A review by askoda
16Pregnant by LaLa Thomas

5.0

Thomas truly captures the complexity of teen pregnancy. She goes beyond the stereotypical confines of teen pregnancy but also acknowledges the ever present realities of dead beat dads and girls changing their life course.

Not only did her story resonate with my own trials and tribulations of my journey, she brought so much attention to the mistreatment of teen moms. Thomas revealed that it goes beyond dead beat dads and how teen mothers are at risk of dying due to malpractice. Her protagonists experience emulated mine more than I’d like to admit. The statistic becomes more gruesome if you happen yo be a Black teen mom.

She also talks heavily about abortion and the different reasons women and girls receive this medical procedure. Lastly, Thomas pressures readers to open their eyes and acknowledge that teen pregnancy and the dangers of it is much more common than we would like to admit.

She manages to grapple with these huge topic in the lens of a YA reader. Thomas masterfully crafts her words and storyline so that she can reach the audience that is most affected by these situations. I highly recommend this book