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Trouble by Non Pratt
The Blurb On The Back:
A boy. A girl. A bump. Trouble.
Hannah’s smart and funny … she’s also fifteen and pregnant. Aaron is new at school and doesn’t want to attract attention. So why does he offer to be the pretend dad to Hannah’s unborn baby?
Growing up can be trouble but that’s how you find out what really matters.
15-year-old Hannah and her best friend Katie are both known at school for getting off with boys but Hannah always uses condoms, which is why she’s so surprised to discover that she’s pregnant. An argument with Katie ensures that the news goes viral among her school and it isn’t long before her classmates are trying to guess who the baby daddy is. However, although Hannah knows exactly who the father is, she doesn’t know how to tell him and doesn’t know how to handle all the judgmental speculation.
Help comes in the form of new student Aaron, who’s happy to pretend to be the father but as the two draw closer, they discover that they each have secrets and they each need to work out what really matters to them … and what they really want.
Non Pratt’s debut YA novel is a charming, funny contemporary tale that takes the well worn subject of teen pregnancy and puts a fresh, witty spin on it. It’s refreshing to read a book where the teenage girl likes sex and talks about it in empowering terms and I liked the friendship between Aaron and the grumpy pensioner Neville, particularly the way it’s not built on instant openness. The dialogue is spot on – most notably in the scenes between Katie and Hannah – and there’s a lot of humour here, particularly in Hannah’s ironic, self-deprecating voice. If I have any complaint it’s that there are a couple of places where the pacing slips and I’d have liked a firmer resolution to the storyline involving Hannah and the baby’s father. That said though, this is a strong, entertaining debut and I will definitely read her next book.
The narrative is split between Aaron and Hannah and Pratt has given them both great (but individual) voices. There’s a neat contrast between the friendship that grows between Aaron and Neville and the disintegration of Hannah’s friendship with Katie (which rang all too true) and Pratt neatly skewers the shifting dynamics and loyalties of the basketball WAG wannabes.
I did think that the pace flagged in a couple of places (notably the interplay between Hannah and the father) and I’d have liked an extra chapter to tie everything up. However it was a genuinely entertaining read, I cared about both main characters and will definitely check out Pratt’s next book.
The Verdict:
Non Pratt’s debut YA novel is a charming, funny contemporary tale that takes the well worn subject of teen pregnancy and puts a fresh, witty spin on it. It’s refreshing to read a book where the teenage girl likes sex and talks about it in empowering terms and I liked the friendship between Aaron and the grumpy pensioner Neville, particularly the way it’s not built on instant openness. The dialogue is spot on – most notably in the scenes between Katie and Hannah – and there’s a lot of humour here, particularly in Hannah’s ironic, self-deprecating voice. If I have any complaint it’s that there are a couple of places where the pacing slips and I’d have liked a firmer resolution to the storyline involving Hannah and the baby’s father. That said though, this is a strong, entertaining debut and I will definitely read her next book.
TROUBLE will be released in the United Kingdom on 6th March 2014. Thanks to Walker Books for the ARC of this book.
Hannah’s smart and funny … she’s also fifteen and pregnant. Aaron is new at school and doesn’t want to attract attention. So why does he offer to be the pretend dad to Hannah’s unborn baby?
Growing up can be trouble but that’s how you find out what really matters.
15-year-old Hannah and her best friend Katie are both known at school for getting off with boys but Hannah always uses condoms, which is why she’s so surprised to discover that she’s pregnant. An argument with Katie ensures that the news goes viral among her school and it isn’t long before her classmates are trying to guess who the baby daddy is. However, although Hannah knows exactly who the father is, she doesn’t know how to tell him and doesn’t know how to handle all the judgmental speculation.
Help comes in the form of new student Aaron, who’s happy to pretend to be the father but as the two draw closer, they discover that they each have secrets and they each need to work out what really matters to them … and what they really want.
Non Pratt’s debut YA novel is a charming, funny contemporary tale that takes the well worn subject of teen pregnancy and puts a fresh, witty spin on it. It’s refreshing to read a book where the teenage girl likes sex and talks about it in empowering terms and I liked the friendship between Aaron and the grumpy pensioner Neville, particularly the way it’s not built on instant openness. The dialogue is spot on – most notably in the scenes between Katie and Hannah – and there’s a lot of humour here, particularly in Hannah’s ironic, self-deprecating voice. If I have any complaint it’s that there are a couple of places where the pacing slips and I’d have liked a firmer resolution to the storyline involving Hannah and the baby’s father. That said though, this is a strong, entertaining debut and I will definitely read her next book.
The narrative is split between Aaron and Hannah and Pratt has given them both great (but individual) voices. There’s a neat contrast between the friendship that grows between Aaron and Neville and the disintegration of Hannah’s friendship with Katie (which rang all too true) and Pratt neatly skewers the shifting dynamics and loyalties of the basketball WAG wannabes.
I did think that the pace flagged in a couple of places (notably the interplay between Hannah and the father) and I’d have liked an extra chapter to tie everything up. However it was a genuinely entertaining read, I cared about both main characters and will definitely check out Pratt’s next book.
The Verdict:
Non Pratt’s debut YA novel is a charming, funny contemporary tale that takes the well worn subject of teen pregnancy and puts a fresh, witty spin on it. It’s refreshing to read a book where the teenage girl likes sex and talks about it in empowering terms and I liked the friendship between Aaron and the grumpy pensioner Neville, particularly the way it’s not built on instant openness. The dialogue is spot on – most notably in the scenes between Katie and Hannah – and there’s a lot of humour here, particularly in Hannah’s ironic, self-deprecating voice. If I have any complaint it’s that there are a couple of places where the pacing slips and I’d have liked a firmer resolution to the storyline involving Hannah and the baby’s father. That said though, this is a strong, entertaining debut and I will definitely read her next book.
TROUBLE will be released in the United Kingdom on 6th March 2014. Thanks to Walker Books for the ARC of this book.