Unexpecting

June 1, 2023
Sixteen-year-old Ben Morrison is definitely gay. He is also an expectant father. When Ben and Maxie, his good friend and robotics teammate, conduct an experiment to confirm Ben's sexuality and prove Maxie's hypothesis that virginity is a patriarchal social construct, they are faced with the growing consequences. Despite their use of the scientific method--and a condom--Maxie is pregnant. Maxie's strict parents are determined to put the baby up for adoption as quickly as possible, and their standards for adoptive parents differ from Ben's. Maxie seems to willingly go along with her parents' wishes. Ben, however, is not so sure. Because of his own experiences--he knows nothing about his own deceased father and has had relationships with three different stepdads--Ben wants to keep the baby. Despite serious misgivings about his readiness to be a father, Ben's mother and her current husband agree to help Ben fight for custody of the baby. But with Ben's looming SATs, upcoming robotics competitions, and college applications to prepare for, he has a lot to juggle, all while working toward proving he'll be a responsible teenage father. While the characters and themes would have benefitted from deeper exploration, this poignant family-centric story with two White leads and a racially diverse supporting cast will resonate with readers as they root for Ben and Maxie to make one of the hardest decisions of their lives. An original teen pregnancy story with a charming queer subplot. (Fiction. 14-18)

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June 26, 2023
In the tradition of Juno, Bailey delivers an emotionally complex debut about a gay Milwaukee teen who accidentally gets his best friend pregnant. Though 16-year-old Ben has “suspected that I’m gay for a few years now,” his best friend Maxie agreed to have sex with him so he could be sure—a practical experiment, according to science-minded Maxie. Though the two use a condom, Maxie ends up pregnant, and she seems to agree with her parents to put the baby up for adoption upon its birth. Ben’s levelheaded mother and “Stepdad #3” take the news in stride, until the teen—motivated by a need to provide his future child with a stable homelife—reveals that he wants to raise the baby. Determined to prove that he has what it takes to support an infant, Ben attends parenting classes and gets a job waiting tables. But overwhelm from his newfound responsibilities and his increasingly strained relationship with Maxie cause Ben’s grades and participation on the robotics team to suffer. Poignantly rendered character dynamics—particularly between Ben and his stepfather, and Ben and Maxie—elevate timely messaging surrounding parenthood and healthy depictions of open and vulnerable communication in this freshly wrought teenage pregnancy story. Ben and Maxie read as white. Ages 13–up.

September 1, 2023
This unconventional teen-pregnancy tale follows sixteen-year-old Ben, who had sex with his friend Maxie "as a scientific test." He wanted to confirm that he was gay; she was participating in "some kind of TikTok social experiment thing." Now Maxie is pregnant. Influenced by her parents, she plans to pursue adoption. But Ben wants to keep the baby himself; he hopes to provide his child with the stable male presence he didn't have (his mother recently married her third husband since Ben's father died). Ben gets a job and prioritizes Maxie's doctor's appointments over his beloved robotics club. But is he really prepared for fatherhood? Ben's desire to do the right thing is endearing, although his naivete in identifying what that means is both exasperating and comical (why wouldn't Maxie want to hear his opinions about prenatal meal planning?). Luckily, Ben has a supportive network to lean on, including his mom; his new stepfather (whom he is learning to trust); and Gio, his crush. They guide Ben to consider what it means to be a good parent and what's really best for his and Maxie's baby. The (convenient) answer leads to a moving conclusion in which Ben displays his newfound emotional maturity and relationship skills -- the romance with Gio is a highlight -- and finds peace with the decision he and Maxie make. "I know without any doubt...that I've made the right choice. This is right. This is family." Rachel L. Kerns

(Copyright 2023 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

January 1, 2024
This unconventional teen-pregnancy tale follows sixteen-year-old Ben, who had sex with his friend Maxie "as a scientific test." He wanted to confirm that he was gay; she was participating in "some kind of TikTok social experiment thing. " Now Maxie is pregnant. Influenced by her parents, she plans to pursue adoption. But Ben wants to keep the baby himself; he hopes to provide his child with the stable male presence he didn't have (his mother recently married her third husband since Ben's father died). Ben gets a job and prioritizes Maxie's doctor's appointments over his beloved robotics club. But is he really prepared for fatherhood? Ben's desire to do the right thing is endearing, although his naivete in identifying what that means is both exasperating and comical (why wouldn't Maxie want to hear his opinions about prenatal meal planning?). Luckily, Ben has a supportive network to lean on, including his mom; his new stepfather (whom he is learning to trust); and Gio, his crush. They guide Ben to consider what it means to be a good parent and what's really best for his and Maxie's baby. The (convenient) answer leads to a moving conclusion in which Ben displays his newfound emotional maturity and relationship skills -- the romance with Gio is a highlight -- and finds peace with the decision he and Maxie make. "I know without any doubt...that I've made the right choice. This is right. This is family."

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)