Butterflies in May

KLIATT, STARRED REVIEW
"A realistic look at the emotional process a young woman might go through if she became pregnant. The characters are well developed and the situations believable. The author doesn't preach or attempt to prove that any one choice is the right one. Details of the pregnancy and birthing process are discussed frankly. Recommended for high school students and adults who enjoy realistic fiction."

VOYA (VOICE OF YOUTH ADVOCATES)
"Butterflies in May is an amazingly accurate and descriptive novel that would not only appeal to sexually active teens, but also to anybody wanting to read a story of truth behind mostly taboo teenage problems. This book doesn't just pluck a tune on the heartstrings, it is the heart itself. It thrusts the ring through its characters' noses and drags them down the path to maturity. Hart doesn't bubble-wrap the razor-bladed edges of reality, but instead hones them to their sharpest points, aiming them just into the tender flesh of the soul. She realizes that it is not always the economically challenged, the rebels, or the people 'just marking time' who make life-changing mistakes. Teens from all walks of life will appreciate its frank sincerity, blending the various cliques of high school into a subculture stew. (4Q 4P: Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses; Broad general YA appeal; Senior High, defined as grades 10 to 12. Ages 15 to 18.)"

KIRKUS REVIEWS
"A gentle simplicity infuses this story of white, middle-class teen pregnancy . . . Ali's first-person voice is . . . sweetly plainspoken."

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL
"Hart's solid first-person account of a teenager's life-altering experience will draw in readers." (Grade 8 Up)

LIBBY STERNBERG, EDGAR FINALIST FOR UNCOVERING SADIE'S SECRETS
"Karen Hart writes with a sweet simplicity that often brings a lump to your throat. Her tale of Ali Parker, a pregnant teen from a good family, is heartbreaking because it is so devastatingly honest. With gentle insistence, Hart weaves a story that is as complex as reality itself. Butterflies in May is a beautiful debut, a thoughtful addition to 'real world' YA literature."