Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Sixteen-year-old Ivy is shocked when the plus sign appears on the pregnancy test. She meant to spend the summer working to save up money for college and swooning over her boyfriend Lorenzo, but now she’s planning a road trip to her grandmother’s home to legally obtain an abortion. Despite the heaviness of what will happen at the end of the trip, Lorenzo is determined to make their “abortion road trip love story” a beautiful experience for Ivy, creating an enchanting path from Paris, Texas to Rome, Oregon. On their journey, Ivy finds herself a part of a secret community, a community built of women who have been silent about their own experiences.
Small town teen girl gets pregnant and seeks an abortion—on the surface, it doesn’t seem like it’s a new story. But Caletti finds a way to tell a beautifully tender love story that is surrounded by a call to action against those who want to take away the bodily autonomy of individuals with uteruses. It’s a story that pulled me in from the get go and pulled my heart in all different directions.
One of the things I loved most about this story was the women that Ivy meets along the way. Our society has this unspoken rule that we don’t talk about abortion or miscarriage or infertility—there is a certain stigma and shame associated with it. But as we follow Ivy’s journey from Texas to Oregon, we also get stories of other women who have had to make a difficult decision surrounding a pregnancy. Despite this being a work of fiction, Caletti has opened the door with this book to start bigger conversations and allow those who have been shamed into silence to share their stories.
It is beautiful to see the great support system that Ivy has around her (that a lot of teens don't have in her same situation). Her mother, brother, and boyfriend rally around her and immediately support her without an ounce of judgement or blame. They are the perfect example of the kind of people we should all 1) strive to be and 2) surround ourselves with. In a book that centers around an abortion, there are some tender moments that warmed my heart and restored some faith in humanity.
And listen, I know we all love the morally grey villain as a book boyfriend, but sweet Lorenzo absolutely stole my heart and I will fight anyone who says a bad word about him.
In a post-Roe world, this story is incredibly timely and unfortunately too easy to believe will happen. I hate to say it, but I can absolutely see this book being banned or challenged in all the places like Ivy’s hometown, though I will hold out hope that it will find its way to the teens that need it. As someone who has felt that exact shame and hidden from the stigma, I know exactly how isolating it can be and a story like this is just a little thing that can help you feel less alone.
And, of course, can’t leave out the important content warnings: abortion, sexual assault, parent with cancer, slut shaming, and homophobia. Take care of yourself while reading.
Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher for free and have voluntarily written this review.
Small town teen girl gets pregnant and seeks an abortion—on the surface, it doesn’t seem like it’s a new story. But Caletti finds a way to tell a beautifully tender love story that is surrounded by a call to action against those who want to take away the bodily autonomy of individuals with uteruses. It’s a story that pulled me in from the get go and pulled my heart in all different directions.
One of the things I loved most about this story was the women that Ivy meets along the way. Our society has this unspoken rule that we don’t talk about abortion or miscarriage or infertility—there is a certain stigma and shame associated with it. But as we follow Ivy’s journey from Texas to Oregon, we also get stories of other women who have had to make a difficult decision surrounding a pregnancy. Despite this being a work of fiction, Caletti has opened the door with this book to start bigger conversations and allow those who have been shamed into silence to share their stories.
It is beautiful to see the great support system that Ivy has around her (that a lot of teens don't have in her same situation). Her mother, brother, and boyfriend rally around her and immediately support her without an ounce of judgement or blame. They are the perfect example of the kind of people we should all 1) strive to be and 2) surround ourselves with. In a book that centers around an abortion, there are some tender moments that warmed my heart and restored some faith in humanity.
And listen, I know we all love the morally grey villain as a book boyfriend, but sweet Lorenzo absolutely stole my heart and I will fight anyone who says a bad word about him.
In a post-Roe world, this story is incredibly timely and unfortunately too easy to believe will happen. I hate to say it, but I can absolutely see this book being banned or challenged in all the places like Ivy’s hometown, though I will hold out hope that it will find its way to the teens that need it. As someone who has felt that exact shame and hidden from the stigma, I know exactly how isolating it can be and a story like this is just a little thing that can help you feel less alone.
And, of course, can’t leave out the important content warnings: abortion, sexual assault, parent with cancer, slut shaming, and homophobia. Take care of yourself while reading.
Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher for free and have voluntarily written this review.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Deb Caletti always writes timely stories that explore the nuances of being female. While she writes for a young adult audience, her themes cross age barriers and are meaningful for readers of all ages. In Plan A, she presents a story that could be ripped from the headlines and does so in a way that makes you ache for the suffering of every person with a uterus in this post-Roe era.
Plan A is a beautiful story. Ms. Caletti approaches her subject matter with care. Never too preachy, she lets her characters share pertinent facts. Where Ms. Caletti shines, however, is in showcasing her characters' emotional toil. Not only do we see firsthand the turmoil Ivy experiences, but we also get to see how Ivy's story impacts her family and her boyfriend.
Plan A is not an easy read, but it is so powerful. Ms. Caletti perfectly captures the fears, loneliness, doubt, and general shock of an unexpected pregnancy. She does so while exploring the idea of choice. Again, she never pontificates. Neither does she condemn others for their beliefs. Instead, she presents one girl's situation and experiences that will, hopefully, allow readers to understand and empathize. Plan A is one of those books I want everyone to read. It is a subject that only Ms. Caletti could tackle, and I'm glad she did.
Plan A is a beautiful story. Ms. Caletti approaches her subject matter with care. Never too preachy, she lets her characters share pertinent facts. Where Ms. Caletti shines, however, is in showcasing her characters' emotional toil. Not only do we see firsthand the turmoil Ivy experiences, but we also get to see how Ivy's story impacts her family and her boyfriend.
Plan A is not an easy read, but it is so powerful. Ms. Caletti perfectly captures the fears, loneliness, doubt, and general shock of an unexpected pregnancy. She does so while exploring the idea of choice. Again, she never pontificates. Neither does she condemn others for their beliefs. Instead, she presents one girl's situation and experiences that will, hopefully, allow readers to understand and empathize. Plan A is one of those books I want everyone to read. It is a subject that only Ms. Caletti could tackle, and I'm glad she did.
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Sexual assault
Minor: Acephobia/Arophobia
challenging
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I'm not going to lie, I had to sit with this book for a while before figuring how to rate it. This story is...a lot. It's an important story, but it's a lot. Like most Deb Caletti books, she doesn't shy away from topics that affect teen girls today, and this book takes on the abortion issue head on. Yes, some of the heaviness is balanced out with Ivy and Lorenzo's road trip fun, but you know that there are many women who find themselves in the same place Ivy is. And the fallout for most of them is just as bad as it is for Ivy.
In addition to the abortion issues, Ivy spends a lot of the book thinking about Christianity and the way that religion had turned all of her best friends against her. One quote that stuck out to me in particular:
"I'm just not sure I trust him [God] when the people that love him the loudest can be so cruel."
Just oof. So much weight in just that quote. I'm not sure that this will be the most popular book with teens, but I hope that it makes it to the teens that need it. Or the not teens that need it. Because, like Ivy learns on her own journey, women aren't alone.
In addition to the abortion issues, Ivy spends a lot of the book thinking about Christianity and the way that religion had turned all of her best friends against her. One quote that stuck out to me in particular:
"I'm just not sure I trust him [God] when the people that love him the loudest can be so cruel."
Just oof. So much weight in just that quote. I'm not sure that this will be the most popular book with teens, but I hope that it makes it to the teens that need it. Or the not teens that need it. Because, like Ivy learns on her own journey, women aren't alone.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault
Moderate: Rape, Abortion, Pregnancy
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced