Hello my lovely readers. I am about to review the first book to make me cry of 2024 and my second 5 star read. I had a glorious glowing book hangover not in a bad way and it took me a while to really process it.

Little Bang by Kelly McCaughrain
Published by Walker Books on January 4, 2024
Genres: Contemporary, Family, Feminism, Love & Romance, Social Themes, UKYA, Young Adult Fiction
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Beneath the New Year's Eve fireworks, shy science-nerd Mel and slacker songwriter Sid get pregnant on their first date. Any sixteen-year-olds would expect trouble – but this is Northern Ireland 2018, where abortion is still illegal. Mel's religious parents insist she must keep the baby, whilst Sid's feminist mum pushes for a termination.

Mel and Sid are determined to do this together, but they soon discover that pregnancy is totally different for boys and girls. When their relationship starts to fall apart under all the pressure, Mel finds herself feeling alone with the impossible dilemma of the Little Bang growing inside her.

05/01/2023 – Only 17 pages in and already the main characters Sid and Mel, remind me a bit of 10 Things I Hate About You. Especially Sid specifically I think. I’m just getting that vibe and I love it.

10/01/2024 – Well what a book. I’m still crying… that was not what I expected at all. When I first heard about this book it reminded me of Trouble by Non Pratt. Which for me is the only UKYA book I’ve read on Teenage Pregnancy.

Much like this one, they way the plot line is conceived is beautiful and full of so many strong feelings that you develop throughout the book. To be brutally honest Little Bang is the complete opposite of Trouble. We follow Mel and Sid, they meet to have their first date on New Year’s Eve and they next thing they know Mel is pregnant. Mel is part of a strict catholic family and living in Northern Ireland and the reality of her pregnancy is hard to comprehend. But still, they decide to do it together for Little Bang. Sid, proves to be the man, the father he can be despite his mum’s intentions of bringing him down. It’s admirable. But Mel realises that this choice, her life, her future plans has been taken away from her, and she starts to feel lonely, The emotion and build up of it – I can’t describe it but the feeling is like your body is constricting, you are almost gasping for air, feeling tight with apprehension because you want to know what happens.

I first described this book in my notes as a YA version of 10 Things I Hate About You. As Mel and Sid reminded me of Heath Ledger, Patrick and the sister of Kat – Bianca with the fake belly scene real… If you’ve watched the movie you know what I mean. This book has a very clever plot-line, it’s admirable, raw and unflinching honest storytelling and overwhelmed with so much feeling. This book educated me on the reality of life there, and living with the politics around abortion. I’d unbearable to think of and how cutthroat it is. The freedom of choice, and having the courage to feel and admit those feelings out loud.

What really got me and my emotions was the feelings I had for these characters. The strength of both characters Mel and Sid and being transparent about their flaws and mistakes. They take the courage to speak up and be honest about those felling which really got me in those last 50 pages. There were times that I wanted to throw the book with the ludicrous situations or conversations between two complete opposite families. The growth of all of them and not just the MC, but Mel’s Dad( and mum- ish), Mat, Mel’s best friend, Lucille, Sid’s dad, I loved Mrs Edgar, always got to have your quirky, plucky senior to right your wrongs and make the axis of the planet right again with her wisdom. The realtionships in this book is second to none, it’s beautiful. And I’m still crying whilst writing this review.

Wow. Just wow. Little Bang will consume you. It’s a beautiful and poignant contemporary YA novel that needs to be read. It made me cry and feel so much, it took me a good couple of days to really take it all in.

Thank you to Walker YA for sending me a copy in exchange for a review.