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Reviewed by: Kathy Jaccarino, High School Librarian Title: Plan A Author: Deb Caletti Publisher: Labyrinth Road
Year: 2023 Good for Grades: 10-12 Genre/Type of Book: Realistic Fiction
Content Warnings, or things that other School Librarians should be aware of: The book is about a girl in Texas seeking an abortion. Recommended for a school library: This could ruffle some conservative feathers. Reason(s) for choosing the book: The reviews were excellent, Booklist gave it star review, and the topic is timely. If you were tasked by the publisher with writing a short quote for the back cover of this book, what would it be: Refreshingly honest look at real conversations about women's choices.
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Review:
Plan A is the story of Ivy, a young girl in Paris, Texas, who, at the end of her junior year, finds herself unexpectedly pregnant. She knows that in her very conservative and Christian community this cannot become public. She knows, right from the start, that she does not want to go through with this pregnancy. She is smart, focused, and determined to get to college and find a way out of Paris. The story is not at all about her struggle to decide to have an abortion. This gets very little play in the novel. She knows, without a doubt, that this is not the right time for her to have a baby, especially considering the circumstances of conception, which are not fully revealed until late in the book. However, she is 6 weeks and one day pregnant so she cannot legally have an abortion in Texas. Her mother, brother, and boyfriend (who is not the father) are great characters…Caletti does an excellent job developing them and their relationships… and are in full support of Ivy’s decision. Unfortunately, Ivy’s secret is revealed and news of her pregnancy spreads. Ivy and her support team decide that she and her boyfriend, Lorenzo, will take a road trip to her grandmother in Oregon to obtain the abortion. The people in her community are strongly opinionated about her pregnancy, and once they realize she is traveling to get an abortion, she is ostracized and criticized. Lorenzo’s father, thinking this is Lorenzo’s baby, even flies out to try to find them along the way and stop them. However, this “abortion road trip love story” proves to be a road trip that helps Ivy understand about choices, and the history of abortion, but never in a heavy-handed way. All the women she meets along the way, have a story to share, it is these stories that help Ivy, and the reader, understand the complexity of this topic. One reviewer stated, “Caletti approaches a provocative subject with humanity, nuance, and compassion; here, Ivy's story is deeply personal but also contextualized within women's stories throughout history.” This is also an opportunity for Ivy and Lorenzo to get to really know each other, and the trip they plan is just corny and fun! I know that sounds crazy but trust me.
Ivy faces some difficult decisions by the end of the summer, and the novel not only shows her growth, but her family and Lorenzo’s as well. At its heart this is a multi-layered novel, not only about a teen pregnancy, but about accepting help when you need it, choices, and taking the time to listen to people’s stories- we can learn so much from those around us.
Given the topic of this novel I think one would have to tread lightly using it in the curriculum. I would not be surprised if it finds its way on some banned book lists! However, I feel it is a necessary story to tell and read. I appreciate the fact that Caletti does not get lost in the weeds of Ivy struggling with whether or not to keep the baby. This is a realistic decision for many women, and it should be honored.
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Find more about Plan A at Teachingbooks.net
You can also find more information about this book at the Publishers Website