate the boy on what a great father he is when all he does is take the baby for 2 hours on Sundays!!! Our expectations as a society for men is so low that we are ecstatic when they spend 2 hours a week caring for their child. If the woman matched this, that poor baby would be cared for only four hours a week. Very sad.
The writing tone was right on the mark and it was fun to hear everyone's voice.
The writing tone was right on the mark and it was fun to hear everyone's voice.
June 29, 2015
While I wasn't as emotionally invested in the characters as I'd have liked to have been, I did really enjoy the concepts it brought up. About teen pregnancy, being a parent, bullying, domestic violence, friendship. I liked it a lot.
The Baby by Lisa Drakeford was an interesting read that covered lots of topics that I found fascinating. Each of the five characters' stories were really interesting and I thought it was great how each character's story really builds on the overall theme of teen pregnancy/parenthood whilst also giving each character time to shine in their own right.
I found the structure of the novel to be quite unusual. There are five narrators in this book each of the five being people who have attended this 17th birthday party in which one of the guests unexpectedly (even to her!) gives birth to a baby. The rest of the story is the aftermath of this big surprise.
There is Olivia, the birthday girl. Alice, Olivia's little sister. Ben, Olivia's gay best friend. Nicola, the new mother (and Olivia's best friend.) Jonty, the father (and Olivia's boyfriend.) You can kind of see how there might be some conflict as the father of the baby is the boyfriend of someone else. And that there'd be obvious fall-out between the two best friends. But what I liked about this book is that while this book is quite slim, there was quite a lot packed into it. The exploration of these complicated relationships. Nicola (and Jonty) dealing with the fact that they are now teenage parents and what that means for their lives and futures.
Through the eyes of Nicola and Jonty we can see some of the reactions that other people have towards teenage parents which is quite sobering. There is a lot of stigma and negativity surrounding teen parents which can be quite sad to read about. For me, there was a bit of a disconnect between me and most of these characters, however, Nicola's adventures of being a new parent and caring for a newborn made tears come to my eyes. I knew exactly the frustration and fatigue and helplessness she felt as she tried so desperately to soothe a colicky baby in the middle of the night.
But I also found Alice and Ben's story lines very interesting in that they are involved in Nicola and her baby's lives and give support but they also share and we get to explore some of their own life problems. Alice with her difficulty in finding friends and being different and Ben and his search for love. But it was definitely the domestic violence aspect of Jonty and Olivia that made me really intrigued by this novel. I found it an interesting topic to explore and I quite liked seeing Jonty's character development from the beginning to end.
The Baby was something a bit different and I really liked that!
The Baby by Lisa Drakeford was an interesting read that covered lots of topics that I found fascinating. Each of the five characters' stories were really interesting and I thought it was great how each character's story really builds on the overall theme of teen pregnancy/parenthood whilst also giving each character time to shine in their own right.
I found the structure of the novel to be quite unusual. There are five narrators in this book each of the five being people who have attended this 17th birthday party in which one of the guests unexpectedly (even to her!) gives birth to a baby. The rest of the story is the aftermath of this big surprise.
There is Olivia, the birthday girl. Alice, Olivia's little sister. Ben, Olivia's gay best friend. Nicola, the new mother (and Olivia's best friend.) Jonty, the father (and Olivia's boyfriend.) You can kind of see how there might be some conflict as the father of the baby is the boyfriend of someone else. And that there'd be obvious fall-out between the two best friends. But what I liked about this book is that while this book is quite slim, there was quite a lot packed into it. The exploration of these complicated relationships. Nicola (and Jonty) dealing with the fact that they are now teenage parents and what that means for their lives and futures.
Through the eyes of Nicola and Jonty we can see some of the reactions that other people have towards teenage parents which is quite sobering. There is a lot of stigma and negativity surrounding teen parents which can be quite sad to read about. For me, there was a bit of a disconnect between me and most of these characters, however, Nicola's adventures of being a new parent and caring for a newborn made tears come to my eyes. I knew exactly the frustration and fatigue and helplessness she felt as she tried so desperately to soothe a colicky baby in the middle of the night.
But I also found Alice and Ben's story lines very interesting in that they are involved in Nicola and her baby's lives and give support but they also share and we get to explore some of their own life problems. Alice with her difficulty in finding friends and being different and Ben and his search for love. But it was definitely the domestic violence aspect of Jonty and Olivia that made me really intrigued by this novel. I found it an interesting topic to explore and I quite liked seeing Jonty's character development from the beginning to end.
The Baby was something a bit different and I really liked that!
June 3, 2015
I fell in love with the idea behind Lisa Drakeford’s debute the minute I saw the book and once my copy landed on my desk, it went straight to the top of my reading list. Teenage pregnancy – and especially teenage parenthood – is a hugely important issue which, I think, doesn’t get the attention it should in YA literature.
Interestingly, and unlike the very few other novels I’ve seen and read so far, The Baby focuses on parenthood and not the pregnancy itself. It explores how Nicola and the dad deal with new-found parenthood and how the dynamics change among their group of friends after the baby is born, which really intrigued me. It also touches upon, however briefly, the subject of domestic violence and bullying, two equally significant topics that don’t get mentioned enough. I have to applaud Drakeford for bringing such important subjects to the attention of younger readers and dealing with them in such a delicate way.
Understandably, I had really high hopes for this novel but, unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy it as much as I hoped I would.
Read more >>
Interestingly, and unlike the very few other novels I’ve seen and read so far, The Baby focuses on parenthood and not the pregnancy itself. It explores how Nicola and the dad deal with new-found parenthood and how the dynamics change among their group of friends after the baby is born, which really intrigued me. It also touches upon, however briefly, the subject of domestic violence and bullying, two equally significant topics that don’t get mentioned enough. I have to applaud Drakeford for bringing such important subjects to the attention of younger readers and dealing with them in such a delicate way.
Understandably, I had really high hopes for this novel but, unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy it as much as I hoped I would.
Read more >>
July 6, 2020
Reasons This Book is Stupid:
1. The protagonist (Olivia) pretty much immediately forgives her best friend for sleeping with her boyfriend without them actually having a real conversation about it. How on earth is she supposed to trust Nicola?
2. Olivia's other best friend (Ben) is annoyed at her because she won't immediately talk to Nicola after finding out that she slept with her boyfriend and has had his baby. ???? Wtf. Who wouldn't need time to process that??
3. Olivia's boyfriend (Jonty) is domestically abusive and everyone just... brushes past this? Literally no one gives him any flack for this just because he had a bad childhood.
4. Nicola lies about who the father of her baby is, apparently giving no thought as to how that would affect her best friend (who's boyfriend she claimed was the father), the actual father, and the alleged father.
5. The story ends with us finding out that Ben is the father of Nicola's baby, not Jonty. Nicola and Ben discuss how this is going to devastate Jonty when they tell him, and then the book ends??
IN CONCLUSION:
Olivia deserves better people in her life. Literally Ben, Jonty, and Nicola are all trash. (:
1. The protagonist (Olivia) pretty much immediately forgives her best friend for sleeping with her boyfriend without them actually having a real conversation about it. How on earth is she supposed to trust Nicola?
2. Olivia's other best friend (Ben) is annoyed at her because she won't immediately talk to Nicola after finding out that she slept with her boyfriend and has had his baby. ???? Wtf. Who wouldn't need time to process that??
3. Olivia's boyfriend (Jonty) is domestically abusive and everyone just... brushes past this? Literally no one gives him any flack for this just because he had a bad childhood.
4. Nicola lies about who the father of her baby is, apparently giving no thought as to how that would affect her best friend (who's boyfriend she claimed was the father), the actual father, and the alleged father.
5. The story ends with us finding out that Ben is the father of Nicola's baby, not Jonty. Nicola and Ben discuss how this is going to devastate Jonty when they tell him, and then the book ends??
IN CONCLUSION:
Olivia deserves better people in her life. Literally Ben, Jonty, and Nicola are all trash. (:
August 20, 2020
Baya oldu aslında bitireli ama anca yorumunu girip yazmaya vaktim oldu. Bu kitabı okumayı uzun zamandır istiyordum ama e-pub şeklinde bulamamıştım. Bulduğumda çok heyecanlanmıştım ama o kadar heyecanlanmaya değdi mi acaba?
Kitabımı Olivia’ın bir parti vermesi ile başlıyor. Partide kız kardeşi Alice’e de göz kulak olmalı tabi bu istediği en son şey. Partinin ortalarına doğru en yakın arkadaşı Nicola banyoda doğum yapıyor. (işte burada tam daha önce bahsettiğim “hamile olduğumu bilmiyordum” programı aklıma gelmişti) Çünkü ciddi anlamda öyle olmuyor. Nicola, hamile olduğunu bilmiyor ve doğum yaptığı için şokta. Olivia ise ona söylemediği için şaşkınlık ve kızgınlık arasında gidip geliyor. Bir de Ben var. Nicola’nın arkadaşı bütün sorunları çözen o her arakdaş grubunda olan kişi. Ve Jonty… Ondan bahsetmek bile istemiyorum aslında. Kendisi Olivia’ın erkek arkadaşı ama baya bildiğiniz toxic biri. Aşırı kaba biri, kız arkadaşına fiziksel şiddete giden derecede şeyler yapıyor sonra çok özür dilerim diye ağlıyor.. Bebeğin kimden olduğunu aslında okuyan herkes tahmin edebilir. Benim şok olduğum en son kısmıydı tam bir plot twist yapmış yazar. Bu 3 yıldızı bu yüzden verdim. Ama tabi sonda çıkan olayın çözülmemesi kötü oldu. İkinci kitabı da yok yani biraz askıda kalmış. Beğenmediğim başka bir kısım ise her bölüm sadece bir kişinin anlatılması. Mesela ilk bölümde Olivia anlatılıyordu ama doğum yapan kişi Nicolay’dı onun ne hissettiğini okumak güzel olurdu. Sonra Nicola, Ben, Jonty diye gidiyor. Okuduğumuz kişiyi bir daha okuyamamak bence güzel değildi. Yani Olivia’ın küçük kız kardeşi Alice’i de okumamıza gerek yoktu.
Son olarak sanırım okuması en kolay İngilizce kitaplardan biriydi. Yazarın aşırı sade ve zorlanacağınızı hiç sanmıyorum. Özellikle daha önce İngilizce e-pub okuyan varsa bunu kolaylıkla okur.
Kitabımı Olivia’ın bir parti vermesi ile başlıyor. Partide kız kardeşi Alice’e de göz kulak olmalı tabi bu istediği en son şey. Partinin ortalarına doğru en yakın arkadaşı Nicola banyoda doğum yapıyor. (işte burada tam daha önce bahsettiğim “hamile olduğumu bilmiyordum” programı aklıma gelmişti) Çünkü ciddi anlamda öyle olmuyor. Nicola, hamile olduğunu bilmiyor ve doğum yaptığı için şokta. Olivia ise ona söylemediği için şaşkınlık ve kızgınlık arasında gidip geliyor. Bir de Ben var. Nicola’nın arkadaşı bütün sorunları çözen o her arakdaş grubunda olan kişi. Ve Jonty… Ondan bahsetmek bile istemiyorum aslında. Kendisi Olivia’ın erkek arkadaşı ama baya bildiğiniz toxic biri. Aşırı kaba biri, kız arkadaşına fiziksel şiddete giden derecede şeyler yapıyor sonra çok özür dilerim diye ağlıyor.. Bebeğin kimden olduğunu aslında okuyan herkes tahmin edebilir. Benim şok olduğum en son kısmıydı tam bir plot twist yapmış yazar. Bu 3 yıldızı bu yüzden verdim. Ama tabi sonda çıkan olayın çözülmemesi kötü oldu. İkinci kitabı da yok yani biraz askıda kalmış. Beğenmediğim başka bir kısım ise her bölüm sadece bir kişinin anlatılması. Mesela ilk bölümde Olivia anlatılıyordu ama doğum yapan kişi Nicolay’dı onun ne hissettiğini okumak güzel olurdu. Sonra Nicola, Ben, Jonty diye gidiyor. Okuduğumuz kişiyi bir daha okuyamamak bence güzel değildi. Yani Olivia’ın küçük kız kardeşi Alice’i de okumamıza gerek yoktu.
Son olarak sanırım okuması en kolay İngilizce kitaplardan biriydi. Yazarın aşırı sade ve zorlanacağınızı hiç sanmıyorum. Özellikle daha önce İngilizce e-pub okuyan varsa bunu kolaylıkla okur.
January 1, 2025
my new fav genre of books is middle aged women writing stories with no plot about teenagers and getting it entirely wrong, bonus points if they forget to add chapters! the line “…who goes to a private school, but isn’t actually that bad…” was moving for sure. there wasn’t enough giving birth at a party and too much dealing with teen pregnancy. also the fact that neither “parents” thought to count how many months ago they had sex and so she got the dad entirely wrong and no one realised 🤨🤨 anywho this book was mad sus and mad boring, i know i don’t have a kid but other than that, it was just my life not something I want to be reading.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 20, 2019
Really enjoyable read about an unexpected teenager pregnancy/delivery and the relations surrounding it. The only thing that bothered me was that the main issue was enough for this novel. There was no real need to add additional issues, no matter how important they are, as it was diverting the attention too much. But a good read.
February 15, 2017
Recipe for teen best seller - you think hmm: teen pregnancy, abusive boyfriend, absent parents and friends with a deep dark secret..... ACTUALLY NO! It would be great for a book to focus on one of these things or maybe two but seriously 17. Clearly writing about all of these issues at once didn't give you the Printz Award you were looking for - next time, go ahead and find something that has a full based plot and then write from there. Oh by the way - a seventeen year old girl has a bash at her house (add in the teenage drinking). She opens the bathroom to find her friend Nicola giving birth on the floor - yea, because that's totally possible! Olivia doesn't know how to help her friend be a mom and get smacked around and be a mom to her sister. This book is so crazy hard to follow and I think that she really could have accomplished something great - but she didn't she just went in circles and crazy until she just stopped and tied a knot - not even a pretty bow. Grades 10+, not even 3 stars - yuck.
October 10, 2019
I was really in the mood for an audio book and this one was available on my library app straight away, so I quickly started listening to it.
I ended up just walking around listening to it as I was so engrossed, at one point I sat down and did nothing other than listen to the audio book. This is unusual for me as i usually zone out and miss some key plot points in the narrative.
I'm not sure if it was the voice of the narrative, the plot point or the fact that i was just in the mood for an audiobook that made me listen to the whole 6 hours in one sitting. I went until 1am as I stopped to watch some netflix when i ate my dinner.
The actual book itself, had a shocking plot twist which i will not spoil, so don't worry. I really did not see it coming. I must admit I wish the book was longer to tie up some loose ends, as there were a couple questions that i felt were left unanswered.
I found myself really enjoying all the different perspectives in the book. I like how it didn't flick in between but they had a large section each and it worked through the whole group of friends.
I'm not sure why I didn't give it a higher rating, I just felt it was a 3 star, I don't think this kind or book could have been much higher in ratings, i don't think there was anything the book did 'wrong'.
I ended up just walking around listening to it as I was so engrossed, at one point I sat down and did nothing other than listen to the audio book. This is unusual for me as i usually zone out and miss some key plot points in the narrative.
I'm not sure if it was the voice of the narrative, the plot point or the fact that i was just in the mood for an audiobook that made me listen to the whole 6 hours in one sitting. I went until 1am as I stopped to watch some netflix when i ate my dinner.
The actual book itself, had a shocking plot twist which i will not spoil, so don't worry. I really did not see it coming. I must admit I wish the book was longer to tie up some loose ends, as there were a couple questions that i felt were left unanswered.
I found myself really enjoying all the different perspectives in the book. I like how it didn't flick in between but they had a large section each and it worked through the whole group of friends.
I'm not sure why I didn't give it a higher rating, I just felt it was a 3 star, I don't think this kind or book could have been much higher in ratings, i don't think there was anything the book did 'wrong'.
August 24, 2015
3.5 Stars.
Originally posted on Once Upon a Bookcase.
I read The Baby by Lisa Drakeford thinking that it might work for my upcoming Sex in Teen Lit Month II blog event, seeing as it's about the arrival of a unexpected baby. It doesn't quite work for what I want the month to highlight, but I was surprised with how much I enjoyed it! It's pretty good, and takes a serious look at the changes a baby can bring.
When Nicola gives birth in Olivia's bathroom at her birthday party, it's the beginning of a massive change. A change that doesn't just affect her, but Olivia, Olivia's boyfriend Jonty, their friend Ben, and Olivia's younger sister, Alice. Emotions rocket, relationships are put to the test, and decisions need to be made. Life isn't one big party, especially when there's a baby to think of.
The Baby was a completely different story to the one I was expecting. Considering the way the description goes, I thought the whole story would be set at Olivia's party, but it's actually set over five months. Each character gets a turn to narrate, and they all have their own sub-story, which intersect because of their relationships and baby Eliza.
I was a bit worried when I first started. Olivia's narration is first, and seeing as it's the night of her party, she's drunk, which could be the reason why, but I found her to tell more than show. The party is great, she gets on so well with so-and-so, but we don't really get to see why. I found her narration to be one of the weakest, I felt like she was quite young and selfish, but again, it could have been because she was drunk, because I preferred her a lot more in the other narrations. But her story is also a really important one. Her boyfriend Jonty hurts her. He's jealous and controlling, and he physically hurts her when Olivia doesn't bend to his wishes. It was shocking to read, but the focus shifts once everyone realise Nicola is giving birth in the bathroom.
Then it's Nicola's narration, and it's brilliant. She didn't know she was pregnant, and now she's a new mum. She's struggling to deal with it. She is full of awe and wonder and this beautiful little girl that she's brought into the world, but she's so unsure of what she's doing and being up with her at all hours is really taking it's toll. She has people - health visitors, social workers, midwives, and so forth - ask her all kinds of questions. Is this what she wants? What is she going to do about school? What about benefits? Who's the dad? Question after question, and so much pressure. And she has very few people on her side. It's a fantastic narration, and very realistic. I felt really sorry for Nicola, and just wished more people would help her and give her a chance.
Then we have Alice's narration. Eleven-year-old Alice is "weird", and people avoid her. I can't say for certain, but it seems to me that she might have a form of Autism; she's very intelligent, but doesn't understand social situations and gets things wrong. She doesn't have friends, and her attempts to make them, while saying completely the wrong thing, and the reaction this causes from others is just heartbreaking. She's bullied and laughed at, and she doesn't quite understand why. She just knows she shouldn't mention her imaginary farm animals, because people don't seem to like that. But there is a baby now, a baby that was born in her bathroom, Nicola's baby, and she so loves to visit and help out. I loved Alice's narration, because she is just so wonderful and has a fantastic way of looking at the world, and I just wanted to give her such a big hug. She's a really special girl, and I don't mean that in the derogatory way.
Jonty. As the story went on, the more and more I disliked him. He's not a very nice guy at all, and he treats others so badly, not just Olivia. And then we get his narration, and wow. My feelings towards him shifted. He isn't a great guy, but he has problems of his own, and I started to understand why he is the way he is. It doesn't excuse his behaviour, but I did feel some sympathy for him. And we see a real change during his narration. He does grow up a bit, and realises that he can't go on the way he has been. He sees things differently, and I ended up feeling quite proud of him.
Oh my god, Ben's narration! It was the most disappointing of them all! Ben is gay, and he's really into this guy, Josh, but doesn't know if he's gay. Then a huge bombshell is dropped, one I did not see coming at all, and I was feeling so much anguish and sadness and, oh my god, really?! It was just so surprising and in some ways so awful, and... then it just ends. Ben's story gets wrapped up, I suppose, but the whole story doesn't! Not in my opinion! There is more to that bombshell, more that I need to know. There is so much more fallout from it to come, and I cannot believe it just ends like that. This bombshell would change everything for everyone, but we don't see it, we don't see what comes, and I am stunned. There was huge potential for this story to continue and follow it through, and be SUCH an emotional story. Just thinking about what this means for the other characters really has me getting upset, and to not actually see it... I am so disappointed. It's a really bad ending, in my opinion. There's no real conclusion. Things are left open, but not in a way that makes me feel there will be a follow up novel. It's just left, and it annoys me so much.
But over all, The Baby is really good! I would recommend it for Nicola, Alice and Jonty's narrations and stories because they're just so brilliant! A disappointing ending, but on the whole, an enjoyable read.
Thank you to Chicken House for the proof.
Originally posted on Once Upon a Bookcase.
I read The Baby by Lisa Drakeford thinking that it might work for my upcoming Sex in Teen Lit Month II blog event, seeing as it's about the arrival of a unexpected baby. It doesn't quite work for what I want the month to highlight, but I was surprised with how much I enjoyed it! It's pretty good, and takes a serious look at the changes a baby can bring.
When Nicola gives birth in Olivia's bathroom at her birthday party, it's the beginning of a massive change. A change that doesn't just affect her, but Olivia, Olivia's boyfriend Jonty, their friend Ben, and Olivia's younger sister, Alice. Emotions rocket, relationships are put to the test, and decisions need to be made. Life isn't one big party, especially when there's a baby to think of.
The Baby was a completely different story to the one I was expecting. Considering the way the description goes, I thought the whole story would be set at Olivia's party, but it's actually set over five months. Each character gets a turn to narrate, and they all have their own sub-story, which intersect because of their relationships and baby Eliza.
I was a bit worried when I first started. Olivia's narration is first, and seeing as it's the night of her party, she's drunk, which could be the reason why, but I found her to tell more than show. The party is great, she gets on so well with so-and-so, but we don't really get to see why. I found her narration to be one of the weakest, I felt like she was quite young and selfish, but again, it could have been because she was drunk, because I preferred her a lot more in the other narrations. But her story is also a really important one. Her boyfriend Jonty hurts her. He's jealous and controlling, and he physically hurts her when Olivia doesn't bend to his wishes. It was shocking to read, but the focus shifts once everyone realise Nicola is giving birth in the bathroom.
Then it's Nicola's narration, and it's brilliant. She didn't know she was pregnant, and now she's a new mum. She's struggling to deal with it. She is full of awe and wonder and this beautiful little girl that she's brought into the world, but she's so unsure of what she's doing and being up with her at all hours is really taking it's toll. She has people - health visitors, social workers, midwives, and so forth - ask her all kinds of questions. Is this what she wants? What is she going to do about school? What about benefits? Who's the dad? Question after question, and so much pressure. And she has very few people on her side. It's a fantastic narration, and very realistic. I felt really sorry for Nicola, and just wished more people would help her and give her a chance.
Then we have Alice's narration. Eleven-year-old Alice is "weird", and people avoid her. I can't say for certain, but it seems to me that she might have a form of Autism; she's very intelligent, but doesn't understand social situations and gets things wrong. She doesn't have friends, and her attempts to make them, while saying completely the wrong thing, and the reaction this causes from others is just heartbreaking. She's bullied and laughed at, and she doesn't quite understand why. She just knows she shouldn't mention her imaginary farm animals, because people don't seem to like that. But there is a baby now, a baby that was born in her bathroom, Nicola's baby, and she so loves to visit and help out. I loved Alice's narration, because she is just so wonderful and has a fantastic way of looking at the world, and I just wanted to give her such a big hug. She's a really special girl, and I don't mean that in the derogatory way.
Jonty. As the story went on, the more and more I disliked him. He's not a very nice guy at all, and he treats others so badly, not just Olivia. And then we get his narration, and wow. My feelings towards him shifted. He isn't a great guy, but he has problems of his own, and I started to understand why he is the way he is. It doesn't excuse his behaviour, but I did feel some sympathy for him. And we see a real change during his narration. He does grow up a bit, and realises that he can't go on the way he has been. He sees things differently, and I ended up feeling quite proud of him.
Oh my god, Ben's narration! It was the most disappointing of them all! Ben is gay, and he's really into this guy, Josh, but doesn't know if he's gay. Then a huge bombshell is dropped, one I did not see coming at all, and I was feeling so much anguish and sadness and, oh my god, really?! It was just so surprising and in some ways so awful, and... then it just ends. Ben's story gets wrapped up, I suppose, but the whole story doesn't! Not in my opinion! There is more to that bombshell, more that I need to know. There is so much more fallout from it to come, and I cannot believe it just ends like that. This bombshell would change everything for everyone, but we don't see it, we don't see what comes, and I am stunned. There was huge potential for this story to continue and follow it through, and be SUCH an emotional story. Just thinking about what this means for the other characters really has me getting upset, and to not actually see it... I am so disappointed. It's a really bad ending, in my opinion. There's no real conclusion. Things are left open, but not in a way that makes me feel there will be a follow up novel. It's just left, and it annoys me so much.
But over all, The Baby is really good! I would recommend it for Nicola, Alice and Jonty's narrations and stories because they're just so brilliant! A disappointing ending, but on the whole, an enjoyable read.
Thank you to Chicken House for the proof.
February 21, 2021
The Baby isn’t a book that I would normally read - specifically the genre and the style of writing. However, I do believe that it tackles important issues such as teen pregnancy, domestic abuse, and bullying. It’s a great read for teenagers. I enjoyed the structure of the book, and how we were able to see character development through the POV of all five friends.
September 21, 2021
This book was mediocre. It gave me huge Wattpad vibes 😂. The book, as suggested in the title, is centred around a baby. But LEMME just say, the last 30 pages :0 THE PLOT TWISTS.
It was a short read and pretty cheap, so it didn't waste too much of my time.
It was a short read and pretty cheap, so it didn't waste too much of my time.
April 4, 2020
The ending was a bit off but everything else was pretty good
December 4, 2024
I was surprised by how much I liked this. Alice is an icon. Kinda annoyed about them not telling Jonty tho.
March 21, 2021
Was going to be a 4 until the last chapter 🥴
July 31, 2015
"The Baby" is a short book, only a couple of hundred pages long. It's a YA book that revolves around five friends, each of them get a chapter to themselves but the whole book is in the third person.
Olivia and her boyfriend Jonty have been going out for 6 years, but Jonty isn't particularly nice to Olivia at times. On the night of Olivia's 17th birthday party, her best friend Nicola gives birth on the bathroom floor.
The story takes place over a couple of months and focuses on how the birth affects Nicola, and her friends Olivia, Jonty, Ben and Olivia's little sister Alice, an eccentric young girl who has an imaginary farm of animals.
While some parts of the story were a little too far-fetched (Alice's new friendship seemed like a convenient plot device but I found myself feeling happy for her) I did enjoy this book and it's not a theme I come across too often. Wasn't mad on the "Gotcha!" ending either but it didn't ruin the book for me.
Olivia and her boyfriend Jonty have been going out for 6 years, but Jonty isn't particularly nice to Olivia at times. On the night of Olivia's 17th birthday party, her best friend Nicola gives birth on the bathroom floor.
The story takes place over a couple of months and focuses on how the birth affects Nicola, and her friends Olivia, Jonty, Ben and Olivia's little sister Alice, an eccentric young girl who has an imaginary farm of animals.
While some parts of the story were a little too far-fetched (Alice's new friendship seemed like a convenient plot device but I found myself feeling happy for her) I did enjoy this book and it's not a theme I come across too often. Wasn't mad on the "Gotcha!" ending either but it didn't ruin the book for me.
November 4, 2016
If truth be told, I was unable to have a connection with the characters, and overall... I just did not feel anything while reading this. It was okay, but I would've liked it more if the story revolved around the confrontation of the characters regarding the true father of the baby.
But still, if you want to read something about friendship, you might want to try this. Also, the cover design of this book is pretty, inclusive of its color and illustrations.
But still, if you want to read something about friendship, you might want to try this. Also, the cover design of this book is pretty, inclusive of its color and illustrations.
January 22, 2016
I really enjoyed this book. An interesting and refreshing take on the taboo subject of teenage pregnancy. I really liked the multiple viewpoint approach to the story, and found it worked really well considering the subject matter and the people involved. A really quick read also, which is the kind of thing I like to read in the Summer :)
May 2, 2016
ubehjælpsomt skrevet, klichéagtige personer, tynd handling. Er overrasket over hvor langt der er mellem gode YA bøger...
August 5, 2019
The writing style of this book was like it was stating the obvious but it wasn't actually. There is one character that I feel like was put in as an after-thought.
March 5, 2017
disclaimer: i really really disliked this book and i'm frustrated bc i was so excited to read it. i'm sorry if this review comes across as rude as i tend to get pretty rant-y when i dislike books. alsoooooooo i don't think I spoiled any plot points that weren't in the first 30 pages, so this is spoiler free!
positive thoughts about this book: it was interesting seeing teen pregnancy get some rep- you don't see that a lot in ya! also the cover of my arc (i think most editions of the book are the yellow one but mine is the one w the photograph of a floor at a party) is really cool! that's actually why i picked up this book in the first place. my librarian let me choose some arcs from a box she had and as soon as i saw the cover of this i knew i wanted it.
negatives (get ready bc this ramble is all over the place): i listened to the audiobook on hoopla. had i not listened to the book, i definitely wouldn't have finished it. first of all, the back of my arc has an excerpt from a conversation in the story that makes it seem as if the premise of the book is that some friends are at a party and they find a baby and chaos ensues or something. because of that premise and the vibe of the cover, my first impression was that this would be a humorous book about a really wild scenario. but instead, this book was not funny at all and was just boring.
before the plot gets going, you have about 20 pages to get to know the characters. i didn't really connect to any of them in this amount of time so I didn't care when bad/good things happened to them after Nicola gives birth all of the sudden at the party. somehow no one knew she was pregnant (and Nicola didn't seem to know either??? how the heck does a girl not talk to a parent or friend or doctor after having unprotected sex and then missing ~9 periods?????? beats me. but she clearly was not the brightest.) so everyone was pretty shook. it was very unrealistic tbh.
but basically there's 5 chapters, each one written by one of the main characters. this structure had the potential to be really interesting but the author wasn't very creative with it. the times when characters would narrate didn't overlap and flashbacks (which could have been very interesting in this) weren't used so there was really no purpose to the perspective changes. especially the 3rd chapter- which follows one of the friends' little sisters. this chapter contributes next to nothing to the plot and it is the single most annoying thing I have ever read. the little sister uses the phrase "commits domestic violence" literally every 10 seconds. i groaned out loud with frustration every time because it just sounded so ridiculous. the kid doesn't even seem to care that her sister is being physically abused by her boyfriend, but she won't stop describing him as the one who "commits domestic violence". i understand that the author wanted the little sister to have a distinct voice but i think it would have helped this chapter quite a bit if the author chose to be less repetitive.
the teens in this book had me rolling my eyes every two seconds. I'm in 9th grade and I'm pretty sure these characters are older than that. trust me, I know some pretty stupid 9th graders. but holy crap these teens are on another level of stupid. how the heck do you not notice that your best friend is NINE MONTHS PREGNANT? 9 months pregnant and "just put on a bit of weight" are two VERY different things. it's easy to tell the difference. and if you had sex with a girl approximately 9 months ago and she just gave birth, WHY WOULD YOU NOT EXPECT TO BE THE FATHER? heck, if you've had sex with a girl who just gave birth any time in the last year, if you're a person with any sense, you'd check your calendar!!! i'm sorry guys I'm getting frustrated but i hate when teens are so stupid in YA. stuff like this is one of the reasons why YA reading adults in the book community take teens like me less seriously than other adults.
this book does have domestic abuse in it, so trigger warning! the boy who was abusing his girlfriend is initially portrayed as a really unlikable abuser but then later in the book his behavior is blamed on his mom leaving. he does acknowledge that his struggles do not excuse his abuse, if i remember correctly.
this book did a thing i REALLY HATE also. i guess some YA authors think that the teens in their books will be super cool and #relatable if they smoke and drink. um no??? you realize that your audience is mostly book nerds who don't leave the house on friday nights, right?? also, WHY WOULD YOU PROMOTE SMOKING AND DRINKING TO TEENS? both are terrible for your health and brain development as a teen (smoking is horrible for you regardless of your age!!) it would be fine if the characters smoked and drank and it was somehow acknowledged that they were making poor decisions but nope! also, teens don't really smoke cigarettes that much these days anyway- i don't know a single teen who does, and according to Campaign For Tobacco-Free Kids, since 1997, there has been a decline of more than 57% in youth smoking prevalence.
this book honestly had no purpose or message. the characters weren't likable at all and had the intelligence of worms. the writing in this wasn't special- and at times, was irritating af. as much as i wanted to like this book, it had no redeeming qualities. i literally just finished it because it was a short audiobook. i have pretty much nothing nice to say about the book's content, hence why I'm giving it 1 star.
positive thoughts about this book: it was interesting seeing teen pregnancy get some rep- you don't see that a lot in ya! also the cover of my arc (i think most editions of the book are the yellow one but mine is the one w the photograph of a floor at a party) is really cool! that's actually why i picked up this book in the first place. my librarian let me choose some arcs from a box she had and as soon as i saw the cover of this i knew i wanted it.
negatives (get ready bc this ramble is all over the place): i listened to the audiobook on hoopla. had i not listened to the book, i definitely wouldn't have finished it. first of all, the back of my arc has an excerpt from a conversation in the story that makes it seem as if the premise of the book is that some friends are at a party and they find a baby and chaos ensues or something. because of that premise and the vibe of the cover, my first impression was that this would be a humorous book about a really wild scenario. but instead, this book was not funny at all and was just boring.
before the plot gets going, you have about 20 pages to get to know the characters. i didn't really connect to any of them in this amount of time so I didn't care when bad/good things happened to them after Nicola gives birth all of the sudden at the party. somehow no one knew she was pregnant (and Nicola didn't seem to know either??? how the heck does a girl not talk to a parent or friend or doctor after having unprotected sex and then missing ~9 periods?????? beats me. but she clearly was not the brightest.) so everyone was pretty shook. it was very unrealistic tbh.
but basically there's 5 chapters, each one written by one of the main characters. this structure had the potential to be really interesting but the author wasn't very creative with it. the times when characters would narrate didn't overlap and flashbacks (which could have been very interesting in this) weren't used so there was really no purpose to the perspective changes. especially the 3rd chapter- which follows one of the friends' little sisters. this chapter contributes next to nothing to the plot and it is the single most annoying thing I have ever read. the little sister uses the phrase "commits domestic violence" literally every 10 seconds. i groaned out loud with frustration every time because it just sounded so ridiculous. the kid doesn't even seem to care that her sister is being physically abused by her boyfriend, but she won't stop describing him as the one who "commits domestic violence". i understand that the author wanted the little sister to have a distinct voice but i think it would have helped this chapter quite a bit if the author chose to be less repetitive.
the teens in this book had me rolling my eyes every two seconds. I'm in 9th grade and I'm pretty sure these characters are older than that. trust me, I know some pretty stupid 9th graders. but holy crap these teens are on another level of stupid. how the heck do you not notice that your best friend is NINE MONTHS PREGNANT? 9 months pregnant and "just put on a bit of weight" are two VERY different things. it's easy to tell the difference. and if you had sex with a girl approximately 9 months ago and she just gave birth, WHY WOULD YOU NOT EXPECT TO BE THE FATHER? heck, if you've had sex with a girl who just gave birth any time in the last year, if you're a person with any sense, you'd check your calendar!!! i'm sorry guys I'm getting frustrated but i hate when teens are so stupid in YA. stuff like this is one of the reasons why YA reading adults in the book community take teens like me less seriously than other adults.
this book does have domestic abuse in it, so trigger warning! the boy who was abusing his girlfriend is initially portrayed as a really unlikable abuser but then later in the book his behavior is blamed on his mom leaving. he does acknowledge that his struggles do not excuse his abuse, if i remember correctly.
this book did a thing i REALLY HATE also. i guess some YA authors think that the teens in their books will be super cool and #relatable if they smoke and drink. um no??? you realize that your audience is mostly book nerds who don't leave the house on friday nights, right?? also, WHY WOULD YOU PROMOTE SMOKING AND DRINKING TO TEENS? both are terrible for your health and brain development as a teen (smoking is horrible for you regardless of your age!!) it would be fine if the characters smoked and drank and it was somehow acknowledged that they were making poor decisions but nope! also, teens don't really smoke cigarettes that much these days anyway- i don't know a single teen who does, and according to Campaign For Tobacco-Free Kids, since 1997, there has been a decline of more than 57% in youth smoking prevalence.
this book honestly had no purpose or message. the characters weren't likable at all and had the intelligence of worms. the writing in this wasn't special- and at times, was irritating af. as much as i wanted to like this book, it had no redeeming qualities. i literally just finished it because it was a short audiobook. i have pretty much nothing nice to say about the book's content, hence why I'm giving it 1 star.
January 17, 2018
Let me start by saying I loved the idea at the centre of The Baby - teen pregnancy story lines are plentiful, but there are fewer focusing on teen parenthood, especially entirely unprepared for. I love the front cover and have been thinking of reading it for a while.
Unfortunately, I was left disappointed by the book itself. My problems are two fold:
1. The structure - The Baby is told in five segments from five characters. I love it when authors try something different but I don't think the structure best suited the story. With five narrators, it's difficult to feel much of a sense of connection and like we really knew who the characters are; Nicola, Olivia and Ben all left me very cold and while I liked Alice, I don't feel her story really had enough of a strong link with the plot to be included. The only character I felt I knew a bit better was Jonty, but even then, I don't know enough about him to really feel for or understand him.
2. Important things happen "off screen" - this problem also comes from the structure. Each character's narration is a one off; i.e. Olivia opens the story, but we never return to her side of the story. And this is a problem because I was left feeling that some of the most interesting things happened outside of the narration. For example, Nicola's section primarily focuses on the rift between her and Olivia. The girls make up - but we don't see this happening, because it happens somewhere in Alice's section, and Alice is unaware of what really happens. Likewise, we never get to see Jonty's potentially explosive reaction to the twit that is uncovered in Ben's section - because it happens after the book ends, which is such a shame as that could have been so interesting. Likewise we don't get any flashbacks, and we don't get to see Nicola finally realising she can raise a baby, or Jonty and Olivia breaking up. It's all very unsatisfying.
3. The writing - Lisa Drakeford has chosen to tell the story in third person present tense. It may just be me, but I found this only increased the disconnection I felt to the characters. It also makes the book read as though it's a Middle Grade read aimed at a younger audience rather than YA. A more direct first person narration might have helped the characters bucketloads.
I like a lot about what The Baby *is*; ultimately, the execution didn't work for me. I don't think Drakeford is a bad writer, but perhaps this was the wrong book to showcase her talents.
Unfortunately, I was left disappointed by the book itself. My problems are two fold:
1. The structure - The Baby is told in five segments from five characters. I love it when authors try something different but I don't think the structure best suited the story. With five narrators, it's difficult to feel much of a sense of connection and like we really knew who the characters are; Nicola, Olivia and Ben all left me very cold and while I liked Alice, I don't feel her story really had enough of a strong link with the plot to be included. The only character I felt I knew a bit better was Jonty, but even then, I don't know enough about him to really feel for or understand him.
2. Important things happen "off screen" - this problem also comes from the structure. Each character's narration is a one off; i.e. Olivia opens the story, but we never return to her side of the story. And this is a problem because I was left feeling that some of the most interesting things happened outside of the narration. For example, Nicola's section primarily focuses on the rift between her and Olivia. The girls make up - but we don't see this happening, because it happens somewhere in Alice's section, and Alice is unaware of what really happens. Likewise, we never get to see Jonty's potentially explosive reaction to the twit that is uncovered in Ben's section - because it happens after the book ends, which is such a shame as that could have been so interesting. Likewise we don't get any flashbacks, and we don't get to see Nicola finally realising she can raise a baby, or Jonty and Olivia breaking up. It's all very unsatisfying.
3. The writing - Lisa Drakeford has chosen to tell the story in third person present tense. It may just be me, but I found this only increased the disconnection I felt to the characters. It also makes the book read as though it's a Middle Grade read aimed at a younger audience rather than YA. A more direct first person narration might have helped the characters bucketloads.
I like a lot about what The Baby *is*; ultimately, the execution didn't work for me. I don't think Drakeford is a bad writer, but perhaps this was the wrong book to showcase her talents.
July 15, 2022
- C’EST LE SOURIRE D’ELIZA QUI COGNE CONTRE SES CÔTES. -
C’est l’histoire de Nicola, jeune adolescente de 17 ans, qui est invitée chez Olivia lors d’une grosse soirée. Or, celle-ci ne semble pas vraiment s’amuser car elle s’enferme dans la salle de bain et souffre le martyre ! C’est alors qu’Olivia et Ben viennent à sa rescousse et que la meilleure amie de Nicola a un éclair … Nicola est entrain d’accoucher.
C’est ainsi que de nombreuses conséquences de cet accouchement et dès éléments passés il y a 9 mois resurgissent et gravitent autour de l’adorable Eliza.
Ce roman est composé de 5 chapitres. Chacun est centré sur un personnage qui interagit avec les autres évidemment.
J’ai beaucoup aimé cette histoire qui se lit plutôt bien. J’ai aimé le sujet qu’il traite et je le conseille à toutes les adolescentes.
1) Nicola : c’est mon personnage préféré. Elle représente la jeune femme qui devient forte et qui prend en maturité. Elle affronte le regard des autres qui peut être difficile dans sa situation. Elle prend confiance en elle et c’est un personnage inspirant. Elle est incroyablement courageuse !
2) Jonty : superbe personnage aussi. Je ne l’aimais pas dans les deux premiers chapitres mais lorsqu’est venu le sien, je l’ai vu sous un autre angle. Il semble lui aussi avoir grandi avec l’arrivée d’Eliza.
3) Olivia : Personnage qui semble victime de son succès mais surtout victime d’une très grande trahison de la part de sa meilleure amie. Elle a l’air d’être une superbe copine pourtant !
4) Ben : J’ai aimé son parcours face aux discriminations des autres provenant de son homosexualité, c’est un personnage fort !
5) Alice : (c’est la petite sœur d’Olivia) j’aime beaucoup la solidarité qu’elle montre à l’égard de Nicola. Je me suis retrouvée dans ce côté de sa personnalité. Elle représente aussi l’image de la petite sixième qui n’a pas d’ami et rencontre des problèmes de harcèlement scolaire et moqueries.
Je conseille ce livre pour sa diversité !
C’est l’histoire de Nicola, jeune adolescente de 17 ans, qui est invitée chez Olivia lors d’une grosse soirée. Or, celle-ci ne semble pas vraiment s’amuser car elle s’enferme dans la salle de bain et souffre le martyre ! C’est alors qu’Olivia et Ben viennent à sa rescousse et que la meilleure amie de Nicola a un éclair … Nicola est entrain d’accoucher.
C’est ainsi que de nombreuses conséquences de cet accouchement et dès éléments passés il y a 9 mois resurgissent et gravitent autour de l’adorable Eliza.
Ce roman est composé de 5 chapitres. Chacun est centré sur un personnage qui interagit avec les autres évidemment.
J’ai beaucoup aimé cette histoire qui se lit plutôt bien. J’ai aimé le sujet qu’il traite et je le conseille à toutes les adolescentes.
1) Nicola : c’est mon personnage préféré. Elle représente la jeune femme qui devient forte et qui prend en maturité. Elle affronte le regard des autres qui peut être difficile dans sa situation. Elle prend confiance en elle et c’est un personnage inspirant. Elle est incroyablement courageuse !
2) Jonty : superbe personnage aussi. Je ne l’aimais pas dans les deux premiers chapitres mais lorsqu’est venu le sien, je l’ai vu sous un autre angle. Il semble lui aussi avoir grandi avec l’arrivée d’Eliza.
3) Olivia : Personnage qui semble victime de son succès mais surtout victime d’une très grande trahison de la part de sa meilleure amie. Elle a l’air d’être une superbe copine pourtant !
4) Ben : J’ai aimé son parcours face aux discriminations des autres provenant de son homosexualité, c’est un personnage fort !
5) Alice : (c’est la petite sœur d’Olivia) j’aime beaucoup la solidarité qu’elle montre à l’égard de Nicola. Je me suis retrouvée dans ce côté de sa personnalité. Elle représente aussi l’image de la petite sixième qui n’a pas d’ami et rencontre des problèmes de harcèlement scolaire et moqueries.
Je conseille ce livre pour sa diversité !
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 23, 2020
CHECK OUT MY FULL REVIEW ON MY BLOG
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This is one of the oldest books on my bookshelf so I decided to read it for the Stay Home Reading Rush for the book-read-in-one-sitting challenge.
I wanted to read this book as soon as it came out but it turned out to be one of those books that you somehow forget about and they gather dust on your shelf. So I decided that in quarantine I'm going to try to read some of my oldest TBR books.
The book centers around the mystery of Nicola giving birth at her friends birthday party in the bathroom. No one knew she was pregnant and no one knows who the father is. The rest of the book is based around the fallout of this.
Something I really enjoyed about this book was the all encompassing view it gave the reader.We got multiple POV's from the whole cast of characters across months. This was the perfect way to help the reader unpack the complicated situation of the novel and get to know the characters in depth. Characters I started off not liking, once I got to their chapter and learned more about them I found myself warming to them.
Nicola was definitely my favourite character. I really loved reading from her perspective and her situation. She was the most interesting and compelling character for me. Although I would have liked more from the characters and for the book to be longer so that we could get even more from the story unfolding.
The plot to the novel was entertaining. I liked the mystery aspect, the characters and the in depth portrayal of relationships throughout the novel. Yet, this novel just didn't pack enough of a punch for me. I'm not sure why I felt a little disconnected from the novel, possibly due to it feeling a little short for me as I would have liked more. I also didn't enjoy the ending of the novel at all.
Overall the novel portrays teenage relationship, sex, pregnancy, friendship and struggles in a fantastic and realistic way. Yet for me the novel didn't have that x factor or gripping nature for me to give ti any higher of a rating
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This is one of the oldest books on my bookshelf so I decided to read it for the Stay Home Reading Rush for the book-read-in-one-sitting challenge.
I wanted to read this book as soon as it came out but it turned out to be one of those books that you somehow forget about and they gather dust on your shelf. So I decided that in quarantine I'm going to try to read some of my oldest TBR books.
The book centers around the mystery of Nicola giving birth at her friends birthday party in the bathroom. No one knew she was pregnant and no one knows who the father is. The rest of the book is based around the fallout of this.
Something I really enjoyed about this book was the all encompassing view it gave the reader.We got multiple POV's from the whole cast of characters across months. This was the perfect way to help the reader unpack the complicated situation of the novel and get to know the characters in depth. Characters I started off not liking, once I got to their chapter and learned more about them I found myself warming to them.
Nicola was definitely my favourite character. I really loved reading from her perspective and her situation. She was the most interesting and compelling character for me. Although I would have liked more from the characters and for the book to be longer so that we could get even more from the story unfolding.
The plot to the novel was entertaining. I liked the mystery aspect, the characters and the in depth portrayal of relationships throughout the novel. Yet, this novel just didn't pack enough of a punch for me. I'm not sure why I felt a little disconnected from the novel, possibly due to it feeling a little short for me as I would have liked more. I also didn't enjoy the ending of the novel at all.
Overall the novel portrays teenage relationship, sex, pregnancy, friendship and struggles in a fantastic and realistic way. Yet for me the novel didn't have that x factor or gripping nature for me to give ti any higher of a rating
May 30, 2018
At Olivia's seventeenth birthday house party, we see how Jonty her boyfriend is a controlling bully and commits domestic abuse, Ben is her gay best friend and Nicola is her best girl friend but hasn't known she was pregnant until that night as she gives birth!
Thing's only get worse when Olivia discovers whom the father and is broken despite the betrayal we see how she manages to cope and all the others too as their story is told a month by each character focusing solely on them and their life alike in an episode of Skins.
We see Nicola struggling then taking to mother hood whilst Ben deals with his sexuality and crush on a football playing boy, a typical jock character. We see Jonty change in attitude and approach his mother issues too.
However, in a final twist when first times get discussed things take a shocking twist we should be able to have seen coming!
I was hooked and read this in the sun outside in one go I couldn't leave it at all alike her book The Crash, it was gripping with the plot developments and seeing how each friend coped with the baby whom now effects all their lives. The original plot lead from the party which I didn't think it would start with straight away but in hindsight still believe a bit more foresight into their former friendship dynamic might have been more beneficial.
Thing's only get worse when Olivia discovers whom the father and is broken despite the betrayal we see how she manages to cope and all the others too as their story is told a month by each character focusing solely on them and their life alike in an episode of Skins.
We see Nicola struggling then taking to mother hood whilst Ben deals with his sexuality and crush on a football playing boy, a typical jock character. We see Jonty change in attitude and approach his mother issues too.
However, in a final twist when first times get discussed things take a shocking twist we should be able to have seen coming!
I was hooked and read this in the sun outside in one go I couldn't leave it at all alike her book The Crash, it was gripping with the plot developments and seeing how each friend coped with the baby whom now effects all their lives. The original plot lead from the party which I didn't think it would start with straight away but in hindsight still believe a bit more foresight into their former friendship dynamic might have been more beneficial.
June 22, 2023
Lecture rapide, qui aborde des sujets importants. J'ai aimé qu'on suive différents personnages, qu'on puisse s'attacher à eux et surtout que l'histoire avançait. On ne reprenait pas les scènes pour en faire plusieurs pov. On avance dans le temps et quand les actions se coupent, ça laisse du suspense. Ça ouvre des questions et les réponses se trouvent un peu plus tard dans les chapitres.
Cependant, je n'ai pas aimé le style d'écriture. C'est beaucoup de phrases courtes, d'actions les unes après les autres. Ça donne un rythme saccadé que je n'apprécie pas vraiment.
Pour le scénario je n'ai pas aimé la révélation de fin qui n'est pas aboutie. L'histoire s'arrête sur un plot twist et je n'aime pas ça. Je ne sais pas s'il y a un tome 2, si non, ça rend la fin stupide. Si oui, je ne le lirai pas. Je ne me suis pas assez plongée dans la fin. Je préfère oublier le dernier chapitre et me dire que l'histoire était bien.
Cependant, je n'ai pas aimé le style d'écriture. C'est beaucoup de phrases courtes, d'actions les unes après les autres. Ça donne un rythme saccadé que je n'apprécie pas vraiment.
Pour le scénario je n'ai pas aimé la révélation de fin qui n'est pas aboutie. L'histoire s'arrête sur un plot twist et je n'aime pas ça. Je ne sais pas s'il y a un tome 2, si non, ça rend la fin stupide. Si oui, je ne le lirai pas. Je ne me suis pas assez plongée dans la fin. Je préfère oublier le dernier chapitre et me dire que l'histoire était bien.
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