Jenni Hendriks

“I’d made my decision long before we arrived. Those signs were just words.”

-5 stars-

WOW!
Okay, so I was soooo conflicted. I was unsure if I should read this or not, because the reviews were all over the place. I ended up reading it and I’m so happy I did!
This book blew me away! The writing, the characters, ugh... everything! Like in all these books, my hear breaks for the women and girl that actually have to go through this. I want to take all the people that have to go through this, show more out of the book, and wrap them in a warm hug.
I love the friendship that grows through out the book between Veronica and Bailey. I feel like it shows a great sense of women coming together to help each other. It was really nice to read, even though they weren't friends anymore, I loved how Bailey still helped Veronica. This warmed my heart.
Kevin, he annoyed the 'effin crap out of me! The fact that he poked holes in the condom, just to get her pregnant so she can't go off to college. Nuh uh, I hate that. Hate it! If there are actually boys like Kevin in the world, they can just go eff off.
Okay, so if you couldn't tell, I might have really became attached to these girls. I genuinely loved Bailey, and the fun humor she brought into this book, all while still being serious, and addressing the legitimate problem. Veronica reminded me very much of me, also! Loved her personality and the way she interacted with Bailey.
The writing on this book, blew me away. Once again, funny humor, but still showing that not being able to get an abortion is a serious problem. Great writing and I credit the authors for writing such an amazing book!

P.S. I'm definitely going to be watching the movie of Unpregnant!

“I don’t think you’re wrong. You’re making the right choice for you, that’s what’s important.” show less

I loved this book! I love short, staccato sentences with no commas. Like this. And this. And that. I love it. I love characters who are supposed to be “cool” and “quirky” when they’re really just annoying and inconsiderate. I LOVE WHEN EMOTION IS EXPRESSED IN ALL CAPS AS IF I’M READING A BOOK FOR SIX-YEAR-OLDS. I love when books are unsubtle. The stalker ex-boyfriend who raped our heroine? Subtle. The perfect perfection of our perfectly perfect main heroine? Very subtle. The show more insidious pervasion of conservative politics in Southern states? Oh, suuuuuuuuuuper subtle. (Did I also mention how much I love when words get drawn out to show us how teen-y our totally teenage characters are? Teehee. My bad.) show less

Unpregnant follows a teen as she believes she wants an abortion from her unplanned pregnance. Upon starting the novel, I wondered how an abortion could be "sold" as understandable. When one plot twist happens, I saw the path forward for the plot. One wonders if she will actually get the abortion or not, as she has trouble even saying the word. I won't reveal her decision.

Veronica Clark, 17, takes a pregnancy test only to have it fall out of her hands and into the hands of Bailey Butler, the show more snarkiest and angriest senior. Bailey proceeds to guess who waits in the stall, guessing names of girls who are known to share their time with boys. Surprised and amused, she discovers Veronica Clark--probable valedictorian, prom court participant, wearer of a Christian purity ring, and former junior high best friend. After a short standoff with a taser, they each leave the bathroom. Veronica only hopes Bailey won't say anything. Usually Veronica spends the three-day weekend before finals studying with her friends at a fishing cabin, but this year she tells them she's spending it with Kevin, leading her parents to believe she is with her friends.

Veronica hopes Kevin will support her, but she discovers there's less to Kevin than she believed. After a strange evening where she expected to explain her pregnancy to Kevin and get a ride to an abortion clinic, she finds herself without transportation. She knows one person with a vehicle whom she feels she can trust: her former best friend, Bailey. Bailey agrees to accompany her.

I'm leaving so much out because it's a book one should experience. it's hilarious. I thoroughly and completely enjoyed it, expecting it to be in my top ten for 2021. It follows the journey motif, much like Huckleberry Finn. HF makes the reader laugh a lot, but it's also a harsh look at America as Huck and Jem journey down the Mississippi, actually showing what people are really like--and it's not positive. In Unpregnant, Veronica and Bailey travel across the country and encounter humanity--and it's not pretty either. You can easily tell they have a long-term relationship because they play off each other like old friends do. Veronica admonishes Bailey often, "Bailey......," she says with a warning tone. As with all journey motifs, everyone (the characters and the readers) grow from innocence/ignorance to experience/knowledge. It's outstanding and I loved it! show less

teen fiction (humor/drama/roadtrip, essentially the Feminist AF-version of Harold and Kumar)
Loved this zany ride of a book, my one issue being the juxtaposition of Bailey's dad never wanting to be a father (and using that as an "excuse" to be a crappy parent) and Veronica's not wanting to stay pregnant/become a mother at that point in her life. There are reasons why those are different situations, but the similarities were jarring enough that I felt it deserved a little more consideration.