Looking for a heartfelt collection of YA books about teen pregnancy? As an award-winning author and longtime blogger about issue-driven YA fiction, I know how literature can make space for conversations about tough topics like unexpected or unwanted pregnancy.
Reading young adult stories about adolescent pregnancy is a great way for teens to educate and entertain themselves at the same time. According to one article on the shocking facts and statistics surrounding teen pregnancy, improper communication between teens and their parents is one of the contributing factors to unplanned pregnancy.
You’ll find detailed reviews of several of my favorites in the roundup below. Discover your next great read for National Teen Pregnancy Awareness Month in this list. Don’t be terrified to read these novels. I promise you’ll find something new to love.
The Future Unborn by Khristina Chess
pregnancy themes
Unplanned pregnancy & choices
What it’s about
A brilliant robotics student faces an unplanned pregnancy as she prepares her MIT college applications.
Why I Love It - Book Review
“There is no place for the word twerking anywhere on your college application. Ever.” ― Khristina Chess, quote from The Future Unborn
What if helping someone you love means giving up all of your dreams?
Ignore the cover. Trust the story. The Future Unborn is an unexpected novel that balances humor, STEM, romance, high-stakes ambition, and a pregnancy test in a deeply compelling narrative.
Kansas Jones has it all: class president, varsity swim team, straight-A student, a future at MIT.
Then one misstep results in an unplanned pregnancy—threatening all her hopes and dreams.
Kansas thinks twelve weeks is plenty of time to act, but with finals, college applications, and the R2-RoboCon competition piling up, the clock is ticking faster than she ever imagined.
When a family tragedy shifts her perspective, she finds herself facing a tough choice that no blueprint can solve.
What makes The Future Unborn so special is the blend of lighthearted banter, a sweet romance, and the a gut-wrenching decision that’s as hopeful as it is heartbreaking. If you love thought-provoking novels, you won’t want to miss this YA book about teen pregnancy. Think Juno meets The Love Hypothesis.
A Madness So Discreet by Mindy McGinnis
Pregnancy Themes
Pregnancy from Sexual Abuse
What it’s about
After being institutionalized to conceal a pregnancy from her father's sexual abuse, a woman teams up with a doctor to solve murders and rushes to save her younger sister from a similar fate.
Why I Love It - Book Review
"I think we're all quite mad. Some of us are just more discreet about it." ― Mindy McGinnis, quote from A Madness So Discreet
Imagine that you could be imprisoned in an insane asylum just because you're a woman and a male in your life wants to get rid of you. This sort of thing happened to women in the last century. For real. This is what happened to Grace, the protagonist in A Madness So Discreet. The man who sent her to the facility was her own father, and the inconvenient truth was that she was pregnant with his child.
This is the beginning of A Madness So Discreet. But the novel does not linger in the horrors of lobotomies and torture of mental patients. Instead, Grace escapes into the hands of a doctor who uses her talents to help solve murders.
As a serial killer mystery unfolds, though, you know that a showdown between Grace and her father, a powerful senator, is coming. He thinks she is dead. He is about to move on to her younger sister. She is motivated to stop him, even at risk to herself.
What happens in the end of this dark and twisty thriller is astonishing. No spoilers here. Just treat yourself and read this unusual and twisty YA mystery. Mindy McGinnis is near the top of my favorite YA authors. A Madness So Discreet is one of her early works, so I didn't think it was as fabulous as Female of the Species or Heroine. Still, it was classic McGinnis and worth every single page.
After by Amy Efaw
Pregnancy Themes
Infanticide
What it’s about
After abandoning her newborn to die, a former “good girl” finds transformation in jail.
Why I Love It - Book Review
“I'd rather be lucky than good. Good is just so overrated. Bad girls have the most fun.” ― Amy Efaw, quote from After
What kind of girl leaves her infant to die in the trash?
Devon Davenport is a “good girl” whose one misstep leads to an unplanned pregnancy. She’s so filled with denial about her entire situation that she cannot even admit to herself that she’s pregnant until she gives birth. The depiction of her detachment is incredibly real and heartbreaking.
During her stay in the juvenile detention center, Devon must face facts about herself and her situation. Her lawyer plays an important role in drawing the story out of her and helping to build empathy for this girl who has committed such a horrific act.
Devon’s transformation from the beginning to the end of book is heartfelt and moving. I couldn’t put it down.
Don’t miss this poignant YA book about teen pregnancy. It will especially appeal to fans of Jodi Piccoult.
The How and the Why by Cynthia Hand
Pregnancy Themes
Unplanned pregnancy & adoption
What it’s about
A teenage girl searches for her biological mother as her adoptive mother is dying.
Why I Love It - Book Review
“But what I'm thinking in this moment is: none of us really get to have our own, separate lives. Our lives are always all horribly tangled up with the people around us. The people we love.” ― Cynthia Hand, quote from The How and the Why
There were not a lot of surprises in The How & the Why for me. I did not find any earth-shattering revelations or stunning plot twists.
And yet, Cassandra’s story is utterly compelling.
In many ways, she’s a typical teenager with a lot of ordinary conflicts: where to go to college, how to handle the boyfriend crush, and how to resolve a major fight with her best friend. She also has major non-normal conflicts like a mother who is dying because she needs a heart transplant and she’s contemplating a search for her biological mother.
As the reader, we meet Cassandra’s biological mother much earlier in the story because we read her letters, and so we understand the how and why of the pregnancy and adoption. We see this unfold while Cassandra is dealing with all that other teenager mess.
If you’re looking for YA books about teenage pregnancy, this is a good book and a worthwhile read. I was sad to see it end and wanted more.
Allegedly by Tiffany D. Jackson
Pregnancy Themes
Marginalized teen mothers & parental rights
What it’s about
A dizzying novel about a teen girl who may or may not be responsible for the death of a child.
Why I Love It - Book Review
“That joke of a bookshelf has the same crap they had in baby jail I’ve inhaled three times over and I’d kill for something - anything - new to read. But I’d never say that out loud. I’m a killer after all; they’d probably think I’d really do it. Figures of speech are luxuries convicted murderers are not allowed to have.“ ― Tiffany D. Jackson, quote from Allegedly
Mary lives in a group home following her incarceration in baby jail for killing an infant. Allegedly. Life in the group home is hard for Mary, who is smart and trying to take her SATs and apply to college. She works at a nursing home, which is where she met Ted.
Now Mary is pregnant, and they’re going to take her baby away. So after all this time, she decides to tell the truth about what happened that night when Alyssa died.
Allegedly is a dark mystery that keeps the pages turning, and Mary is a compelling character. I really wanted her to succeed because so many things seemed to be against her. The other girls (and even the so-called responsible adults) are truly awful to her, and at least one of them turns out to be a psychopath. Fun times!
This YA novel about teen pregnancy and group homes has some chilling moments as the events unfold. I highly recommend!
Jumping Off Swings by Jo Knowles
Pregnancy Themes
Multiple viewpoints for emotional consequences of unplanned pregnancy
What it’s about
An emotional story that shows how an unplanned pregnancy impacts the girl, the boy, and friends.
Why I Love It - Book Review
In Jumping Off Swings, the author explores how an unplanned pregnancy impacts the lives of multiple characters, not only the girl. Ellie is pregnant to Josh, but there is a triangle of friendships and relationships that lead to Caleb and Corinne also knowing about the situation. As Ellie wrestles with her decision about what to do, Josh also struggles with his emotions about the baby. Their parents also know what has happened.
Shifting between these four viewpoint characters, the story digs into the emotional consequences of the pregnancy for each one of them.
A quick read, this YA book about teen pregnancy is thoughtful and powerful without being heavy-handed.
Every Little Thing in the World by Nina de Gramont
Pregnancy Themes
Emotional consequences of unplanned pregnancy
What it’s about
A girl in a wilderness camp wrestles with her secret unplanned pregnancy and next steps.
Why I Love It - Book Review
Sydney is sent to camp with her best friend as punishment, and by the way, she’s pregnant and hasn’t told her mom. She spends her time in the wilderness forming new friendships and trying to decide what to do. On her journey the protagonist wrestles with her very crucial unplanned pregnancy dilemma, but her relationships with her best friend, her mother, and others in the story are equally important to the storyline. Resolving those issues are key to how she ultimately decides to handle her situation.
This coming-of-age YA novel about teen pregnancy is a great read that explores friendship and parenting in a great way.
Other YA Books about Teen Pregnancy
If you’re looking for other YA books about teen pregnancy to terrify your mother, Goodreads offers two great lists: Popular Teen Pregnancy Books and Teen Pregnancy (264 books). You might also be interested in my post, Other Good Reads, which has a comprehensive list of reviews of YA books by type of tough topic, including eating disorders, substance abuse, mental illness, and others.
Author Bio
Khristina Chess is an award-winning author of a dozen young adult novels, including The Cutting Edge of Friendship, The Delinquent Hero, and Junior Missing. The Future Unborn, her book about teen pregnancy, was a runner-up in the 2017 RONE Awards and a finalist in the 5th Annual Beverly Hills Book Awards. She tackles tough teen topics and writes binge-worthy books across multiple genres, including contemporary, thriller, mystery, and adventure.
In a recent interview from her alma mater, she described how her experience in the creative writing program prepared her for success.
