In her third YA novel, Alice Kuipers proves she owns the market on introspective, conflicted teen-girl protagonists.

Bird (a nickname earned after she attempted to fly out of a tree at age eight) is the consummate good girl with a penchant for organization and list-making. But like most good girls, the 17-year-old has a soft spot for bad boys. After a tryst in the park with Pete, the mysterious new rebel in school, Bird finds herself pregnant (which might be a spoiler to some readers, though most will quickly clue in to the meaning behind Bird’s offhand mentions of nausea and bloating). But that’s not all – Bird also has to deal with her long-term boyfriend, Griffin, and his mentally ill mother; parents who are splitting up; her popular advice blog; and the mounds of homework required to get accepted into the University of Oxford. 

Texts, emails, and Bird’s blog posts are sprinkled effectively throughout the narrative, but the majority of the story takes place in Bird’s head. Her thoughts often flit from one problem to the next, creating a sometimes frustrating reading experience. For instance, just as we are becoming invested in her illicit relationship with Pete, Bird’s attention shifts to one of her many other issues, and she mentions him only sporadically for dozens of pages.

While this stream-of-consciousness style may lack focus, it appears to be a purposeful attempt to capture the turbulent inner workings of a teenage girl’s mind. Very late in the book, when Bird finally focuses on her pregnancy and decides the fate of her baby, the burst of clarity is incredibly captivating.

Though this novel does feel humourless and gloomy in places, it ultimately succeeds by accurately portraying teen pregnancy as the oppressive, inescapable, mind-boggling source of confusion that it is in real life. In a market where juicy melodrama is all too easy to find, Kuipers’ subtle, self-searching prose is unique and refreshing.