Publishing Date: September 19th, 2011
Genre: YA, Contemporary
Pages: 352 pgs
ISBN: 9780152065706
Rating: 4.5 stars
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.
My Review:
I received this book in a package from Thomas Allen & Son publishers for review and I didn't know much about this book. It was a book that I thought might be decent but I didn't have high expectations for this book. That being said, I ended up really enjoying it. Nolan was able to write about teen pregnancy, which has been done many times before, and make it her own. I never got bored of this book and I never thought "I've seen this before". I love that the majority of the book takes place at summer camp. I worked at a summer camp for two years and I loved it. It was a specialized camp for children and teens with physical and cognitive disabilities and it was one the best experiences I've had. I can why Elly really finds herself immersed in it and why in the end it ultimately changes her for the better. Elly is a great character too. She is headstrong and is not afraid to tell people what she is thinking. I love the scenes when she is with her in-laws; she is full of sass and isn't afraid to put them in their place. I have to admit that while I may be stubborn like Elly, I don't usually go around telling people exactly what I'm thinking. I like that Elly's character is a bit flawed too. She is naive and a little bit selfish. This is what it is like to be a teen; they don't always have the answers but they think they do. I can remember being exactly like this- without the pregnancy and juvie thing. I thought I had it figured out and so often I ended up disappointed because things didn't quite work out that way. Elly is disappointed in life in more ways than one: her husband, her in-laws, her parents. She is a tough cookie though and she keeps on trekking through the big pile of manure handed to her. I have to say while reading this I just wanted to take the parents in this book and shake them. What were they doing? Do you really think trying to force someone to give their child up for adoption is the right thing to do? What ever happened to being supportive? Anyhow, I ended up loving this book and I can't wait to read more books by Nolan. I give this book 4.5 stars out of 5
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