Review: Screwed by Laurie Plissner

Screwed by Laurie Plissner

Flattered by the attentions of Nick, the cutest guy in school, seventeen-year-old Grace Warren, captain of the math team, lets down her guard and gets pregnant the night she loses her virginity. Hopeful that Nick will drop to one knee and propose when she breaks the baby news to him, Grace is heartbroken - Nick wants nothing to do with her. Her best friend, Jennifer, thinks she should get an abortion, but Grace is certain that her morally upright parents will insist that she keep the baby. After she comes clean to her super-religious, strait-laced parents, they surprise her by insisting that she terminate the pregnancy to avoid humiliating the family. But when she sees the fetus on the ultrasound, she decides she can't get rid of it. Deciding to save the tiny life growing inside of her, Grace must face the consequences of being that girl - the good girl who got knocked up

Publishes in US: May 18th 2013 by Merit Press
Genre: YA contemporary
Source: Netgalley
Series? No

Buy it:  Amazon Barnes & Noble IndieBound BookDepository.com

Find Laurie online: site

 

   It could never happen to me. It is the famous last words. I mean, it is like cancer, teenage pregnancy. You know people it has happened to, and with head knowledge, you know it can happen to you. But at that age, we think we are invincible really, and I remember thinking that it would never actually happen to me. That is on the first page of this book. This shouldn't have happened to *me.*

   And I think that is why books like these are important, to show that it can and does happen. No matter how smart, no matter if you are a virgin, and sometimes even if you use birth control. 

    And yes, if you haven't noticed from my reading patterns, I am obsessed with books like these. The issue books are right up my alley. 

     This is the 2nd book in a row that is written in 3rd person, but this one is done better than the other. I got lost in Grace's head, and when it switched to Jennifer it jarred me for a second, and then I was into her line of thought. 

     One issue I had though was that Grace's parents are involved, but extreme. They lectured her for getting a B and said they would be wasting money if she went to a second tier school. And that is just the beginning. The way that they pushed her around, tried to make decisions for her and force them on her, and were generally mean people, did not sit well with me at all. As a parent to two girls, I can imagine that it's a huge shock, but no amount of shock justifies how they treated her. 

     The neighbor Helen though, is an amazing addition to the plot. She is a survivor of the concentration camps, so she knows suffering but she had chosen to do good things as a result. She wanted to help others, and every interaction with Grace really just shines. She helps to balance the negativity and bad treatment from Grace's parents and really just laces hope and kindness into the story. 

    Charlie, Helen's nephew, is awesome. He is kind, gentle and patient. He doesn't judge her and is a great friend, and along with Jennifer, helps keep Grace sane. I loved his character, he is everything a guy should be, and I def have a book crush. 

    The ending is perfect for the book and left me with this feeling of hope and peace, that Grace had learned so much and developed so much as a character. She made the best decisions for her, and was working on loving herself so that her other relationships would fall into place. While not everything was 100% neatly tied up, it was the best ending for the book, and it held hope and promise showed the most likely course for the characters. 

Bottom Line: Screwed tugs at your heart, and examines teenage pregnancy with a fresh voice.

Books similar to Screwed :(links go to my review) How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr, Tell me a Secret by Holly Cupala, Star in the Middle by Carol Millward

My question to you, my lovely readers:
Have you ever thought you were "immune" to illness or pregnancy, thinking it could never happen to me?