You Don't Know Me But I Know You

May 29, 2017
After learning that she’s pregnant, 17-year-old photographer Audrey Spencer faces overwhelming choices that will affect her future. With her dreams of art school and adventures with her friends and musician boyfriend, Julian, slipping away, Audrey reflects on her childhood and her relationship with her adopted mother, considers baby names with Julian, and researches the possibility of termination. As Audrey and her best friend Rose drift apart, both keeping heavy secrets, and Audrey pushes away others who care for her, she tries to find a middle ground between self-care and fear. A letter from Audrey’s birth mother plays an integral role in her decision, but the choice is ultimately what she believes is best for herself, Julian, and a potential child. Audrey’s emotions swing wildly; she alternately lashes out and seeks reassurance, candidly portraying the all-consuming and delicate nature of her situation and the choice she faces. Debut author Barrow opts for realism over a scared-straight approach to teen pregnancy, which readers will appreciate. Ages 14–up. Agent: Jennifer Johnson-Blalock, Liza Dawson Associates.

Starred review from June 15, 2017
Audrey's grateful for the life her teen birth mother gave her with a loving adoptive mother; 17 years later, Audrey, confused and fearful of making the wrong choice, must deal with her own unplanned pregnancy. Brown-skinned, mixed-race Audrey's white birth mother, Amanda, chose Laura as her parent in a closed adoption. Laura's partner, Adam (both are white), now lives with Laura and Audrey. Dreaming of a career in photography, Audrey knows she's not working at her full potential. She has a loving, stable home; great friends diverse in both race and sexuality; and a wonderful musician boyfriend, Julian. Julian's white, Jewish family is as fond of Audrey as hers is of Julian. Audrey's pregnancy is a shock; they'd used birth control. They're in love, determined to make the right choice, whatever that is. Their families accept their choice and will support it, once made. Audrey trusts Julian will be there for her; but a baby would reshape their lives, futures they're still planning. Abortion is scary; adoption is hard. Audrey's kept Amanda's letter that expresses the hope that Laura can give Audrey the life Amanda cannot. When a new letter arrives from Amanda, Audrey doesn't read it. Barrow's precise, third-person, past-tense narration captures Audrey's turmoil as time begins to run out; she's immobilized by indecision and anxiety, at odds with friends, family, even Julian. She steadily resists cliche and tired tropes all the way to the novel's deeply felt, unflinching conclusion. This compelling, closely observed debut charts its appealing characters' difficult journey with clarity and honesty. (Fiction. 14-18)

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July 1, 2017

Gr 9 Up-A contemporary YA that examines the impact of a life-changing choice. Audrey is a black 17-year-old artist who has just found out that she's pregnant. Her best friend Rose is strangely emotionally unavailable, and Audrey is ashamed of her current situation. Her boyfriend Julian is supportive, but he's a musician with an opportunity to attend a music academy. Audrey receives encouragement and support from her adoptive mother Laura and her stepfather Alex. They work to provide a relatively judgment-free zone for Audrey and Julian to make a decision that will affect the rest of their lives. A recent letter from the protagonist's birth mother shines a different light on her adoption and her birth mother's life after adoption. The teens experience all the thrills of being potential parents and the agony of maybe missing out on their own opportunities. Both work together to figure out the best path. The debut author adeptly portrays the weight of the decision-making process and its effect on all of the characters. The birth mother's role is superficial, but otherwise this is a good read for realistic fiction fans who enjoy YA with complicated relationships. VERDICT A strong choice for large YA collections.-Desiree Thomas, Worthington Library, OH

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2017
Grades 9-12 It's unfair to call this simply a book about teen pregnancy. Yes, 17-year-old Audrey finds herself unexpectedly pregnant by her longtime beloved, Julian. And appropriately, the bulk of this nuanced novel follows her as she wrestles with choosing what to do next. Adopted as a baby herself, Audrey ruminates on that option: How might the life of her child differ from her own upbringing? Should she follow the path of her birth mother, who she has only ever read a single letter from? If she keeps the baby, can she offer all she gratefully experienced growing up? She also wonders about abortion: How might it shape the person she is trying to becomeand who is that, anyway? Through starkly genuine conversations with her boyfriend, her mother, and her best friend, Audrey is encouraged in earnest to make her choice with integrity. In this debut novel, Barrow has crafted soulful, complex characters who will resonate with readers who've had to contemplate the weight of their decisions upon their futures and themselves.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)