I Know It's Over

This is the type of book that I wish was around when I was a teen. Perhaps there was one out there, but I wasn't lucky enough to find it. It is the type of story that draws you in, even though it deals with some tough issues. Pregnancy, divorce, abortion, it all makes for a gritty and realistic read. Martin writing is deep, and its brutal honesty shines from the page. I would compare this to Sarah Dessen, but more real and less sugar coated.

The story is told in first person, from Nick's point of view. It is hard for me to explain just how refreshing it was to see a topic like teen pregnancy looked at from a male point of view. Generally books that deal with these types of subjects are from the female point of view, and we see how a show more teenage girl deals with this life changing turn of events. To see this from Nick's side was so different. I was really surprised at the range of emotions that he felt throughout the book. I suppose what I'm saying is that C.K. Kelly Martin shows us that not all boys in his position are "unfeeling bastards" as the norm would tell us. Nope, Nick is quite an enigma.

From Sasha's side, we see the way that an issue like this affects a family. Sasha is the type of girl who strives to live up to a certain expectation. Her family wants her to do well and so she does her best to make them happy. That being said, when the pregnancy comes to light Sasha is torn. The story shows the reader how a family like Sasha's will take control as well. I won't spoil this book for anyone who is interested, but Sasha doesn't have much of a say in what happens to her and the life living inside her. This too, is so true to life.

As an older reader, this book was really impressive to me mostly because of how true to life the characters and their emotions were. The sheer weight of what was happening weighed down on both of them, but they chose to handle it differently. C.K. Kelly Martin doesn't berate her characters for choosing their path, but she does show the true consequences that come along with it. She subtly conveys the simple message that we are ultimately responsible for the consequences of our actions. Unfortunately, sometimes this means being responsible for someone else as well.

Overall I really enjoyed this read. There were times when I was so drawn in that I literally wanted to jump into the book to hug, or possibly punch, a character. The honesty that I Know It's Over is written with is refreshing! I would recommend this book to any teen that is able to deal with sexual encounters. This might be one that a parent reads first, or even with their teen. show less

I have read books about teen pregnancy before. I've read about teen mothers and teen fathers and the struggles and decisions. I've watched Juno. I've read the articles about teen pregnancy rates and sex education and condoms and nonsense. But of all those takes on the story, C.K. Kelly Martin's I Know It's Over comes the closest to the actual situations I've seen play out in real life.

Nick is fabulous. He is accidentally careless but so full of love, awkward but trying to be a good friend, lover, brother, and son. He is confused and trying to make sense of the world and of love: his and everyone else's. He is lovable without being a romantic ideal. Nick is not perfect: he says and does the wrong things, he fools around with girls he show more doesn't really care about, he smokes and drinks. Nick is one of the most real teenage boys I've read about in a long time.

This book will take your heart and simply demolish it. You will feel all of Nick and Sasha's pain and confusion and overwhelming love for each other and it will take you down at the knees and leave you gasping. I can't think of a single negative thing to say about this book: the plot was multilayered and fascinating, the characters were fully fleshed out and relatable, and Nick's first love, loss, and his lingering feelings will stay with you for a long time. show less

Reviewed by Breanna F. for TeensReadToo.com

Nick plans on having a long, carefree summer with no distractions and no problems. What with his parents' divorce and his father's new girlfriend, Nick needs all the downtime he can get. Even the girl he's seeing (Dani) is starting to get to him. The girl is up for anything, but for some reason Nick just doesn't seem that in to it anymore.

But Nick's summer plans of carefree go out the window when Sasha shows up. She's been going to school with him for as long as he can remember. They've just never really talked to each other. One day they do, and suddenly something starts. Sasha is totally different than Dani and isn't about to do anything sexual quite so fast. But Nick and Sasha start getting show more hot and heavy by the time fall rolls around. And then Sasha breaks it off, saying that she wants to be able to concentrate on school and getting into the best college. Nick is crushed, but there's not much he can do.

Then, on Christmas Eve, Sasha shows up out of nowhere and tells Nick that she's pregnant. Sure, they were always careful and used protection, but one time something happened. Neither one of them thought much about it at the time, but now they're over-analyzing the night. Sasha is hesitant about her decision regarding the baby. After she tells her parents, she decides on an abortion, and doesn't really let Nick have much say. Nick, being so mixed up about the whole situation, really wishes Sasha would talk to him more and let him be involved. But the truth is that they could never really have a relationship again, even with the baby.

With the help of his gay best friend (Nathan) and his other best friend (Keelor), Nick manages to make it through this whole fiasco. But will he ever have another chance with Sasha? And what will Sasha's final choice about the baby be?

First off, I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone under the age of seventeen due to the sexual scenes and the topic of pregnancy and all. That said, though, this was such a great read. I loved how it was told from the guy's point of view, which we hardly ever get to see. I felt so bad for Nick from the very beginning. Of course, my heart went out to Sasha, as well.

C.K. Kelly Martin is such a strong writer and this was an amazing book. Her words just jumped off the page to me. I loved Nick's attitude and actions, along with Sasha's. And Nick's younger 14-going-on-30 sister was great. Basically, I loved everything about this book except for the ending. It was okay; I just kind of wanted it to end differently!

But anyway, definitely pick up a copy of this book when it's released. I'm sure you won't be disappointed. And I really hope the author writes another book soon! show less

Really great realistic story with a Male POV for a change. I thought the Nick character was very realistic. I've read other books with a male POV and most of them come across as having very similiar thought processes as girls, which I don't think is true. This book you could tell it's the way a guy thinks.
It deals with a lot of heavy issues like sex, abortion, safe-sex, homo-sexuality, divorce, it's got it all...
The only thing I didn't like was the Sasha character. I found her to be very cold and undeserving of Nick's affections. It seemed as though Nick was agonizing over the decision more than she was... WTF?
I liked that the love story wasn't over the top, but Sasha just seemed really methodical and cold, not loving or worthy of love. show more But in a way I guess we rarely date the right type of person for us when we're in H.S., so it made sense that Nick fell for her. I was just hoping at some point he would tell her that if she was going to keep shutting him out for no reason she could go to hell, but that's just me. :) show less

I love young adult books, even though I am way older than most of the characters I read about; I still feel as though I can relate to most of the characters in books.
I have never read anything by C.K. Kelly Martin and I Know It's Over was an amazing book to start off with.
I loved that it was told entirely from 16 year old Nicholas' point of view. Not to often do you find a book about teen pregnancy told from the "fathers" point of view.
I couldn't relate to Nick personally, but I knew how it felt to be a teen and pregnant so I could relate to that aspect of his life.
I don't like the way things were handled between Nick and Sasha. Her parents were a little stricter than I remember any of my friends' parents being, their rules for show more Sasha dating Nick made sense to an extent, but I feel that when there are a ton of rules placed on teens that the parents are just asking for trouble.
The ups and downs that Nick goes through while waiting for word as to what Sasha is going to do about the " thing" inside her, are really heart breaking. I love that he acted like I believe a normal teen boy would in a situation like that. He didn't shun her or make it all her fault like some teen boys are known to do.
Even though I was not please with what happened in the book, I did enjoy reading it. Nick is a very lovable character. show less

I know Its Over is a powerful YA adult novel. I wish they had these types of YA novels when I was younger – but , of course, all of the topics covered in this book such as teen sexuality, pregnancy and abortion would have been way too controversial in my day!

I think novels like these are absolutely essential – they dare to talk about subjects that teenagers MUST face everyday of their lives – burying our heads in the sand is no longer an option!

I Know its Over introduces us to Nick. He is a pretty typical 16 year old guy. He is somewhat confused about his life and is wondering where all the pieces go. He meets and falls for Sasha and they become inseparable. After a while though, the relationship runs its course and the couple show more split up – except that Sasha comes back a little while later and she has big news – she is pregnant.What follows is an absolutely wonderful read – the author chooses to write this book mainly from Nick’s point of view which is refreshing.

As a teen girl, I often wondered how a guy’s mind works (still haven’t quite figured that one out yet!) and I often wondered how it must feel for them to hear the dreaded words ‘I’m pregnant’.Author C.K. Kelly Martin pulls no punches. She throws the two teenagers into a very difficult situation and chooses not to sugar coated with lots of empty promises and unwanted romanticism. While Nick wants to be included in any decisions that are made about this pregnancy, Sasha finds herself pulling away from him and turning inwards – she also decides to tell her parents – a decision that seriously changes the dynamics of the situation.

This is basically every teenagers biggest fear – and kudos for Nick for choosing not to bolt and basically tell Sasha ‘its your problem’. Still, I do believe that when it comes to a woman’s body - she has THE only right to choose what is best for her! so, although I commend the author for including Nick in parts of the decision making – ultimately the decision lies with Sasha.This novel is touching and, at times, extremely difficult to read. It is also quite sexually descriptive which may not be great for younger teens – but it’s a must read for any teen out there who is considering having sex or is currently engaged in a sexual relationship.

I LOVED this book. show less

I love young adult books, even though I am way older than most of the characters I read about; I still feel as though I can relate to most of the characters in books.
I have never read anything by C.K. Kelly Martin and I Know It's Over was an amazing book to start off with.
I loved that it was told entirely from 16 year old Nicholas' point of view. Not to often do you find a book about teen pregnancy told from the "fathers" point of view.
I couldn't relate to Nick personally, but I knew how it felt to be a teen and pregnant so I could relate to that aspect of his life.
I don't like the way things were handled between Nick and Sasha. Her parents were a little stricter than I remember any of my friends' parents being, their rules for show more Sasha dating Nick made sense to an extent, but I feel that when there are a ton of rules placed on teens that the parents are just asking for trouble.
The ups and downs that Nick goes through while waiting for word as to what Sasha is going to do about the " thing" inside her, are really heart breaking. I love that he acted like I believe a normal teen boy would in a situation like that. He didn't shun her or make it all her fault like some teen boys are known to do.
Even though I was not please with what happened in the book, I did enjoy reading it. Nick is a very lovable character. show less