Hooked

by Catherine Greenman

[Joni Reads]

There is no book on teen pregnancy that I will pass up, it's a subject that for some reason, I love to read about. So naturally I couldn't wait to read this book. And I liked it. The story follows Thea who meets Will at school and he asks her out on a date. Before you know it they have both fallen hard for each other, completely wrapped up in and, yes, hooked on each other. Their relationship even withstands Will's move to college. Then Thea finds out she is pregnant and their relationship will be tested in ways they never could have predicted.
When Thea finds out she is pregnant at first she plans to have an abortion but she can't go through with it. She tells Will and they sit down and tell their parents. Will's aunt is subletting her apartment so they are able to find a place to live with the baby. Will lands a job as a summer associate at a law firm and Thea stays home preparing for the baby. But neither one of them is fully prepared and after the baby comes tensions rise between the sleepless nights and the money issues and everything else that comes from having a child. When a freak accident with the baby pushes Will farther away from Thea and he decides he can't do it anymore Thea is on her own to care for their son with one person to turn to, her stiff, uptight father.
I am glad this book featured the problems and troubles that come with a baby. So many times books gloss over the issues but this book showed that tempers flare, parents become enemies and babies are not always a little bundle of joy 24/7.
While the title obviously is about Thea being completely Hooked on Will, it also refers to the hobby Thea takes up while she is home alone while Will is at work: crocheting. I love books that describe hobbies like knitting, crocheting and baking and I have been itching to learn to crochet since I read this book. It was a nice little side part of the story to hear about Thea working on learning to crochet and the special project she is working on.
The only downfall of this book was the dialogue, it was a bit off to me. Almost like it the author was trying too hard to make the characters sound witty and sarcastic. It took me a while to get used to it but after a few chapters I didn't even notice anymore.
This book by far has the most realistic take on how a baby can affect a relationship. It's relief to find a book that doesn't make it rainbows and butterflies, but one that actually delves into the hardships and the disappointments that follow a teen pregnancy.