Ben is such a good character that I chose to overlook the fact that I normally don't like storylines like this. I have teenage sons so it's so difficult to read about boys deciding to isolate themselves instead of relying on parents or friends. It's compelling, though, and you'll find yourself both rooting him on and frustrated with his teenage decision making (oh, Ben, let people in!).

This narrative delves into themes of family dynamics, fatherhood, companionship, and affection.

Approaching this coming-of-age tale without many preconceptions, I found Jen Bailey's portrayal of a character distinct from those typically found in teen pregnancy novels to be refreshing. Ben's mother stood out to me for her consistently wise counsel, always knowing just what to say.

I admired her unwavering support for Maxie and her encouragement of Ben to consider his friend's emotions.

The conclusion of the book didn't catch me off guard; I anticipated it as soon as certain characters were introduced. Nonetheless, I continued reading, thoroughly enjoying the journey the story took me on.

This is a book where there is little surprise to how it ends. All of the elements of the final scenes are present pretty early on in the plot. But I'm not sure that it's a problem. This is less about the plot than about character development which is solid. It asks some valid questions about teen pregnancy and the roles of the people involved but mostly it's not trying to be deep.

I have tried to read this one through several times now. Each time I don't get very far and I end up putting it down. Which, I am bummed about because I was really intrigued by the premise and the representation this book should provide. However, I find that the writing itself feels very, unfinished. I can't quite put my finger on what it is exactly, but something about it feels unedited, and not just in a "this is a proof copy" way. It feels like a first draft, a first pass at this story and characters. And that may just be me. And that's okay. I was rally hopeful I was just reading it at the wrong time, but several tries to read over the last few months haven't changed that for me.

This is a bit of a different unplanned pregnancy story. While trying to work through some questions about his sexuality, he and his best friend Maxie decide to do an "experiment" which backfires in a big way. Maxie becomes pregnant, and Ben makes the unlikely decision that he wants to raise the child, even though Maxie wants something else.

This book does get to the heart and heartbreak of unexpected teen pregnancy. While Ben makes a decision to keep the baby, he doesn't really have the experience to know what that really means. This books takes the reader through that journey. I thought his struggles with Maxie's new place in his life were emotional and interesting. He's committed to his decision, but his devotion may not be enough for him to make it through this difficult struggle. And in the midst of all of this, he develops feelings for someone else and also lets his friends in the robotics club down, which complicates things further for Ben.

I liked Ben and his commitment to what he wants, and I liked his mother and others who looked out for him.I liked that realism of this story, And while I could see the ending coming, I liked how this wrapped up too.

I really enjoyed reading author Jen Bailey debut novel Unexpecting. I received this book as an ARC from Netgalley and rated it 5 stars. What attracted me to the book was the plot. The book is about a teen father who is gay getting his best friend pregnant. This definitely caught my attention and I had to know how, why and what happens. It turns out that Ben and his friend Maxie decide to conduct an experiment at science camp during the Summer. The experiement was to help determine if Ben was really gay. He confirmed that he was in fact gay and after coming out to his parents he also finds out that he is going to be a father. This book tells the story of how Ben goes through the ups and downs of navigate teen pregnancy and becoming a father. He discovers what it means to be a parents and the sacrifices it takes. Ben finds out that sometimes the right thing to do can also be the hardest thing. He faces many difficult decisions along the way but with the help of a great support system Ben navigates through this unexpecting journey. I highly recommend reading this book as it's a great coming of age story and gives perspective from the eyes of a teenage father.

This book did great with keeping my attention. I really liked the characters and the real feelings here, as long as good parental figures for the main character. It is a coming of age about learning to be a responsible person for the people around you and for taking initiative. It was an interesting story that really followed through.

Thanks for the advanced copy for review.

This one was way heavier than I was expecting. I loved the premise of the story and I know it's something that happens more often than people think. I loved the resolution and the journey the author took to get there.

This story is a unique little drama dealing with topics of LGBTQ+ lives, teen sex, family support, and life stress. If you have a reader who likes realistic fiction and family drama, then this is a great title! The teens are written in a clear and realistic emotional way. Tough decisions are analyzed in a way unique to their characters. Definitely an enjoyable and emotional story. You might laugh, you might cry, but you will spend your time well.

Rating: 3;serious, heavy, coming of age: Unexpecting was an easy, yet heavy read that I still have mixed feelings about.
Ben is a junior in high school and soon to be a father. The novel follows Ben through his experiences preparing for fatherhood, and what sacrifices he must make to be a single father. He must get a job, fight for custody of the child, show up for his robotics club, keep his grades up, and navigate the social challenges of being a teen father…all before the baby is ever born.
I think this book would be great for someone who is really into serious, real life teen drama; I’m just not that person. I was so sad reading the entire book (which might be the purpose?), but I just can’t say I fully enjoyed it. I would recommend this to anyone who likes a teen pregnancy plot line (can’t say I do personally) or likes reading teenage coming of age novels. I will say the characters were all done really well, the plot just wasn’t as engaging to me personally, hence the 3 star rating.
Thank you to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Jen Bailey did a great job on taking an unexpected story line of teen pregnancy and really pulling you in. You follow Ben who has recently come out to his parents as gay but also has a baby on the way. His mom steps in to help him. You follow the struggle of parenthood at such a young age and the hard choices that sometimes need to be made. Overall a very sweet story.

Such a beautiful and different story. I appreciate a story told from different perspectives and I think this is a perspective that isn’t looked at quite often. Throw in the gay romance and I’m sold. However, at the heart of this story was a really fascinating depiction of family and friendship and I loved every minute of it.

Unexpecting is a unique entry in the LGBT+, YA contemporary space. We follow Ben, who is gay, but is now an expecting father after an experiment that went wrong with a girl friend of his. Ben immediately decides that he wants to keep the baby, even though the mother and her family have plans for adoption. What this book does well is show a realistic, but flawed support system for Ben. He has a mother who tries her best and a stepfather who genuinely cares. I also think that Ben is written like a real teenage boy and has a good character arc, but he is so insufferable at times that I found it hard to root for him. He almost never takes the feelings of the mother of his child/his good friend into consideration and always fails to see the big picture. No, you can't go to summer camp if you are raising a child at that point. Yes, you do need to ask the mother what she wants to do with the baby. Yes, making money to support your growing family is more important than a robotics club. I understand that some of these things are simply because he is still a kid, but other things seem so blatantly obvious. Also, his disgust at the birthing process and lack of understanding as to why the mother would be doing fewer after-school activities bordered on pure misogynistic ignorance.

Also, the romance here is sweet but slightly deranged. Ben's mother has been married three times, and Ben's love interest is in fact his former step-brother, a la Clueless. However. the love interest does call out Ben for his treatment of his mother, and the mother of his child, which I liked. The romance made Ben better, but it didn't seem necessary to include the step-sibling detail.

Ultimately, this was a smart way to talk about teen pregnancy. It offered a fresh perspective, but I wish Ben learned more earlier on, and I was the mother of his baby, Maxie, had more of a voice.

I felt this book was cute and explored a lot of interesting dynamics when it comes to all types of relationship. The ending was predictable, but still enjoyable. The plot moved fairly slowly, and certain parts of the book were shorter than I would have liked. Overall, still a good read.

"Unexpecting" by Jen Bailey has an interesting premise but overall the characters weren’t super believable in their actions. Benjamin's journey from a content high schooler to an unexpected father tackles themes of acceptance, responsibility, and the complexities of family dynamics. The portrayal of the robotics club's reliance on Ben's expertise adds an interesting dimension, showing the ripple effects of his choices.

However, at times, the pacing felt uneven, and some plot points seemed slightly rushed.
In a typical teenage/YA fashion, so much of this book is dependent on the characters not talking to each other. And the love story was cute but awkward that it was his ex- stepbrother.

Overall it was a cute read, but many parts were just a bit cringe.

Such a wonderful coming of age story that I can absolutely see my teen readers LOVING. They will eat this one up like I did and I can definitely see this being a book club book in the future.

I did not finish this one, it was not for me, I couldn't relate to the characters, and just did not care for the story.

This was a breathtaking and interesting take on teen pregnancy. We see so many books about the girl dealing with being pregnant but not a lot about a boy. This one is a must read!

Bailey offers new perspective on the topic of teen pregnancy with Unexpecting, the story of high school junior, Ben, who has just recently come out to his mom and stepdad as gay. Unfortunately, now he has to tell them that his best friend, junior Maxie, is pregnant. And he's the dad. Yeah, he's pretty confused about it, too.

After a mutual experiment (Ben, to confirm he's gay, and Maxie, to get her first time over with) results in pregnancy, Ben realizes he wants to keep the baby, even though Maxie seems intent on giving it up for adoption.

Jen Bailey crafted a messy, heartwarming, and real portrayal of a teen with Ben, who is frustrating, selfish, awkward, sweet, emotional, and trying his hardest. It is difficult to juggle so many sensitive subjects with grace, but Bailey did it well. However, many of the side characters--including Ben's two best friends, Mo and Maxie, ultimately felt flat. As a reader, I felt like I didn't get to know enough about Maxie's experiences with this whole situation, even as their relationship gets less strained. Ben and Maxie rarely ever even talked to each other.

However, it was an excellent book, well worth the read, for its unique take on the issue.

This was an okay book but probably.more.on the category of YA books that are better for YAs you know some.ya books are amazing for adults to read but this one was just okay for me. I did love they way they took on such an important topic and situation teen pregnancy from a different point of view. I think it would be a great book for teenage boys to read.