I actually didn't finish this book but netgalley won't let me mark it as a dnf! So I'm giving the author a free 5 star review because it wasn't her fault I didn't finish.

I felt the suspense and energy building throughout this book and was anxious to reach the end. The ending did fall flat for me a bit in terms of the climax, it didn't seem to reflect the stakes set throughout the book. I still liked it and found both pregnancy experiences to be very interesting.

I liked this but more than I thought I would! It felt new and fresh, not just a retelling of the same story, and kept me intrigued the entire time.

I pushed through this book waiting for that emotional moment, but then it just ended. I didn’t care for this one.

really liked this. It explores two sisters, both of whom find themselves accidentally pregnant.

Told in multi POV, the book looks at motherhood and everything that means. It covers heavy topics such as abortion, adoption, women's and reproductive rights.

The book is a little hard going at times, and slow to get into, but with some perseverance it gets better.

Relatively well written but not one fir me. I’m sure it will have many readers who love it though! Thank your to NetGalley and the publisher

Special thanks to Atria books and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

I had such good expectations for this book, buy sadly this is one where the premise or "promise" of the book is better than the actual book.

While the attempt at discussions of sisterhood and womanhood were made in large discussions, I found the writing to be a little bit of a struggle for me.

2 stars

This book was not at all what I expected it to be. The story felt a bit shallow at times when I was hoping for more depth. The characters frustrated me a times as well. It's a good book, but won't be one of my favorites.

Ashley Wurzbacher's novel How to Care for a Human Girl has such an interesting and thought-provoking title. With abortion being such a hot topic in today's political climate, it begs the question, "What care are we giving to girls whose choice we are debating?" This novel examines said choice through the eyes of estranged sisters, both grappling with life-altering decisions of their own.

When Jada, the eldest of the siblings, finds herself pregnant in a marriage that is just not working for her, she chooses abortion, never looking back. Not only that, her decision propels her to leave her husband, diving into a PhD. research project while involving herself with another man. Meanwhile, her aimless sister Maddy is wavering in her own choice. When she visits what she thinks is a clinic, she finds herself wrapped up in a religion-driven coup to persuade pregnant women not to choose abortion. Throughout this book, Maddy struggles with her choice, while trying to find footing in an unsteady world.

While some parts of this novel are written brilliantly - such as Maddy's visit to the clinic and her interactions with the staff there - others are woefully overwrought and tedious. As I read, I would often find myself fully absorbed in the story, only to be distracted and off-put moments later. This made for a frustrating reading experience because I could never get fully invested in this story due to its hesitance to get to the point.

This was a prime example of a premise being more interesting than the actual novel. Although I typically would enjoy a novel centering around discussions of sisterhood, pregnancy, and larger conversations of womanhood, I found the execution of this work to be a little lackluster. I probably had too many expectations behind it, but I can also attest that when dealing with these topics I find strong writing to be imperative to tell these stories - and unfortunately this did not deliver for me. I liked the attempt.

2.5/5 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley & Atria Books for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review!

I found this book to be rather unlikable and a struggle. Both Jada and Maddie are insufferable protagonists. The male characters are equally unlikable. The book starts with a grown woman hiding in a closet from her husband over a surprise pregnancy and goes downhill from there. I had hoped this would be a refreshing pro-choice novel shedding light on why women make choices about unwanted pregnancies, but this book didn’t even say the word abortion. It felt juvenile, wordy, and was not well-written.

I’m not sure if I just wasn’t the correct audience for this book, but I wasn’t really impressed. There are two sisters who both get pregnant but handle it in different ways. This causes the two of them to reconnect even though their relationship has been tumultuous. Honestly it felt like it took forever to get to a point and I just wasn’t interested in the characters or what happened to them.

Sister love!

Maddy was an unexpected addition to her family. A late in life pregnancy for her mom and not all together welcome by her big sister Jada. When their mother is diagnosed with cancer and later dies, each is set off in their own tailspin.

To Maddy’s eye, Jada has it all. Degrees, a husband, a nice home, money. Everything Maddy thinks she wants.

But Jada is hiding from her husband in literal closets and still drawn to her past.

Maddy is searching for belonging in men, religion, wherever she thinks she might find it and makes not so great decisions along the way.

What they really need is each other, as they eventually discover.

Lots of real life messiness, grief, and love.

A book about the choices two sisters have concerning abortion. In my opinion the story lacked emotion and depth. Some parts were too clinical. Not a fan.

In the blurb it says this book is a ”sharply funny debut”, but I did not find it very humorous at all.

Two sisters find themselves pregnant at the same time. Each deals with their unexpected pregnancy in their own way. Both sisters are also mourning the death of their mother and have issues with their father. Politics was thrown in too. It just wasn't for me. I skimmed at times when the story got too wordy.

Thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for an e-ARC of this novel.

When I read the synopsis for "How to Care for a Human Girl," a debut novel by Ashley Wurzbacher, I was immediately drawn in by its promise to explore the complexities of choice, sisterhood, and the impact of our political climate on everyday life. Set in two timelines, the novel follows Jada, a 31-year-old psychology PhD student, who quietly undergoes an abortion without informing her husband, and Maddy, a 19-year-old considering an abortion after a traumatic experience at a crisis pregnancy center.

While the book's writing style and exploration of sisterhood were commendable. Wurzbacher skillfully navigates the "grey" area in the novel, never leaning too conservative or liberal, however the delivery may not be well-received by all audiences as some readers might find the novel's ambiguous stance on sensitive issues too neutral. Jada's character, in particular, lacked the depth and exploration that could have better connected the reader to her journey. Nonetheless, the book successfully addresses important contemporary issues, making it worth a read for those interested in the intricacies of reproductive health and familial relationships.

Full Review to be posted on duffRUNStough on August 3rd.

Beautiful story about two sisters who have very different views on motherhood, their own and their relationship with their mother. Jada, the oldest, is very focused in her career, and even though she's married to a good man and has everything to raise a child, she decides not to. One the other hand Maddy, who is only 19 years old and gets pregnant by a married man, is conflicted about having an abortion even though she has nothing on her name.

The writing on this book is beautiful, although at times it feel too much detailed oriented and the plot didn't progress much, but overall I liked the story and would recommend it.

Thank you very much to netgalley and the publishers for the e-arc.

I enjoyed this book of sisterhood and drama which touches current events. It was a touching story.
Many thanks to Atria and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

2.5 Stars

This story is told from two points of view. We have Jada and Maddy they are sisters who each find themselves unexpectedly pregnant. The book is about how each sister makes a different choice regarding their situation. There are also two timelines in the story...the present 2018 and the past 2016, just before their mother's death from cancer and Jada recently engaged to her now husband Blake.

The whole time I was reading this I kept asking "Why can't we say the word abortion?" Why the need to use terms like "TAKE CARE OF IT"? It boggles my mind that there is still so much stigma in this day and age. Is it because it means we had sex? And why doesn't the man get embarrassed if his sexual partner has one?

The research data parts were so boring, it was just too clinical for my liking. I wanted emotions, anger, sadness, grief, terror. I wanted to feel something for the characters but they were just blah, and the story is very character driven...which surprised me given the plot and subject matter. The characters were just horrible people who lacked any real depth and I hated them both. I know the book is supposed to be about choices but it just dragged so much, I felt very little while reading it and it did not take sides (I guess that was the author's goal).

The sister's different points of view come across well and I liked when the sisters are having a discussion and one says to the other "You didn't even have an excuse!" That is typical in today's society, so much judgment. By the way, YOU DO NOT NEED AN EXCUSE TO WANT AN ABORTION EXCEPT THAT YOU DON'T WANT TO BE PREGNANT. I am not pro-abortion, I am pro-choice as in a woman's right to choose what is right for her. I am all for the other sister's right to choose to have and keep her baby (like I did at 17) but we women are ultimately alone in this decision as it is we who have to live with the repercussions. One thing I really liked and appreciated the most was that the book is not told in a judgy way and I respect that.

This book was woven together well, and the two main characters were distinct enough to make it readable. I enjoyed the silently bond as well as the complicated and nuanced approach to parenthood and grief.