Today is Homecoming Week at my school, which is always a blast. As I type this I am decked out in my Duck Dynasty gear (beard included!). Very un-girly for me!
Today's review is on Pregnant Pause by Han Nolan. I'll admit that I was TOTALLY motivated to read this book last spring when I was pregnant...I think I just needed someone to relate to me in being immobile, sleep-deprived, and cranky!
- Standalone novel
- Realistic
Summary from Goodreads:
Nobody
gets away with telling Eleanor Crowe what to do. But as a pregnant
sixteen-year-old, her options are limited: move to Kenya with her
missionary parents or marry the baby’s father and work at his family’s
summer camp for overweight kids. Despite her initial reluctance to help
out, Elly is surprised that she actually enjoys working with the
campers. But a tragedy on the very day her baby is born starts a series
of events that overwhelms Elly with unexpected emotions and difficult
choices. Somehow, she must turn her usual obstinance in a direction that
can ensure a future for herself—and for the new life she has created.
The Gist:
Eleanor is 16-years-old and pregnant by on-again, off-again boyfriend Lam. She's finding little support from her family--her parents are missionaries in Kenya and are returning to the country soon. Even though Elly is rebellious and stubborn, her options are pretty limited. So she marries Lam and moves to Camp Weight Away, the camp that Lam's parents run. Eleanor and Lam must decide what to do once the baby is born, but coming to a mutual decision is not going to be easy.
What I Loved:
- The camp setting. This is very unique for a young adult book (which are typically set in boarding schools, let's be honest). And it's a pretty realistic view of camp, not what you'd see on a Disney show.
- And speaking of camp, I loved seeing Elly connect with certain kids at camp. This was especially great since she is mostly a pretty rebellious teen.
- Elly's love for her child. It's why I really started to like Elly as a character.
- I loved seeing such a rebellious character in a pregnant, slow-moving body. Elly tries to make up for it with her sarcasm and attitude, which just makes her physical difficulties pretty funny. I could totally relate! *Check out my favorite quote below.
What I Didn't Love:
- All of the characters! I didn't really care for any of them. Both sets of parents were HORRIBLE. Ziggy--oh my goodness. Lam--idiot. Sarah--a deserter. No one was likeable.
- Talk about depressing! Elly has no support and the future looks pretty bleak.
- I didn't really care for the title or cover...I thought it could have gone a lot farther based on the book's content.
Favorite quote: "I shove my tray at the two of them and stand up to leave. My exit would be great if I could just climb over the bench and sashay off, but I have to clamber over it, holding on to the table, taking it slowly, and then I have to waddle away. The effect I wanted is a total miss, but I had my say, and that at least feels good."
On Wednesday I'll be back with an outfit inspired by Elly's wedding dress! And I'm using actual items from my own wardrobe!
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