Angel's Choice

Lauren Baratz-Logsted writes a week-by-week young adult novel that chronicles the journey of a high school senior's pregnancy: from her decision to keep the baby to the obstacles she must overcome as she faces impending single motherhood. After a few too many one night, high school senior, Angel Hansen, experiences her first time with a guy she hardly knows after her crush hooks up with someone else. Ironically, after he drops her off, he tosses Angel his phone number and sarcastically says, "Call me if you're pregnant". Two months later she makes the phone call. From difficult decisions to the consequences the decision presents to her family and friends, Angel's Choice is a brutally honest depiction of a teenage pregnancy. A recommended read for both mothers and daughters. The dialogue is real, the voice is real, and the obstacles are real. For a frank peek into an expecting teen's world, without a pro-life or pro-choice hidden message, read Angel's Choice.

I bought this book and read it in one sitting. Angel, dealing with her unexpected pregnancy, is a smart, funny, self-aware kid who is learning not only to stop and think, but to trust herself and her choices. Her voice is fresh and never too adult (a pet peeve of mine). The story deals with questions of morality that many teens deal with every day, and its treatment of those issues is honest without being judgmental or sensational (which you see a lot in YA books dealing with "issues"). Teen readers will enjoy the chance to eavesdrop on the life of a girl whose choices (and lack of choices) changed her life forever.

This wonderfully written story about a young girl who makes a bad move and then decides to become an adult about the results is moving, touching and realistic. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Angel's story. You can see the maturity this teenage grows through as she has to make some tough choices - Absolutely wonderfully written with grace and sensitivity. Buy it.

It's impossible to put ANGEL'S CHOICE down. Unusually realistic, the story charts the plight of the teenaged Angel, who discovers that she's pregnant. Far from being a polemic, the author instead stays inside Angel's head as she tries to maneuver the mine field of choices that she has, both large and small. Should she get an abortion? Should she have the baby and forego college? Every avenue open to her seems fraught with compromise, and readers will be struck by the "this-is-you" verisimilitude of the author's prose. There are many surprises, including the reaction of the boyfriend's parents, and the boyfriend himself, whom Angel is devoted to. And yet, best of all is Angel herself. With sharp clarity, the author brings her to life in compelling three-dimensions. Her choice could be any young girl's choice.

Teenage pregnancy can't realistically be lived in only 250 pages, but Lauren Baratz-Logsted handles this controversial topic more successfully than most. ANGEL'S CHOICE begins like many other teen pregnancy stories with one bad decision; however, Angel's voice narrates a little something extra into the story that's really hard to explain. There is the upset family, the lost friendships, the ostracism in the school classroom, plus the roller coaster of emotional and physical turmoil a teen pregnancy entails. Angel is faced with the choices of abortion, adoption, or becoming a young mother. She knows what a friend before her has chosen but realizes it isn't right for her. The less-than-happy teen father and her own unhappy parents have ideas of their own. Ultimately, the choice is hers and hers alone. Although this subject is complicated and huge, the dialogue in much of the novel seems real and genuine. Angel confronts her obstacles bravely. After discussions with her grandmother and her aunt, she learns others before her have made similar painful decisions. Her attempts to remain a normal teen often succeed but are tempered with realism and an uncertain view of the future. Angel's final realization is that survival would not be possible without the support and love of those around her. This is a book that should be included in any collection aimed at helping teens face the decisions of today and their consequences. Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"