What happens when you are in high school and get pregnant from not having sex? That is what happens to Ivy. After she tells her boyfriend Lorenzo and her family, her and Lorenzo make an "Abortion road trip love story".

This book read as a text book at times with the abortion facts but I understand why they were put in there. Ivy learns that she is not alone on her journey to have an abortion just like everyone reading this book. Lorenzo is so perfect and I love that she has him with her on this journey.

Throughout this book and road trip Ivy learns not just the facts about how many people have abortions but that her friends might not be as close as she thought they were.

This is an important book, especially with our current political climate.

I had to DNF this one. I'm not sure if it was because it felt to close to home or I'm just not a fan of Caletti's writing style but either way, it's not for me. I do see the appeal and I do think it is a very important novel especially for today's teens.

“Why does it suddenly seem like there’s a sea of abortion stories? Because there’s always been a sea of stories about women and sex. Stories about women and the choices they make and don’t make—those, too. There are the stories that she’s never told, but there are the stories he does tell, that they tell, about her”.

This book, once released, will 100% get banned somewhere and it’ll be an absolute shame. A teenage girl in Texas, Ivy, becomes pregnant after a sexual assault and decided to go on a road trip with her boyfriend (not the father) to get an abortion in a state that allows it. It is such an important story about choice and personal decisions, but also about the way women who make this decision are wrongfully vilified. I felt like it was incredibly accurate and not at all over dramatic or blown out of proportion to prove some liberal point. I grew up in Texas in a school and church environment very similar to Ivy’s and people’s reaction to her choice to have an abortion was spot on, in my opinion. The thing I liked most about this story was Ivy hearing stories from other women in her family and life and their experiences with abortion. I will say, the story did drag a bit in certain parts of the road trip, but the way this topic was handled more than made up for that. I really loved Ivy’s mother, brother and boyfriend. Her having their support made all the difference and it broke my heart thinking of all the women who didn’t or don’t have that support. I think this is an extremely important book and it couldn’t have come at a better time.

TW: Abortion, bullying, sexual assault, mentions of a shooting, sexual harassment, mentions of forced medical procedures and sterilization

Thank you to NetGalley and Labyrinth Road for an advanced digital reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.

When Ivy sees the plus sign on the pregnancy test, she knows her entire life is about to change no matter what she decides. In rural Texas, there's only one choice, but thanks to her family, she and her boyfriend Lorenzo take off on a trip to her grandmother's in the Pacific Northwest so she can get an abortion. Along the way, she examines her thoughts and feelings about what happened to her, and the plight of women as a whole in the world today. She hears stories about women in her family that she's never heard and discovers she's not as alone as she feels.

This book deals with some tough subjects and is appropriate for teens. It isn't graphic or anything. I think it's an important book for teens to read and examine. While I did find it a bit repetitive at times, it was a good, solid read that wasn't too heavy-handed with lessons or parables.

Great narrative exploring girl-power, the power of choice, and the strength - or lack therof - of our relationships. When the protagonist finds herself pregnant, the author's bold choice of not actually using the word until the first time she says it out loud is very impactful. The journey of the protagonist is one that deserves to be shared, because even though this book may be fiction, the topics explored are things that are happening to girls, their families, and their friends, all over the country every single day.

Ivy is pregnant. She knows how it happened, but she didn’t have sex! She planned to work this summer and spend time with her boyfriend; now she is planning a road trip to her grandmother’s house where abortions are still legal. Lorenzo has planned their road trip to hit small towns along the way … from Paris, Texas to Rome, Oregon. As Ivy meets people, she learns there are many stories and many feelings about what she plans to do.

Plan A is a stand-alone realistic story that covers a very tough issue but definitely has an agenda. Caletti takes a controversial topic and breaks it down for young readers to contemplate. I will admit that I do not agree with many ideas that were expressed in the pages, but I can also see people in the United States having these views and opinions. An OK read, just know that this book does have an agenda and it is not hidden.

Ivy, a sixteen-year-old girl, takes a road trip with her boyfriend, Lorenzo, to get an abortion (in Oregon) because it is illegal in the state where she lives (Texas). All along the way she connects with family members and friends who have had similar experiences as her, and she realizes that maybe her journey/situation isn't all that uncommon. What a powerful story! This book is so relevant in today's world.

I wanted to love this book so much because the topic is so relevant. But I didn’t. The writing style was not for me. The book takes place inside the head of a 16 year old girl who is pregnant in Texas where abortions are illegal. I never want to be inside the head of a 16 year old girl again, it was bad enough when I lived through it in my younger years. I would have given this book 2 stars, except I’m happy this books exists and could potentially help other young girls going through this. So I will raise it to 3 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced release copy in exchange for an honest review.

I thought this was pretty good and liked the story. It doesn't feel all that new or fresh necessarily and the generalization of conservative and church people is irritating but I thought it would be a good title for an older teen book discussion.

PLAN A tells the story of Ivy, a sixteen-year-old girl, and her road trip with her boyfriend, Lorenzo, to get an abortion, as it's illegal in her home state. Along the way, she hears the stories of family members and friends who have had similar experiences, and she realizes her journey isn't as rare as she thought.

This was a powerful story, and I'm really glad I read it.

Ivy is a strong and deeply relatable character. When she found out she was pregnant, she knew immediately that she wanted an abortion; it wasn't a difficult decision for her. And when she got the procedure, it wasn't a complicated or dramatic scene; it was portrayed as the simple medical procedure that it is. I really appreciated the honesty in this story and how sincere it felt.

Another (unfortunately) realistic aspect of this book was the town's perception of Ivy. Ivy lives in a Red town in a Red state, and her community is openly against her decision to have an abortion. Though it was hard to read how horribly Ivy was treated, it felt like an honest ending that everyone in the town didn't magically end up accepting her decision just for the sake of a happy ending.

I loved Ivy and Lorenzo's relationship. Even though Lorenzo wasn't the one who got Ivy pregnant, he stuck by her side throughout the entire story and vocally supported her. I thought they were sweet together.

The ending was satisfying as well. I appreciated that it wasn't rushed after Ivy had the abortion and that we got to see the aftermath and how Ivy and her family handled it. The resolution was earned and given the space it needed, which I always love.

My main concern with the book was the sometimes inconsistent writing style. The writing varied from gripping and poignant to awkward and stilted when it wasn't meant to be, and at times the dialogue sounded forced, while at others it was much more natural. However, even though the story is informative, it never felt preachy, which can be a difficult balance to maintain.

Regardless, I think this is an important book and would recommend reading it.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is on point. I have read similar tales before, but the stories from the women that Ivy encounters, and the stats compiled are unbelievable. I hope enough people read this book and decide that changes need to be made.

This was my first read from this author & im in shock of how much I lived this book. It is beautifully written & I don’t know what I expected from this book but I was definitely not expecting that.

5 ⭐️

I am glad that Deb Caletti chooses to tackle the tough topics and does it with such grace. This book was reminiscent of a Heart in a Body in the World (my favorite of her novels) with the road trip and the hints at how Ivy became pregnant. This kept me flipping the pages and wanting to know more. The story behind Ivy's pregnancy could have gone so many ways. I am still trying to decide how I feel about that aspect of the story, but it doesn't affect the import of the choices Ivy makes. What makes this book even more powerful are the stories Ivy collects along the way from the different girls and women whose paths she crosses. So many parts of this story ring true; I hope it reaches a wide audience.

First, I'd like to thank NetGalley for the eArc in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

Deb Caletti does not fail us. Taking on teen pregnancy, the legalities of abortion, families, small minds, and history, Deb takes us on a journey with Ivy and Lorenzo, and their families, as they face an attack, an unwanted pregnancy, and legal issues on Ivy's way to get an abortion in another state.

Mixing in historical information, we learn that this has been an ongoing battle over women's bodies, for centuries. And, that regardless of legal status, the only statistic that changes is the number of women who die from an extremely safe procedure, when done right.

Deb's characters are fully formed and exist in our world. As do the small mindedness AND open mindedness that we encounter.

Be prepared to have your eyes opened and your heart touched.

This book is an absolutely beautiful, heartbreaking, important novel. The characters are real and expertly and beautifully written. It’s a book for all young women to read, share, and discuss.

Caletti was one of my favorite authors when I was a teenager, so I was excited to pick up an e-ARC of her next novel. This book is quite controversial.

Overall, I enjoyed this read. However, there were several issues that I found. First, this novel is very lengthy, and a lot of that length is taken up by the road trip. At times, I just wanted to skip a couple chapters to get further along in the story. I get the importance of some of the stops, but at the same time, I was getting bored. Ivy also got on my nerves at times because she constantly compared everything to a movie. I just felt like it wasn't necessary.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for an e-ARC of this novel.

*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for ARC, in exchange for an honest review*
I love this author. Despite what her books do to my emotions at times, there is a reason that I have loved this author for years. Every time that I read a new book of hers, I wonder what she is going to write about next. I saw Plan A on Netgalley and I had to request it and was very happy when I got approved for early copy. I couldn’t wait to get started on this book, knowing that I was going fall in love again. I was right. Plan A is a hard book to not fall in love with, it’s real, it’s what happens in real life, and I’m sure a lot of women can relate to. I never had this experience or have deal with a traumatic experience like Ivy. However, while reading Ivy’s story, I felt as if I experienced everything that she experiences, her emotions were so vivid, i felt all the emotions that she experienced: anger, sadness, fear, hope.

Plan A was one of the most emotional books that I have read, I haven’t read a book like this in a while. The emotions that went through Ivy during her journey, they were real. I have a feeling that few teenagers would be able to relate to what Ivy was feeling, especially when others tried to stop her, try to convince her that abortion is not a way. I don’t think Ivy would been as strong as she was if it wasn’t for the support system that she had: her mother, her brother and Lorenzo. Besides her grandma, they understood, and they didn’t try talk to her out of it, they let her make the decision. I loved how close her and her brother were, not many books that I have read where there is close relationship between brother and sister. I loved the bond between the two of them.

Lorenzo. How can you not love him? He did so much for Ivy. If that’s not love, then what is? I loved the relationship between the two of them. Lorenzo was so supportive to Ivy through it all, even though I knew that it couldn’t be easy for him. I loved how he tried to make this ‘road trip’ fun even if that’s not what the road trip was about. I loved going on all the roadside attractions along with Ivy and Lorenzo, meeting all her relatives. There were times when this book had me crying because of all the emotions. Like Lorenzo and her family, all I wanted was for Ivy to be happy. My feeling are destroyed right now, and yet I can’t get the story out of my mind. Plan A is a story that needed to be told. A story that is worth reading.

#NetGalleyARC A super important story to tell, especially in the world we live in today. I thought this was really well written, the difficult topic was handled expertly, and the characters were relatable. A definite purchase for my HS library..

I can practically smell the book challenges coming for this book upon its publication, but I think it’s an important addition to the YA genre. I found Ivy to be an extremely believable and complicated character and the story itself wasn’t straightforward, making it that much more true to life. The narrative doesn’t glamorize (although I'm sure that argument will be made) but instead gives a glimpse into reality, as complicated and sometimes simple as life really can be.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the review copy.

Pub date: October 3, 2023

Thank you to Netgalley for providing the opportunity for me to read this book before it was released. I really liked all aspects of this book. At the core it is a book about a teen trying to handle a major issue, and the ups and downs that come along with it. I like the diversity that was represented with the main character's boyfriend. I like how supportive all the side characters are. I think this book will be great for a lot of teens to read. The way the actual abortion procedure in this book is discussed is something I think we should be doing more often. Ivy, the protagonist, didn't have a lot of wavering between decisions. She chose quickly. The procedure was simple. It's only after Ivy has the procedure, that it becomes a huge problem for her. I think this book will be very relatable for young women. Due to new laws in my state, I'm not sure if I can recommend this book to as many people as I want to. Overall, it handled politics and teen issues very well, without any "kid gloves."