narrative, textbook descriptions of fetal development, and Kia's journal entries and e-mail exchanges with a sympathetic Unitarian youth-group counselor. In addition to following Kia's pregnancy and her decision to give her child to adoptive parents, the book neatly and realistically weaves in subplots involving prejudices against young gay men and relationships between young people and the elderly. There's little in the Canadian setting that will seem strange, except, perhaps, the availability of universal health care and the use of the term Oriental (considered politically incorrect here) when referring to Kia'sFilipina mother. Nor is this a judgmental novel: Kia recognizes that abortion is wrong for her but may be an option for others; Kia's mother reveals that she had an abortion and discusses the circumstances openly with her daughter. The subject matter, plus strong writing and plotting, invites recreational reading; also consider this for curriculum support. Francisca Goldsmith

Grade 8 & Up--A heart-wrenching story about 16-year-old Kia, whose life is about to change forever as she learns she is pregnant. She must then confront not only her own fears but also the feelings of her parents and her friends from her church youth group. She is talked into going for an abortion by her irresponsible boyfriend, but quickly realizes that pressure is not a reason to end a life. The story takes readers through her pregnancy, week-by-week, through third-person narrative and e-mails between Kia and her good friend and youth counselor, Justin. She becomes predictably attracted to this 23-year-old young man, but he is gay, and she must come to terms with the fact that they will never materialize into a couple and raise her baby, which Kia often dreams about. Throughout the book, the teen matures and begins to understand that giving birth and raising a baby are two different things. She struggles with the decision of whether to keep the baby or to choose loving parents who can give the infant a life it deserves. In the end, she is able to make the choice that best suits her and provides her child with options. The story is similar in scope to Marilyn Reynolds's Detour for Emmy (Morning Glory, 1993) and Beatrice Sparks's Annie's Baby: The Diary of Anonymous, a Pregnant Teenager (Avon, 1998), complete with the unsupportive boyfriend who does not understand and is in denial, and the family members who try to be supportive. It's thought-provoking and competently done.
Nicole M. Marcuccilli, Glenview Public Library, IL