A review by bethniamh
Little Bang by Kelly McCaughrain

4.0

Many thanks to NetGalley and Walker Books for a digital ARC in exchange for a review.

**Some light spoilers ahead**

This was beautifully written. So many YA books don't quite get the voice right, which can be distracting and take you out of the reading experience. Kelly McCaughrain got it exactly right - both Sid and Mel's voices sounded authentic and the characters well developed. I could empathise with both of them, which is impressive when your book is about an issue as divisive as the legalisation of abortion. Having grown up in the UK, I always took it for granted as a teenager that I'd be able to access abortion services if I needed to; living in South Korea, where abortion is heavily stigmatised and not easily available, was the first time I had to consider what I would do if I had an unwanted pregnancy.

I'm glad this book didn't shy away from detailing Mel's experience of abortion; the description of her thoughts before and after the procedure are something you don't find in many novels, let alone YA.

The only thing I can really criticise is that Cassie's character felt rather underdeveloped;

she felt like more of a plot device than a person, purely there to create conflict between Sid and Mel.

Other than that, there's very little to pick out. I'll definitely look at buying a copy for the school library.