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Book Review: Unpregnant (#1) by Jenni Hendriks & Ted Caplan


Unpregnant

Authors:  Jenni Hendriks, Ted Caplan
Published by: Chicken House Books on January 2nd, 2020
Rating: ★★★★
Genre: Young Adult // Contemporary
Similar Books I’ve Read: Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour

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Veronica is top of her class – and somehow she’s found herself gazing in disbelief at a positive pregnancy test. Even worse, her ex-best friend and the high school’s legendary malcontent, Bailey, is the only one there to help. In this warm and darkly funny road trip story, Veronica and Bailey drive a thousand miles to an out-of-state abortion clinic – rediscovering their friendship in the process.

* this book contains mature scenes/topics and may not be suitable for younger readers

FIRST THOUGHTS

I was so over the moon to get a copy of Unpregnant late last year because I had heard SO MANY THINGS and as soon as I could get the spare day or so to dive in, I took the chance. I’d heard only a month or so beforehand that it was becoming a movie, and if you know me, you know that I love to read the books before they’re a movie. Obviously I love film adaptations (looking at you, To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before!) but as they say: the book is always better.

THE REVIEW

Whether or not you’ve heard of Unpregnant or the topics that it addresses, as soon as you hear the title, you know that it’s going to touch on certain topics that most YA Fiction doesn’t always tread into lightly. For one, teen pregnancies are either a straight hit-or-miss for YA audiences. More or less, they’re much better addressed on-screen. I’m not sure whether it’s because we can grasp emotion better in films and on TV when we can see them (not all people, I for one don’t seem to find a difference) but as soon as I started reading Unpregnant, I knew that people were immediately going to find flaws with it.

Veronica, straight-A student, perfect in most ways, heading to a prestigious University, finds herself in a very unfamiliar situation when she ends up pregnant. See, it shouldn’t quite have happened since Veronica and her boyfriend were safe, but we later do find out that there was a case of tampering that leads to one point that a lot of readers I know will find unnerving, but as a reality, this does happen quite frequently. But since Veronica can’t get an abortion in her town, she finds that the nearest one is a road-trip-worthy distance away. But since she’s not quite in this alone, after her ex-friend, also known as the school’s legendary bad-girl, Bailey, finds out that she’s pregnant after a mishap with her test in the bathroom. Now forced to find her way to get an abortion without a car, she turns to Bailey who does, forming a sort of alliance on their not-really-happy-but-not-really-sad road trip out of state. But as they travel those thousand miles away from their town starting as kind-of strangers, they go through a re-discovery of each other and the friendship they thought had died and they find that they’re truly there for each other through something so heavy, yet darkly injected with backhanded humour fit for the big-screen.

Overall, I think that Unpregnant was destined to be a movie. I know that the book was initially made to be a script, then turned into a book, and I truly believe that this is one of those occasions where they could have put either first and it would’ve made sense. There are a lot of moments that I think will fit into a movie perfectly, because sometimes some of the scenes didn’t really make sense as a book scene, but could easily have been a perfect movie scene, if that makes sense. I loved the friendship, the sort of dark-humour, bringing something as challenging as abortion and turning it into girls taking control of their body and their choices. The book raised some controversial topics that I think will either make people applaud or fall in the opposite direction. For me, I truly loved Unpregnant. It had a sort of movie-feel, and I can’t wait to see it reflected on the big screen. Four amazing stars!

Rating:4 cats

Have you read Unpregnant?

Let me know in the comments or on twitter @LittleMemoirs!

happy reading!

becca

The Sense of an Ending: Review & Comparison Spotlight

Title: The Sense of an Ending 

Author: Julian Barnes 

Published: August 4th, 2011

Publisher: Vintage

Find the Author: Goodreads 


I received this book for review/feature on my blog! As always, my reviews are fair and unbiased.

Tony Webster and his clique first met Adrian Finn at school. Sex-hungry and book-hungry, they would navigate the girl-less sixth form together, trading in affectations, in-jokes, rumour and wit. Maybe Adrian was a little more serious than the others, certainly more intelligent, but they all swore to stay friends for life.

Now Tony is retired. He’s had a career and a single marriage, a calm divorce. He’s certainly never tried to hurt anybody. Memory, though, is imperfect. It can always throw up surprises, as a lawyer’s letter is about to prove.

The Sense of an Ending 

Hello, book lovers! Today I’m talking about the great read that is The Sense of an Ending. If you’ve been at the movies recently, or watching trailers on YouTube, you might have seen the movie adaption on the big screen (which by any means looks like an amazing film). Or if you were a fan from the very start when it was just a book, you might have been waiting anxiously to see it played out by famous faces Jim Broadbent, Charlotte Rampling, Harriet Walter, Michelle Dockery, Freya Mavor, Billy Howle and Joe Alwyn. 

I just finished reading the book that bounced onto the scene in 2011, and without a doubt can see what the hype is about. I usually steer toward YA, but this was a totally refreshing and welcomed change. Today I’m going to do a review of the book and talk a little about the comparison between the book and the movie and share a little about it. 



Review

After watching the trailer for The Sense of an Ending, I had only high expectations for the book. I knew that there would be some differences as with all book-to-movie adaptions and since I hadn’t watched the film, only the trailer, I could go into it with fresh new eyes. Tony Webster is quite the character. When he meets Adrian at school, in the past portion of the short novel, they become fast friends. Through their teenage years, they get up to all sorts of mayhem and trudge their way through inside jokes and fun times together – but something happens that throws all those good times to the dirt – and it changes both their lives, and the people around them, forever.

Adrian was always the smart, consistent one. But after Tony and Veronica, whom they were both friends with in the past portion of the novel, break up after a year of dating, Adrian starts dating Veronica. Tony, feeling a dwelling of betrayal and mixture of feelings inside, drunkenly decides to write them both an angry letter. 

But what we know as the reader could ultimately be due to an unreliable narrator and repression of the past, because sometimes, we don’t want to remember the things that happened in the correct way that they did, all because we think: we have time to fix them, which is in my opinion the true moral of the story. 

I thoroughly devoured and adored The Sense of an Ending. Without giving too much away, because Pretty Little Memoirs is a strictly no spoilers zone (unless disclosed beforehand) this book is a total game-changer that’s thought-provoking, witty and incredibly powerful at twisting the past and present into a life meaning lesson. It was warm, absorbing, careful and reckless at the same time, filled with multidimensional characters and a story that begged to be told. Julian Barnes is a brilliant storyteller and I can’t wait to watch the movie and become an even bigger fan. Five stars completely!




Watch the trailer yourself to know just what I’m talking about:


The Sense of an Ending is out in UK cinemas 14 April.

As you can see, this novel-to-movie looks incredible, doesn’t it? 

The Sense of an Ending movie is directed by Ritesh Batra and based upon the screenplay by Nick Payne and the book by Julian Barnes (did I mention it won the Booker Prize?!). 

The movie description differs a little from the book description, but we’re still following the life of Tony Webster, divorced and retired who lives a lonely and quiet life. He quickly learns that the mother of his university girlfriend, Veronica, left in her will a diary kept by his best friend, who dated Veronica after they parted ways. Tony’s quest to recover the diary, now in Veronica’s possession, forces him to revisit his flawed recollections of his friends and of his younger self. As he digs deeper into his past, it all starts to come back; the first love, the broken heart, the deceit, the regrets, the guilt… Can Tony bear to face the truth and take responsibility for the devastating consequences of actions he took so long ago?

Comparisons 

Some book-to-movie adaptions can be clear cut the same, with minimal differences and still play out wonderfully. But then, there are certain people who would argue that to make the film a hit and success, it must be unique and different to the book to really stand out. I think that the rule can differ, personally. When it comes to adaptions like Gone Girl or Divergent, they stayed relatively the same. Knowing that The Sense of an Ending played a more emotional and touching adaption sounds like it would attract a wider and differing audience. 



In the book, Tony remembers incidents over and over, whereas in the movie he recalls certain memories from his past but knows that his versions have been manipulated as time has passed by. Unreliability in a main character has always attracted my attention because that in itself is a mystery, trying to pick out the truth from the fabricated and I think that the movie has stayed true to this from watching the trailer and hearing the notes from the screening. 



Overall, I think that the book-to-movie has been done beautifully and I think that they picked the perfect people to play the parts of the characters, particularly Tony and Veronica. When you read a book, you always have this vision of who they would be or what they would look like, and for me this rang true and the characters did look very similar in my imagination! I’ve watched the trailer over and over (maybe I broke the re-play button) and I can say that it’s going to be one of the best British films this year.

What do you think of The Sense of an Ending?


Have you read the book?


Let me know in the comments your thoughts! The movie is out April 14th and it’s definitely one to watch.


 happy reading!

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Giveaway: The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey (International!)

After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother–or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.

The 5th Wave is an upcoming American science fiction thriller film directed by J Blakeson, based on Rick Yancey’s eponymous novel with a screenplay by Akiva Goldsman, Susannah Grant, and Jeff Pinkner. The film stars Chloë Grace Moretz, Nick Robinson, Ron Livingston, Maggie Siff, Alex Roe, Maria Bello, Maika Monroe, and Liev Schreiber.


Hey book lovers!

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey is one of the most loved YA books at the moment (and probably of all time) and it’s no surprise that it got a huge movie franchise following. Since The 5th Wave movie will be released this month, I wanted to shine a light on the amazing book that started it all and give away a HARDBACK COPY that’s open . . . INTERNATIONALLY! 
RULES:

– This giveaway is open interntaionally and may be entered by anyone over the age of 13. For teenagers, please ask your Parents/Guardian’s permission before entering.
– Please read the terms & conditions.
– This giveaway is entirely funded by me and not sponsored in any way. 
– Cheating will be disqualified.
– Have fun! The winner will be chosen and announced by January 25th.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy Reading!

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Poster News: “The Fault In Our Stars” Reveal



If you haven’t read “The Fault In Our Stars” then…where have you been?! It’s the most heartbreakingly, epic and loveable story about two sick teenagers who find love. I read the book back in June, and you can see my review here. 

The book was swiftly made into a movie, starring Divergent’s Shailene Woodley and also, another Divergent star; Ansel Elgort. It comes out June 6th, so don’t miss it! I know I won’t!
        happy reading!
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My NEW Divergent Obsession & Future Blogging Crossover!

I finally did it….
….I read DIVERGENT.
So…it was EPIC. And I’m not saying that out of favoritism or because everyone kind of loves it, but because it is just purely facinating and the most incredible book I’ve read in more than a year. 
I wanted to do something MORE than a Review, so…my lovely Sister who blogs over at 23 Review Street was interested in my new-found adoration for Divergent, and even though she’s more into Adult Fiction and Contemporary YA, she decided she was going to give it a read!
I hear a DOUBLE DIVERGENT CROSSOVER coming…
 Be there next Sunday for our conversational reviews and a little movie talk!

 
 happy reading!
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Waiting On Wednesday: “City of Heavenly Fire” by Cassandra Clare

 
Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating. This is my first one without having a cover to show off! Come on, Cassandra…I want to see another incredible dose of cover art!
 
So, if you can’t already tell by the picture below, my Waiting On Wednesday post this week is…
 
 
 
ERCHOMAI, SEBASTIAN HAD SAID.

I am coming.

Darkness returns to the Shadowhunter world. As their society falls apart around them, Clary, Jace, Simon and their friends must band together to fight the greatest evil the Nephilim have ever faced: Clary’s own brother. Nothing in the world can defeat him — must they journey to another world to find the chance? Lives will be lost, love sacrificed, and the whole world changed in the sixth and last instalment of the Mortal Instruments series!

 
Add on Goodreads?
 
Expected publication: March 2014 by Margaret K. McElderry
OMG. They’re seriously not going to make us wait for this one, right?! March seems a whole world away from where we are right now, but it does give me time to catch up on all that’s gone down in The Mortal Instruments so far…so I guess I’ll have to be really waiting on this one!
 
Please write your WoW Post links in the comments bar so I can check them out, tell me what you think of my pick & I always follow back! *Google Friend Connect is gone, so please follow via bloglovin’ below!*

 

 

 
Follow on Bloglovin
 
happy reading,
xo Becca

 

 

 
 
 
 
 

Book Review: “Beautiful Creatures” by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl (Caster Chronicles #1)

❤ Witch-y playlists, southern romance, small town picturesque scenes…Gatlin County is my favourite place to read about… ❤


Beautiful Creatures starts out different to all the novels I’ve read previously; with a prologue that first paints a picture of how and why this read would be better than an average witch novel. And it sure was. I’m sure this is the very first novel I’ve read that is a four-part-series by two authors, who’s writing seems to blend together perfectly and without flaw.
Ethan Wate hates Gatlin County, a place where a Starbucks and McDonalds is just a name without meaning. He’s counting the days until he’s out of there for good. But his life seems pretty normal, and unlike most YA novels that explore the feeling of the main character being a loner, or an outcast, Ethan seems to have friends that make Gatlin a little better for him, like Link, who despite making small appearances, brings the comedy to the storyline.
Enter Lena Duchannes, a sight no one in the Southern town has ever seen. Niece of Macon, who doesn’t have the best reputation for witch-strange like behaviour in Gatlin. Ethan recognises her, and is drawn to her, as soon as Lena makes her first appearance. Pun aside, she is actually the girl of his dreams.
A curse that was set by Lena’s ancestor, to bring Ethan’s ancestor, back to life, has bound the two of them to an unbreakable bond. This works out well, as Lena and Ethan soon hit it off and become not just romantic interests to each other, but friends; something Lena finds strange as she seems the ‘alone’ type.
Lena writes numbers, something Ethan notices right away. She is counting down the days until her sixteenth birthday. This brings to light the song that is mentioned countless times, Sixteen Moons, a song Ethan hears and that plays on his iPod, that he can never find once it has played. The lyrics are haunting; Sixteen Moons, Sixteen Years, Sixteen of your deepest fears, Sixteen times you dreamed my tears, Falling, Falling through the years. The storyline was packed with action, and soon enough we meet Lena’s family, and understand more toward the relationship of Ethan; his parents and his housekeeper, Amma. There are moments when you’re rooting for bad, and times when you’re praying the good will win. But what I never expected was the initial outcome. Surprised was an understatement.
I read this novel about a year and a half ago, and can still recount moments and quotes from the novel. My favourite was ; “Mortals. I envy you. You think you can change things. Stop the universe. Undo what was done long before you came along. You are such beautiful creatures.” This quote perfectly sums up the darkness of this novel, the twisting and twining pieces that become whole at the finale.
I would recommend this novel to anyone who loves witch novels, and if you’re a fan of vampires or fallen angels, you might be surprised that you’ll love this book also. This novel is purely YA (young adult), but that never stopped any adult who loves a good read, so if you’re 13+, this is definitely for you.
*And I’m so excited for the movie! I’ll be there quicker than a spell.

xo, Becca

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