2/5 stars. This book was an emotional rollercoaster, but I'm not sure if it was in a good way or not. Some of my emotions were how stupid Ben acts over and over again, and this weird leaning into generational trauma instead of healing from it. It honestly gave me the ick. I think the idea was good, but the result didn't work for me.

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

This is a review of an ARC graciously provided by NetGalley and St. Martin's Press.

I struggled with this one a bit, I won't lie. When I review YA ARCs, I try to do it with my high school teacher's hat firmly in place. After all, I am not the audience for YA books, at least, I do not believe I should be.

Any full-grown adult, especially any full-grown adult with children of their own, will likely struggle a bit with this one. So if you are an adult YA reader, I would strongly advise you to leave this alone. It's not very cute; in fact it's kind of infuriating.

I also think that the comparisons to Juno + Heartstopper are a bit overstated. Heartstopper is, essentially, a romance. This book is not a romance. There is a vaguely romantic subplot, which is mostly sidelined (understandably so) in favor of the bigger pregnancy plot. So if you're looking for a romcom, look elsewhere. There is also very little exploration of queer identity. That's not a mark against it, but again, given the comparison to Heartstopper, which is very much about a boy discovering his identity and coming out to his peers, experiencing his first romance with another guy, that's just not here. Again, not every queer book needs to be a coming-out story, or focus on identity issues, but the comparison doesn't hold up. The comparison to Juno doesn't really hold up either because for all that the book is about a teen pregnancy, the pregnant teen in question is almost completely sidelined, in a way that is kind of uncomfortable to read (more on that further on).

The basic plot of Unexpecting is a seventeen-year-old gay boy, Ben, gets his best friend, Maxie, pregnant while they're "experimenting" at summer camp. Due to his own unresolved issues around his birth dad, who is out of the picture, Ben decides he wants to keep the baby, even though Maxie (or rather her parents) have decided to give it up for adoption.

My two main issues with this book are Ben and Maxie themselves. Ben's utter obliviousness with regards to what his decision means is very frustrating to read. Admittedly, I struggled with this one, because while teenagers like Ben obviously do exist, Ben's refusal to even conceptualize his child as a human being and the way he is so weirdly disengaged from Maxie as a person are extremely off-putting. Ben is clearly written as having some kind of social anxiety (or possibly autism), and we see him having actual panic attacks, but once again, the text doesn't engage with the topic so I am not sure what the reader is supposed to do with that information. If it's meant as an explanation for why Ben treats Maxie as a baby-bearing NPC, the text doesn't explain it. Ultimately, without any mitigating narrative, it is very hard, for me, as an adult, to sympathize with a character who does not understand that choosing to be a teen father means you have to get a job and no you will not get to go to robotics camp. There is also some robotics-related drama that Ben is very invested in, but which is just so insignificant in the face of everything else, that it is hard to care. Within the first few pages I was really hoping Ben would drop out of robotics, but this does not happen.

Ben's' mother is "supportive" in a way that borders on irresponsibility. Every possible obstacle is smoothed away to help Ben make this dream of being a father come true-- his parents gift him a car, his mom finds him a job through her ex-husband, another ex-husband happens to be a family lawyer, his grandparents give him a new laptop-- and still Ben is not a kid who should be raising a child. It seems like all of the support is a setup, a kind of massive case of reverse psychology, but it's kind of baffling because if the setup fails, the consequences are truly dire. Anyway, I have asked myself, are there teenagers this oblivious? Are there parents this ridiculous? And of course there are, but irl they would stretch the limits of my sympathies, much less in fiction.

My issue with Maxie is the way that she is the one carrying the baby, and she is clearly suffering and unhappy, but she is sidelined. There are characters who ask, "what does Maxie want?" but no one actually seems to care. The possibility of abortion is very neatly sidestepped, as in, it is never once even discussed, and yet the narrative tells us Maxie is pro-choice. It is almost as if the author was afraid of putting abortion on the table. The book then suffers from the exact same problem Juno had, and that is it is extremely difficult to write a non-religious teenage girl, a cool feminist girlboss type character, and have her decide to carry a baby only to give it up for adoption. We get the sense in Unexpecting that perhaps Maxie's parents have pressured her into this, and Maxie is clearly depressed through most of the book, but Ben is so fundamentally disinterested in what is going on with Maxie that we just don't know. Maxie comes off as a vehicle for Ben to play out his daddy issues and the "redemption" of her parents at the end, when they show themselves to be, at the very least, not homophobic, is kind of too little too late when the book's entire plot is based around a presumption that they forced their teen daughter to carry to term.

I saw another review that suggested this book might have been stronger with dual POVs, and I have to agree. Telling a teen pregnancy story from the POV of the father is unique and interesting, but relegating the mother of the child to a background character whose wishes are essentially disregarded by everyone in the book does not make for a good story. I can see what Bailey was attempting to do, but I don't think Unexpected succeeded.

I received this book as an ARC via NetGalley to read and give my honest review. I’d like to say as a Wisconsinite and Milwaukeean I got a chuckle out of the references (saying water fountain instead of bubbler was a bummer though). As for the book I found it to be a really interesting take on the teen and queer experience. Ben, being a neurodivergent teen who had his life turned upside down did behave accordingly I think. Without spoiling anything I think the characters placed around Ben were realistic and helped him or deterred him exactly how they were meant to. Considering I read it in one evening I’d say this was a good read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for this digital arc in exchange for my honest review.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this book, but the cover and description immediately caught my attention. The first quarter of the book felt as though it dragged a bit, but after that, I was sucked in and couldn't stop reading it.

For starters, I would just like to say that for a guidance counselor, Eliza is terrible at realizing that her son needs mass amounts of therapy. My goodness. That poor boy. But it was nice to watch Ben's growth from the beginning of the book to the end of it. I'm not sure if the author intended him to be written neurodivergent but I caught more than one hint at it, particularly in regard to some of his anxieties as well as some of his issues with social cues.

This book was a unique perspective. We don't typically get to see stories like this from the father's point of view. I quite enjoyed that. But even as I felt for Ben and everything he was going through, my heart also broke for Maxie. Because her parents, particularly her father, were quite awful to her especially in the beginning (making her deliver the papers at school to punish her; how terrible), and her feelings and desires were completely swept under the rug like she didn't even matter.

I see some people remarking about how selfish Ben is, but...he's a 16-year-old boy who has never had a stable father figure in his life. Of course he's worried about his own future child feeling abandoned. Is it logical? No. But again, he's a 16-year-old boy with abandonment issues of his own that he's never worked through. Yes, that isn't a good reason to raise a baby as a teenager, but that's the point of the story, yes? He starts off wanting to do this but realizes that in order to be a good father, he needs to do what's best for the child and not for him. And in the end, he realizes this and makes the best decision for the child.

Two of my favorite characters in this book were Roger and Gio. Roger, because of how he stepped up for Ben; Gio, because when Ben felt like everyone else was against him and not listening, Gio was just there for him.

My only real complaint was how obvious the ending was in regard to Monica and Lisa. I would have liked it if that part had not been made so glaringly obvious about halfway through. But that didn't detract anything from the story for me. I still enjoyed it even though I knew how it was going to end. Because the journey of how they all got there was a nice one to follow.

All in all, I quite enjoyed it, and I would recommend it to a friend.

Read an ARC.

Drawn in by the robotics club but stayed for the heartfelt story.

Teenage pregnancy told from the father's perspective with a modern update in accurately capturing that "forced birth" and "the mother is only a vessel" feeling in a post RvW world.

Touches on how this new life impacts relationships of all kinds, family and friends, while not dwelling too long in any of the dark places. I do wish the story could have continued a bit farther in time, like in Juno where we see everyone moving on, because the location and timing of the ending was a bit of a downer for me.

I decided to read this book on a whim, but I loved it. This book has hit home with me a little bit because I had gone through this process myself. The beginning of this book was pretty interesting. I liked the fact that the main character was part of the LGBT+ community. It was interesting to see a character who was trying to figure out their sexuality. I really liked how Ben's mom and stepdad were supportive throughout this entire book. It was also nice to see how focused Ben was on stepping up and figuring out how to be a good parent. One of the big things that I didn't like about this book was how Maxie's parents treated her. I thought that it was wrong on all levels. They pretty much decided that she was going to give the baby up for adoption and that she never had a choice in the matter. It just rubbed me the wrong way because she did really have the option if she would have liked to keep the baby or not. I do love how this book ended. I feel like it was a perfect ending for everyone involved.

Ben is 16 and entering the phase of his life where the biggest decisions he has to make are preparing for college applications and how to win the next robotics team challenge. What he wasn't expecting was having to make decisions related to becoming a teenage father.

What I love most about this novel is that the writing and characters emotions are written so authentically and complex that it normalizes the non-traditional family structures. The themes of sacrifice and chosen family pull at your heartstrings so unexpectedly and this is one that easily belongs in everyone's shelf.

Really enjoyed this book and breezed through it despite it not being simple fluffy subject matter. Very much enjoyed this really interesting and unexpected Queer story.
I would say that a couple elements feel slightly underwritten. The constant scientific comparisons wore a little thin, and at times the lead character felt like they were acting completely counter to how a real person logically would. I don't think the actual choices need to be changed or edited, but rather I think we just need to understand the thought process more.
Overall a very enjoyable read with only a few minor quibbles. The 'Juno' comparison is apt and earned, although I don't think this really lives up to the 'Heartstopper' comparison.

I'm really surprised by how much I enjoyed this! I'd read the synopsis, and I was interested, but I wasn't sold. As a teenager, I expected to be irritated by the irresponsibility of the characters, but I ended up really liking them.

First point: the ending. I had no idea how I wanted this to end. I knew I wanted everyone to end up happy, and I knew that I wasn't exactly sold on Ben as a parent. But other than that, I wasn't sure how I wanted the situation to resolve itself. But the way it ended up resolving was the best way possible. It was the resolution I was looking for, so I love the author headed in that direction.

Second point: the characters. Somehow, Bailey had me caring about them with my entire heart. I felt for them. I was so happy when they'd finally talk to each other because I cared about them. I felt personally invested in them, which isn't exactly common with me.

I'll admit, this book is wildly different than most of what we see in the YA market. It's not utter fluff or sheer angst. Instead, it plays a nice middle. I loved it for that, and I'd definitely recommend it.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

I was offered the opportunity to review “Unexpecting” and I’ll be honest, I didn’t read up about it before I accepted so I went in blind…and that is the best possible way to read this book. This book a is a hit punch of emotions from page one all the way through to the end that you need to be completely unprepared for in order to get the full effect. Due to this: I’m going to try and right as spoiler free of a review as possible. What I will say is: this book had me hook, line, and sinker. I was immediately drawn in to Ben and his inner turmoil, devotion, and dedication to his unborn child and the means he was going to go to to make sure that the end result was what he felt was best for his baby. Faced with such a difficult decision so young, I feel Ben did everything to the best of his abilities. Very chapter brought a new layer, a new heartbreak, a new obstacle that was at once hard to read and powerful to read at the same time. This book is a must read for everyone, regardless of age or sexual identity. So much can be learned from this book aimed to YA audiences, and this author tackled such a heavy topic with care and ease. The fact this is a debut novel is astounding and makes me so excited for what this author will do in the future.

I enjoyed this novel and was able to read it very quickly. I feel like this is a slightly different type of read for me. Overall the story I liked but it was predictable.

Particular things I found unique about this book:
- the perspective of teen pregnancy from the father's POV
- diverse character's
- variety of LGBTQIA+ rep

Things that I think could have been executed a little bit better:
- In the begining I found the writing choppy and many short sentences which made reading less enjoyable. Later in in the book I don't know if it got any better or if I got more interested in the story and ignored the type of writing a little bit.
- I feel like Ben is written as being younger than 16.
- I didn't enjoy the scientific analogies and comparisons in every situation.
- I felt like the end was rushed. I already knew what was going to happen so I think I would have liked to see a little bit more
- The miscommunication bothered me. I understand that he didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings but the situation he was in required open communication.

Questions I still have:
- Is Ben neurodivergent?
- If Ben's mom is a guidance couselor why hasn't Ben been to therapy to deal with the lack of a father figure in his life and his anxiety?

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this e-book.

Unexpecting is a YA novel about unplanned pregnancy, expectations, parenthood, and found family. While it is compared to Juno and Heartstopper, it is much closer to the former. There's a budding romance, but you'll be disappointed if you're expecting something reminiscent of Charlie and Nick's relationship.

Ben, the sixteen-year-old gay narrator who gets his best girl pal pregnant after a science camp experiment, is immediately adamant about keeping the baby, despite Maxie's (the mother's) wishes to give it to a couple wishing to adopt. While his intense drive to make young parenthood work, everything seems to stack against him. He lets down his team at the robotics tournament, consistently breaks dishes at his bussing job, and cannot seem to find the time to study on top of enrolling in parenting courses and sitting in on adoption interviews. In many ways, the constant wave of shit makes it unbelievable.

While the prose was written well and Ben was easy to empathize with, some plot points were too over the top, and Ben's drive to be a teenage father didn't make sense halfway through, given how many opportunities and academic programs he would have to give up—things he had been planning for since elementary school. I was also hoping for more when it came to his relationship with Gio.

Despite some of the issues, I thought it was an interesting read. I haven't read many novels about teen pregnancy, and never have I come across one written from the perspective of the expecting father. I commend Bailey for taking on this subject and would readily pick up her future works.

*Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for the ARC.*

This is an interesting premise but the execution falls flat. Ben fails to provide a good reason as to why he wants the baby and it makes the whole book weird. Maxine also did not get enough time on the page, it feels like she just exists to have bens baby and I didn’t like it. This book would be better if it was dual pov so that you understand where maxine is coming from.

I received an arc through netgalley.

What a delightful and exciting novel! I was very happy to experience the unexpected pregnancy from the narrator's perspective the entire time as I was in his head. Even though I'm aware that it's been done before, Jen Bailey really seems to understand what it's like to be a teen and how to portray the whole absurdity of being an adolescent in the 2020s. Overall, I think this would make a great miniseries. I didn't love the very technical vocabulary during the robotics tournament and thought the introduction to the pair was a little dramatic. I want everyone to feel the same way about Ben, Roger, Gio, Maxie, and Mo that I did in only a short 24 hours. I adore love. I can't wait to recommend this one to others once it is released.

"In expecting" offers a prospective rarely seen while simultaneously missing the mark.

One of the biggest "icks" for me was the lack of respect for personal choices all for using a child in selfish interests. A child is not your opportunity to fix what was done wrong with you. Try therapy.

However, I love that "Unexpected" considered a view we don't see very often in literature, but definitely happens in real life. What happens when an experiment in sexuality results in a child? How are those relationships, as well as new ones, navigated? Bailey offers us a look into that world and the impact of choices.

Super cute YA novel with an interesting plot that I haven't seen before. I enjoyed the characters and plot of this book and I'm looking forward to seeing more reviews and hearing about other novels released by Jen.

Benjamin Morrison is about to start junior year of high school and while his family is challenging, he is pretty content with his life, with his two best friends, and being a part of the robotics club. Until an experiment at science camp has completely unexpected consequences.

He is going to be a father. Something his mother was not expecting after he came out as gay and she certainly wasn’t expecting that he would want to raise the baby as a single father. But together they come up with a plan to prepare Ben for fatherhood and fight for his rights.

The weight of Ben’s decision presses down on him. He’s always tired, his grades fall, and tension rises between his mom and stepfather. He’s letting down his friends in the robotics club whose future hinges on his expertise. If it wasn’t for his renewed friendship (and maybe more) with a boy from his past, he wouldn’t be able to face the daily ridicule at school or the crumbling relationship with his best friends.

With every new challenge, every new sacrifice he has to make, Ben questions his choice. He’s lived with a void in his heart where a father’s presence should have been, and the fear of putting his own child through that keeps him clinging to his decision. When the baby might be in danger, Ben’s faced with a heart-wrenching realization: sometimes being a parent means making the hard choices even if they are the choices you don't want to make...

Unexpecting by Jen Bailey was a heartwarming story.
About teenage pregnancy but told from the perspective of a teenage boy.
Which I found to be really interesting.
I enjoyed the characters, the story and the writing was amazing.
I enjoyed the journey and everything in it.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

'Unexpecting' offered a unique look at teenage pregnancy from the perspective of a teenage boy. Ben is 16 years old, and he recently came out as gay. Because of this, his mother is shocked to find out that Ben has gotten his friend, Maxie, pregnant. Maxie wants to give the baby up for adoption, but Ben wants to be a father to the baby. Ben has never had a stable, l0ng-lasting father figure in his life. His biological dad died before Ben was born, and his mom has a series of boyfriends and husbands that haven't lasted long enough to stick around for Ben long term. Ben doesn't want his baby to feel like they were abandoned, so he struggles with trying to figure out how he can raise the baby.

Along with his mom and new step-dad, Roger, Ben makes a plan to raise the baby. He gets a job to save money, but his schoolwork and robotics club activities start to suffer. His friends at school are disappointed, and Ben struggles with determining how to make it all work.

Ben starts to bond with his step-dad, Roger, and I really enjoyed that part of the story. He starts to learn that family and love can come without having the same DNA. I loved how supportive Roger and Ben's mom were of Ben too. It was great to see how much they loved him.

I liked the book, but there were parts that were very slow and drawn out. I liked learning about the process of adoption and what rights the father of a baby has. I didn't know how all of that worked, and I learned a lot from this book.

I think that Ben became a really difficult narrator to follow. I would have liked to have the perspective of Maxie too because it was important to see things from her point of view. Also, I loved how the story ended, and I teared up while reading it.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC of this book.

When two analytically minded teens conduct a social experiment, there are unplanned consequences: Ben, who can now confirm he is definitely gay, has gotten his best friend Maxie pregnant. And worse than that, everyone expects him to just give his baby up for adoption. But Ben knows what it's like to be abandoned by his dad(s), and he's not going to give up so easily!

This book was pretty cute, although Ben drove me absolutely crazy sometimes. He could be really... oblivious. I can't say I loved him as a character, but I was definitely invested in his story. I loved the support he got from his family, and how he was so desperate to do the right thing. I especially loved the relationship that grew between him and his stepfather.

All in all it was a cute story, and I really liked the ending. I did end up rooting for Ben, once he got his blinders off!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in return for an unbiased opinion!