Screwed

by Laurie Plissner

Overview

Flattered by the attentions of Nick, the cutest guy in school, seventeen-year-old Grace Warren, captain of the math team, lets down her guard and gets pregnant the night she loses her virginity. Hopeful that Nick will drop to one knee and propose when she breaks the baby news to him, Grace is heartbroken - Nick wants nothing to do with her. Her best friend, Jennifer, thinks she should get an abortion, but Grace is certain that her morally upright parents will insist that she keep the baby. After she comes clean to her super-religious, strait-laced parents, they surprise her by insisting that she terminate the pregnancy to avoid humiliating the family. But when she sees the fetus on the ultrasound, she decides she can't get rid of it. Deciding to save the tiny life growing inside of her, Grace must face the consequences of being that girl - the good girl who got knocked up.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781440557118
Publisher:	Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers
Publication date:	04/18/2013
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	304
Lexile:	990L (what's this?)
File size:	974 KB
Age Range:	14 - 18 Years

About the Author

Laurie Plissner is the author of Screwed, a Simon&Schuster book.

Editorial Reviews

11/01/2013
Gr 9 Up—The night Grace Warren, a shy, unpopular, straight-A 17-year-old, decides to lose her virginity to Nick, the most popular guy in school, she can't know that her life is about to change. Soon enough she discovers that she's pregnant, and Nick wants nothing to do with her. When she admits to her ultra-religious parents what's happened, they kick her out of the house. Luckily, her kind, elderly neighbor, Helen, takes her in. Yes, Grace must make some hard decisions and has to deal with the scorn of her family and friends, but, in fairy-godmother fashion, Helen provides for her, never judges her, and is always ready to pave the way for her. Even though Nick rejects her, Grace has a prince charming in the person of Charlie, who is content to wait patiently for her to figure her life out. The writing is confusing at times; the narrative voice can change abruptly between paragraphs, interrupting the flow of the plot, what little there is of it. The tone of book is sanctimonious and off-putting, and the characters are dull, uninteresting, and one-dimensional. Though this novel tackles a hot-button issue, it falls short of delivering a believable tale about the very real challenges that face a majority of teen mothers.—Elizabeth Jakubowski, formerly at Watervliet Public Library, NY

School Library Journal

"Grace has always been a good girl - the pride of her socially prominent parents. Then she is seduced by Nick, a teen Casanova who is challenged by Grace's innocence just long enough to take it away . . . Plissner shifts the viewpoint from character to character . . . [which] does add to a multidimensional portrait of teen pregnancy." —Booklist

"Sadly, I think this story is more realistic than we'd ever like to admit to ourselves. The 'good girl' ends up in a 'bad situation,' and she is made to choose between her family and her own morals. I think there are a lot of different takeaways in this book, from the consequences of hasty decisions, to what family is really all about. I definitely enjoyed reading it and would recommend it to my high school students." —For the Love of Reading blog

"Screwed was a charming read . . . I loved the characters and the plot. The bond between Grace and Charlie was adorable, and I thought Helen was great." —The Book Zombie

"I . . . applaud Ms. Plissner for her ability to write this book as a raw look into teenage pregnancy . . . What an incredible up and down story about finding yourself and making your own way." —Community Bookstop

"Screwed was the exact opposite of any teen pregnancy story I've ever read. I empathized with everyone – including Grace's pious parent. Screwed was more than just a motivational read and even had me crying in the very last pages." —The Young Folks

"This was such a good story. From beginning to end I couldn't put it down. I absolutely loved how real this felt. Definitely a page turner, you see how much Grace grows as well as the relationships around her." –-Just Us Girls blog

"The characters shone . . . Screwed definitely made me question a lot of my previously-solid opinion on teenage pregnancy and what not, and it has nailed down Laurie Plissner in my list of auto-read authors." —My Library in the Making blog

"I personally feel that Screwed seemed to be a very realistic portrayal of what it would be like to be seventeen and pregnant. Overall, Screwed was a fun but thought-provoking read that would probably be suited to younger young adult readers." —Looking for the Panacea

"I remember thinking that it would never actually happen to me. And I think that is why books like these are important, to show that it can and does happen. The ending is perfect for the book and left me with this feeling of hope and peace . . . Screwed tugs at your heart, and examines teenage pregnancy with a fresh voice." —Blkosiner's Book Blog

"A well-written story, it never preaches toward or against either side of the abortion question. If anything, it helps to show how when an unwanted pregnancy hits close to home, it may change the debate completely." —Ink and Page blog

"I loved this book! I really liked how there were little vignettes on the more major characters. The characters were wonderful; flawed, rich, full of life. Great writing that sped along keeping me turning the pages." —YA Literature Lover

"A very real, very raw, very emotional read . . . The author's talent for creating real characters and realistic situations is showcased wonderfully and will draw you in from first page to last. It shines a light on the reality of the situation and the life altering consequences it brings...but also lends an assurance that things WILL be alright in the end." —Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers

From the Publisher

A pregnant teenager struggles with her choices. Grace is an honor student, daughter of the founder of a group called Save Yourself for Marriage. Nick is a square-jawed jock whom no one expects to "go slumming" with a geek like Grace. A few minutes in the back seat of his car and a failed condom change everything. Whisked away in the night by her horrified mother, Grace finds herself being examined by a doctor planning to perform an abortion. When she refuses, her hypocritical parents throw her out. Grace is rescued by the neighborhood yenta, a childless Holocaust survivor. Mrs. Teitelbaum offers Grace love, a home, post-baby college funds--and an understanding great-nephew, Charlie. Like a traipse through idealized, 1950s-style teen life, this cautionary tale uses every cliché of white suburban dating rituals and gender roles. It juxtaposes them with gritty dialogue, from "babydaddy" to Grace as "a place to park his junk," that comes across as an awkward authorial attempt to simultaneously shock and be hip. Shifting points of view and characters rarely in the moment as they indulge in introspection make for a preachy, adult view of teen life that undermines any possible authenticity. With few real consequences to anyone's actions, it's hard to tell who the intended audience is for this formulaic, ultimately unsatisfying novel. (Fiction. 12 & up)

Kirkus Reviews