I can’t lie, when I first saw this I was a little worried. Teen pregnancy is a touchy subject to everyone, so I knew this was going to ruffle some feathers. But of all the books on teen pregnancy that I’ve read, this one seemed to be the most accurate, I think it’s because it showed both sides of the choice. And it doesn’t hold back on the emotional side either.

Ok so first I wanna talk about the characters. I can truthfully say I only liked Kelly. She was the only one that was consistent throughout the entire book. Even when things got dark for her, she stayed the same, level headed teen who owned up to her mistakes and took charge of every situation head on. Did I agree with everything she did? No. In fact I was really mad at one thing she di, but I was glad she did what was best with her. Now for Erykah, the reason I didn’t like her was because she didn’t keep the same energy throughout the book. She talked all that hot shit, but when Kelly needed her most, she wasn’t there for her. After all the things she had done for her. And like, I know they’re teens, but what she did was the grossest thing. Kelly was there for every choice she made, even when she didn’t like them, but the one time Kelly made a choice she didn’t like, she couldn’t do the same. That bothered me. To be honest, I think she was a little jealous that she chose herself when Erykah didn’t. I was so frustrated with the way they treated each other. I had to remind myself I was reading a YA book, because they were so moody and mean to each other.

This was a coming of age story for both girls. The plot follows their lives as both teens encounter the same happening, but handling it with different decisions. But the best thing about this? The way Thomas tackles this without making it preachy towards either decision. She just shows the lives of them both and gives out only facts about the way people look at or treat you, the names you’re called, and how you have to make the hardest decisions for you and you only. And I love that she doesn’t treat either girl like they alone made the right decision. She truly pushed the narrative that “you should make the decision that’s best for you.” And honestly, that was my favorite part.

There is some medical content in this, so please be careful with yourself. Now when I say this, I mean it for both sides. It doesn’t go into in-depth descriptions, but it is enough detail for you to know what’s going on. I know that this won’t be ok for some people, but just like in this book, you have a choice. And I am grateful to Thomas for depicting that choice. AND I’m happy that Thomas mentions that it’s still not a choice everywhere and all the recent changes these laws have been through.

As if the story itself wasn’t already good, the narrators were two of my faves. I almost didn’t even want to comment on this because what do you say besides, “it was bussin?!” Because that’s all I have right now. They sucked me into this story with their narration and inflection and emotion and just everything. Basically, I loved every second of it and I couldn’t stop reading.

If you’re put off by the title like I was at first, don’t worry about it. There is something in this book for everyone. I would hope by reading this no matter your stance, you take both accounts into consideration and start to look at both sides. I hope this book opens your eyes as much as it did so for the characters.

Keepin’ It Real

This book did a great job of giving a realistic account of teen pregnancy. It addressed the fears and embarrassment. It also touched on the lengths teens will go to hide the pregnancy. Dealing with the frustration of an absentee father was portrayed very accurately. What I enjoyed the most was how different each girl reacted to the idea of becoming a teen mom. They were so close and seemed to be so similar until the pregnancy came up. Their bond was very touching. This was an emotionally charged read, but it told a necessary story.

Thank you NetGalley, Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing, and LaLa Thomas for this advanced copy in exchange for my review.

As someone who is immediately influenced by titles and book covers, this book piqued my interest without even knowing the premise of the story. The author told such a realistic story that is not talked about enough. I loved the rawness and vulnerability of the characters. I appreciated how candid they were with their experiences and the painful decisions that needed to be made. As someone who grew up with a family member that was a teen mom, from my experience, it impacted our entire household. It’s a huge shift and emotions can be high, as this book shows. Both characters in the story had pretty good support systems but they still had to overcome many hurdles. The author touches on black women and the challenges faced during pregnancy, high risk pregnancy, health insurance barriers, overcoming the stigma of teenage motherhood, and the importance of education. It was so important that all of these things were addressed. I truly enjoyed this story. The only thing I wanted was an epilogue, the story ends very abrupt but I did enjoy the closure of the story.

I’d recommend this book to a teen mom or young adult.

I received an ARC from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

As a longtime fan of the MTV show 16 & Pregnant, I was excited to read this debut novel. I was *not* a teenager when the show came out, and there was not a lot of information available about teen pregnancy. It is certainly more widely talked about now, but some people are accused of “glamorizing” it. The author mentions that she in no way wants to do that - she definitely succeeded. This story tackles a lot of the tough issues related to teen pregnancy- contraception, finances, religion, abortion, and parental/familial support. It also tells the story from a POC point of view, which I think is important. I would recommend this to any young adult to read.

16 and Pregnant is a fun YA novel tackling difficult subjects and conversations, especially ideal for those who loved the MTV show. As a fan of the show, I appreciated that Thomas' book added some diversity to the representation of the show, which tends to be mostly white.

When 16 & Pregnant premiered on MTV, I was sixteen years old and became an immediate fan of the show. It was eye opening to see girls my age navigating through one of the toughest times of their lives while millions of people watched. Although the show was criticized for glamorizing teen pregnancy, producers claimed that it was created to educate teenage girls on the realities of teen pregnancy and motherhood.

I believe this novel will have a similar impact as Lala Thomas does an amazing job of tackling the topic of teen pregnancy. Often the topic is glossed over as if it doesn’t exist. Most school districts slide a sex ed lesson into the curriculum, but it’s usually somewhere along the lines of Coach Carr’s advice in Meangirls, “Don’t have sex. You will get pregnant and die.” It’s rare that teenagers are thoroughly briefed on sex ed and a lot of their pregnancy slip ups are a result of the misuse of contraceptives and lack of sexual health info.

Thomas guides readers through nine months of 16 year old Erykah’s life after she’s hit with the news of her pregnancy. Everything is slowly changing: her body, her relationships, and life as she knows it will never be the same. I love that this book discusses choices. There were quite a few instances where the characters had to reflect on the realities of pregnancy and what that meant for their future. The thing I admired the most was the reoccurring theme of support from the parents and friends. Having that support is vital!

This was a great read. My biggest takeaway is to talk to the teenagers in your life. Having a discussion doesn’t mean you’re encouraging the behavior. Every teenager deserves to have at least one adult in their life that they can turn to with questions and concerns without the fear of being judged or punished. If you have a teenager be it your kid, cousin, or sibling, I highly recommend this read. And remember, it takes two to get pregnant so don’t just educate the young ladies, talk to the young men as well.

Young girls should not read this book. Although the author finds ways to tactfully discuss the hardships of teen pregnancy, this story perpetuated many harmful stereotypes and ideas. It was very clear that the story encouraged young people to give birth and not get abortions when they are pregnant; when a character decides to get an abortion, she is berated and shamed for her decision. In addition, this book depicted many harmful stereotypes about Black life. The main character lives in the projects with her single mom who struggles to make ends meet, gets pregnant with a boy that already has a baby and then gets locked up and then leaves the picture soon after she decides to keep the baby. The one party that they main characters goes to ends in a shooting, and at the end of the book the main character tells people “I’m not gonna drop out and be on welfare for life” which actively shames women who need extra support taking care of their families due to the systemic injustices in this country. Not to mention the poor writing. The main character’s best friend randomly gets pregnant about halfway through the book, seemingly out of nowhere. Again, she is berated for her choice to get an abortion and when the two girls make up it felt forced and not at all like an adequate reconciliation. I would not give this to any young reader, or any reader in general.

Before anyone jumps to conclusions, despite the title, this book absolutely does not glorify or romanticize teen pregnancy. Instead, it brings to life a reality of being young and making a huge life decision and all that comes with it. The judgement, the conflict, the question of if you’re making the right choice for YOU. And why it’s important to have choices and access to those choices. I liked how we got both Erykah and Kelly’s POVs to see their different personalities and ways of handling things. It really showcased how one decision can be right for one person and not right for the other. I also really liked how the author brought up how Black women can be treated poorly and even completely ignored during pregnancy. That’s something that isn’t talked about enough. I did find it a little repetitive at times, but it always kept my interest and the journeys that Erykah and Kelly both take are really beautiful and real. I think this is a really important books for teenagers honestly.


Thank you to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing and MTV Books an advanced digital reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

I grew up watching MTV's 16 & Pregnant, so I understand the concept of where this book was going to go. However, when I started reading it, I could not get further than the second page because I did not enjoy the lingo of the book. It definitely sounded like a person of color was being the narrator, which I'm fine with, but it is not my reality, so I had a hard time relating. I am happy to see that I book like this does exist to help people relating to this subject matter.

This was my first read by this author and I must say I loved it. Once I saw the cover I knew that this was a book that I wanted no needed to read. Being that I was a teen mom (pregnant at 15 had my daughter at 16) I wanted to see how teen moms would be displayed in this book. I loved how Erkyah was able to stand up for herself in most aspects because it was needed. Although she was a teen mom she still needed to be able to have her own voice and I loved that she did. Kelly was someone that she needed in her life because I dont think that she would've made it very far without the support of her best friend. Another good thing was that the things that are going on currently are also mentioned in the book as well. This was a very well written story with true happenings in the world and I'm so happy that I was able to read it.

Thank you @netgalley for the ARC

I enjoyed reading this book. It was beautifully well written and gave the teen pregnancy experience with a realness. I could not put this down after starting, the characters felt so real. The different decisions that are made and life challenges were relatable. This would make a great book for others that were in this situation as well..

What a great, realistic story surrounding teen pregnancy and friendship.

LaLa Thomas did well creating characters you understood. Erykah handled her pregnancy & changes like a boss, okay?!

I read a lot of YA books. But mainly their based on “success stories”. The teens who only have to worry about disappointing their parents because they dont want to major in what their parents want them to major in. So this REAL story is so necessary. I know people still turn their nose up at teens who get pregnant but it’s a reality.

I love how it was mentioned that their sex ed teacher literally just told them to use condoms lol. Sex ed is so much deeper and I think more stories should surround teens experiencing what TEENS ARE EXPERIENCING.

I know sex in my home was taboo. And I do hope this book reaches teens who need this story whether it’s to relate or learn from it.

Thank you @netgalley for this ARC. This book was so good and would be great for females that got pregnant at 16 or at a young age. It would help them realize that they arent alone. I related so much because i got pregnant at 16 and dealt with some of the same things.

Erykah got pregnant in high school and dealt with alot of things that teen moms go through; hiding pregnancy from parents, being judged for being pregnant, deciding whether to keep the baby or abort it, and baby daddy issues.

I didnt like Erykah’s mom because when she told her she was pregnant she wanted her to get an abortion. I feel like any woman; no matter what age should have a choice on whether they want to keep their child or not; and be able to have access to do so. I love how this book incorporated things that are actually happening in the real world today. In the book the girls had to drive to another state just to go to an abortion clinic because their state didnt allow them to. (which is insane). Kelly’s parents are a type of parent that I want to be; they were so supportive of her from the beginning! Erykah’s baby father was a sorry excuse for a man and really shows you what moms have to go through when they get pregnant. Being a single mom aint cool, and I would love to be able to tell my story one day.