Me, Him, Them, and It

Mar 22, 2013 Nenia Campbell rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: x-2013s, netgalley, ya-baby-ya, fake-people-real-problems, i-burn-i-pine-i-perish, ouch-right-in-the-feels, reviewed, women-gone-wild

You can read more reviews at my blog, The Armchair Librarian!

While reading this, I kept thinking to myself, "This is like a more realistic, punked-out Saved!"

Evelyn Jones used to be the Good Girl. Then her father cheated on her mother, and they became the Stranger and the Lawyer, respectively, plunging the house into cold, unloving silence.

Then Evelyn decided to punish them, by being a Bad Girl. Or the Catholic school equivalent of one, in any case.

But despite her reputation as a slut, the only...more

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Mar 24, 2013 Rose rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-or-galley, young-adult, tough-subjects, contemporary, realistic-fiction, coming-of-age

Initial reaction: "Me, Him, Them, and It" was such an emotional ride. I didn't realize how much of a punch it would be to follow Evie, a young woman who deals with the decisions surrounding her family and circle of friends when she discovers she's pregnant and weighs her options. While I thought the narrative dragged quite a bit in places, where the emotional resonance kicked in, it kicked very hard, and I found myself caring for the respective cast, including Evie herself.

Full review:

I really d...more Initial reaction: "Me, Him, Them, and It" was such an emotional ride. I didn't realize how much of a punch it would be to follow Evie, a young woman who deals with the decisions surrounding her family and circle of friends when she discovers she's pregnant and weighs her options. While I thought the narrative dragged quite a bit in places, where the emotional resonance kicked in, it kicked very hard, and I found myself caring for the respective cast, including Evie herself.

Full review:

I really did not think I would like Caela Carter's "Me, Him, Them, and It" as much as I did - it really surprised me. It starts off a little shaky as it portrays the story of a young woman named Evie who realizes she's pregnant between her developing sexual relationship with Todd. They navigate through some awkward sexual first-times, and the story provides a clear picture of that in the intimacy of their encounters, but it feels so vivid, real, and put into proper context that it drew me into the narrative and how Evie felt about the situations she found herself in. When the pregnancy is revealed, Evie's left with a series of tough choices - keeping the baby in her family, giving it up for adoption, or having an abortion. The story follows Evie through the motions of making that decision, alongside her friends and family's reactions to the pregnancy.

I think my biggest problem in this work didn't have anything to do with the characterization or the story itself - those elements, even with Evie tough narrative voice and flaws, were very sound and plausible. Evie has to deal with so much in this book including her parents' pending separation, her best friend's distance, living with her aunt in order to hide the pregnancy, and the decision she ultimately comes to make with respect to the baby. Heck, I'd take this story ten times over the manufactured drama I see on "The Secret Life of the American Teenager" or "Teen Mom" any day. This story felt more real, visceral, emotionally resonant and I'll admit it did hit hard at my core when it was all said and done.

The problem I had was how long the narrative read in certain sections. I think a good portion of this story could've been streamlined better and still packed some of the punch that it had with the revelations and tough subject details that it tackled. I understood walking through the options, the emotional changes Evie undergoes, and ultimately what she learns and comes to terms with in all this, but some of it did feel a bit longer than it should have, and if it had been a little better streamlined, this would've easily been a 4 or even 5 star read for me. I liked its grounding, I especially liked the characterization of Evie's aunt and her respective family (which was far more solid than Evie's own flawed family).

It's a novel I would indubitably recommend in showcasing a young woman's coming to terms with not only her sexual experiences and pregnancy, but also with respect to the matters she faces outside of that.

Overall score: 3/5

Note: I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, from the publisher Bloomsbury.(less)

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Feb 07, 2013 Brandon rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-books, contemporary-lit, favorites

I received this book from Netgalley.com for preview.

I needed a few days to really wrap my head around this book.

As a father to young daughters, this really resonated with me how much of a divide there can be between children and their parents, and how things are not always as they appear to be and interpretations of events can be distorted through our own lenses of truth.

Evelyn starts out the story in a Planned Parenthood office, talking with Mary, a worker who is trying desperately to get Eve...more

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Feb 13, 2013 Mlpmom (Book Reviewer) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc-book-read, kindle-books, feb-release

4.5 Stars!

Caela Carter has managed to take a very real and very personal issues that some teenagers are facing today and make it into an emotional yet beautiful struggle about one girl and the decisions she must face that will change the rest of her life, for better or worse.

I felt for Evelyn from the get go. Yeah, she was a teenager and asmart one at that, but a smart one that made some very bad decisions for some very wrong reasons. But the choices she made because of those reasons? Those were...more 4.5 Stars!

Caela Carter has managed to take a very real and very personal issues that some teenagers are facing today and make it into an emotional yet beautiful struggle about one girl and the decisions she must face that will change the rest of her life, for better or worse.

I felt for Evelyn from the get go. Yeah, she was a teenager and asmart one at that, but a smart one that made some very bad decisions for some very wrong reasons. But the choices she made because of those reasons? Those were what killed me more than anything. How sad I felt for her. For one girl's struggle to be noticed and loved by her parents. To lash out in the only way she thought she could, by screwing up her whole life. It kind of broke my heart. Not just because of the circumstances surrounding Evelyn but because I know this happens, more often than what I care to think about. Girl's just crying out for the attention and love they so desperately need from the two people in their lives that should always been there for. For those two people that above anyone else, we should always be able to count on and depend on.

Yeah, it broke my heart.

This wasn't just a story about Evelyn's pregnancy though. It was a story about family too. About what love means and how to express it. Learning that love comes in many different shapes and forms and about finding yourself along the way, without or without that love. \

I didn't always agree with Evelyn's decisions or with the way she handled herself but overall I think this was a great coming of age story that covered a lot of hard real life issues for a lot of young people out there today.

I fell in love with a lot of the characters, more so than I thought. Her Aunt Linda was amazing. Her Aunt Nora too. Her Dad, Lizzie, so many great people. I would like to say I got through this one withut crying but that wouldn't be true. I cried, I did. Not necessarily because it was sad, because it was sad, but because it was happy to, in a melancholy kind of way.

Very well done Ms. Carter.(less)

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Jan 31, 2013 Sara Grochowski rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, bloomsbury, reviewed, contemporary, young-adult

Me, Him, Them and It is definitely one of the best books I've read that takes on teen pregnancy. Caela Carter tackles the subject with a careful hand, and while it can be said that she pushes her heroine, Evelyn, in some directions more than others, I felt that the novel presents a well-rounded and realistic portrayal of a teen faced with an unexpected pregnancy.

Evelyn is a smart girl who makes some reckless decisions in an attempt to both punish and draw the attention of her very absent parents...more Me, Him, Them and It is definitely one of the best books I've read that takes on teen pregnancy. Caela Carter tackles the subject with a careful hand, and while it can be said that she pushes her heroine, Evelyn, in some directions more than others, I felt that the novel presents a well-rounded and realistic portrayal of a teen faced with an unexpected pregnancy.

Evelyn is a smart girl who makes some reckless decisions in an attempt to both punish and draw the attention of her very absent parents. While she used to have a relatively strong relationship with her father and at least a passably good relationship with her mother, that all changed when her father had an affair. Instead of her parents splitting up, her mother decided to take her father back and stay together, but things are far from normal. The house is always tense and silent and Evelyn rarely see her parents who are so busy avoiding each other they forget she's even around.

Evelyn takes what one might consider the stereotypical route and begins rebelling. She quits her extracurriculars, starts lying, distances herself from her friends, and decides to lose herself in meaningless sex. Except for what starts out as meaningless sex turns into more when Evelyn finds herself falling for Todd. And then finds herself pregnant.

One of my favorite aspects of Me, Him, Them and It is how real Evelyn felt. There are moments when she's brave, moments of realization, and moments of undeniable immaturity. At first, she's terrified of what will happen to her life and what people will think of her. Not only is she pregnant, but she doesn't have a boyfriend, which she knows will create all kinds of gossip. Her aunt, who she looks up to and considers one of the only reliable adults in her life, lives far away and has no idea how much she's changed and Evelyn fears disappointing her. Along with the fear of what others will think, come Evelyn's fears about losing her freedom, gaining weight, her grades slipping, and her entire future. Overwhelmed, Evelyn shuts down and attempts to push all the decisions regarding the pregnancy and the baby onto her parents and every other adult she comes in contact with. But the author doesn't let Evelyn off the hook that easily, which I feel is extremely important. Evelyn's mother would be more than happy to make all the decisions, but she doesn't. Instead, she stresses to Evelyn how important it is that she make the decisions because, ultimately, it is her life and no body can live it for her. This doesn't mean that our heroine is left all alone to figure things out, after all, she's only sixteen. There are many great secondary characters that form a support system for Evelyn that are integral to her decision making process.

In addition to Evelyn's parents, she also gains insight from her aunt, her partner, a counselors, and doctors. Despite her negative view of her parents, it's clear that they care a great deal for her and, though they've both made mistakes, are determined to be there for her no matter how she decides to proceed. Evelyn's aunts, who she lives with during the decision making process, are a fantastic support system, as one provides much needed understanding and the other provides structure, while they both provide plenty of love.

One character who is notably absent from the decision making process is the baby's father, Todd. While he does have some input, more or less saying that the decision is completely Evelyn's and that he doesn't want to participate in the baby's life if she chooses to keep it, he is otherwise absent when it comes to the pregnancy. I came to appreciate this detail as Evelyn struggled internally with her feelings for Todd and the idea of the baby being a catalyst for them to start a family. I'm so glad that Todd wasn't physically near Evelyn as she sorted through her options because it would have been entirely too easy for her to succumb to that fantasy, but it was fantasy and his distance allowed her to see that.

I also appreciated that Me, Him, Them and It touched on every available option to consider when faced with an unexpected pregnancy and the pros and cons. Adoption, both open and closed, teen parenthood, alone and with help or the father, and abortion are all discussed and explored. Furthermore, Planned Parenthood, religion, and family opinion are all considered. I truly felt that all options were fairly represented.

In the end, I feel that Evelyn not only made an educated decision, she also made the decision that was best for her. Of course, I can't say much more without spoiling the ending, but had come a long way by the conclusion of the novel. Her situation, though not ideal, forced her to think about her future, change her lifestyle, and her take some time away from a pretty unhealthy environment to figure things out. Though the novel did wrap up neatly, I wasn't left feeling that things were too calm or perfect. The Evelyn at the end of Me, Him, Them and It is clearly different than the one at the beginning and that, for me, allowed for a satisfying conclusion.
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Jan 15, 2013 Cornelia Barnes rated it 4 of 5 stars

Every teen should read Me, Him, It, and Them. The touching presentation of Evelyn's experiences as a pregnant teen will hit home with most YA readers.

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May 04, 2013 Mary Farrell rated it 5 of 5 stars

I couldn't put this book down because I could not imagine how Evie would find her way through the horrible choices that lay before her. Until the last fifty pages I had no idea how the book would end. Evie really had to find courage and grow up in order for this book to have a satisfying ending which was not too good to be true. Caela put her main character through the wringer and brought her out the other side whole.
I do not understand those who could not relate to Evie. I sympathized with her,...more

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Mar 20, 2013 Anna rated it 4 of 5 stars

High school junior, Evelyn, finds herself in the terrifying position of being a pregnant teenager. Everything in her life is giving her mixed up feelings. Her parents are taking a life that none of them have anymore. Her not-actually-boyfriend can be an ass hole as much as he is charming, and her best friend talks enough for the both of them. Evie doesn't know what to do about any of it, especially the baby she doesn't want to be having.

So I have a drug, and it is angsty teen books. I know this...more

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Jan 24, 2013 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arcs, ya, netgalley

I really liked this book. It's the first I've read in a while that really hooked me and left me anxious to find out what happened. I'm a sucker for "real life issues" like teen pregnancy, and the way this was written was awesome. Every aspect seemed relate-able, the teens seemed like regular teenagers, and even the sad, dysfunctional parents were spot on. The formatting was awesome, each "chapter" was written as a countdown to a major event that was relevant as the book went on, and every time s...more

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Jan 06, 2013 Sebrina Parker rated it 4 of 5 stars

I have always been intrigued by the concept of teen pregnancy. I'm not sure if it's because I personally broke a stereotype racially and demographically not getting pregnant as a teen. Or if it's because I am still amazed when I do meet teen moms. But I have honestly been so fascinated by this topic and it's prevalence in teen media that I made it the topic for my last final paper in college.
So when I saw this book, I knew I had to read and review it. From very first glance, the cover has a clea...more I have always been intrigued by the concept of teen pregnancy. I'm not sure if it's because I personally broke a stereotype racially and demographically not getting pregnant as a teen. Or if it's because I am still amazed when I do meet teen moms. But I have honestly been so fascinated by this topic and it's prevalence in teen media that I made it the topic for my last final paper in college.
So when I saw this book, I knew I had to read and review it. From very first glance, the cover has a cleaver way of signaling that a pregnancy story is ahead. I love the cleaver design and that every aspect of it actually perfectly matches the story within. They actually casted a model that looks like Evelyn!
Story wise, I cried so freakin' much! I feel like I was a pregnant lady with the amount of tears this book made me shed. I think Caela Carter was very skillful in the way she crafted this story. What always bugs me about the portrayal of teen pregnancy and parenthood in pop fiction is the lack of real emotion and accuracy in life hardship. Juno has no emotion to it, just humor. Secret Life is all about how easy it is to play house and make ends meet. That everything will work out perfect in the end and the dramas you face will only be sex related. Depictions like that make we cringe because there is a whole lot more stress to life than just sex.
And I think Carter did a good job showing that. While Evelyn sucked at actually facing and handling those stresses in a mature way, she was a child after all and her life couldn't go back to normal after, like most stories go.
What felt a little unrealistic to me was the "going away" plot line. If this was the mid-twentieth century, then yes that would be the only direction this story could go. But in 2013, it just doesn't seem relatable. It does make me wonder if Carter got the idea for this story from reading the Girls Who Went Away though because the emotions and events rang very true to that.
In the end, I really enjoyed this book. It was just the kind of emotional story I like. And while I would be more apt to recommend this book to teen girls regarding pregnancy than say Bumped or even Juno, it is definitely for a more mature reader who can differentiate the good and bad decisions in this book.

I received a free review copy of this book from the publishers but the opinions expressed here are my own.(less)

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Nov 16, 2012 Suzanne rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: for-slj, peach-consideration

When you're Catholic school girl in Jacksonville, FL, and most likely to take valedictorian, sleeping your way out of your pigeon-hole may seem like just the thing to shake things up. Life at home goes from bad to worse when Evelyn's father comes back after leaving her mom for the family dentist. The silence is broken only by strained conversation. A secret romance with Todd is known only to best friend Lizzie. How can one time without a condom hurt? When the trip to Planned Parenthood to start...more When you're Catholic school girl in Jacksonville, FL, and most likely to take valedictorian, sleeping your way out of your pigeon-hole may seem like just the thing to shake things up. Life at home goes from bad to worse when Evelyn's father comes back after leaving her mom for the family dentist. The silence is broken only by strained conversation. A secret romance with Todd is known only to best friend Lizzie. How can one time without a condom hurt? When the trip to Planned Parenthood to start the pill reveals that E is already pregnant.

Lots of teen books on pregnancy make the choices seem like all or nothing, right or wrong, once and done, but this book really gets that there are many choices, and not one of them will return Evelyn's like to normal, and heck, normal wasn't that great anyway.

So the chapter titles reveal the directions Evelyn considers along the way: "39 Days to Decide," "6 Months, 26 Days Left," and "Waiting for Normal." I'm hoping it's not too much of a spoiler to indicate that Evelyn does take the pregancy to term or that she moves to spend her junior year in Chicago with her Aunt Linda, her partner Nora, and their two adopted African-American daughters. The silence and tension of home becomes the awkwardness of a new school, emails with her dad, the Stranger, and a set of rules that make it hard to know whether she is supposed to be making herself at home or keeping a low profile on that swelling belly.

Great adult presences pepper the character list: Mary from Planned Parenthood, a counselor who wins Evelyn' heart and trust with ginger ale and support for whatever decisions are considered ones; Linda, Chinese adoptee, a committed lesbian and wonderful listener; her parents, flawed and unhappy, but both loving when push comes to shove and willing to grandparent and become better parents.

Evelyn finds new reserves of strength while the fetus she calls "Bean" becomes a person inside her. She struggles to speak her thoughts aoud after so much silence and disappointment in her own home. Many readers will share Evelyn's pain, tears, and happiness as she journeys down a road that no young adult should have to travel but that so many do. A rewarding and poignant tale with high appeal for teen girls, maybe even their moms. Would even be wonderful for a book group of young mothers to be.(less)

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Mar 23, 2013 Evette rated it 3 of 5 stars

3.5 stars.
I was leary to start another teen pregnancy book. As a mom to teenaged girls and a labor and delivery nurse who has taken care of more teen moms than I'd like to remember I worry about books putting a happy glow on teen pregnancy.
A rich girl-Evie-is smart, yet not smart enough to think about birth control. As we find out more about her family and home life her disconnect becomes more understandable. As she goes thru the pregnancy-sent away from her home for the year-she becomes her r...more

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Mar 05, 2013 Chrissy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2013

I wanted a chest, so when she said I could go to Planned Parenthood and get a prescription without even telling my parents -- and that it could move me up a full bra size -- I did. I was having sex with Todd anyway, so it seemed like a good idea. On the way home from the first day of school, I just drove myself over here, whistling out the window of my car like a freaking idiot while visions of C-cups bounced in my brain. When I got here, they made me take a blood test, and it said I was alread...more I wanted a chest, so when she said I could go to Planned Parenthood and get a prescription without even telling my parents -- and that it could move me up a full bra size -- I did. I was having sex with Todd anyway, so it seemed like a good idea. On the way home from the first day of school, I just drove myself over here, whistling out the window of my car like a freaking idiot while visions of C-cups bounced in my brain. When I got here, they made me take a blood test, and it said I was already pregnant. The thought had not even occurred to me. That's how much of a dumbass I am.

And so begins the candid story of Evelyn Jones, a sixteen year old high school student whose world is forever changed when she learns that she is pregnant. While her previous focus was on hanging out with her best friend, hooking up with her boyfriend, and working on getting the grades to keep her future valedictorian role in sight, now Evelyn is faced with something entirely new and foreign -- the decision as to whether she will abort, adopt, or parent the child growing inside of her.

I don't like the baby. I know it's not the baby's fault, but it showed up and everything sucks. Now, I can't drink; I can't smoke weed; I can't have sex...

Sent away by her parents to hide from the shame that unwed pregnancy would bring at her strict Catholic school, Evelyn moves in with her aunt and her wife until things are back to normal -- whatever that means now. Isolated from her friends and separated from her boyfriend, Evelyn realizes just how much she has to lose, no matter what she picks. Are there any options that will let her resume things exactly as they were before without feeling guilty?

Although Evelyn dreams of a future where she and Todd are blissfully in love, raising their child together as husband and wife, she soon comes to realize that her fantasies have nothing at all to do with her real life. Her best friend disowns her for keeping secrets and Todd decides he wants nothing to do with the baby, stating that he can't deal with things changing so drastically in his life and admitting he has no plans to pay child support in the future, either.

ME, HIM, THEM, AND IT is a heartbreaking, painstakingly honest look at one young woman's struggle with making one of the most important decisions that a woman may ever face -- that of what to do when facing an unplanned pregnancy. While popular media like Teen Mom often portray a glamorized vision of teenage pregnancy, Carter's novel gives a gritty portrayal of what things REALLY look like, from the perspective of a troubled young girl who is conflicted by the expectations of those around her -- as well as her own misguided hopes for her future.

I think the best thing about the novel is really that it's just SO brutally honest from start to finish. Evelyn makes no hint of the fact that she feels entirely unfit to be a mother, and she is quick to let us know that she'd much rather be drunk and high than spending her time at home with a baby. She dreamily describes her sexual encounters with her boyfriend while detailing her hops for a happily ever after for two teenagers who are clearly not headed for a long term adult relationship. Even as the story progresses, Evelyn maintains a blatant openness about her thoughts on each of her options, in such a way that feels realistic and relateable to young readers.

Another great thing about this novel is the wit and skill the author displays in crafting the inner dialogue of the main character. There are so many lines that are just SO magically quotable, like the following...

When we leave I am clad in hot pink and covered in sparkles, an unwed mother masquerading as a Disney Princess.

LOVE IT!

I would totally recommend this to anyone who loves realistic fiction dealing with sensitive issues, although I would definitely recommend this one more for adults and teens who are a little older and more mature. The story is fantastic, the writing is superb, and the novel definitely earns five fabulous stars from me, for sure!
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Feb 16, 2013 Kelly Hager rated it 3 of 5 stars

I would like to point out first that Caela Carter is from Baltimore. This has no bearing on the book, but I always like to promote my city when I can. :)

Evelyn is a hard character to like. I completely empathize with her (she's pregnant, after all, and it's her junior year, which means that instead of starting to pick colleges and study for the SATs, she's trying to figure out if she should have a baby and, if she does carry it to term, should she raise it or give it up for adoption) but at the...more

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Feb 20, 2013 Kelly rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-fiction, read-in-2013

While I appreciated the take on teen pregnancy, there were so many times this book dragged on needlessly. And then the final 1/4 of the book was completely rushed.

There's not much to say other than (view spoiler)...more

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Jan 18, 2013 Cathy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Teen pregnancy is never an easy topic to talk or write about and in most cases even deal with, but it happens and quite often unfortunately. This book describes what happens when Evelyn finds out that she is pregnant. She doesn’t know what she is going to do, whether to keep it, give it up, abort it and after she makes that decision what will she do afterwards. This is her journey.

To begin with even before finding out she was pregnant she seemed to have her own issues. Her parents are like zomb...more Teen pregnancy is never an easy topic to talk or write about and in most cases even deal with, but it happens and quite often unfortunately. This book describes what happens when Evelyn finds out that she is pregnant. She doesn’t know what she is going to do, whether to keep it, give it up, abort it and after she makes that decision what will she do afterwards. This is her journey.

To begin with even before finding out she was pregnant she seemed to have her own issues. Her parents are like zombies going through the day to day without really acknowledging her because they have their own problems. Evelyn is extremely cynical and doesn’t really want to exist but at the same time she’s doing all these things so that someone can finally hear her and sees her for what she really is, lost. She pretends not to care about Todd, the baby’s father but she really does. Even going so far as keeping their whole relationship a secret, which is never a good thing. Her best friend Lizzie is this wild child who is trying to find her father.

After her parents are finally knowledgeable about her pregnancy they work out a plan for her to go to live with her aunt for the rest of the school year. This is all her own choice because she doesn’t want anyone to know she is pregnant. But even as she moves to her aunt’s house everything isn’t as happy as she thought it would be there. Again, everyone has their own issues they have to deal with but they are all trying to help Evelyn the best way they can, even if sometimes it seems as if she doesn’t want or need it. She befriends another pregnant girl at her new school. Evelyn completely sees the difference between herself and her Maryellie, whereas her friend really wants the baby and Evelyn is still on the fence about the whole thing.

What I liked most about this book was that while Evelyn was trying to make her final decision on what to do about the baby that’s growing inside her you can see the different dynamic and family types that are out there with her own friends and family. Her aunt is adopted who is married to a woman and they both adopted two little girls. Her parents are splitting up and look how well that turned out for her. Her best friend is from a single parent home and is desperately trying to find her father. The baby’s daddy Todd doesn’t want anything to do with anything. But I don’t even think she realizes all the different people around her that could so easily help her make the decision she needs to make.

This story was all around great, and realistic in so many ways. I think young adults can definitely relate to Evelyn and wanting things to be normal, but a baby changes everything. Even if you don’t want it to, it definitely does. This book had me in tears by the end and it was just wonderfully written and an adventure into a young adults mind during this trying time. I loved every minute of it and don’t like any of the characters any less for what happened and what had to have happened.
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Mar 11, 2013 Julie (Manga Maniac Cafe) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Wow, at times Me, Him, Them, And It is a hard book to read. Evelyn is a self-destructive teen, who is crying out for attention from her parents. Because her home life is so dysfunctional, nothing she does makes them bat an eye. Her mother is emotionally stunted, unable to communicate her feelings, and her father has been caught cheating, so he is struggling with guilt. He leaves for a time, but then comes back home, and everything is changed. The house is silent, nobody talks, and Evelyn is spir...more Wow, at times Me, Him, Them, And It is a hard book to read. Evelyn is a self-destructive teen, who is crying out for attention from her parents. Because her home life is so dysfunctional, nothing she does makes them bat an eye. Her mother is emotionally stunted, unable to communicate her feelings, and her father has been caught cheating, so he is struggling with guilt. He leaves for a time, but then comes back home, and everything is changed. The house is silent, nobody talks, and Evelyn is spiraling in a black depression she can’t escape. She is like her mother; unable to adequately communicate her feelings, even to her best friend. The words she longs to speak stick in her throat, trapped and suffocating her. There are times I was so frustrated with her, because if she would only SAY something, anything, she wouldn’t have to feel as though she’s carrying the burden of the world on her shoulders.

Evelyn has set a high bar for herself. She wants to be the class valedictorian, and she wants to attend an Ivy League university. It is so sad that neither of her parents has any clue how well she’s doing in school, or what her college ambitions are. Then she decides to punish her parents. She doesn’t want to be Good Evelyn anymore, and who can blame her. She received no credit at all from her distant parents, and she desperately wants their attention. Any kind of attention. The sad thing is, even as she begins indulging in dangerous behavior, they still don’t acknowledge her desperate cries for help. Then she discovers that the risks she has been taking have come home to roost. She’s pregnant, and she doesn’t know what to do.

This book is all about consequences. Evelyn has made a mistake, and now she has to face it. She has to decide what to do about the bean growing in her belly. Todd, the father, turns his back on her, and no matter how hard she tries, she just can’t tell her BFF what’s wrong with her. The only compassionate adult in her life is Mary, a counselor at the local planned parenthood. Because she can’t have a discussion with her mother, Evelyn makes Mary tell her mom that she’s pregnant. Ouch!

I didn’t want to like any of the characters in this book. Everyone is so absorbed in their own drama and agendas that nobody seems to care about anybody else. Evelyn irritated me at times, but then I stopped and realized that there were so many grown up decisions that she had to make, without much input from the adults in her life, and that she had every reason to be confused, angry, and hurt. Overwhelmed. Few of the adults in her life gave her any credit, yet they all demanded that she make a plan. Now. It’s not even like she had a good example of what a real family should be like to base her decisions on.

When she’s sent to live with her Aunt Linda and her family in Chicago, Evelyn is understandably upset. In her hour of need, her parents send her away. Once she falls into a routine at Linda’s, though, she does start to feel like she belongs. She slowly begins to learn how to express herself, though it is a painful and awkward process. And just when I think she is beginning to heal, and she will make a rational decision about what to do about the bean that she blames for ruining her life, she makes yet another impulsive, life altering choice. While the ending is upbeat, Me, Him, Them, and It had me feeling a bit out of sorts. The magnitude of Evelyn’s problem is staggering and her rage at her parents is all-consuming. The choice she must make will alter the lives of almost everyone she knows, and yet all of them leave her to make it on her own. The thought of an angry, resentful, and scared teen making of decision like this on her own just left me depressed.

Grade: B/B+(less)

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Apr 13, 2013 Kelly rated it 5 of 5 stars

Evie is a wise, funny, honest and completely capturing narrator in this book. She gets pregnant in high school, and has to grow up really quick. She has to make life-changing decisions that she'd rather not have to make. As someone who was unwed and pregnant at 19 (a LONG time ago), I could so relate to her situation. Everybody trying to tell you what they think you should do; everybody thinking they know what's best. I am so glad I didn't listen to the ones who thought I should either abort or...more

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Mar 31, 2013 Justin rated it 3 of 5 stars

This book took me awhile to get through. I am really not sure if it was the book, or just that I wasn’t in the mood to read this week. It really wasn’t a bad book, but it did take me awhile to get into. The premise for Me Him, Them & It is something we’ve all seen countless times before so it really isn’t one of those books that will instantly jump out at you.

That isn’t to say that it isn’t a good story though. There is a lot of heart in this book, and I got a feeling some readers will even...more

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Feb 26, 2013 Erika rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, ng, arcs, ya

Here's the thing, I REALLY wanted to like this book. And I did, sort of. It's always hard to read a book that deals with teen pregnancy for many reasons, but this one was hard to read because of the main character. I didn't like her in the beginning, I thought I would, but never did.

Evelyn a super smart girl at her private catholic high school sleeps around to get back at her parents for being cold, cheating, and void of any feeling. And when she finds out that she's pregnant and the boy who sh...more

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Jan 08, 2013 Anna (Gatsby's Girl) rated it 2 of 5 stars

Evelyn was really a good girl, just playing at being bad to get back at her parents. But the only one she ended up hurting was herself, when unprotected sex landed her at Planned Parenthood - trying to decide between abortion, adoption and parenting as a junior in high school. With her parents being supportive, although still messed up and fighting, Evelyn goes to live with her Aunt, her partner and their adopted daughters in Chicago for the duration of her pregnancy. But can she face up to the...more Evelyn was really a good girl, just playing at being bad to get back at her parents. But the only one she ended up hurting was herself, when unprotected sex landed her at Planned Parenthood - trying to decide between abortion, adoption and parenting as a junior in high school. With her parents being supportive, although still messed up and fighting, Evelyn goes to live with her Aunt, her partner and their adopted daughters in Chicago for the duration of her pregnancy. But can she face up to the reality of the situation in time to make a decision that will affect her for the rest of her life? And will it be the right one? I was expecting this to be like every other teen pregnancy book that I've ever read. It definitely was something different, but not always in a good way. It was super realistic, and Evelyn's lack of common sense in her scheme of getting back at her parents rang true to me. But she came off completely unsympathetic for the most part, refusing to acknowledge the fact that she was even pregnant and not meeting the adoptive parents before signing the papers - then regretting it afterwards. Evelyn was a brat for the majority of the book, using her somewhat boyfriend Todd for sex and to up her bad girl image, than being pissed when he's less than thrilled about her being pregnant. Then when she gives the baby up she freaks out, because she's regretting it, after nine months of referring to the baby as it and blaming him for her screw-ups! Overall, I can appreciate the fact that Evelyn was a dumb kid and DID make the right choice. But I hated her bratty ass, all the way to the end of the book. For as smart as she supposedly was, she reminded me a lot of those dumb girls on 16 & Pregnant. Not a book I would read again and I don't think I'd recommend it to anyone. But I do admire the fact that the author got me to read it through to the end.

VERDICT: 2/5 Stars

*I received an Advanced Reading E-book Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book's expected publication date is February 5th, 2013.*(less)

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Jan 19, 2013 Jenny rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: new-sparkly-reads-challenge, 2013-standalone-challenge

I think this is a book that every teen girl should read. And their mothers. It really shows the emotional roller coaster of a teen pregnancy, and what it is all about. And how boys really are! I had a lot of trouble getting through the first 100 pages. That part of the novel was all about how Evelyn felt so misunderstood and unloved by her friends and family. And the indecision and self loathing she feels about her pregnancy. It was really depressing, and scary for me, since I have a teen daught...more

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May 04, 2013 Michael rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2013, young-adult, tower-team-challenge-b, pbrc-tower-challenge

Once upon a time, Evelyn was a "good" girl, but when her family fell apart around her, she began to rebel against her good girl image. This included quitting most of her extra-curricular activities, dressing in a provocative fashion and secretly dating and sleeping with Todd. Her distant parents (she calls him The Stranger because he cheated on her mother and left for a while and her mother has thrown herself into work) are so disconnected that don't realize that Todd is sneaking over most night...more Once upon a time, Evelyn was a "good" girl, but when her family fell apart around her, she began to rebel against her good girl image. This included quitting most of her extra-curricular activities, dressing in a provocative fashion and secretly dating and sleeping with Todd. Her distant parents (she calls him The Stranger because he cheated on her mother and left for a while and her mother has thrown herself into work) are so disconnected that don't realize that Todd is sneaking over most nights for a little extra-curricular activity with Evelyn right under their noses.

The only thing that matters to Evelyn is maintaining her GPA and escaping from Jacksonville to a better life in college.

And then things go from bad to worse when Evelyn discovers she's pregnant and she can't bring herself to tell Todd, much less her parents. Evelyn struggles with the decisions she must now face and worries about losing her one last friend and the implications of her decisions on what she will do about the baby. It doesn't help that Todd abandons her, saying he can't bring shame on his family by telling them about Evelyn or her condition.

Me, Him, Them and It pulls no punches when it comes to Evelyn and her situation. The story is about Evelyn's struggles to find love and acceptance, not only from others but in herself. At one point, Evelyn has to take her mother to the Planned Parenthood office and have her counselor there reveal the big news because she can't tell her mother herself. Evelyn's struggle with what's "right" in the situation based on her personal and family believes is also effectively rendered by author Caela Carter.

The novel is more than just a stern warning about the complications of teenage sex. It also could serve as a warning to those with kids to not get so caught up in your issues that you miss what's going on in the lives of your child. Don't wait for a crisis to come up to try and re-claim a family bond or to be a parent.

In the end, Evelyn finds hope in the form of her favorite aunt and her family, who agree to take her. But interestingly enough, a cross-country change of scenery isn't a magical cure all for everything. As I said before, the book pulls no punches on the implications of Evelyn's pregnancy and its impact on her and her family. (less)

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Feb 19, 2013 David rated it 5 of 5 stars

In Jacksonville, Florida - born and raised in the backseat is where I spent most of my days.
Chilling out, maxing, relaxing all cool, getting knocked up by QB* in the playground by the school.
When a couple of cells, who were up to no good, started multiplying in my womanhood.
Missing one little period made my mom explode, she said, "You're moving with your auntie and auntie in Chicago."
I loaded up the Jeep and when it came near, I tried to ride in silence, avoid my mom's glare. If anything, I woul...more

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Apr 01, 2013 Sašenka rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary

Potrebovala som si dať pauzu od Cassandry a jej princeznej. Niečo nesériové a contemporary. Toto bola super voľba. Krátke, jednoduché a iné. Keby som sa mohla sústrediť len na čítanie dala by som to za deň, takto to trvalo dni dva.
Tehotenstvo tínedžerok je kontroverzná téma. Autorka to ale zvládla veľmi dobre. Zapracovala do príbehu viac problémov ako len samotné tehotenstvo a vek hrdinky. Problémoví rodičia, lesbická teta a jej adoptované dcéry, a celkovo nezodpovednosť tínedžerov v oblasti sex...more

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Feb 20, 2013 Catie Taylor rated it 4 of 5 stars

To put it in simple terms, I loved this book. I'm always iffy about issues books because they can tend to be angsty and seem to either err on the side of irresponsibility or sound like they've been written by some know-it-all adult who doesn't really remember what it's like to be sixteen. Me, Him, Them and It doesn't have any of these problems. Evelyn's life isn't perfect to begin with. Her parents' marriage is a a sham, the guy she's in love with doesn't want anyone to know about them and she's...more

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May 11, 2013 Erin rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: People who enjoyed the movie "Juno."

Shelves: yafiction

Evelyn would do anything to gain her parents' attention - including using a guy for sex. Trouble is, she really likes Todd.

But everything changes when Evelyn finds out she's pregnant. She has a series of tough decisions to make. The seemingly "Bad Girl" is actually in the running for class valedictorian, and has never really slept around or wanted to destroy her reputation. When Todd finds out she's pregnant, he turns his back on her, and Evelyn cannot find the strength to tell her best friend....more

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Nov 25, 2012 Lauri rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Lauri by: Requested from netGalley

Shelves: classroom, pdf

Me, Him, Them, and It is not your typical teenage pregnancy saga. The first half of Evelyn's story was exactly what I expected, however the second half was completely unexpected. Evelyn's dilemma has multiple solutions, but for Evelyn not every solution is one that she can live with. For me, Me, Him, Them, and It was an emotional roller coaster. I was not expecting to be so entirely invested in Evelyn and the decision she has to make. I was annoyed at times, I was mad at times, but once I starte...more

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May 16, 2013 Piseog rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: normal-fiction, stand-alones

I liked the book, but I was so frustrated with Evelyn alot of the time and I hated the ending. I thought it was going to be a bit lighthearted (well as lighthearted as teenage pregnancy can be) as opposed to most of the depressing books dealing with this topic. But no, it was kinda depressing. I felt really bad for Evelyn at the start, with her parents and crappy Todd, but after a while she was so infuriating. Why couldn't she speak or make a decision? Well, I understand why, but it was still an...more

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Apr 22, 2013 Laura rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013-debut-authors, realistic-fiction, romance, young-adult, reviews

Why did I like this book so much? Thinking back on it, only the worst parts come to mind. Evie was a brat, and selfish, and annoying. When I first starting reading this, I hated her. I hated her and Lizzie and Todd and her parents. I still hate most of them. But then one day I realized something strange; I actually love Evie. For some reason she just grew on me, and I started loving her and rooting for her to make the best decision for her and the baby, when before I didn't care what happened at...more

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