Review: The Pregnancy Project by Gaby Rodriguez

 

Summary: When Gaby faked a pregnancy to challenge stereotypes, she also changed her life. A compelling memoir from an inspirational teenage activist.Growing up, Gaby Rodriguez was often told she would end up a teen mom. After all, her mother and her older sisters had gotten pregnant as teenagers; from an outsider’s perspective, it was practically a family tradition. Gaby had ambitions that didn’t include teen motherhood. But she wondered: how would she be treated if she “lived down” to others’ expectations? Would everyone ignore the years she put into being a good student and see her as just another pregnant teen statistic with no future? These questions sparked Gaby’s high school senior project: faking her own pregnancy to see how her family, friends, and community would react. What she learned changed her life forever—and made international headlines in the process.

In The Pregnancy Project, Gaby details how she was able to fake her own pregnancy—hiding the truth from even her siblings and boyfriend’s parents—and reveals all that she learned from the experience. But more than that, Gaby’s story is about fighting stereotypes, and how one girl found the strength to come out from the shadow of low expectations to forge a bright future for herself.

Kim's Review: Whoa. This is probably the most interesting book I've read in a while. I've always been interested in social justice, so I knew I was in for a treat when I started this, but it was so fascinating to read about Gaby's family history and her experiences as she went through her project. It really opens your eyes to how cruel some people can be for absolutely no reason. I loved the message of breaking away from stereotypes and not conforming to what kind of person other people believe you should be.

There's one missing star from this review because of the writing. It could have been a lot better, but most of the time I was too into the story to care too much about it.

If you're looking for a quick yet inspiring read, here's your book. Gaby's story really teaches a lot about stereotypes and opens your eyes to how human beings can treat each other and why.