Title: Unexpecting
Author: Jen Bailey
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Publication date: August 22, 2023
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Summary
It’s the beginning of junior year of high school and Ben feels pretty happy with his life. Sure, his family life is a bit complicated, but he has two fantastic best friends and feels like he’s on the path he needs to be on. Until an experiment at science camp goes wrong.
Ben is going to be a father. A track his mother wasn’t expecting, since Ben just recently came out as gay. Now, he needs to make a plan, since he’s decided he wants to raise the baby on his own. But the whole process is more complicated than Ben expected, leaving him wondering: is this the best decision for the baby? Does he have what it takes to be a good father?
Review: Unexpecting
Thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for an advanced copy of Unexpecting by Jen Bailey to review! One of the comp titles for this book is Heartstopper, which means I obviously had to read it. Is it a good comp title? Eh. But the Juno comparison is definitely spot on!
What I appreciated about this book is that it’s a teen pregnancy story that focuses on the father’s story instead of the mother’s. We don’t see that a lot in YA, and it’s refreshing to get that perspective. Especially for the situation that they’re in. It adds an interesting element to the story, and adds a complexity to the overall emotional core.
However, I do think the characterization of Maxie (the mom) does suffer a little in comparison to Ben. Because we are getting Ben’s perspective, and he is a teenager, he does write off some of the difficult things she has to go through. I do think this book would have benefited from having POVs from both of them, making the overall story more rounded.
The romance on Ben’s side is sweet, a kind of a friends to lovers situation. They have some cute moments (like the whole “let’s practice kissing” thing. Adorable). I appreciated the way that he supported Ben through this, and their relationship evolves realistically throughout the book.
I still don’t necessarily understand Ben’s motivation for wanting to keep the baby, so I think a little more exploration in that area would have been helpful. But all in all, this is a strong study of teen pregnancy, and it hits strong emotional notes by the end.
3.5/5 stars