Post written by contributor Jessica Mary
16 & Pregnant is a series tie-in to the titular MTV Series “16 and Pregnant.” Told through alternating viewpoints, the story follows Erykah and Kelly as they navigate high school, relationships, and Erykah’s choice to not end her pregnancy.
Erykah is already pregnant when the story begins and the reader meets her as she waits to speak with a nurse about getting the abortion pill. The opening chapters explore her thoughts about what she’s doing and how she feels about it, noting all of the dreams she’ll either be giving up entirely or putting on hold in order to have a child at sixteen.
She is an honor student and her plan is to attend a Historically Black College, so pregnancy isn’t exactly part of her graduation plans, but she doesn’t want to miss out on a chance to love a part of herself that she imagines meeting in her child and ultimately decides to keep her baby.
The drama occurs when she decides to keep her decision a secret and walks out of the abortion clinic without telling her mother that she won’t be taking the pills, planning to make it to 24 weeks without anyone knowing so that she can’t be forced to make a decision she doesn’t want.
Kelly is a basketball star, in the honor society, and also plans to attend a Historically Black College (namely Howard University) before getting drafted into the WNBA. Although her calendar is full with studying, practice, and her boyfriend, she makes time to support her best friend.
Kelly and Erykah’s friendship is tested when Erykah needs constant attention throughout her pregnancy. Miguel, the baby’s father, rarely shows up, often leaving Erykah to take the bus to her appointments or miss them entirely. Kelly sees Miguel for who he really is and encourages Erykah often to break up with him, but she believes he loves her and their baby. She often brings up that he already knows how to raise a child, because he already has one.
To really drive home that Miguel isn’t that great, he rarely appears in the story except for the opening and a few scenes in the end. He acts as a great character foil to Ray, Kelly’s boyfriend, who is not only present but also supportive.
Author LaLa Thomas does a great job adding in the dangers that teen mothers face throughout their pregnancies like high blood pressure and eclampsia, as well as the social issues and pressures. Whilst Erykah tries to stay on top of her school work, her pregnancy gets in the way. She needs to leave school to go to some appointments, her stomach prevents her from fitting into the seats, and she needs to go to the bathroom all the time because the vomit is coming whether she gets there or not. She’s been told she needs to be on bed rest, but switching to online classes so she can attend school from home means giving up her honors classes.
There is a large amount of medical telling, but keep in mind in order for Thomas to show you these things, Erykah would have to suffer from an entire textbook’s worth of issues in her pregnancy. It’s clear from both the writing and the story that a lot of research went into this project.
16 & Pregnant is a great debut detailing the right to choose, the thoughts behind it, and all the many issues and complications of teenage and African American pregnancy.
16 & Pregnant is available from Amazon, Book Depository, Bookshop.org, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
“A powerful and timely exploration of two friends navigating a life-changing event.” —Angela Johnson, Michael L. Printz Award–winning author of The First Part Last
The bond between two best friends is put to the test when one of them gets pregnant in this contemporary teen novel inspired by MTV’s iconic reality show.
Erykah was looking forward to junior year at East Prep High. She has a cute boyfriend, gets good grades, and has the best bestie. Money is tight, though that’s nothing new in her world. But everything changes when she gets pregnant. Having a baby at sixteen was definitely not part of the plan.
Kelly’s plan was to dominate junior year—grade-wise and on the basketball court—and eventually get an athletic scholarship. It did not include helping her best friend through a pregnancy. But that’s what best friends do, right? Besides, Kelly has every intention of being a good auntie.
As the two girls navigate the pregnancy, they’ll learn some harsh realities about the world and be forced to make some huge decisions. They’ll also discover a deep reserve of strength and compassion…for each other and themselves.
16 & Pregnant: A Novel honestly and openly explores pregnancy through the eyes of two young Black teens in modern-day Nevada. Debut author LaLa Thomas combines personal insights, heartfelt dialogue, and authentic emotions in this powerful portrait of American teen life.
