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16 & Pregnant
The bond between two best friends is put to the test when one of them gets pregnant in this contemporary teen novel inspired by MTV’s iconic reality show.
Erykah was looking forward to junior year at East Prep High. She has a cute boyfriend, gets good grades, and has the best bestie. Money is tight, though that’s nothing new in her world. But everything changes when she gets pregnant. Having a baby at sixteen was definitely not part of the plan.
Kelly’s plan was to dominate junior year—grade-wise and on the basketball court—and eventually get an athletic scholarship. It did not include helping her best friend through a pregnancy. But that’s what best friends do, right? Besides, Kelly has every intention of being a good auntie.
As the two girls navigate the pregnancy, they’ll learn some harsh realities about the world and be forced to make some huge decisions. They’ll also discover a deep reserve of strength and compassion…for each other and themselves.
16 & Pregnant: A Novel honestly and openly explores pregnancy through the eyes of two young Black teens in modern-day Nevada. Debut author LaLa Thomas combines personal insights, heartfelt dialogue, and authentic emotions in this powerful portrait of American teen life.
Erykah was looking forward to junior year at East Prep High. She has a cute boyfriend, gets good grades, and has the best bestie. Money is tight, though that’s nothing new in her world. But everything changes when she gets pregnant. Having a baby at sixteen was definitely not part of the plan.
Kelly’s plan was to dominate junior year—grade-wise and on the basketball court—and eventually get an athletic scholarship. It did not include helping her best friend through a pregnancy. But that’s what best friends do, right? Besides, Kelly has every intention of being a good auntie.
As the two girls navigate the pregnancy, they’ll learn some harsh realities about the world and be forced to make some huge decisions. They’ll also discover a deep reserve of strength and compassion…for each other and themselves.
16 & Pregnant: A Novel honestly and openly explores pregnancy through the eyes of two young Black teens in modern-day Nevada. Debut author LaLa Thomas combines personal insights, heartfelt dialogue, and authentic emotions in this powerful portrait of American teen life.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published January 3, 2023
27 people are currently reading
3866 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 116 reviews
February 3, 2023
I'm going to be straight forward when I say that I may have some bias behind why I read this book. I grew up watching 16 and Pregnant. Most of the women who are currently on Teen Mom OG are the same age as me and I remember when they all got pregnant. I also still watch a lot of the franchise to this day so I was extremely excited to see that LaLa Thomas was slated to write this book. I really enjoyed this one. It wasn't perfect by any means, but based on enjoyment and conversations that happened in the book, I found myself wanting to give this book a high rating. 4.5 Stars. CW: discussions surrounding abortions, underage drinking
16 & Pregnant follows best friends Erykah and Kelly who are navigating their junior year of high school. At the beginning of the book, Erykah discovers that she is pregnant and has to make the decision to either keep the pregnancy or have an abortion. When she ultimately decides to go through with her pregnancy, both Erykah and Kelly truly learn what it means to be a teen mom with every step challenging the strength of their friendship.
What Worked: I LOVED the relationship between Erykah and Kelly. They had such a strong love and bond for each other that made my heart sing. Sure, their relationship is tested greatly throughout the course of the book, but readers can see that even during their darkest moments the two love and care for each other in ways that can only hold true for best friends who are like sisters. Thomas also did interesting things with the discussions about pregnancy, birth control, and more. I'm not sure that I was anticipating such complexity within the framework of the narrative. While these things may be obvious for readers my age, I think that there are some teens that will benefit from seeing the variety of reasons people choose to go through with pregnancies while others choose not to. There are a variety of ways in which people choose to use or not use birth control. However, what I loved most of all is the lack of judgement that Thomas weaves into the narrative. Yes, the characters struggle with not making rash judgements about each other, BUT Thomas uses these moments as a way to illustrate that every girl and woman has the right to decide what to do with HER BODY. That, to me, is the most important message of all. Women of all ages need to hear that their reproductive rights should be theirs and theirs alone and that they have should have the right to make the decisions that are most helpful and healthy for them. There are also some really supportive adults in this book which I appreciated because that's not something that is always considered in YA. Thomas also delves deep into complications that come with pregnancy and I APPRECIATE THAT. Too often (and I'm sad to say that this still happens today) pregnancy is glorified and only illustrated in terms of perfect scenarios. The trauma that the body experiences during pregnancy and L&D is very real and more people should be honest about it. This also means discussing the intersection of race and gender when it comes to pregnancy & L&D. Black women are still facing inequities from the medical field particularly with the sky rocketed mortality rates that we face when giving birth. Thomas does not shy away from any of these topics and I'm happy that teens will have access to the content of this book.
What Didn't Work: I definitely enjoyed watching Erykah grow as a character, but she did annoy me at times because of her inability to see beyond her own experiences. Understandably, I didn't hold this against her because she is a teenager and the behavior wasn't that far fetched for a 16 year old. I think a little more deep diving into her character development would have eased this, but I'm also not the target audience.
Overall, this was a great read. I wasn't necessarily expecting it, but I'm glad that it was. I also recommend listening to this one on audio! The narrators really brought the story to life.
16 & Pregnant follows best friends Erykah and Kelly who are navigating their junior year of high school. At the beginning of the book, Erykah discovers that she is pregnant and has to make the decision to either keep the pregnancy or have an abortion. When she ultimately decides to go through with her pregnancy, both Erykah and Kelly truly learn what it means to be a teen mom with every step challenging the strength of their friendship.
What Worked: I LOVED the relationship between Erykah and Kelly. They had such a strong love and bond for each other that made my heart sing. Sure, their relationship is tested greatly throughout the course of the book, but readers can see that even during their darkest moments the two love and care for each other in ways that can only hold true for best friends who are like sisters. Thomas also did interesting things with the discussions about pregnancy, birth control, and more. I'm not sure that I was anticipating such complexity within the framework of the narrative. While these things may be obvious for readers my age, I think that there are some teens that will benefit from seeing the variety of reasons people choose to go through with pregnancies while others choose not to. There are a variety of ways in which people choose to use or not use birth control. However, what I loved most of all is the lack of judgement that Thomas weaves into the narrative. Yes, the characters struggle with not making rash judgements about each other, BUT Thomas uses these moments as a way to illustrate that every girl and woman has the right to decide what to do with HER BODY. That, to me, is the most important message of all. Women of all ages need to hear that their reproductive rights should be theirs and theirs alone and that they have should have the right to make the decisions that are most helpful and healthy for them. There are also some really supportive adults in this book which I appreciated because that's not something that is always considered in YA. Thomas also delves deep into complications that come with pregnancy and I APPRECIATE THAT. Too often (and I'm sad to say that this still happens today) pregnancy is glorified and only illustrated in terms of perfect scenarios. The trauma that the body experiences during pregnancy and L&D is very real and more people should be honest about it. This also means discussing the intersection of race and gender when it comes to pregnancy & L&D. Black women are still facing inequities from the medical field particularly with the sky rocketed mortality rates that we face when giving birth. Thomas does not shy away from any of these topics and I'm happy that teens will have access to the content of this book.
What Didn't Work: I definitely enjoyed watching Erykah grow as a character, but she did annoy me at times because of her inability to see beyond her own experiences. Understandably, I didn't hold this against her because she is a teenager and the behavior wasn't that far fetched for a 16 year old. I think a little more deep diving into her character development would have eased this, but I'm also not the target audience.
Overall, this was a great read. I wasn't necessarily expecting it, but I'm glad that it was. I also recommend listening to this one on audio! The narrators really brought the story to life.
December 30, 2022
As someone who is immediately influenced by titles and book covers, this book piqued my interest without even knowing the premise of the story. The author told such a realistic story that is not talked about enough. I loved the rawness and vulnerability of the characters. I appreciated how candid they were with their experiences and the painful decisions that needed to be made. As someone who grew up with a family member that was a teen mom, from my experience, it impacted our entire household. It’s a huge shift and emotions can be high, as this book shows. Both characters in the story had pretty good support systems but they still had to overcome many hurdles. The author touches on black women and the challenges faced during pregnancy, high risk pregnancy, health insurance barriers, overcoming the stigma of teenage motherhood, and the importance of education. It was so important that all of these things were addressed. I truly enjoyed this story. The only thing I wanted was an epilogue, the story ends very abrupt but I did enjoy the closure of the story.
I’d recommend this book to a teen mom or young adult.
I received an ARC from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I’d recommend this book to a teen mom or young adult.
I received an ARC from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
May 7, 2023
It's been almost a month since I finished this book, but parts of it have still stuck with me.
I've never been a big reality TV person, so I didn't grow up watching episodes of the show this book takes its name from. If I have a criticism it's that I don't think the title really works? I mean, I get the brand recognition that MTV Books was going for, but I feel like if the book had been given literally any other title then the book might have been more widely received? I dunno, maybe that's just me looking for any reason why a book I enjoyed as much as I did this has been seemingly ignored by almost every one I know.
It's also just me looking for any thing to criticize about the book, because largely I don't have too many complaints. I think the book is a little wonky in its pacing and the way it uses the nature of its dual perspectives, but neither was one that I think should cause readers to ignore the text entirely.
I really enjoyed a lot of the frank conversations in the book. Did I feel old every time Erykah was out here doing something I didn't agree with? Most definitely, but at the end of the day I thought that the friendship she had with Kelly and the journey that the girls go on separately and together and the ways that each of their families factor into the story ultimately added up to a book that I thought worked and that more people should give a chance.
I've never been a big reality TV person, so I didn't grow up watching episodes of the show this book takes its name from. If I have a criticism it's that I don't think the title really works? I mean, I get the brand recognition that MTV Books was going for, but I feel like if the book had been given literally any other title then the book might have been more widely received? I dunno, maybe that's just me looking for any reason why a book I enjoyed as much as I did this has been seemingly ignored by almost every one I know.
It's also just me looking for any thing to criticize about the book, because largely I don't have too many complaints. I think the book is a little wonky in its pacing and the way it uses the nature of its dual perspectives, but neither was one that I think should cause readers to ignore the text entirely.
I really enjoyed a lot of the frank conversations in the book. Did I feel old every time Erykah was out here doing something I didn't agree with? Most definitely, but at the end of the day I thought that the friendship she had with Kelly and the journey that the girls go on separately and together and the ways that each of their families factor into the story ultimately added up to a book that I thought worked and that more people should give a chance.
December 26, 2024
So initially,I picked up this book because of its captivating cover but I must say this was quite unexpected,new and overall a breath of fresh air.The thing about this book is,it explores so many complex & emotional themes for me not just coz' of the teen pregnancy but because of the things that came after the pregnancy.
Erykah and Kelly are two best friends who practically have their goals aligned and their futures mapped out.So when Erykah gets pregnant er'thing that they planned to do together seems so far fetched & this causes them to have too many miscommunications and emotional breakdowns In their friendship.My heart was bleeding out for Erykah so much because of all the things she had to deal with during this time.The racial discrimination thing going on at the hospital was heartbreaking,the absence of support from MIGUEL her supposed Baby daddy was infuriating,the fact that she could possibly lose her life during her pregnancy was scary & the way her schoolmates handled the news of her pregnancy was just bothersome to me.What I loved most was how much Kelly stood by her.That despite their friendship being on rocky grounds Kelly was still present and understanding.Speaking of Kelly,Such an admirable young girl she was.Did she make mistakes,yes.Did she overstep boundaries,Yes but did she change tremendously,YES.Was she a good listener,YES.Did she value her relationships with the people around her,YES.Did she go after what she wanted,Yes Yes.I loved her so much for having strong principles and being vulnerable too.I loved that despite all the turmoil,these 2 ladies never gave up on their goals and passions..most importantly that they fought for each other.I loved their parents too...so supportive and transparent.
This was very educative,very eye opening and extremely ENJOYABLE💙💙💙
I highly recommend (check triggers though)
Erykah and Kelly are two best friends who practically have their goals aligned and their futures mapped out.So when Erykah gets pregnant er'thing that they planned to do together seems so far fetched & this causes them to have too many miscommunications and emotional breakdowns In their friendship.My heart was bleeding out for Erykah so much because of all the things she had to deal with during this time.The racial discrimination thing going on at the hospital was heartbreaking,the absence of support from MIGUEL her supposed Baby daddy was infuriating,the fact that she could possibly lose her life during her pregnancy was scary & the way her schoolmates handled the news of her pregnancy was just bothersome to me.What I loved most was how much Kelly stood by her.That despite their friendship being on rocky grounds Kelly was still present and understanding.Speaking of Kelly,Such an admirable young girl she was.Did she make mistakes,yes.Did she overstep boundaries,Yes but did she change tremendously,YES.Was she a good listener,YES.Did she value her relationships with the people around her,YES.Did she go after what she wanted,Yes Yes.I loved her so much for having strong principles and being vulnerable too.I loved that despite all the turmoil,these 2 ladies never gave up on their goals and passions..most importantly that they fought for each other.I loved their parents too...so supportive and transparent.
This was very educative,very eye opening and extremely ENJOYABLE💙💙💙
I highly recommend (check triggers though)
December 19, 2022
When 16 & Pregnant premiered on MTV, I was sixteen years old and became an immediate fan of the show. It was eye opening to see girls my age navigating through one of the toughest times of their lives while millions of people watched. Although the show was criticized for glamorizing teen pregnancy, producers claimed that it was created to educate teenage girls on the realities of teen pregnancy and motherhood.
I believe this novel will have a similar impact as Lala Thomas does an amazing job of tackling the topic of teen pregnancy. Often the topic is glossed over as if it doesn’t exist. Most school districts slide a sex ed lesson into the curriculum, but it’s usually somewhere along the lines of Coach Carr’s advice in Meangirls, “Don’t have sex. You will get pregnant and die.” It’s rare that teenagers are thoroughly briefed on sex ed and a lot of their pregnancy slip ups are a result of the misuse of contraceptives and lack of sexual health info.
Thomas guides readers through nine months of 16 year old Erykah’s life after she’s hit with the news of her pregnancy. Everything is slowly changing: her body, her relationships, and life as she knows it will never be the same. I love that this book discusses choices. There were quite a few instances where the characters had to reflect on the realities of pregnancy and what that meant for their future. The thing I admired the most was the reoccurring theme of support from the parents and friends. Having that support is vital!
This was a great read. My biggest takeaway is to talk to the teenagers in your life. Having a discussion doesn’t mean you’re encouraging the behavior. Every teenager deserves to have at least one adult in their life that they can turn to with questions and concerns without the fear of being judged or punished. If you have a teenager be it your kid, cousin, or sibling, I highly recommend this read. And remember, it takes two to get pregnant so don’t just educate the young ladies, talk to the young men as well.
I believe this novel will have a similar impact as Lala Thomas does an amazing job of tackling the topic of teen pregnancy. Often the topic is glossed over as if it doesn’t exist. Most school districts slide a sex ed lesson into the curriculum, but it’s usually somewhere along the lines of Coach Carr’s advice in Meangirls, “Don’t have sex. You will get pregnant and die.” It’s rare that teenagers are thoroughly briefed on sex ed and a lot of their pregnancy slip ups are a result of the misuse of contraceptives and lack of sexual health info.
Thomas guides readers through nine months of 16 year old Erykah’s life after she’s hit with the news of her pregnancy. Everything is slowly changing: her body, her relationships, and life as she knows it will never be the same. I love that this book discusses choices. There were quite a few instances where the characters had to reflect on the realities of pregnancy and what that meant for their future. The thing I admired the most was the reoccurring theme of support from the parents and friends. Having that support is vital!
This was a great read. My biggest takeaway is to talk to the teenagers in your life. Having a discussion doesn’t mean you’re encouraging the behavior. Every teenager deserves to have at least one adult in their life that they can turn to with questions and concerns without the fear of being judged or punished. If you have a teenager be it your kid, cousin, or sibling, I highly recommend this read. And remember, it takes two to get pregnant so don’t just educate the young ladies, talk to the young men as well.
Want to read
November 18, 2022I enjoyed reading this book. It was beautifully well written and gave the teen pregnancy experience with a realness. I could not put this down after starting, the characters felt so real. The different decisions that are made and life challenges were relatable. This would make a great book for others that were in this situation as well..
February 7, 2023
I love it, It was the real reality of how teen pregnancy can go or abortion how no matter what choose you make nothing is wrong.
I need more books Like this give me recs
I need more books Like this give me recs
May 22, 2024
I'm for sure biased as my work gets a call out in the acknowledgments, but this book is really sweet and well-written. I read it in one day because once I started I I didn't want to stop.
Thank you to MTV Books for gifting me this copy of 16 & Pregnant.
Thank you to MTV Books for gifting me this copy of 16 & Pregnant.
February 26, 2025
This was just meh to me. Kind of boring.
April 23, 2023
3.5 out of 5 stars. I enjoyed this book. It was a very quick and easy read, but the main characters were aggravating, I get they're teenagers and made dumb decisions, but it was dumb decision after dumb decision, and it was just really getting on my nerves.
May 6, 2023
I never knew there was such a thing as “MTV books”!
I used to watch 16 and pregnant as a teenager a lot so when I came across this title I was immediately excited.
16 and pregnant is a very enjoyable book and I recommend listening to the audiobook as its narrated quite nicely.
I used to watch 16 and pregnant as a teenager a lot so when I came across this title I was immediately excited.
16 and pregnant is a very enjoyable book and I recommend listening to the audiobook as its narrated quite nicely.
October 31, 2022
This is a beautifully written YA novel about the Black teen pregnancy experience. The writing is superb, the storytelling executed beautifully, and the characters SO engaging and real. This author is one to watch!
January 20, 2023
Absolute garbage. Flat, boring characters with zero depth. Poor writing. The whole thing reads not as a story, but rather as a propaganda brochure or corny after school special. This wasn’t written to tell an interesting story. It was written as propaganda. Liberal propaganda hellbent on making baby murder (abortion) seem like the most normal, natural thing possible.
She writes all the abortion clinic doctors to be perfect, kind individuals who literally feed her apples and cookies at her appointment. The office is described as spotlessly clean. And then the “regular doctors” are rude, heartless individuals who ignore erykah’s needs and work in a crowded dirty office. Yeah, that’s totally realistic.
Author also makes sure to mention that abortion is “safe” about 10 times and how it should be universally legal in all states. Why are you using your book to push your narrative? Teens can tell when they’re being force fed someone else’s values.
The LINGO. Jesus. The author wrote this using extremely cringey overdone “teen speak,” which often was used completely incorrectly. It’s bad. Every other word was “hella” and “low key” used in total excess, trying desperately hard to be relatable. Tone it down.
The characters are weird. The boyfriends have pretty much zero positive traits. No depth. The main girls are straight A geniuses but somehow are too stupid to understand basic birth control? Make it make sense. She’s trying to push a narrative again that “it can happen to anyone,” when in fact it’s very easy to prevent pregnancy.
The whole abortion thing was disgusting enough with how the author tried to normalize it, but worse, Kelly never tells her boyfriend that she murdered their baby. The author portrays that this is totally ok and nothing wrong with it. Holy shit, that is AWFUL in so many ways. She never tells him by the end of the book, either. They get back together and Kelly never brings it up. This is written as if that’s totally ok. It’s not.
Awful characters, blatant propaganda, cringey lingo. TRASH.
She writes all the abortion clinic doctors to be perfect, kind individuals who literally feed her apples and cookies at her appointment. The office is described as spotlessly clean. And then the “regular doctors” are rude, heartless individuals who ignore erykah’s needs and work in a crowded dirty office. Yeah, that’s totally realistic.
Author also makes sure to mention that abortion is “safe” about 10 times and how it should be universally legal in all states. Why are you using your book to push your narrative? Teens can tell when they’re being force fed someone else’s values.
The LINGO. Jesus. The author wrote this using extremely cringey overdone “teen speak,” which often was used completely incorrectly. It’s bad. Every other word was “hella” and “low key” used in total excess, trying desperately hard to be relatable. Tone it down.
The characters are weird. The boyfriends have pretty much zero positive traits. No depth. The main girls are straight A geniuses but somehow are too stupid to understand basic birth control? Make it make sense. She’s trying to push a narrative again that “it can happen to anyone,” when in fact it’s very easy to prevent pregnancy.
The whole abortion thing was disgusting enough with how the author tried to normalize it, but worse, Kelly never tells her boyfriend that she murdered their baby. The author portrays that this is totally ok and nothing wrong with it. Holy shit, that is AWFUL in so many ways. She never tells him by the end of the book, either. They get back together and Kelly never brings it up. This is written as if that’s totally ok. It’s not.
Awful characters, blatant propaganda, cringey lingo. TRASH.
May 28, 2023
If the pandemic wasn’t mentioned, I would’ve thought that Erykah was one of the moms from MTV’s show, 16 and Pregnant, and that this was just a written version of a TV episode. I wish the book would’ve added more about Erykah’s life after having the baby, but maybe there will be a sequel in the future. Erykah thought about having an abortion and ultimately decided to keep the baby, but it would be interesting to see how keeping the baby affected her future college plans. I personally didn’t really like Erykah as a character. She seemed in denial that her life would change when the baby was born and never talked about a plan for after the baby was born. Her education was super important to her, but she never mentioned a plan for childcare for the baby so she could finish high school. The author made it very clear that every woman has the right to decide what to do with their pregnancy and there isn’t a right path for everyone.
January 4, 2023
I had to DNF. It triggered an episode. I guess i can't read books about pregnancy or abortions. Also, I have to say I am pro choice. I have nothing wrong with abortions. Just got emotional because i lost a child, but the writing in this book was great.
February 18, 2023
Thank you to the publishers of this book for doing the free book giveaway that I won on Goodreads! I'm sure young adults would enjoy this more, I thought it was just so-so. But refreshing in that it showed that teen pregnancy can have medical complications.
May 9, 2023
I love the show 16 & Pregnant and all of the spinoffs. Therefore, I figured that I was like this book as well and I was correct. The author did a great job of describing the trials that teen girls go through in every aspect of their lives when they become pregnant. I love the friendship between Erykah and Kelly. They're more like sisters than just friends. Even when they had a big fight, I knew that they would make up and resume their sisterhood. I recommend this book to all teens, boys and girls, to serve as a reality check and perhaps a cautionary tale.
June 14, 2023
I got frustrated a lot with the main character. She was just so naive and made such dumb decions. But then I realised, that's pretty much normal for 16 year olds. I was that dumb at 16 too. I wonder how I would've experienced this book at 16. I bet it would actually be totally different. But I overall really liked the book. Once I got about halfway through, I started to fly through it.
May 7, 2023
This book is such a beautiful love letter to friendship and motherhood. It was such a nice quick read and I've never felt more for a character than I did with Erykah. Can't recommend this boo enough 🫶🫶
December 4, 2023
It is a good book that every teenage girl needs to read. As a mother to a girl, this scares me. Well written, good characters, loved both mothers. Hopefully, I react like the 2nd mother n not the 1st one. Although the 1st one redeemed herself in the end.
September 20, 2024
I love a book with more than 1 POV. While reading this book Erica and Kelly was so relatable, being that I myself was a teen mom also. Point being if you loved the show 16 & pregnant and Teen Mom you'll love this novel.
~ Happy Reading ~
~ Happy Reading ~
March 31, 2023
I’m a sucker for the MTV show, so I was curious about this book. It was fine!
June 15, 2023
Was very I watched the show for forever but reading the book was a total different experience but really good really good book
Read
September 17, 2023dnf @8% i get the gist 😭
December 30, 2022
What a great debut detailing the right to choose, the thoughts behind it, and all the many issues and complications of teenage pregnancy but also African American pregnancy.
The friendship felt real and complicated and both Kelly and Erykah feel well thought out.
The friendship felt real and complicated and both Kelly and Erykah feel well thought out.
September 1, 2023
I definitely want to write a review but I want to go to sleep and wake up and see how I feel about it in the morning.
*now I'm awake....*🥱
this book is honestly so good , acknowledgements hit different 😪. This book is 100% is a black culture rec. this just brings back home. it represents growth , love , friendship, family , life choices. this is a book that reminds you that , no one needs to make your decision, that's on you.💕🤭 ik that might sound corny ....but loved it .🤞......
-tiffany 💌
*now I'm awake....*🥱
this book is honestly so good , acknowledgements hit different 😪. This book is 100% is a black culture rec. this just brings back home. it represents growth , love , friendship, family , life choices. this is a book that reminds you that , no one needs to make your decision, that's on you.💕🤭 ik that might sound corny ....but loved it .🤞......
-tiffany 💌
February 2, 2024
Poorly written and very far-fetched and predictable. Butttttttttt very entertaining ngl
February 1, 2024
Poorly written, vv predictable but I can’t lie it entertained me 😭😭
November 28, 2022
Before anyone jumps to conclusions, despite the title, this book absolutely does not glorify or romanticize teen pregnancy. Instead, it brings to life a reality of being young and making a huge life decision and all that comes with it. The judgement, the conflict, the question of if you’re making the right choice for YOU. And why it’s important to have choices and access to those choices. I liked how we got both Erykah and Kelly’s POVs to see their different personalities and ways of handling things. It really showcased how one decision can be right for one person and not right for the other. I also really liked how the author brought up how Black women can be treated poorly and even completely ignored during pregnancy. That’s something that isn’t talked about enough. I did find it a little repetitive at times, but it always kept my interest and the journeys that Erykah and Kelly both take are really beautiful and real. I think this is a really important books for teenagers honestly.
Thank you to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing and MTV Books an advanced digital reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing and MTV Books an advanced digital reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.
January 2, 2023
thank you to LaLa Thomas and MTV Books for this arc, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
I just want to start out by saying that I never read contemporaries. They usually fail to capture my attention, but this time I thought "you know what? screw it. I got an arc and imma give it a chance."
*sigh* I don't know why I thought this one would be different, and it's just a prime example of what I don't like about them.
Characters:
Erykah:
As much as I tried, I couldn't really connect to her character. I found that she was annoying and really petty at times. I especially hated it when she I mean what kind of friend does that?? Especially when Kelly was always there for Erykah throughout her own struggles.
ugh, I was just altogether really pissed off at Erykah this entire time.
Kelly:
I was slightly less annoyed with Kelly and I definitely hated her chapters less than Erykah. I did understand a lot of her ambition and where she was coming from throughout the novel, and would have probably made a lot of the same decisions she did.
With both of their characters, it really didn't sit right with me when they were gushing over their boyfriends and how they thought they would be with them till the end of time. It just felt unrealistic and I found myself wanting to just scream "WOULD YOU SHUT UP ABOUT YOUR STUPID BOYFRIEND. WE BOTH KNOW YOU ARE NOT GONNA BE WITH SOME GUY YOU MET WHEN YOU WERE SIXTEEN FOREVER. UGHHH."
Plot:
Yes I am aware of the fact that this is based off of some random reality TV show. I don't know why I thought this would have much depth or you know SOMETHING INTERESTING HAPPENING. I was so bored the entire time. Everything felt very filler and I am gonna be honest- THE URGE TO DNF WAS SO REAL. I am surprised and proud that I finished this one completely. If it weren't an arc I probably would have. And it also felt really unrealistic when And like I mentioned before, everything the characters did felt petty. I don't know why I expected more than reality tv in book form (it was literally pitched as exactly that)
Writing:
ughh
I was hoping for a writing style that I could tolerate. that's all I was asking for. just this one thing.
but no.
the universe was not on my side today.
My main issue was the constant use of acronyms. like instead of actually spelling out the whole phrase, it would be "WTF" or something else and it always annoys me LIKE PLEASE THIS IS NOT AN ELONGATED TEXT MESSAGE USE ACTUAL WORDS. It also seems like this would make it more relatable to teenagers but just because we live in the world to texting abbreviations, doesn't mean we want a book full of them.
The rest I didn't really care about- just your mediocre ya literature.
there was some texting bubbles and I love it when they do that.
Overall:
yep, well nothing special and felt kind of pointless also it was pretty embarrassing carrying around in the general public
pre-review:
*sigh* I was hoping to end 2022 on a more positive note but oh well
rtc
I just want to start out by saying that I never read contemporaries. They usually fail to capture my attention, but this time I thought "you know what? screw it. I got an arc and imma give it a chance."
*sigh* I don't know why I thought this one would be different, and it's just a prime example of what I don't like about them.
Characters:
Erykah:
As much as I tried, I couldn't really connect to her character. I found that she was annoying and really petty at times. I especially hated it when she I mean what kind of friend does that?? Especially when Kelly was always there for Erykah throughout her own struggles.
ugh, I was just altogether really pissed off at Erykah this entire time.
Kelly:
I was slightly less annoyed with Kelly and I definitely hated her chapters less than Erykah. I did understand a lot of her ambition and where she was coming from throughout the novel, and would have probably made a lot of the same decisions she did.
With both of their characters, it really didn't sit right with me when they were gushing over their boyfriends and how they thought they would be with them till the end of time. It just felt unrealistic and I found myself wanting to just scream "WOULD YOU SHUT UP ABOUT YOUR STUPID BOYFRIEND. WE BOTH KNOW YOU ARE NOT GONNA BE WITH SOME GUY YOU MET WHEN YOU WERE SIXTEEN FOREVER. UGHHH."
Plot:
Yes I am aware of the fact that this is based off of some random reality TV show. I don't know why I thought this would have much depth or you know SOMETHING INTERESTING HAPPENING. I was so bored the entire time. Everything felt very filler and I am gonna be honest- THE URGE TO DNF WAS SO REAL. I am surprised and proud that I finished this one completely. If it weren't an arc I probably would have. And it also felt really unrealistic when And like I mentioned before, everything the characters did felt petty. I don't know why I expected more than reality tv in book form (it was literally pitched as exactly that)
Writing:
ughh
I was hoping for a writing style that I could tolerate. that's all I was asking for. just this one thing.
but no.
the universe was not on my side today.
My main issue was the constant use of acronyms. like instead of actually spelling out the whole phrase, it would be "WTF" or something else and it always annoys me LIKE PLEASE THIS IS NOT AN ELONGATED TEXT MESSAGE USE ACTUAL WORDS. It also seems like this would make it more relatable to teenagers but just because we live in the world to texting abbreviations, doesn't mean we want a book full of them.
The rest I didn't really care about- just your mediocre ya literature.
there was some texting bubbles and I love it when they do that.
Overall:
yep, well nothing special and felt kind of pointless also it was pretty embarrassing carrying around in the general public
pre-review:
*sigh* I was hoping to end 2022 on a more positive note but oh well
rtc
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