Karen Hart's novel Butterflies in May is about Ali, a teenage girl whose life is going pretty well. She has a great boyfriend, she gets along pretty well with her parents, she has a fabulous best friend, she is doing well in school, and she's sure to get into a great college when she graduates. When her suspicions are confirmed about what's happening to her body, however, her world isn't so perfect anymore. Ali is pregnant, and that means making some hard choices. Still, Ali has help, and it'll all turn out okay. Right?
The subject of Butterflies In May is important, and this book doesn't preach about premarital sex the way some books do; Karen Hart realizes that some things are just going to keep on happening. It is also obvious, however, that people have to deal with the consequences of their actions, the way Ali and Matt do (but it doesn't seem like the worst possible thing always happens to every character in the book). The writing in this book is decent, and the plot one that is certainly not terrible either, if a little unremarkable. There are plenty of stories about pregnant teenagers on television, in books, in the movies, everywhere. This isn't a new spin on any of it. It is, however, an important story to tell, and Karen Hart does a fairly good job with it.
Content:This book is probably for a bit more mature readers, but nothing too bad. It deals issues that should be discussed with parents, though.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 7
Reviewer Age: 15
Reviewer City, State and Country: Asheville, NC USA
