Unexpecting is a delightfully charming novel about family. Author Jen Bailey has created multiple characters with flaws but lots of heart. Young Ben wants to make sure he is really gay, so he has sex with his best female friend Maxie. Somehow she ends up pregnant, and then we meet the adults in these kids lives. They are not perfect either, but Bailey brings the tale along nicely and with several surprises. The ending may be a bit of a surprise, but not to me! It will warm your heart.
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

This was such a cute book. I read it with my daughter and we both enjoyed it so much. Please do yourself a favor and get yourself this book

Thank you to NetGalley, Wednesday Books, Austin Adams, and Jen Bailey for an eARC of Unexpecting in exchange for an honest review. 

The story follows Ben as he deals with the repercussions of getting his best friend pregnant at summer camp and wants to keep the baby. Throughout the story, Ben learns what it means to be a true friend, and a father.
I thought this novel was relatively enjoyable because it has realistic characters, a meaningful story to tell, and a quick-moving plot.

Although Ben does come around, in the beginning it is very hard to root for him because he doesn’t take into account his friend’s feelings about being pregnant.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys queer YA and really likes getting into the main character’s mind and thoughts.

Overall, I’m rating this book 4/5 stars because it’s a queer YA book with a different plot than other queer YA books, and gives a great perspective on teen pregnancies.

This book has a really strong premise. These difficult topics need to be discussed.. however, it's hard to read a book with a good premise when you hate the characters. I know that Ben is young, but, come on. He was the worst. Mo was awful. The love story was just unnecessary. Gio ended up being annoying. Poor Maxie didn't get enough pages, and Ben didn't even realize how awful he was at the end..? Also, it was so predictable that I just wasn't interested in finishing it.

I think that Jen Bailey is a good writer. I didn't have any complaints about the style!

We love queer voices, teen pregnancy, and all the classic drama of being a teen in highschool. These characters brought me back to the anxiety of nothing is going your way and the constant fear of having too much on your plate that comes as a highschooler. However the issues here more were parent vs kid, and I thought that was hard to read. The parents of Maxie (pregnant friend) treated Ben (impregnator but gay friend) so horribly it was hard to read and I’m sure this is true for many people out there who end up in a teen pregnancy situation.
Some interpersonal relationships I would have liked to see develop, I hope there is a follow up novel in the works because there is SO much left hanging! I want to know more! Loved this book will definitely be recommending to my YA crowd. 4.25 stars!

I read this book in a day. Great representation, great characters. Funny, sad, frustrating, a real rollercoaster of emotions but it was hard not to stop once I got going. The only thing is I just wish it was longer!

First ten pages in and there was a plot twist and it kept going from there. I genuinely gasped out loud a few different times throughout the book and laughed at some points too. I couldn't anticipate what was coming next throughout the book and I think that made it even better. I think this is a highly recommended book especially if you want something a little quicker and not heavy.

Was excited to read because the premise is incredibly interesting, but that’s where the creativity ends, unfortunately.

Unexpecting is okay in all regards. It isn’t offensive, it isn’t mind-blowing - it’s lukewarm. I didn't connect to the characters, didn’t feel drawn into the story past the set-up.

Ben isn’t empathic because despite being in his head, you never understand his choices. He doesn’t come to natural conclusions on his own. It was painful to read the interaction between characters.

This wasn’t for me.

This book is sometimes annoying because of how much it relies on characters having miscommunications. The book also felt a bit boring.

It definitely has no qualities relating to Heartstopper (It’s also a bad marketing tactic to say that your product is the combination of two different things. Source: I’m a current college student double-majoring in business. Your product should be an original, comparing it to two other similar products raises or defines the expectations of the consumer and puts unnecessary pressure on the producer. It sets the book up for failure. Because the consumer assumes that they are gonna get the same feelings they got from the comparison products.)

Ben isn’t trying to understand the people around him and why they are upset. and everyone else around him does the same. No one puts themselves in other people's shoes. The problems in the book felt superficial and weren’t developed well, which affected the characters' personalities. So the character development wasn’t all there.

This book felt markedly anti-choice, though i don't think it meant to be. They name the fact that no one asks the pregnant teenager what she wants to do, but then they just... keep not actually asking and not seeming to see that as a problem? She deserved better.

Also there's a part where she is finally asked and the language is something along the lines of her being 4 months along so she wouldn't do something that terrible now. And second trimester abortions are not terrible! It really rubbed me the wrong way.

Every character is pretty flat, but i was still pulled along by the book and it made me want to know what was going to happen next. So that is worth something for sure!

What a charming read! I absolutely adored this take on parenting, growing up, and relationships. I loved seeing Ben and Gio’s relationship blossom, but I appreciated that it didn’t become the main focus of the book. There were so many facets of this story that lead to a beautiful ending (that I saw coming from the first hint that was dropped, and I was absolutely hoping that was the direction it was going). The only thing I wish was that there had been more discussion and growth with Maxie. She felt like an important part of the story and I still felt we ended the book with her never really having much of a voice, and the point about her possibly having feelings for Ben was brought up once by Gio, then tossed away and never mentioned again. You could barely even tell she and Ben were friends, or that she was yearning for the lost relationship between her, Mo, and Ben the same way Ben was. As a character I felt she needed a little more care and attention.

On the whole, I truly loved this book and it was a lovely perspective on unexpected, teenage pregnancy, and how to do the right thing as a parent.

A unique narrative approach to address teen sexuality, bodily autonomy, and pregnancy. Students often research these topics, but rarely from the father's point of view. I could see many students being interested in this book.

I DNF'ed this because it really wasn't at all what I was expecting (pardon the pun). I thought from the blurb that maybe the protagonist or whoever got pregnant was trans, and that was why this pregnancy was so unexpected, but it turns out it was just because the protagonist was experimenting? Fine with me, but I didn't feel compelled to finish it.

Unexpecting was such an enjoyable read. The characters are written in a way that made me want what’s best for them. As a mother of a teenager I sympathized with the parents, and remembered what it’s like to be a teenager so I sympathized with the kids as well. Jen Baileys writing style is great, i didnt want to stop reading once I got to the meat of the story. While a little predictable, the ending is what everyone wants, what’s better than a feel good story? Would love to read more from Jen Bailey in the future.

For such a serious topic, this book was really cute! Ben and Gio were really cute together, and I loved how their relationship blossomed. I also really liked Ben and Maxie’s relationship, although I wish Ben had considered Maxie’s feelings a bit more. I totally knew how the book would end, I called it right from the beginning. It would’ve been nice to have a surprise, but I do agree that that was the best possible ending.

Absolutely fantastic plot! Could not put the book down once I began reading it. Cannot wait for it to be released. Will recommend it to everyone.

This was the first time I’ve read a book about teen pregnancy that is told through the lens of the expectant father. Adding in the fact the expectant father has come out and is struggling with his own issues regarding his parents. The importance of navigating his changing responsibilities while trying to decide what is best for his future child and for himself. Was well told. This story dies a great job of showing this unique experience without feeling heavy handed.

Ben is in his junior year at high school, navigating SATs, college applications, and getting his driver’s license.
An experiment at science camp with his best friend Maxie was able to prove that he is in fact gay, however, he’s now going to be a father.
Ben can’t seem to keep his head above water, preparing for a baby, taking parenting classes, getting a job, participating in the robotics club, and maintaining his GPA.

I think this book is important for young adult readers because it has something everyone can relate to. The sacrifices and consequences that follow actions, and how rapidly expectations and plans can change. Along with the interworking of friendships, relationships, and what being a family whether blood or found really means.

There were times when I shook my kindle and just wanted Ben to communicate more openly. This book took me through several emotions — giddiness, laughing at one moment, and ready to cry at how tender other moments were. The author was able to weave topics that can often be heavy into this story with grace.

I would recommend this book to individuals who enjoy LGBTQIA+ young adult novels.

Ben is gay, but he’s about to have a baby with his best friend, Maxie, after an experiment at camp. Ben learns valuable lessons about what makes a family and what sacrifices people have to make for their kids, even when they don’t want to.

I absolutely adored this story. Ben, while frustrating, is relatable to me with his inquisitiveness and dedication. While very book smart, he wasn’t very emotionally intelligent and he knew it. With help from his friends and family he gains a new perspective on life and learns how to be more mindful of others.

Overall, this was a beautiful story of how blood is not the only thing that makes people family.

I requested this book on a whim and I didn't know what to expect. It's being compared to both Heartstopper and Juno, Heartstopper, I assume for the LGBT+ story and Juno for the unexpected pregnancy story? However, I think that's where the comparison stops.

1) Reading this as an adult and not a teen makes me think about this differently but he really does come across as really childish and immature, and I do think there is some growth by the end of the novel but mostly he is written as very incapable of thinking of his kid as a real kid? Does he have anxiety, because it seems like it's written that way, but never really addressed.
2) this book is not a romcom, don't know why it's being sold as one
3) heartstopper has a whole thing of trying to understand your identity, but I don't think that's present in here at all so it shouldn't really be compared to it
4) as the Juno comparison would entail, Ben (who is 17, and gay) gets his best friend Maxie pregnant (they "experiment" at camp). Ben wants to keep the baby, while Maxie/her parents want to give it up for adoption. Ben has dad issues.
5) the book is only told from Ben's POV which is certainly unique, but I felt Maxie didn't get a say in anything and it was a sort of frustrating read because of that