Book Review UKYA

REVIEW: Trouble by Non Pratt

Trouble was my most anticipated novel of 2014 and so I was very excited when I was gifted a copy from the lovely Debbie at Snuggling on the Sofa. It feels as if I’ve been waiting for this book my entire YA-reading life. I cannot praise it highly enough.

Hannah is 15 and pregnant. Teenage years are hard anyway, so add a bump into the equation, and you have Trouble. The thing is, though, Hannah’s baby is fatherless. So when new boy, Aaron, steps forward for the role and offers to become a stand-in father, it’s unclear if he has ulterior motives or is just trying to be a good person.

Told in alternating perspectives, we get to know both of our protagonists, Hannah and Aaron, very well throughout and the thing that struck me the most about their similarities is that they’re both going through tough times. This leads for a very exciting read; with so many twists and turns it’ll give you whiplash. I’m usually a very good girl and get my beauty sleep, but Trouble kept me up reading until late (shhh…Don’t tell my mum!) because I couldn’t bear to put it down; I was hooked!

Hannah’s pregnancy was dealt with in a very good manner and it was easy to sympathise with her. Pratt has realistically portrayed her as a spirited British teenager, and conveyed her feelings to pregnancy and life so well. It was so good to get to know Hannah within the pages.

Aaron was such a complex character and so interesting. Because of the depth to his character, I enjoyed reading the chapters written from his perspective and it offered a nice contrast between Hannah’s character and his because they were quite different in many ways. He was so kind and caring towards Hannah and truly devoted.

I can’ t finish my review without talking about the authenticity of both Hannah and Aaron’s teenage voices. It makes me smile to think about it because it makes me want to shout from the rooftops about UKYA fiction. You all know how much I love it, anyway, and I think Trouble is right up there with all of the award-winning UKYA. It’s captured teen life so, so well, and I think this is a major selling point for those teens who don’t read as much as others: it’s so relatable they’ll fall straight into the story.

I don’t think I’ve read a book quite like Trouble before, so I’ll definitely be seeking more out now. It came at a time when I was in a bit of a reading rut and couldn’t get out of it. I can’t wait for you all to read it and love it just as much as I did.

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12 Comments

  • Reply
    Francoise
    17 February, 2014 at 6:40 am

    This sounds like an interesting plot but I don’t know why it sounds sort if cliche. I’m not a huge fan of switching perspectives so I think I’d get really annoyed in the end. Great review though, sounds like you enjoyed it!
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  • Reply
    Chrissi Reads
    Twitter:
    17 February, 2014 at 7:02 am

    I really want to read this book! It sounds brilliant. Fantastic review.
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  • Reply
    Caroline Taylor
    17 February, 2014 at 8:25 am

    When I first heard of this book months ago and heard it was about teen pregnancy I wasn’t interested at all but now it is one of my most wanted books, great review Lucy which just makes me want to read it even more.

  • Reply
    Emma @ Never Judge a Book
    Twitter:
    17 February, 2014 at 1:48 pm

    I’ve seen this book around a lot and I’ve heard some very positive things. I think although the writing style and the premise of the book seems like a hit, I think I would find it hard to connect with this character on this level. It oddly reminds me of Confessions of an Angry Girl series. Lovely review though Lucy. 🙂
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  • Reply
    Jesse Owen
    17 February, 2014 at 1:54 pm

    This is my most anticipated book this year – I cannot wait to start … I think it will either be my next book – or the one after (but very, very soon).

    Fantastic review! 🙂
    Jesse Owen recently posted…Book Launch For Suzy P & The Trouble With 3 At Mr B’s Emporium Of Reading DelightsMy Profile

  • Reply
    Ruby
    17 February, 2014 at 3:05 pm

    This book looks SO good! Only the other day Maya was rambling to me about how good it is and now I see this 5 star review… right, okay, I need this book.

    I’m glad you mentioned how authentic the teenage voices are as nothing annoys me more than adults writing completely unrealistic teenagers. 🙂

    Lovely review Lucy & I’m glad to see you’d never read a book like this one before!
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  • Reply
    Eileen @ Singing and Reading in the Rain
    17 February, 2014 at 6:30 pm

    This kind of reminds me of How To Love, but I think it’s only because the main character in that book gets pregnant at 15/16 like Hannah does in Trouble. I really love how she doesn’t have a father to look over her future child but eventually finds one to rely on. I definitely want to read this one soon, I’m always for a book that has authentic teenage voices as well. Fantastic review, Lucy, I’m glad that you loved this book! <33
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  • Reply
    Rebekah @ Reflections of a Bookworm
    17 February, 2014 at 8:36 pm

    Can’t believe I haven’t heard of this! It looks awesome so thanks for the heads up 😉 Nice to see another UKYA that blew you away!
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  • Reply
    Sunny A
    Twitter:
    18 February, 2014 at 9:53 am

    *adds to wish list and gr tbr* Trouble sounds so good, why haven’t I heard of this before?! I love the cover. Really curious to see how the story unfolds. I want this book in my hands right now. Great review, Lucy!
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  • Reply
    Christina @ Allodoxophobia
    18 February, 2014 at 3:23 pm

    I was talking with this book’s publicist at ALAMW and she was so excited about it! She ended up sending me a copy last week and I can’t wait to get started. Even though there are a lot of them, I actually never tire of teen pregnancy as a topic. Hmm, what does that say about me? lol.
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  • Reply
    Kyra
    Twitter:
    2 March, 2014 at 10:42 am

    This looks really good! I will definitely have to read it! 🙂 Great review!
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  • Reply
    UKYA | Queen of ContemporaryQueen of Contemporary
    18 March, 2014 at 2:01 am

    […] Trouble by Non Pratt – I posted my review of it here last month. […]

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