"I liked this book, not for the way it was written and not particularly because of the story told or the characters presented, just because of the way I felt while reading it. I can't explain why." — Miss Remmers
From Amazon.com...
"Ellie remembers how the boys kissed her. Touched her. How they
begged for more. And when she gave it to them, she felt loved. For a while anyway. So when Josh, an eager virgin with a troubled home life, leads her from a party to the backseat of his van, Ellie follows. But their "one-time thing" is far from perfect: Ellie gets pregnant. Josh reacts with shame and heartbreak, while their confidantes, Caleb and Corinne, deal with their own complex swirl of emotions. No matter what Ellie chooses, all four teenagers will be forced to grow up a little faster as a result. Told alternately from each character’s point of view, this deeply insightful novel explores the aftershocks of the biggest decision of one fragile girl’s life — and the realities of leaving innocence behind."
I can understand why my mom (high school librarian) has a hard time keeping this book on the shelves. It's a fast read and it grabs you from the first sentence. The plot is fast paced and the characters are believable and like-able. I felt moderately connected to the characters, but the book was definitely plot driven.
If I had to pick something I didn't like, it would be the lack of depth to the novel. I felt like the relationship (if there needed to be one) between Caleb and Corinne should have been developed more — it felt like it was sort of stuck in there just for a "happy ending." I also would have appreciated more from Ellie and Josh's perspective — yes, the best friends had it rough but I wanted to know more about how Ellie and (especially) Josh were doing.
Also, how did Ellie get to her decision in the end? What led her to that? I was expecting more of 'teen pregnancy' book and I got more of a 'teen pregnancy book but from the perspective of the best friends' — which is fine, I just felt a bit lost.
But despite this, I know why readers like this book. I will recommend it to my lower level readers or readers who are looking for a 'light' but strong book. I know this seems like a negative review, but it's not. It's easy to pick out the flaws logistically of the book and I can't seem to think of what exactly I liked about it. But I did like it, I read it at the metrodome between baseball games and I actually missed the top of the first inning because I just refused to put it down. I liked this book, not for the way it was written and not particularly because of the story told or the characters presented, just because of the way I felt while reading it. I can't explain why.
To the FTC, with love: Library Book