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4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
A sixteen-year-old girl’s road trip across the country to get an abortion becomes a transformative journey of vulnerability, strength, and above all, choice. From the acclaimed author of A Heart in a Body in the World , this is both an achingly tender love story and a bold, badly needed battle cry about bodily autonomy and the experiences that connect us.
Ivy can’t entirely believe it when the plus sign appears on the test. She didn’t even know it was possible from . . . what happened. But it is, and now she is, and instead of spending the summer working at the local drugstore and swooning over her boyfriend, Lorenzo, suddenly she’s planning a cross-country road trip to her grandmother’s house on the West Coast, where she can legally obtain an abortion.
Escaping her small Texas town and the judgment of her friends and neighbors, Ivy hits the road with Lorenzo, who, determined to make the best of their “abortion road trip love story,” has transformed the journey into a whirlwind tour of the all the way from Paris, Texas, to Rome, Oregon . . . and every rest-stop diner and corny roadside attraction along the way.
And while Ivy can’t run from the incessant pressure of others’ opinions about her body or from her own expectations and insecurities, she discovers a new world of healing and hope. As the women she encounters share their stories, she chips away at the stigma, silence, and shame surrounding reproductive rights while those collective experiences guide her to her own rightful destination.
*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for ARC, in exchange for an honest review*
I love this author. Despite what her books do to my emotions at times, there is a reason that I have loved this author for years. Every time that I read a new book of hers, I wonder what she is going to write about next. I saw Plan A on Netgalley and I had to request it and was very happy when I got approved for early copy. I couldn’t wait to get started on this book, knowing that I was going fall in love again. I was right. Plan A is a hard book to not fall in love with, it’s real, it’s what happens in real life, and I’m sure a lot of women can relate to. I never had this experience or have deal with a traumatic experience like Ivy. However, while reading Ivy’s story, I felt as if I experienced everything that she experiences, her emotions were so vivid, i felt all the emotions that she experienced: anger, sadness, fear, hope.
Plan A was one of the most emotional books that I have read, I haven’t read a book like this in a while. The emotions that went through Ivy during her journey, they were real. I have a feeling that few teenagers would be able to relate to what Ivy was feeling, especially when others tried to stop her, try to convince her that abortion is not a way. I don’t think Ivy would been as strong as she was if it wasn’t for the support system that she had: her mother, her brother and Lorenzo. Besides her grandma, they understood, and they didn’t try talk to her out of it, they let her make the decision. I loved how close her and her brother were, not many books that I have read where there is close relationship between brother and sister. I loved the bond between the two of them.
Lorenzo. How can you not love him? He did so much for Ivy. If that’s not love, then what is? I loved the relationship between the two of them. Lorenzo was so supportive to Ivy through it all, even though I knew that it couldn’t be easy for him. I loved how he tried to make this ‘road trip’ fun even if that’s not what the road trip was about. I loved going on all the roadside attractions along with Ivy and Lorenzo, meeting all her relatives. There were times when this book had me crying because of all the emotions. Like Lorenzo and her family, all I wanted was for Ivy to be happy. My feeling are destroyed right now, and yet I can’t get the story out of my mind. Plan A is a story that needed to be told. A story that is worth reading.
Ivy can’t entirely believe it when the plus sign appears on the test. She didn’t even know it was possible from . . . what happened. But it is, and now she is, and instead of spending the summer working at the local drugstore and swooning over her boyfriend, Lorenzo, suddenly she’s planning a cross-country road trip to her grandmother’s house on the West Coast, where she can legally obtain an abortion.
Escaping her small Texas town and the judgment of her friends and neighbors, Ivy hits the road with Lorenzo, who, determined to make the best of their “abortion road trip love story,” has transformed the journey into a whirlwind tour of the all the way from Paris, Texas, to Rome, Oregon . . . and every rest-stop diner and corny roadside attraction along the way.
And while Ivy can’t run from the incessant pressure of others’ opinions about her body or from her own expectations and insecurities, she discovers a new world of healing and hope. As the women she encounters share their stories, she chips away at the stigma, silence, and shame surrounding reproductive rights while those collective experiences guide her to her own rightful destination.
*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for ARC, in exchange for an honest review*
I love this author. Despite what her books do to my emotions at times, there is a reason that I have loved this author for years. Every time that I read a new book of hers, I wonder what she is going to write about next. I saw Plan A on Netgalley and I had to request it and was very happy when I got approved for early copy. I couldn’t wait to get started on this book, knowing that I was going fall in love again. I was right. Plan A is a hard book to not fall in love with, it’s real, it’s what happens in real life, and I’m sure a lot of women can relate to. I never had this experience or have deal with a traumatic experience like Ivy. However, while reading Ivy’s story, I felt as if I experienced everything that she experiences, her emotions were so vivid, i felt all the emotions that she experienced: anger, sadness, fear, hope.
Plan A was one of the most emotional books that I have read, I haven’t read a book like this in a while. The emotions that went through Ivy during her journey, they were real. I have a feeling that few teenagers would be able to relate to what Ivy was feeling, especially when others tried to stop her, try to convince her that abortion is not a way. I don’t think Ivy would been as strong as she was if it wasn’t for the support system that she had: her mother, her brother and Lorenzo. Besides her grandma, they understood, and they didn’t try talk to her out of it, they let her make the decision. I loved how close her and her brother were, not many books that I have read where there is close relationship between brother and sister. I loved the bond between the two of them.
Lorenzo. How can you not love him? He did so much for Ivy. If that’s not love, then what is? I loved the relationship between the two of them. Lorenzo was so supportive to Ivy through it all, even though I knew that it couldn’t be easy for him. I loved how he tried to make this ‘road trip’ fun even if that’s not what the road trip was about. I loved going on all the roadside attractions along with Ivy and Lorenzo, meeting all her relatives. There were times when this book had me crying because of all the emotions. Like Lorenzo and her family, all I wanted was for Ivy to be happy. My feeling are destroyed right now, and yet I can’t get the story out of my mind. Plan A is a story that needed to be told. A story that is worth reading.
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Abortion, Pregnancy
3.5
This is a perfect, perfect, PERFECT book for its intended audience. So, as a 26 year old, take my rating with a grain of salt. I think so many teenagers would benefit from reading this and I am so glad it exists. I just found it to be verrrry YA. This just didn’t pack as much ‘universal punch’ as A Heart in a Body in the World (one of my all time favorite books) did. I do love me some resilient teenage girls though!
Highly, highly recommend for young adult readers.
This is a perfect, perfect, PERFECT book for its intended audience. So, as a 26 year old, take my rating with a grain of salt. I think so many teenagers would benefit from reading this and I am so glad it exists. I just found it to be verrrry YA. This just didn’t pack as much ‘universal punch’ as A Heart in a Body in the World (one of my all time favorite books) did. I do love me some resilient teenage girls though!
Highly, highly recommend for young adult readers.
4.5 stars - found myself sending book quotes from this to my teen son and the person he is dating
First, I'd like to thank NetGalley for the eArc in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
Deb Caletti does not fail us. Taking on teen pregnancy, the legalities of abortion, families, small minds, and history, Deb takes us on a journey with Ivy and Lorenzo, and their families, as they face an attack, an unwanted pregnancy, and legal issues on Ivy's way to get an abortion in another state.
Mixing in historical information, we learn that this has been an ongoing battle over women's bodies, for centuries. And, that regardless of legal status, the only statistic that changes is the number of women who die from an extremely safe procedure, when done right.
Deb's characters are fully formed and exist in our world. As do the small mindedness AND open mindedness that we encounter.
Be prepared to have your eyes opened and your heart touched.
Deb Caletti does not fail us. Taking on teen pregnancy, the legalities of abortion, families, small minds, and history, Deb takes us on a journey with Ivy and Lorenzo, and their families, as they face an attack, an unwanted pregnancy, and legal issues on Ivy's way to get an abortion in another state.
Mixing in historical information, we learn that this has been an ongoing battle over women's bodies, for centuries. And, that regardless of legal status, the only statistic that changes is the number of women who die from an extremely safe procedure, when done right.
Deb's characters are fully formed and exist in our world. As do the small mindedness AND open mindedness that we encounter.
Be prepared to have your eyes opened and your heart touched.
4.5 Very solid exploration of trying to access abortion post-Dobbs in the south. Very appropriately written for teens, equally engaging as an adult reader. Also love the super supportive boyfriend!
This book was quite a read. I want a Lorenzo in my life. What an understanding boyfriend, he was by Evie’s side through the entire story. All the people they came across n their trip were so neat.
What a hard subject to write about, but a subject that needs to be discussed.
I enjoyed this read so much!! I loved the characters in this book!
What a hard subject to write about, but a subject that needs to be discussed.
I enjoyed this read so much!! I loved the characters in this book!
emotional
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Timely coming of age story involving family, abortion, and ignorance. I am so glad I listened to this and really enjoyed the main character’s voice.
There were so many sweet and lovely moments in this book, with such tender writing, but periodically there were long paragraphs that felt really shoehorned in and were a bit heavy handed, giving an ABC Afterschool Special vibe. Still, a highly recommended read!