Don't Think Twice

DON'T THINK TWICE: Ruth Pennebaker: H. Holt: Young Adult: 262 pages

In the summer of 1967, seventeen-year-old Anne Harper enters a home for unwed pregnant teens. She resists thinking about her pregnancy and current situation, but eventually she's drawn into the lives of the other residents and develops a new self-awareness.

Pennebaker does a great job of giving a snapshot of an unusual grouping of teens without commenting on the scene she's created. The lives of the characters are revealed through their interactions and conversations with one another, as narrated by sarcastic and humorous Anne. There are no pat answers or real conclusions, just a picture of several months in the lives of very different girls, so the ending is a little unsettling. Because of the subject matter and some language, the book is best suited for older teens.

MBC