Biology Lessons

(Hardback)

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Description

Grace Williams has her future all mapped out. A high school senior in her beloved state of Texas, Grace plans to move to New York after graduation to study at Barnard College, and maybe, someday, win a Nobel Prize in biology. When she's asked to tutor Jack Nelson, the star baseball player who's flunking bio, she thinks it'll be just another activity to list on her college application. Studying turns to flirting, flirting becomes secret hook ups, and despite her expertise in bio, Grace gets pregnant. In a state where abortion is illegal, with parents who would expect her to keep the baby, Grace's future is over before it's begun. With no one else to turn to, Grace must rely on her best friends, Addie and Sebastian, but anti-abortion laws put anyone who helps Grace in grave danger, and anyone they encounter might be an informant. When Grace finds a phone number and an offer of help scrawled in a bathroom stall, the three friends hatch a plan to sneak Grace across state lines. The risks to people she loves and those who have befriended her terrify Grace, but with Addie and Sebastian by her side, at least she isn't alone.

Reviews

Praise for Biology Lessons:

"A moving story . . . a nuanced take on teen pregnancy, one that could be rightly read as an update to the familiar YA problem novel. The book manages to highlight the personal without excluding the political and favors truthful pain over tragic histrionics, ultimately allowing a big, bright, and complicated future for its main character. . . This is a book that Judy Blume would approve of, where a girl is allowed to imagine a future where her abortion isn't the most important moment of her life." --BCCB, starred review

"Powerful and emotionally charged . . . Kantor's writing is heartfelt and compelling, capturing the emotional turmoil of Grace's predicament with sensitivity and depth. The relationships between the characters---especially the unbreakable bond of friendship among Grace, Addie, and -Sebastian--are beautifully portrayed . . . An essential and poignant novel that will resonate deeply with older teens navigating the complex world of -relationships, identity, and social justice." --School Library Journal

"Makes for a compelling read that frankly acknowledges how and why a person might choose abortion . . . A quick, readable, and relevant novel." --Kirkus

Author Bio

Melissa Kantor lives in New York City, where she has always wanted to live. Visit her online at melissa-kantor.com.