Summary from Goodreads:
Seventeen-year-old Veronica Clarke never thought she would wish she’d failed a test until she finds herself holding a thick piece of plastic in her hands and staring at two solid pink lines. Even the most consistent use of condoms won’t prevent pregnancy when your boyfriend secretly pokes holes in them to keep you from going out-of-state for college.
Veronica needs an abortion, but the closest place she can legally get one is over nine hundred miles away—and Veronica doesn’t have a car. Too ashamed to ask her friends or family for help, Veronica turns to the one person she believes won’t judge her: Bailey Butler, Jefferson High’s own little black cloud of anger and snark—and Veronica’s ex-best friend. Once on the road, Veronica quickly remembers nothing with Bailey is ever simple and that means two days of stolen cars, shotguns, crazed ex-boyfriends, truck stop strippers with pro-life agendas, and a limo driver named Bob. But the pain and betrayal of their broken friendship can’t be outrun. When their fighting leads to a brutal moment of truth, Bailey abandons Veronica. Now Veronica must risk everything in order to repair the hurt she’s caused.
Review:
This was so much better than I thought it would be. I read it super quickly. I can see it being a movie, something to watch with my best friends and some wine. It deals with the topic of abortion. But, more than anything, this book is about control. Veronica’s boyfriend literally forced a pregnancy on her so she’d stay home and not go away to the Ivy League college she worked so hard to get into! Veronica’s parents forced her older sister to drop out of her schooling/career path (aka; stop financially helping her) when she got pregnant, so she could be a mom. And all along this crazy, coming of age journey/adventures, there are more characters trying to control Veronica and tell her what to do.
It’s not about if abortions are the right thing to do or not. It’s about who’s in control. Why should anyone but Veronica be allowed to decide when and how she gets pregnant? Why should her boyfriend be allowed to force this upon her? Why should her parents get to decide this for her? Why should a pro-life stripper be the one to tell her what to do? Or protestors? And why should she have to travel over 900 miles to take control of her own body?
I started reading this around the time things in Texas started popping up in the news about abortion laws. And it’s like I needed to read this book right now. There are a lot of books out there about teen moms. There’s even books about teens giving up their babies for adoption. There’s not a lot out there that talks about this choice. And I like that the book centered on what this is: Veronica’s choice.
It’s also a friendship story. It’s about her re-connecting with Bailey, a friend she never should have fallen away from. Real friends are the ones who will drive over 900 miles for you and not judge you for making your own decisions about your own body. This is a serious book that deals with serious topics about sex, choice, abortion, family, coming out, and growing up. But, there’s also a light-heartedness to it, that makes it so enjoyable to read. There’s junk food, oversized elephant statues, strip clubs, limo rides, and so much more. I give this a 9/10.
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