ARC Review: Unpregnant by Jenni Hendriks and Ted Caplan

Title: Unpregnant
Author: Jenni Hendriks & Ted Caplan
Genre: Contemporary
Source: BookExpo 2019
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: September 10th 2019

Summary: 

Seventeen-year-old Veronica Clarke never thought she would wish she’d failed a test until she finds herself holding a thick piece of plastic in her hands and staring at two solid pink lines. Even the most consistent use of condoms won’t prevent pregnancy when your boyfriend secretly pokes holes in them to keep you from going out-of-state for college. Veronica needs an abortion, but the closest place she can legally get one is over nine hundred miles away—and Veronica doesn’t have a car. Too ashamed to ask her friends or family for help, Veronica turns to the one person she believes won’t judge her: Bailey Butler, Jefferson High’s own little black cloud of anger and snark—and Veronica’s ex-best friend. Once on the road, Veronica quickly remembers nothing with Bailey is ever simple and that means two days of stolen cars, shotguns, crazed ex-boyfriends, truck stop strippers with pro-life agendas, and a limo driver named Bob. But the pain and betrayal of their broken friendship can’t be outrun. When their fighting leads to a brutal moment of truth, Bailey abandons Veronica. Now Veronica must risk everything in order to repair the hurt she’s caused.

Jessica is actually the one who put Unpregnant on my radar. We were discussing debut novels we wanted to cover in 2019 and Jessica mentioned this one to me. Unpregnant stood out to me because I've never heard this in YA: The main character is actively seeking an abortion. That's not something you see everyday in YA literature. While I was eager for this book, I was also nervous because abortion isn't an easy thing to discuss. It's a matter that many people have their own opinions on. Unpregnant is going to be some peoples favorite book and for others they aren't even going to pick it up. But Unpregnant was about so much more then just a teenager who was seeking an abortion. 

I read Unpregnant in a little over two hours. It was a quick and entertaining read that help my attention from the first sentence. Veronica is a senior in high school and is ready for her life to get started, but she never planned on seeing the two little pink lines on a pregnancy test that she took. There is one thing Veronica knows for sure though, she does not want a baby yet nor is she ready for the responsibility. When Veronica decides that she wants to have an abortion she learns that the closest center to get one with out her parents consent is over nine hundred miles away in New Mexico. With the help from her ex-bestfriend, Bailey, Veronica takes a weekend trip that changes her life. 

At first I really wasn't sure about Veronica's character but the more you sit in her head and read her thoughts and learn about her as a person the more I grew to love her. The road trip isn't just about her seeking an abortion but it's also about her finding who she truly is, the people who truly love her and how even in some sucky situations you got to make the best of it. There were so many moments that I would be like "Hell yeah!" or "You go girl!" at some of the things Veronica would say and do. She started off the novel and ended the novel as two different characters and I loved seeing that growth. 

I haven't laughed so hard at a book in quite sometime and I couldn't help it. There were so many moments that Veronica and Bailey basically ended up having to do the stupidest things or when you thought it couldn't get worse it did. But in the funniest ways. They act like seventeen year old girls who are about to graduate high school. Veronica doesn't even start making a real plan until she is in the car with Bailey and they are leaving their small town. Their characters were relatable and the authors made me feel as if I was sitting in the back seat with this duo. 

Overall, I really loved Unpregnant and I can't wait to read more from these authors. Unpregnant is a funny story about finding who you are, learning the true meaning of friendship and what it means to be in a relationship and having to make a huge life altering decision. Unpregnant is a book needed in this day and age and is going to bring forth a powerful but much needed discussion.