I found this to be, ultimately, an uplifting book.
Athena supports her sister, the victim of her Catholic high school’s rumor mill, which claims Helen has had an abortion; this would be in violation of the school’s and Church’s ethics and could end in Helen’s expulsion, AND it’s not true.
There’s a lot of discussion about what it means to be pro-choice, and about how women are shamed for believing in their bodily autonomy. There’s also Helen, who’s staunchly pro-life, even though it’s that very movement that is causing her so much grief; now that I think about it, Helen doesn’t actually articulate her reasoning.
There’s also a lot about the pressure that young women can feel from authority figures; in this case, that means teachers and counselors. As a teacher, I’d like to think that we aren’t as bad as some of those portrayed here, but I know that is far too optimistic.
This is a great book about women supporting women. I’d recommend it to students without hesitation. 3.5 stars