*DNF*

Copy kindly received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Not for me. The writing is good but I’m just not really interested in this one right now. It’s maybe a little too young for me at the moment. I think it would be a good coming of age story dealing with life circumstances but just not for me right now.

***3 Stars***

It’s taken me awhile to figure out just how I feel about this book and how to put it down into words. The first half of that equation I’ve come to terms with, the second is still in limbo, but I need to get it out of my head so we’re just gonna do a little verbal vomit-y thing and see what comes of it.

My issue is that while I did enjoy the book, it was an easy read to get through and low on angsty drama ~ which I was actually okay with ~ I still feel like I needed more from it because while there was some drama it was resolved quickly and relatively easily considering the circumstances and that’s why I’m stuck in limbo with this one. I liked the direction the author took with Tonya’s pregnancy, but I never got that emotional gut punch from any of the trials she went through. I mean I did feel some frustration for her and with her, but nothing overwhelming and that pretty much sums up the entire story for.

It was enjoyable, but nothing totally overwhelmed me on the emotional level.

Despite the lack of an emotional gut punch, I must say that I enjoyed the author’s writing style and voice. I was drawn in from the start and had no problem turning the pages. This is her debut novel and I see great potential in her writing and will be keeping an eye out for what she has coming out in the future.

Welcome to Your Life is a well told story of teen pregnancy and all the emotions and struggles it brings to everyone involved. Tonya finds out she's pregnant after she graduates from high school. What makes it even harder is that she and her boyfriend had been broken up for awhile by the time she finds out.

As she struggles through pregnancy, she has to deal with hormones, not knowing how she'll be able to attend college and whether or not her ex is going to be a father to their baby. And then she meets Reaf and suddenly she's crushing on him. But, can the guy she disliked at first possibly be her new love when she's pregnant with someone else's baby? And can she ever repair her relationship with her father, who is really disappointed in her?

I found Welcome to Your Life to be particularly poignant because I lived through teen pregnancy myself, not because I got pregnant at a young age, but because my brother became a father when he was 18, and he, my family and I all struggled through it. It was the hardest thing we'eve ever been through as a family and the hardest thing my brother ever went through. Pregnancy is hard enough, but as a single teen?! Even harder, much, much harder.

I liked Tonya, Reaf, Tonya's parents and Tonya's friend Cami. I had a harder time with Jake, Tonya's ex, because he didn't step up the way he should have. Yes, he was young, but if you're old enough to have sex, then you're old enough to accept the consequences of having that sex. Period, end of. I know if my brother hadn't have stepped up when he found out his ex was pregnant, I would have been seriously disappointed in him, even if I would have felt bad for him because it was so hard for him to wrap his head around. Jake was no different, he didn't step up, so for that reason I couldn't bring myself to like him. Other than Jake, though, I surprisingly enjoyed Welcome to Your Life. I say surprisingly because normally YA is not my thing. It's well written, well paced and the struggles and emotions everyone experienced rang true. Kudos to Katrina on her debut novel.

The second I read the synopsis I got hooked right away and yes, the author has made an amazing job written a beautiful story about a girl named Tonya who is pregnant and struggling in try to figure how to be strong for herself, for her study, work, putting trust on a new guy who enters her life. Life has never been easy for her when she has broken up with her high school boyfriend and right after that only she knows about her pregnancy.

So far, the plot is okay. I love how straight forward it gets. Not so much conflict happened in the book except her ex boyfriend, Jake bugging her to be together back again because of the baby and that is that. Despite those, she meets Reaf, a guy from her art class and the love start to blooms between the two of them.

As for the characters, Tonya, she is a very strong woman, knows what is the best for her and know her stand though she did slip few times when Jake bugging her. Fortunately, she choose Reaf. Her relationship with her parents is wonderful. They are very supportive of her and always stand by herside. Whilst, Reaf, well he is very gentlemen. One in a million guy. Tonya is definitely a lucky girl!

I think the author had good intentions but the portrayal of the teenage pregnancy was too simplistic. I felt she was giving a rather glossy view of what teenage pregnancy would actually be like. Please see my full review on Goodreads.

Tonya and Jake are both it the situation of becoming parents at eighteen. With a turbulent relationship in their past, their baby with be brought up with split parents as Tonya wants and she has plenty of support from Cami, her best friend and her parents.

However in college she meets Reaf a guy in her art class and they hit it off, he wins her parents around and is super supportive over her decision to keep her baby. However, Jake returns from university and hates the idea of her dating someone else while having his baby and gets angry.

Tonya is a strong girl who knows what she wants to do. It's a great book to finally have supportive parents in towards a teen pregnancy and Reaf was a lovely and caring character to read about, if only all guys could be more like him!

Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!

Got to about 40% before I quit. First off I find books written in present tense very distracting for some reason. For me it feels more natural to say "I went to the mailbox" rather than " I go to the mailbox". Next, I know the narrator is 18, but she is rediculously immature. She's not going to tell her baby daddy, she can't afford a "fancy college" but eats fast food for breakfast every day, she apparently hasn't read What to Expect When You're Expecting because she doesn't know she can drink decaf, and she hasn't done any prep for the baby, but her parents have. I don't know,anything about the author, but was this written by a teenager? Both the writing and the content feel young.

Welcome to Your Life was a great debut novel. Breaking up is hard to do, but in this case it was best for Tonya because she deserved better than the way Jake treated her. Rafe was perfect in everyway; caring, considerate, loving and protective, respectful. He was everything Jake wasn't. Tonya had the most supportive parents and a really great best friend; I really liked Cami. I wonder if Cami will have her own story. I enjoyed a few laughs while reading this story and I look forward to my next read from this author.

This is def a YA read. Tonya is a high school senior who has just broken up with her douchebag boyfriend and finds out she's pregnant. Her parents support her and while she's pregnant and a college freshman, she meets Raef, a fellow student in her art class. They start a relationship, but Jake her ex, comes back in the picture.

I'm not sure if this is a series, but the ending seemed unfinished and there were so many questions unanswered.