School Library Journal Starred Review (Tue Mar 01 00:00:00 CST 2016)

Gr 10 Up-Addie is a good student and the star of the cross-country team at her private Catholic school. When she discovers that she is pregnant, she gets an abortion with the support of her boyfriend and parents. Afterward, she struggles with what the pregnancy and her decision mean, both to her self-perception and those around her, leading Addie to discover more surprising things about herself. The spare yet meaningful verse shines, while the poems ascribed to Addie herself are particularly poignant. The narrative focuses on Addie's emotional journey while deftly avoiding the tired tropes of typical pregnant teen stories. This is not a story about making the decision to have an abortion but rather one about accepting how decisions shape who we are, for better or for worse. The only readers disappointed will be those looking for a black-and-white pronouncement about abortion and its consequences. Teens mature enough to appreciate Heppermann's subtlety will welcome this fresh, relatable novel that is bold enough to venture into relatively unexplored territory. VERDICT This standout of both craft and theme is recommended for high school and public libraries.— Elizabeth Saxton, Tiffin, OH

ALA Booklist (Fri Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2016)

Addie has got a great boyfriend, a fantastic cross-country record at her all-girls Catholic high school, and a powerful talent for poetry. When she gets pregnant, she doesn't face terrible strife: her parents are supportive, her boyfriend isn't angry, and it's over in a flash. But in the aftermath, she finds herself reevaluating many of her choices, especially track, and, surprisingly, deeply drawn to a track-star alumna who is taking a break from both running and college. Addie keeps the abortion close to her chest, pouring her ruminations into her poems, which consider guilt, Catholicism, and, in particular, her connection to the Virgin Mary. Heppermann's free-verse poems glide over many of the stickier parts, pausing meaningfully to focus on Addie's emotions, which are brought into sharpest relief in the presence of a bullish antiabortion classmate. While her abortion is a catalyzing event, ultimately this thought-provoking novel in verse is more about well-rounded Addie's gratifying process of self-determination than her choice to end her pregnancy. This absorbing book would be an excellent choice for teen book groups.

Horn Book (Mon Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2016)

Catholic-school sophomore Addie loves running cross-country, writing poetry, and having sex with her boyfriend. Then Addie gets pregnant. Her choice to have an abortion, although significant, is just one of many in her larger coming-of-age story. Addie muses on morality, religion, and sexuality; her observations are thought-provoking, wry, and bitingly smart. Addie easily outshines the "issues" in this remarkable verse novel.

Kirkus Reviews

Can a good Catholic girl be pro-choice? Addie Solokowski, a white sophomore at the all-girl Immaculate Heart Academy, fits the modern-Catholic-schoolgirl trope: indifferent to school; a top track athlete; and dates Craig, who attends brother school St. Luke's, drinks too much, and plays in a band. She easily turns to his best friend and band mate, Nick, who confesses, after a mutual kiss, Craig has cheated on her. Addie and Nick are enjoying a deeply supportive, sex-positive, and erotic (though nascent) relationship when, due to unprotected sex, Addie becomes pregnant. Confident that the God of her faith will "let me / make my own choices," she has an abortion. Though Addie struggles with her decision afterward, she remains solid in the fact that she made the right one, even as her relationships with Nick, her longtime friend and track teammate Claire, and running itself shift, and she begins a romance with an Immaculate Heart alumna named Juliana. Heppermann's poetry floats readers through what could have easily turned into a didactic tome on religion versus abortion. But where readers land seems at best strange, with the sudden I-kissed-a-girl switch. Abortion is a life-altering choice, but this book doesn't go there. (Verse fiction. 14-18)

Voice of Youth Advocates

Addie is pregnant. Her boyfriend, Nick, knows, as do her parents, but no one at her Catholic high school knows. She is a poet and a star cross-country runner. She decides, with the full support of her boyfriend and parents, to have an abortion. She feels good about the decision but begins acting in ways that suggest guilt bubbling below the surface, distancing herself from her parents and Nick. She secretly quits cross country and begins meeting with an old friend, Juliana, who has graduated and is suffering from psychological problems. Together, Addie and Juliana start down their own path of love and healing, allowing Addie to begin reconnecting with the people and activities she once loved.This is a novel-in-verse, and Heppermann's poetry is beautifully composed. It is, however, difficult to know just how to classify the narrativeis it realistic fiction or allegory? The beginning feels realistic, but as events unfold, characters appear to fade from complex humans into symbolic silhouettes. Perhaps this is intentionalpoetry attributed to Addie often explores the persona and significance of the Virgin Mary, and in fact, there does appear to be a tension between Mary as woman and Mary as symbol that perplexes Addie. Overall, this is a thought-provoking novel, if not necessarily realistic. This book will be most appropriate for older readers due to the issues it tackles, as well as sexual situations.Johanna Nation-Vallee.