Thank you to NetGalley, author Jen Bailey, and St. Martin's Press: Wednesday Books for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

This was a very refreshing read and something truly original, which is perhaps one of the highest compliments I can give! There aren't that many books featuring teen pregnancy anyways and to tell the story from the perspective of Ben, the 16-year-old father who happens to be gay, is even more unique. I applaud Bailey so much for telling this story and handling it with care. There were several important parts that showed the reality (aka difficulties) of pregnancy/teen pregnancy, but also really lovely parts, like bringing awareness to Maxie, the mother of the baby, and her feelings throughout. I think that there is a lot of good to learn from this book, but my biggest issue with it is that there is just too much going on. I think the story would have worked better without a slight romance subplot and without focusing as much on Ben's involvement in the robotics club or on his job. There were so many moving parts that it sometimes took from the underlying story at hand. I understand that Ben's LGBTQ+ identity and high involvement was a crucial part to him understanding whether or not he was prepared to be a father, but I think it could have been given less page time in order to focus more on other parts. I appreciated this book was super realistic while still being positive and for the author truly having many different interests in mind from the characters to the readers. I can definitely see how crucial and important this book will be to younger readers and in library collections, regardless of the plot pacing issues.

Unexpecting is a really important read that explores the struggles of two teens coming to terms with an unexpected pregnancy. Despite being friends for years Maxie and Ben have difficulties communicating and navigating this process as a team. Maxie, feeling forced to go along with her parents wishes is persuing adoption, while Ben desires to keep the baby. This story is a wonderful exploration of the challenges and difficult decisions that come with an unexpected pregnancy.

1. The pretty Fall cover stole my heart. Pretty covers get me everytime.
2. I should have known I wasn't going to enjoy this book after it was comped with Juno. Even if it's a Queer Juno.

This was a dnf for me so I do not have any other insights about Unexpecting. I do, however, highly recommend the older Lifetime movie Too Young to Be a Dad.

Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for providing me with a review copy.

I sped through this book! The main character is at times selfish, dismissive and pig headed (just like a real 16 year old boy) but you can tell through his journey in the book he’s learning and growing. I love how clueless and unintentionally hurtful he starts off as it pays off well to see him grow.

I do wish we got more of the two most interesting side characters: Maxine, whom is having their baby, and Gio, the boy he has had a crush on since he was 12. The ending I dealt could have gone on for another chapter or two too give us a little glimpse of after the birth of the baby.

As for the negatives really it was just that. I wish we got more development one those two and maybe Mo, the third musketeer of their friend group. I did like the introduction of the eventual adoptive mothers it was a bit cliche but I’m a sucker for those. Definitely read it.

Ben, Mo, and Moxie are the stars of their high school robotics club, and BFFs. They are lovable, nerdy, and looking forward to taking the SAT and college programs. A wrench is thrown into the works when Maxie gets pregnant, and gay Ben is the father.

Maxie's parents want her to adopt out the baby; Ben wants to raise it himself, with the support of his mom and new stepfather Roger. Ben needs to prove himself to everyone and becomes overwhelmed, and alienates himself from Mo, the robotics club, and worst of all, Maxie.

This teen pregnancy book is different because it focuses more on the father than the mother, and touches on how what is assumed and expected can be flipped on its head. Ben finds strength and growth from his family, peers, and boss, but only after he hits rock bottom. The end is incredibly sweet and endearing.

Recommending for high school library acquisition.

This was so excellent and unlike any YA I've read. It was compelling and readable, and a book I'd absolutely put on my library shelves for kids.

I tend to avoid the topics of pregnancy, childbirth, or parenting in my pleasure reading, but Wednesday Books sent me a copy of Unexpecting to review and I usually like anything Wednesday Books publishes, so I figured I'd give it a go. This book covers some tough topics, obviously- teen pregnancy, adoption, sexual identity, coming-of-age, friendship- and just like most YA, it comes at these topics through a very straight-forward lends. Sometimes I think YA is too "in your face," but I feel like this subject matter needed to be. Unexpecting didn't glorify teen pregnancy or all the tough decisions that come with it, and even though Ben seemed somewhat flippant about his decisions initially, his motives were eventually revealed to stem from sincere depth and thought. For a book heavily centering on topics I don't tend to enjoy, this book was really well done and I definitely enjoyed it. I'd recommend it for YA readers and parents of teens, for sure. Some of the robotics sections kind of bored me, but overall, it's a really great book.

*SPOILERS INCLUDED*

Ben Moore has recently come out to his mother and step father as gay. Imagine their surprise when a few months later he sits them down once again to announce that he is going to be a father.

Ben and Maxie have been friends since childhood, and found themselves on a quest to conduct some personal experiments while at summer camp this year. The result? A teenage pregnancy.

When Ben is served with termination of parental rights paperwork at school, his world comes crashing down around him. He can't let his child grow up thinking they were unwanted. He knows what it's like to be left behind by a father (or 3) and doesn't want that for his child. Instead, with the support of his mother and step father behind him, he embarks on a journey of preparing himself to raise the child as a single father.



I think this story arc has a lot of potential and I was entertained throughout. However, it at times felt rushed, like parts were missing or underdeveloped, and predictable. The title gives away the ending, in my opinion. The romance on the side I think took away from the reader really connecting with Ben's struggle. He often told us that he was tired or didn't have enough time to finish his homework, but as a reader I didn't necessarily see or feel that to the extent that I had hoped. I think the multiple conflicts (the romance arc, the robotics team in need of saving, the internal struggle of what the right choice was, and the external struggle of preparing for a baby) took away from the true plot of the story.

The synopsis of this book sounded very interesting, but the execution fell flat. The characters were all very one dimensional, and the writing really did not evoke any kind of emotion out of me.

Many things were told and not shown.

In Unexpecting Ben Morrison, who has come out as gay, finds himself an expectant father, after he and his good friend Maxie experiment to confirm his sexuality. Maxie's strict parents are determined to put the baby up for a closed adoption, but Ben, who has never had a stable father figure in his life, wants custody. His mother and Stepdad #3 support him, but also try to expose the challenges he will face. He has SATS, robotics team competitions, a job and an invitation to a summer internship to juggle, as well as a blossoming romance with a former stepbrother. As his grades and responsibilities start to suffer, Ben begins to realize that fatherhood will come with a lot of sacrifices. When the fetus appears to be in danger, Ben recognizes that he must do what's best for the baby. Refreshingly, this poignant portrait of family dynamics focuses on the difficulty of teen parenting rather than Ben's sexuality.

This story was all sorts of bittersweet and complicated as Bailey discussed the realities of teen pregnancy, sacrifices in parenthood, mental health, adoption, and friendship. Even though the topics are heavier, Bailey approached each with tenderness, honesty, and zero judgment. I appreciated that Bailey didn’t try to put rose covered glasses over the story, instead settled into the messy, complicated reality of teen pregnancy and difficult decisions in an overwhelming, unexpected situation.

While my heart went out to Ben, especially as he was trying to make a serious effort to keep the baby and fight for custody, I wish he had communicated more with Maxie. I know they were both hurting and processing, but as Ben found out after sharing with Gio and Roger, having a safe space to land is so important, and I very much wish Ben had considered Maxie and reached out to her. In my frustration, I had to remind myself these characters were 16 and that emotional immaturity is to be expected, especially when said teens are dealing with a major shift in their worlds.

Unexpecting is marketed as Juno meets Heartstopper, but I would say it’s more Juno and less Heartstopper. I do wish the story had been a little longer because so much was packed into (big decisions!) and wrapped up in the last 30 pages. Overall, I very much enjoyed this story and appreciated the care with which Bailey approached these topics, but I wanted to see more from Ben and Maxie at the end.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for a review! I enjoyed the book -- a premise I've not seen done before, and I loved the uniqueness of the plot in that respect. The book has themes that everyone can connect with, including family, relationships, parenthood, stigma, and mental health. Juno was one of my favorite movies growing up, and I loved the comparison in the plot synopsis, because it was spot on. The book may have mixed reviews upon release, but I enjoyed it!

2.5 stars rounded up to 3
In short, I think I’m really not the target audience for this book - so bear that in mind when considering this review.
I am a mom myself, so first and foremost I sympathize with Maxie sooooo much throughout the story. Pregnancy can be a lot to handle, I can imagine even more so as a teenager and when it isn’t technically wanted. From that alone, I spent 95% of the story absolutely dreading Ben as the MC.
Ben wants this baby so bad, but wants almost no part in Maxie’s pregnancy and even goes as far to say that birth is gross and that he “sure as hell hopes” he doesn’t have to be present for it. I get that he’s a teenager, and gay, but he is so blatantly disgusted by pregnancy and birth - but he was part of the adult decision to have sex. He is also so rude to Maxie until pretty much the last page of the book.
The synopsis compares this to Juno and Heartstopper. Juno - I 100% understand.
Heartstopper - I 100% do not understand. Heartstopper is very much about coming to terms with yourself and living proudly in your truth. I found Ben was still mostly ashamed of his identity and it was very much a background topic to the story.
The writing in this book is altogether not bad, it’s just the story was not something I enjoyed.

Thank you to St.Martin’s Publishing Group/Wednesday Books for access to the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All views and opinions are my own!

This wound up being completely different than what I expected. Ben, a high school student, loves STEM and dreams of going to MIT. In his recent past he had a bit of a difficult time coming out to his mother. However, things get way more difficult when one of his experiments ends with a girl being pregnant with his child.

This story is quite understandably different from other ya books I've read. It deals with the very real difficulty of being pregnant or expecting during high school. I love almost all the different elements that made up this tale. I think a few of the relationships could have been healthier, but I loved the emotions this book brought out, and I definitely feel like this is worth a read!

Out August 22, 2023!

Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!

I am planning to purchase Unexpecting by Jen Bailey for our high school libraries. After the main character comes out as gay, he unexpectedly finds himself about to be a single father. Bailey tackles coming of age, teen parenting, family relationships, and tough decisions with tenderness and heart.

This is quite the rollercoaster of emotions. From page one you are thrown into a teen who just wants to do the right thing. Though the whole book you are feeling the emotions of trying to be a person you don't know you want to be.
The ending felt like it was earned and I really loved that the author didn't force a normally happily ever after.

ARC: Gifted from publisher on NetGalley. Thank you!!
As I delved into this book, my affection for Ben as a character grew stronger. Witnessing his unwavering determination to fight for his desires, despite the moments of discomfort I felt, left me truly inspired. Maxie was written almost as a side character and I would have liked to see more into her character with more development. Overall, the ending was a super nice conclusion with a few happy moments. I am not a crier for books, but this one pulls on those heart strings. The writing was super easy to follow as well as the pacing felt just right. If you are looking for a good coming of age story with sacrifices, this is for you!

It’s always happens when it’s the first time. This was a cute read. I do enjoy when middle grade / YA do have a nice executed plot and characters. The story was nice, the characters developed nicely throughout. I really felt for Ben when he was so blindly pushed aside in the beginning. But highly recommend this for the younger crowd.

Ben is starting his Junior year of high school and while his home life is challenging at times he is happy with his life on the robotics team and focusing on his future. But when an experiment at science camp over the summer ends up with some unexpected consequences, his straightforward life takes some wild turns. When he learns he is an expecting father it takes everyone by surprise, especially since he recently came out to his family as gay. But his best friend, the expectant mother, wants to put the baby up for adoption and having never had a consistent father figure in his life, that’s the opposite of what Ben wants. Among the challenges of junior year and robotics Ben finds himself juggling a part time job, parenting classes, and a legal fight for custody. With each new challenge Ben finds himself learning what it means to be a parent and how the right decision isn’t always the one you want.

Wow. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started this book, but I really enjoyed it. Ben was such a great, well developed character and the story moved quickly and smoothly. The description of Juno meets Heartstopper seems spot on and I haven’t gotten around to watching Heartstopper yet. I loved the cast of characters, especially Gio and the front-of-house manager Monica. You don’t see a lot of stories told from the teen fathers point of view and it‘s a really great, unique perspective. I love how Ben was encouraged to learn and try to see the point of view of Maxi, the teen mom, especially with the challenge of what appears to be neurodivergence. I haven’t read a lot from a neurodivergent perspective, but have enjoyed everything I’ve read so far, it really helps open your eyes to other people’s learning styles. I applaud Jen Bailey on tackling such a difficult subject and can’t wait to see what she comes out with in the future.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author via Netgalley, Wednesday Books, and St. Martins Press in exchange for an honest review

Ben Morrison is a junior in high school, a strong student, a member of the robotics club with dreams of MIT and also gay. You’d think with Ben being interested in guys he wouldn’t have to worry about the whole teenage pregnancy thing, well you’d be wrong. An experiment gone wrong with his best friend leaves Ben with a major decision that could affect his whole future.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I first picked up this book and at the beginning I didn’t fully connect with the books. At first it seemed like a typical high school pregnancy story and there wasn’t much to it. The more I read of this book though, the more I fell in love with it. It just kept getting better and I loved all of the feelings it brought out and the aspects of life it explored. I originally thought o wasn’t going to like this book or connect with the characters but that was completely wrong. I found myself infested in the story and, even though I could guess how it was going to end about half way through, I still couldn’t put it down. This was a great YA book with a lot of different things explored, high school pregnancy, friendship, family drama and a little bit of romance. I’m glad I kept with the book and I loved the ending!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book!