Cover Image: Belly Up

Belly Up

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Member Reviews

When Serendipity "Sara" Rodriguez sees her ex with his new girlfriend, she finds herself eager and ready to have fun with someone new. One spontaneous hook-up and several weeks later, she realizes that she may not have gotten Jack's number, but she did get something else from him: she's pregnant. To top everything off, she and her mother have just moved in with her grandmother, and she's starting a new school. When she meets Leaf, a sweet guy who understands her situation and remains crushing on her, she's swooning. But when she finally finds Jack months into her pregnancy, 'complicated' reaches a new level as she readies to have her kid.

I have never read a YA teen pregnancy book quite like BELLY UP. This book has been pitched as Juno meets Gilmore Girls, and there couldn't be a more accurate description. While the pregnancy is absolutely taken seriously, Sara has an excellent team by her side in her family and friends. She explores all her options and makes the choice that she believes is best for her. It isn't romanticized or shamed but is wonderfully realistic. Sara's world is shaken but far from destroyed, and she is ultimately able to work towards a new future for herself, different than what she had previously imagined but still positive.

Sara and her family are hilarious. I love her mother and grandmother and the whole family's dynamic. They bicker and huff often, but there is so much affection underneath it all. Likewise, Sara's friends are well-developed and have fun side plots of their own. Though the big action-inducing plot revolves around Sara's pregnancy, the themes of BELLY UP extend into friendship, figuring out who you want to be, and using your voice.

Some may read Leaf and Sara's relationship as unrealistic. While their situation may not be the common narrative, I don't believe it crosses into unrealistic territory. Leaf is understanding of Sara's situation, as his sister is a young mother as well. Leaf doesn't ignore Sara's pregnancy or seek to be a father figure, but rather respects and acknowledges that this will be a huge aspect of Sara's life and will always follow her direction when it comes to her needs. In short, they are a kind, generous pair.

BELLY UP is the type of story where you want to hug the book after and hold it close on sad days. At its heart, BELLY UP proves that love and family (biological or chosen) are powerful resources, no matter what twists and turns life brings.

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A book about teenage pregnancy. A book that makes you think and teaches you a lot at the same time. Well written

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I enjoyed reading this book, but the pregnancy aspects felt forced to me, like they were inserted later. However, perhaps it is just not the book for me in that respect. I enjoyed the curvy and queer representation. As a person of Scandinavian descent, it was really nice to see aspects of my family and my culture where I wasn’t expecting to. As I read an e-ARC, I’m not sure exactly how long this book is, but it felt very short. Although Sera’s family is very well characterized, I think there could’ve been more characterization of the people at her school, including her adorable boyfriend Leaf. I also think the conflicts could’ve been drawn out a bit more, especially around her child’s father. He could’ve also had more characterization, which that could also be a reflection on his importance in her life, but I don’t think it’s that deep.
Overall though, it was a cute, fun book and the fact that she calls her grandmother “Mormor” makes up for anything I didn’t like about Belly Up.

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Sara (Serendipity) is a 17 yr old girl with good grades that made a poor drunken decision with a cute boy names Jack which resulted a unplanned pregnancy.

My favorite characters had to be the mom and grandmother. I see pieces of myself in Sara's mom!

Leaf, the boy who becomes Sara's boyfriend, is so sweet and amazing. I just loved his attentiveness and his love for cooking which reminded me of my own husband.

Sara's best friend Devi was pretty awesome and helped her throughout Sara's whole journey.

I am knocking a star off because yea it all felt like a dream. The only person to get angry was Jack's father. Everyone else took it in stride and it just didn't seem realistic for teenage pregnancy but if it was for anyone reading this that is amazing.

I had absolutely NO PROBLEM with everyone in the book basically being a form of representation but it really did feel like after a while the author was trying to make sure she was checking off a list. I enjoyed it though because that is real life. Everyone around you is different and that was represented in this book to the fullest extent.

I would like to find out more about Sara after becoming a mom. Does she eventually go to college? Inquiring minds need to know!

Thank you to Netgalley and Inkyard Press for an earc of this book in return for an honest review. It gets a thumbs up from me!

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A peculiar take on the teen pregnancy story. Sara finds herself pregnant her senior year of high school, and this ends up just being... fine. Little attention is given to consequences or hardships of this decision, which was a distracting direction.

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I have to say that I DNF'd this book at about 20%. I think that it may just be a little too young for my age, since i am a 28 year old mom. And I have to admit that I can't relate to Sara at all. I was really hoping that I would love this story, but unfortunately, I didn't.

Part of my frustration is that Sara was just totally irresponsible. I never experienced that type of irresponsibility because I didn't have the same personality as Sara at 16-17. I was very quiet and introverted. Sara is outgoing and outspoken.

I was also hoping that the beginning would start off more than just the party and than the hook up. When we got to 14% into the book and she finds out she is pregnant, I felt totally unaffected. I just realized I didn't care.

I don't want to give this a 0-1 star rating because I think it could be a great book for a young adult reader. A girl at the age of 16 or 17 could probably benefit from reading this especially if she is in the same boat. It is just a story that is no where near relevant to my life or situation. I really wanted to love this and I have to admit, I am sad that I couldn't get into the story.

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The synopsis tells us this is a hook about. a “queer” teen who ends up pregnant.

What I liked about this book. The character of Leaf was a nice person. That’s about it.

This is a hard review to write, because I felt mislead by the synopsis. We’re led to believe our main character is a “queer” teen who ends up pregnant. I may just be old school, but I disagree. There is literally only one line in the book, where when she is attempting to fit in with a lesbian and a trans girl, she says “she think she might be bi”. Other than that, she only has relationships,/sleeps with THREE cisgender male characters. Only talks about being attracted or sleeping with those three male characters. I also felt like the fact that every character had specific labels was waaaaaay too much. Lesbian. Grey aromantic asexual, Demi sexual, possibly bi,.....it just felt forced. I’m glad this book exists for that person who needs this specific amount of representation, but it’s not me.

Also, because of the non stop snarkiest of our MC, I felt like we never even got to know her, even though we were in her head the entire time. No one is that snarky 24/7. While the author may have been going for a Juno meets Gilmore Girls vibe, it didn’t work for me.

ARC provided by Netgalley in return for a review

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This was such a unique take on teen pregnancy. I really enjoyed this story and found it absolutely related. I think this is the kind of story teens should not be afraid to read. The representation was so good and I can't wait to get a finished copy.

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"Young women are often naive. Trusting everything will be fine without realizing you have to work for fine. We make our own fine." She paused. "Frankly, I find it amazing our species continues. We're all idiots." - Mormor, the Swedish Grandmother/Great Grandmother

"Funny enough, inaction has bigger consequences than taking action a lot of the time." - Mom, the turd, soon to be grandma.

I just realized they have a very Gilmore Girls kind of dynamic but not as annoying and over the top.

I am so, so glad this book exists! Young moms deserve happy supportive stories. It's not "unrealistic" and fuck anyone who thinks so. These kinds of stories occur, should be told, and maybe it'll happen more often with books like Belly Up around.

I did have to pause reading it because I was more like the girls in the support group than Sara. The feels/. My baby is now almost 12. I still can't believe it sometimes.

Mixed children of single white women face a unique set of problems. They deserve so much better than the appropriating bullshit like the Kardashian klan. This has rep for my daughter that just brings tears to my eyes. I can't wait to share it with her when she's a teen!

There's a queer Jewish wifey best friend and a Romani demi gentleman that just make me deliriously happy. There's the passage about colonialism and colorism in the Latinx and Hispanic communities. An asshole dad that gets put in his place. An understanding tough teacher and school.

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Let straight that this type of book is not something I normally read. Looking at this novel more regardless of the topic that it is written on I would recommend this book. The characters are well created and grew a lot of this book, the plot of the story was not to rush so it made me experience the journey more than I personally would have like, but others would love it. Overall, the book was written well, good characters, and the plot and pace were just right for what it is.

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Belly Up by Eva Darrow is a worthwhile read about teen pregnancy, with a healthy dose of charm, and told by a very candid narrator. Sara doesn't hold back - not about her one-time, one-night stand with the cutie pie owner of a big truck, or the realities of living in a house filled with three generations of women. She's a likable character, and she's surrounded by a cast of likeable friends from all walks of life.

The portrayal of pregnancy is pretty spot on, though maybe the reader could live with fewer cheeseburger descriptions, it's significant that the gross aspects of brewing life were not neglected. More importantly, her pregnancy if framed within the network of a caring family, one willing to ensure security and success for eachother. That's why the book is charming; it bears a great message about persistence, dedication, and self-worth. While Sara is not the greatest YA character ever written; she's a bit too perfect with her exceptional grades, humble confidence, and her wisdom beyond her years, she clearly demonstrates to the audience the importance self acceptance, and self forgiveness. She erred, she accepted, she moved on and made something of it.

The story may hit a slow spot in the second trimester, but it's worth hanging in there for the ending.

I'll be taking this one to school visits in the spring knowing it will appear on a few summer reading logs.

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I loved this book. I was actually not sure if this was going to be my cup of tea when I saw a lot of reviews mentioning it had a Juno-esque type feel to it. I hated that movie, but luckily this book was way more serious then that. There was plenty of snarky humor and I loved the real world problems and relationships.

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This book is so, so good. I could not put it down, and it was every bit as funny and memorable and compelling as I could have hoped. This book is diversity done right. It wasn't forced or awkward, and I haven't read many books that have been able to do that. The characters in this book were all just so perfectly imperfect. I loved all of them, from the sassy Mormor, to the gentle giant Leaf. I loved the writing and I am so glad that I got to read this.

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I gave this book 3 stars. While I do love absolutely love the relationship between the 3 women I have a problem with almost everything else. They aren't really distinct characters. They all speak the same and use the same words. Even the drs and friends speak the same. I had a huge problem with that part. I'm all for trying to keep it relatable but this one tried to hard.

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I cannot say enough how much I enjoyed this book. My intentions were to read it closer to it's pub date, but I started it and I couldn't stop. Such a remarkable and heartfelt story with humor and honesty spread throughout. Teenage pregnancies happen, but it doesn't mean life is ruined. Support of loved ones makes all the difference in the world.

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Sara continues the cycle of the women in her family by becoming pregnant young. Sara becomes pregnant in the summer before junior. She is moving with her mother across town to live with her grandmother, who is aging quickly and needs the support of her daughter and granddaughter. These three generations of women learn that they will need to lean on each other to for the newest arrival. Sara intends to keep and raise the child. Her pregnancy was the result of a one-night-stand, so she is unable to inform the father or expect his support. Sara counts on the strong bond she has with her best friend Devi and the new friends she has made at her new school. Sara meets Leaf, a Romani, whose ideas of family create space for Sara to raise her child while also potentially finding a romantic connection with him.

The characters in this novel were extremely quirky, but fun and interesting. Sara’s grandmother is Scandinavian and Leaf is Romani, each brings a view into a culture that is not typically talked about in YA novels. I love that Sara’s grandmother is a shoe throwing ninja and that she can be strong and loving within the same breath. I appreciate that Sara knows her wants and needs, is able to verbalize and truly take a responsible path. It is about bumping around in the dark and figuring things out. Sara is given more agency that most teen mothers in YA novels. While her story isn’t true of every experience, it does shine a light on an experience that isn’t typically explored.

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Belly Up follows the story of Serendipity (Sara) and her journey into motherhood -- before high school graduation. Even though she's in a precarious and confusing situation, she is the type of character that can get through anything with a quick quip and a couple of cheeseburgers.

Not only is Sara the kind of teen that you would want to be friends with, she also has a crew of old and new besties that make her life much more colorful, including her wisecracking mother and her shoe-throwing grandma.

Although this is a book about an unexpected teen pregnancy, it is a book that almost anyone could enjoy because even when she's scared and unsure, Sara has a good head on her shoulders and friends to back her up through anything.

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This book was very different than what I was expecting.

With that in mind, I did DNF it after about halfway maybe just under or just over, I couldn't seem to get into this story as much as I wanted to. The premise was great, it just wasn't written in a style that I could get into.

I would still recommend this but perhaps to a younger audience than myself. My Main piece of criticism is that the narration wasn't as good as I think it could have been. This book had so much potential to be amazing.

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Good story line but for me I could not get into it The beginning felt slow until she started the new school then it seemed to pick up. Also I feel like it should be for older teens 15/16 and up not 12 and up. I did like the fact that it shows life does go on during/after a teen pregnancy. Leaf was a great friend, being there for her even after finding out about the baby. I think Mormor was my favorite. I would recommend to others if they are looking for this type of read.

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This book does a great job of explaining what it is like to get pregnant at a young age, unexpectedly, and without support. I received this arc right after my best friend found out she was unexpectedly pregnant. Belly Up had a lot of emotions and events that have since happened to my best friend. I think that if I would ever have a student tell me they were pregnant, I would suggest this book because I feel like it can help to read about someone in a similar situation.

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