Emily from A Short Book Lover and I have created a weekly feature called Let’s Talk YA. – a weekly feature simply to just share and talk about the books you love. So our posts will all be centered around amazing UKYA authors. You can see the pattern here that a lot of the author and books I’m picking are the ones that really left an impression on me and are likely to be their first book, their debut that set them on that journey.
This week’s author is Non Pratt and her book Trouble. I was reminded by this book when I met Non Pratt a couple of months ago at an event.
In this dazzling debut novel, a pregnant teen learns the meaning of friendship—from the boy who pretends to be her baby’s father.
When the entire high school finds out that Hannah Shepard is pregnant via her ex-best friend, she has a full-on meltdown in her backyard. The one witness (besides the rest of the world): Aaron Tyler, a transfer student and the only boy who doesn’t seem to want to get into Hannah’s pants. Confused and scared, Hannah needs someone to be on her side. Wishing to make up for his own past mistakes, Aaron does the unthinkable and offers to pretend to be the father of Hannah’s unborn baby. Even more unbelievable, Hannah hears herself saying “yes.”
Told in alternating perspectives between Hannah and Aaron, Trouble is the story of two teenagers helping each other to move forward in the wake of tragedy and devastating choices. As you read about their year of loss, regret, and hope, you’ll remember your first, real best friend—and how they were like a first love.
Trouble is a heartfelt, funny, touching story of one teenage girl, Hannah realises she’s pregnant from her ex, the father doesn’t want to be part of it. It’s only when the new curious boy, Aaron takes a shine to her, that he volunteers to be involved to be the father figure. Scared, confused and this knight in shining armour wants to helps and save her but also save himself at the same time.
Trouble is the book that got me out of my comfort zone. It was a book that at the time of reading it I would inadvertently cringe at certain parts of, but now looking back on it has so much more meaning.
I love Non’s portrayal of teenage life and pressures, and having to worry about another little body inside of you, that your body is going through things you’ve never experienced especially at such a young age. Hannah needed to grow, mature, she was scared but she was incredibly brave and she said her rock, Aaron beside her. It’s that relationship, that love, that friendship that made it all that more true. I enjoyed that it was written all from Hannah’s perspective because I think that would have annoyed me. Seeing another side, hearing another story, made it that more real. It is truly beautiful rendition of a contemporary novel about love, consequences, but most of all friendship and sticking by each other in the toughest times of ones teens life.
Let’s talk…
Have you read Trouble or anything by Non Pratt? What did you think about? Lets shout to the heavens about this book. Use the hashtag #LetsTalkYA on Twitter to shout about these books.
Don’t forget to head over to Emily’s blog for her suggestion…
