Review: Pregnant Pause by Han Nolan

Publisher Harcourt

Pages: 352

Source: Personal Ebook

Elly is sixteen years old, and pregnant. After returning to the US from Kenya she has been running wild, drinking, doing drugs and skipping school. Her boyfriend Lam is two years older than her but encourages her wild ways. When she discovers she’s pregnant, she didn’t worry right away. She never expected that she would carry the baby to term, she assumed she would miscarry. She continued her ways, until she realized that the pregnancy was real and she needed to deal with the situation. Her missionary parents were livid with her, they planned to return to Kenya, and Elly was given two choices. She could return to Kenya with them- without the baby, or move to California with her sister and give the baby to her. Sarah had miscarried three times, and would love to raise the baby with her husband. A stubborn Elly decides to marry Lam and remains up in the air about what to do. Both sets of parents are not thrilled but agree to allow them to marry. Elly will join Lam and his parents at the family summer camp and assist with the children. Their struggles escalate when Lam tries to convince Elly to give the baby to his parents who are still grieving the loss of their second child. Lam becomes distant, and Elly throws herself into camp life and begins to enjoy working with the children. Elly is constantly under the scrutiny of her in-laws, Lam is never around and her parents have gone to Kenya.

Pregnant Pause is a heartbreaking novel, a cautionary tale that demonstrates that endings are not always happily-ever-after. Elly’s character is very annoying when the book begins, but by the end she redeemed herself in my eyes. Clearly, Elly is a teenager and becoming pregnant hasn’t suddenly matured her. Lam is continuing her immature ways, and Elly tries to mostly ignore him. This book does not glamorize pregnancy in any way. The parents really bothered me, really, really bothered me. Both sets of parents tried to manipulate the teenagers into doing what they wanted. It seemed like Elly didn’t matter anymore, Elly was a rebel and would always be in their eyes. Elly’s parents never tried to guide their daughter, they set out their options and that was that, no further discussion. The parents were trying to do what was best for them, Elly would have to deal. Elly’s parents continually talk about the children in Kenya and how they are needed, while Elly is trying to wrap her mind around why her parents don’t think she needs them anymore. I would love for a second book because the ending was not at all what I was expecting, I do not want to give away any spoilers but the ending was fantastic.  I was in a complete shock, and my disgust for the other characters grew immensely.