Unpregnant

Veronica Clarke, 17, is on track to be valedictorian and already has an Ivy League acceptance when she unexpectedly passes another test, one whose pink lines say she’s pregnant. Unfortunately, she lives in Missouri, where women under 18 need a parent’s permission to get a legal abortion. In desperation, she concocts a plan to have the father, Kevin, drive her to a clinic 1,000 miles away so that she can end her pregnancy. Then she discovers that he intentionally sabotaged their birth control. For help, Ronnie turns to her former best friend, “black hole of anger and darkness” Bailey Butler. Together, they embark on a road trip for the ages, one that includes cow tipping, grand theft auto, and aliens, with Kevin in hot pursuit. The authors’ background in television and film shows, with scene after hilarious scene normalizing the most serious of subjects: how far women must often go to exercise control over their own bodies. Though her desire to avoid teenage parenthood propels Ronnie to act, the trip is also one of self-discovery as she reassesses what partnership really means. A stellar, timely debut. Ages 14–up. [em](Sept.) [/em]