Deb Caletti

Disclaimer. This book has a lot of triggers. It casts a long and heavy shroud over every event in the book, which makes every emotionally taut-filled like a never-ending sense of anguish and foreboding lurking around each corner. This book was a lot. There were so many complex societal issues crammed within this book like gender roles and expectations, sexual assault, gun violence, PTSD, activism, dealing with grief and so much more. Most of these topics I felt were short-changed by the ambiguous nature of how the trauma is presented to the reader. What exactly caused the trauma is only revealed at the end of the book, which unfortunately does a disservice to the overall message. A message that is probably still very unclear to me, if I am being honest with myself. I sympathize with Annabelle a lot but I did not feel it necessary to turn her tragedy into a psychological mystery. Every vague recollection of the past or observation of the future felt like I was being pulled into two different directions. Either I was constantly feeling targeted and regulated into the constraints of a world in the wake of the Me Too movement. Or do I have to constantly live in terror and anticipation for the next mass shooting? It was an exhausting experience just trying to finish reading this book. If you had a different experience than mine, great. This book just wasn't for me.… (mere)

Deb Caletti always writes timely stories that explore the nuances of being female. While she writes for a young adult audience, her themes cross age barriers and are meaningful for readers of all ages. In Plan A, she presents a story that could be ripped from the headlines and does so in a way that makes you ache for the suffering of every person with a uterus in this post-Roe era.

Plan A is a beautiful story. Ms. Caletti approaches her subject matter with care. Never too preachy, she lets her characters share pertinent facts. Where Ms. Caletti shines, however, is in showcasing her characters' emotional toil. Not only do we see firsthand the turmoil Ivy experiences, but we also get to see how Ivy's story impacts her family and her boyfriend.

Plan A is not an easy read, but it is so powerful. Ms. Caletti perfectly captures the fears, loneliness, doubt, and general shock of an unexpected pregnancy. She does so while exploring the idea of choice. Again, she never pontificates. Neither does she condemn others for their beliefs. Instead, she presents one girl's situation and experiences that will, hopefully, allow readers to understand and empathize. Plan A is one of those books I want everyone to read. It is a subject that only Ms. Caletti could tackle, and I'm glad she did.… (mere)