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Trouble

Non Pratt

3.84 · Rating details · 4,607 ratings · 716 reviews

In this dazzling debut novel, a pregnant teen learns the meaning of friendship—from the boy who pretends to be her baby’s father.

When the entire high school finds out that Hannah Shepard is pregnant via her ex-best friend, she has a full-on meltdown in her backyard. The one witness (besides the rest of the world): Aaron Tyler, a transfer student and the only boy who doesn’ ...more

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Paperback, 381 pages

Published March 6th 2014 by Walker Books Ltd

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UKYA in 2014

145 books — 231 voters

Teen Pregnancy

344 books — 260 voters

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· 4,607 ratings · 716 reviews

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Apr 15, 2014 Paula M rated it liked it · review of another edition

I'll be very honest now and say that the main reason I bought this one is because the cover really caught my attention. I feel like having the sperms in there made the book stands out and it makes the book more intriguing.

But the cover isn't the only one that stands out, the story itself is powerful, thought provoking and brutally honest. I've never read a book about teenage pregnancy that is so real and fun.. yes, you heard me, fun.. Well, I've never been pregnant, but when the tine comes that ...more

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Mar 25, 2014 rubywednesday rated it it was ok

Shelves: ya-contemporary

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Trouble had so much potential. For the first hundred pages or so, I really thought it would be a new favourite. But as it progressed, it just didn’t work for me.

It had some good points. The author did a great job making the dialogue, social interactions and thought processes of the teenager characters realistic and relevant. There are countless people in the world actually like these characters. I often read YA where it feels like no-one on earth in any way resembles the characters we’re reading ...more

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Nov 06, 2013 Stacey (prettybooks) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: read-in-my-twenties, young-adult-fiction

Hannah and Aaron are fifteen-year-old students, attending the same school and studying for their GCSEs, yet they couldn't be more different. Hannah is quick-witted, smart and loves to have a good time (although not quite as much as her peers like to think she does), but school work is rarely on her mind as much as boys are. Aaron is a quiet boy who prefers to keep to himself, hiding from the world, trying to overcome what happened at his old school. He can barely think about it himself, let alon ...more

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Apr 07, 2015 Ylenia rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2015-reads

2.5 stars

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Jan 31, 2019 Sara ➽ Ink Is My Sword rated it it was ok · review of another edition

✪✪
Teenagers are awful, at least according to this book.

“It's too much to be forgiven when all you want is to be blamed.”

wtf was that ending! WHAT!

💭Pre-reading thoughts:
I have been wanting to try something by Non Pratt for at least four years and finally, I AM DOING IT. ...more

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Sep 15, 2017 Bee rated it liked it

Shelves: ukya

Before going into this I thought it was going to be a 'who was the father' mystery, so I was really surprised when that's not what it was, like, at all. I really liked Hannah and Aaron and would love to read a sequel about their lives after the birth! ...more

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Feb 17, 2014 April (Aprilius Maximus) rated it it was ok

Shelves: 2015

I loved the writing but I feel like so much is unresolved and it ended quite abruptly!

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Jun 04, 2014 Charlie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: kickass-bamf-women, ya-contemporary, gay-is-not-an-insult, wish-i-wrote-it, gay-best-friend, friendship-wins, colourblind, families-of-choice

I fucking love this book.

I FUCKING LOVE THIS BOOK.

Some of the reasons why I love this book:

This book is amazingly colourblind. I think perhaps two or three characters have their racial phenotype referred to. Otherwise, it's a perfect example of being able to read the characters as whatever way you think of these people, with hints based on their names. Interestingly, I think to write this book in an American context wouldn't allow the author to do this. Racial identity in the UK is hardly a non- I fucking love this book.

I FUCKING LOVE THIS BOOK.

Some of the reasons why I love this book:

This book is amazingly colourblind. I think perhaps two or three characters have their racial phenotype referred to. Otherwise, it's a perfect example of being able to read the characters as whatever way you think of these people, with hints based on their names. Interestingly, I think to write this book in an American context wouldn't allow the author to do this. Racial identity in the UK is hardly a non-issue (thanks, UKIP, really appreciate your efforts to bring back bigoted facistism), but the school where no one is really paying attention to their peer's races, or even cultural identity doesn't seem like a stretch from my North-East London point of view.

This is a really sex positive story, for one about teenage pregnancy. There's a misinterpretation of a scene of being forced, which gets resolved into something's that is both sex positive, about enthusiastic consent, and champions boys who call peers on bad behaviour. Yes, there's examples of perfectly teenage behaviour, with lying about conquests and such, but that doesn't diminish the sex positivity.

Most importantly, for a story with a pregnant 15-yr-old, no adult ever shames her for having had sex, or getting pregnant, even if they judge her for choosing to have the baby. There's a culture of slut shaming from some of the douchebag teenage characters, but it is not universal, and Aaron (the male lead) calls them on it, if not out loud, then in his head/narration.

And there ISN'T A ROMANCE, because Hannah has bigger things going on, you know. There are characters in relationships, there are 'in love with you' moments, there is deep love between characters, but there is never any moments where a romantic choice becomes greater or more meaningful than a platonic love. This is really about families of birth, families of choice, and the adaptation of characters to new situations. There are step families, and half siblings, and absent parents, and nuclear families. And these are all as valid as who chooses you, if you choose them.

Most of the families give SO MUCH SHIT about their offspring. This is possibly just my own bias, because I end up reading a lot of isolated child/teen characters, but these families are in love with their kids. They will move their own lives, they will make bad calls and then apologise for them, they will decide where their loyalties lie and follow through on it. Bad parents are allowed to be dropped, they don't have to remain as an influencing figure - these kids have agency to choose their story, and their parents have agency and mostly choose to do positive things.

On the sex positivity, it's not only teenagers who are sexual, sexually active, or horny and anything. There are extremely awesome elderly characters who are friends, and confidants, and still allowed to be sexual, to have pasts which aren't romanticised, and be interested in now, and not be examples of 'in my day,' as a contrast with modern sexual or social mores being pulled into play by grandparental figures. Sex was sex in the past, as it is now, and teenagers do it.

The elderly characters not only have agency, and the trust of the teen characters, and pasts, but they are friends, not mentors. That is something which I found completely awesome about Trouble. They are allowed to still be awesome in their own right. They're not just foils for the younger characters to learn. They are active, opinionated, sassy characters in their own right.

The main villain, if she could be called such, is nuanced. She is reactive, and manipulative, and the realisations of Hannah about her feed into a detailed and sensible way to think about the classic teenage bitch stereotype. She is not a stereotype, even as she ticks all the boxes. She is needy and insecure, and gets just enough flashback time in order to follow this through and for her to make sense, even in her villainy.

In conclusion: THIS BOOK IS FUCKING AWESOME. ...more

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Jun 09, 2014 Anabel (inthebookcorner) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Ahh just so cute!!!! especially the second half.

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Mar 07, 2015 carolina ☾ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, read-in-e

SPOILER ALERT

Hannah and her best friend,Katie, are every friday at the park fooling around with the guys from the bascketball team. Everybody knows it, they have a reputation for it.
Then Hannah finds out she's pregnant and no one to go to.
Her best friend? She can't seem to be ale to tell her
Her mother? Neither.
The Father? Not an option
She goes to her grandmother,who she can trust not to tell her mother.
Her best friend is slipping away from her, when she finds out, she's just pissed off becaause ...more

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Jul 03, 2015 Claire (Book Blog Bird) rated it it was ok

Shelves: contemporary

This and other reviews can be found on my blog: Book Blog Bird

I picked up Trouble from the library, quite excited because it had been on my radar for a while. All I really knew about it was the blurb - it’s a contemporary YA novel about a fifteen year old girl who gets pregnant and a friend of hers offers to pretend to be the father.

I think I built this book up in my mind too much. I saw that it was about underage pregnancy and that it was all acclaimed and everything and I thought that it would ...more

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Oct 15, 2014 Donna {Book Passion For Life} rated it really liked it

Shelves: ya-contemporary-romance

Win a SIGNED copy of Trouble on Book Passion for Life

Buddy read with Amber.

I’ll be honest, Trouble never really captured my attention until I went to an author Q&A/signing when Non Pratt visited Birmingham close to the end of 2014. It was then that I became more aware of the book and noticed the high praises. I adore YA contemporary but sometimes when something different comes along – like Trouble appeared to be – I hesitate. I start worrying if it’s going to be any good and if I’m going to enj ...more

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Jan 29, 2014 Sarah Churchill rated it it was amazing

Shelves: received-for-review, books-i-own

I enjoyed Trouble even more than I thought I would. At first I thought it was going to be a Juno-like story, but with characters that would fit right into Skins - not exactly people I'd relate to. I ended up adoring all of the characters (except the big jerks, obviously), and being drawn into the complex relationships. I loved the dual POV of both Hannah and Aaron; two very different voices that ultimately fit together like two pieces of a puzzle. The fact that they're both so quick witted made ...more

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Mar 06, 2015 Kara Babcock rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, 2015-read, from-library

Juno is a fun movie. Ellen Page nails it as the title character, conveying exactly the intended idea that a lot of the weirdness about teen pregnancy comes from our hang-ups, as a society, about young women/girls. In the movie’s desire to concentrate on how Juno navigates this brave new world, however, Michael Cera’s character—the babydaddy—plays only a minor role. That’s fine for the story Juno wants to tell. But I basically think now of Trouble as “like Juno, but with a father involved.” Not t ...more

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Mar 19, 2015 Emma rated it it was amazing

This book made me cry in a coffee shop. Who would have thought that would happen with me. Brilliant book. Full review to come. :)

Oh how this book had so many feels, and I was on the verge of tears when it came to the end. Trouble is a book that I've always been conscientious about reading because of it plot line and teenage pregnancy. Its not something I really want to read about when I see it on a day to day basis. But was I wrong, yes! Miss Pratt created a far more beautiful rendition of a con This book made me cry in a coffee shop. Who would have thought that would happen with me. Brilliant book. Full review to come. :)

Oh how this book had so many feels, and I was on the verge of tears when it came to the end. Trouble is a book that I've always been conscientious about reading because of it plot line and teenage pregnancy. Its not something I really want to read about when I see it on a day to day basis. But was I wrong, yes! Miss Pratt created a far more beautiful rendition of a contemporary novel about love, consequences, but most of all friendship and sticking by each other in the toughest times of ones teens life.

What I loved was that it wasn't always about Hannah and her pregnancy, both of these MCs have a story to tell and told through a dual perspective. Hannah is your typical teenager, she likes a drink, she likes to party and she certainly likes having sex too. But one night, when she first took her V card, she didn't realise it was going to haunt her 4 months down the line when she becomes pregnant. She doesn't count on the baby daddy being around. So when a curious, new student named Aaron arrives she feels something right with him and before both too them know it, he's volunteered to be the fake baby daddy. I haven't read something like this before and I was typically a fan even when this book was first released. But one day it peaked my curiosity and I thought why the hell not. I wasn't disappointed instead I was elated, happy, tearful, it was beautiful seeing new lives being born. Not just a new born but the start of something magical.

There were moments in the book that made me inadvertently cringe. Especially in the beginning, I was certainly like 'Really!?', why would a teenager of the age of fifteen want to become someone like that, want to throw away their life and want to grow up in more ways than one. I think Hannah was someone pretty much like that, But she certainly had some slutty friends naming one, Katie. I actually wanted to really slap her. She was nothing but a wannabe bratty child and she makes Hannah's life a living hell while she hasn't got enough on her plate already. However let me highlight the WAS in that sentence. I think having another responsibility for not only yourself is something scary, frightening and is the unknown. Hannah comes a long way to accept that, and that's what aspiring in Pratt's writing and her character.

Aaron has his own story, his own battles that have haunted him. He is lost and lonely. He meets his best friend in a residential home. Oh Neville! Aaron felt safe and happy playing cards and spending with someone who needs some company, friendship. Aaron suffered happiness and sadness in such a short amount of time that he needs a focus. Hannah needs his support, a friend to rely on, and he wants to matter again, he needs to do something amazing. He becomes a fake baby daddy and he takes it with both hands and doesn't let go. There is something deeper between them but friendship is the beginning.

You find with this book you don't really connect with characters but you hear the, you listen to them, you hear their story which makes this a beautifully written and emotional novel to experience. If you know of anything similar in genre of this book. Please let me know. I want to hear people's stories like these to witness their happy endings. A book that makes me cry shows how truly amazing this author is. I need more and I can't wait to read Remix. Something entirely different.

Rating - 5

This review can be found my blog ...more

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Feb 13, 2014 Nomes rated it really liked it

Shelves: i-own, uk-ya, alternating-m-f-pov, 2014

While Trouble is written in an effortlessly engaging style I wasn't sure whether this would be my thing despite it having 5 star ratings from trusted friends. Look, it opens with a dose of partying, alcohol, random sexytimes, attitude and angst, and some school mean girl undertones. I have definitely outgrown these themes (they have never been my-kind-of-thing in YA) but Hannah's voice was so refreshing that despite everything I continued on. And I'm glad I did.

I was hooked on voice from the st While Trouble is written in an effortlessly engaging style I wasn't sure whether this would be my thing despite it having 5 star ratings from trusted friends. Look, it opens with a dose of partying, alcohol, random sexytimes, attitude and angst, and some school mean girl undertones. I have definitely outgrown these themes (they have never been my-kind-of-thing in YA) but Hannah's voice was so refreshing that despite everything I continued on. And I'm glad I did.

I was hooked on voice from the start -- but, IMO, the first 50-80 pages are the weakest. Things really gained momentum after a tenuous start and it soon became clear that this book is completely non-cliche, full of genuine heart, 3D characters and a plot that sails along unexpectedly (whatever you assume this teen pregnancy book is about, it isn't).

I love how Trouble is told in alternating POV -- like the plot, it is unconventional -- happily switching between Hannah and Aaron mid-scene, flipping back and forth in short bursts or sometimes holding one POV for extended lengths of time.

Also it would be criminal for me not to mention the swoon (in an unexpected and unpredictable way).

So many threads come together spectacularly in the last quarter of the book -- at this point the book really hits it's stride and the emotion and gut-punches are real and beautiful and balanced with ache and belonging and horror and hope. And the ending was just fantastic (although I could happily have gone on reading what happens next...)

I liked this a lot -- it was engaging and a read I found myself heading back to, consuming it in a couple of days. I am impressed with this debut and have a feeling Non Pratt could easily become a fave YA author of mine. A shaky start for me that built in awesomeness to a spectacular ending. So watching out for what Pratt has next.

Thanks to Trinja and Emily (both awarding Trouble 5 shining stars and fave reads of the year) for bringing this book to my attention :)

*If we're talking stars: I'd say 3 stars for the first half and 4.5 stars for the second half. ...more

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Mar 01, 2015 Shannon (kitchandpages) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2015-read-favorites

Actual Rating 4.5 stars
Gahhhh. Just finished this and I'm laughing and crying at the same time!! When I started Trouble, I was skeptical and didn't know if I was going to finish it, but I kept reading because it had great ratings from a lot of people whose opinions I trust. But WOW, I ended up loving this book. It's so original and beautiful in its own way. Endearing and real. I SO recommend this one!!! ...more

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Jun 29, 2013 Kirsty rated it it was amazing

Shelves: uk-author, review-books, ukya, signed, favourites

I have been waiting to read trouble for a long time and I am delighted to say it didn't disappoint. Trouble is the story of Hannah and Aaron. Hannah is 15 and pregnant and Aaron is the new boy at school who pretends to be the father of her child. It was the perfect read for me for several reasons.

Firstly the voices of both Aaron and Hannah are spot on. The way they think, the way chat about things with their friends captures all those thoughts and feelings of a 15 year old and it draws you comp I have been waiting to read trouble for a long time and I am delighted to say it didn't disappoint. Trouble is the story of Hannah and Aaron. Hannah is 15 and pregnant and Aaron is the new boy at school who pretends to be the father of her child. It was the perfect read for me for several reasons.

Firstly the voices of both Aaron and Hannah are spot on. The way they think, the way chat about things with their friends captures all those thoughts and feelings of a 15 year old and it draws you completely in. As a result I was the with them from page one and had to keep reading as I needed to know more about these characters. Hannah is clever and funny and whilst she does necessarily use it in the traditional way at school you really get the feeling that she is the sort of girl you would have wanted to hang out with when you were at school. Aaron is absolutely adorable and I loved his loyalty and finding out more about his past and why he was the way he was. Not only were the two main characters spot on the whole host of secondary characters from the other kids at school to Aaron elderly friend Neville (whom I must admit I have a special soft spot for) were brilliantly well done too.

For me this book is all about friendship and the main characters learning what it is to be a good friend. As the book goes on you get to see shifts in the social groups both Hannah and Aaron associate with and it is brilliant to see them at that last stage of high school going into adulthood as they suss out which of their friends are true friends and deserve the loyalty the other can offer.

One thing I do love about this book is the way in which teenage sex is handled. It isn't judgemental and sees sex as an ordinary part of growing up and teenage life as it should be. It doesn't have a preachy message about it either although it does comment on the way in which society can look down on teenage girls who enjoy doing the deed. I also loved how one of the characters was gay but he wasn't included as a gimmick or put on a pedestal but treated normally. We need more of that in YA fiction please.

Ultimately for me the best part of the book was the relationship between Hannah and Aaron and seeing how it develops over the course of the book. I loved how they bonded but still fell out and argued like proper teenagers. I loved seeing Hannah through Aaron's eyes and I loved seeing how they supported one another through some really though situations.

All in all a fantastic read, heart warming whilst dealing frankly with serious issues in a sensitive and funny way. I for on will be recommending this far and wide for a long time to come. ...more

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Sep 15, 2014 Emily rated it really liked it

This book was first brought to my attention by someone I follow, who recommended this book to everyone she possibly could, giving it a glowing review. I like most books that she does, so when I saw it in the library I thought "why not?". And Becky was not wrong, it was a very good book. But it's one of those books that have me completely torn - on one hand I love the issue it tackled, it had very real characters and the book engaged me. But then I didn't like the way it dealt with certain issues This book was first brought to my attention by someone I follow, who recommended this book to everyone she possibly could, giving it a glowing review. I like most books that she does, so when I saw it in the library I thought "why not?". And Becky was not wrong, it was a very good book. But it's one of those books that have me completely torn - on one hand I love the issue it tackled, it had very real characters and the book engaged me. But then I didn't like the way it dealt with certain issues.

I loved the characters, they were very real, discussing real things and doing things teenagers do. I know many people would completely disapprove of this, and think it's not typical of teenagers, but yes teens are out seeking drinks and having sex at 15. Ignore it and condemn it as much as we may like, but it happens. There are few that don't, and that is fine too, but many do and it's an element of teen life that this book does not ignore. The book flicks between Hannah and Aaron's points of view, which is a style that I completely adore in any book. I love the way that not only do we see more into each individual's lives and thoughts, but you can see how how their impressions of the other character develops as the events unravel.

The book is, as highlighted by the blatant sperm on the front page, about teenage sex and pregnancy. And as it is blatant on the front, it is also throughout (although there are no explicit sex scenes). It is very honest, which is definitely what helps make the characters real and relatable. It take a controversial topic, and turns it upside down, making you laugh throughout. Although Hannah is pregnant, she doesn't necessarily act the way one would expect her too. Additionally, the focus is not solely on her pregnancy, with only an occasional reference to some of the pregnancy symptoms, but on her relationship with her friends and their arguments, and her family.

However, with out spoiling it, I didn't like who the father turned out to be or how it was dealt with. Technically, Hannah falling pregnant at fifteen would be statutory rape, combine this with the father, would this realistically be ignored by the parents and not perused any further? There was, to my recollection, no mention of how the parents dealt with who the father was. For me, it took a book that could have been very realistic and made it less so.

Despite my quibbles, I thought this was a very good book, and would recommend it to older readers who enjoy reading twists on more controversial topics.

For this review, and others like it, see: https://tumblingintowonderlandbooks.w... ...more

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Oct 10, 2014 Abbie rated it liked it

Shelves: ebooks, young-adult, contemporary

Hannah Shepard hooks up with guys to distract her from missing the real love of her life. People label her as a slut and it doesn't really help that she gets pregnant.

Aaron Tyler lost someone he cared for and wanted a fresh start to make a difference in the hopes of redeeming himself. He pretends to be the father of Hannah's baby in the hopes of relieving some of his guilt.

I liked the relationship of the two characters as well as their individual personalities. I would have liked to know if they ...more

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Apr 27, 2014 Melissa rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: own

I enjoyed this book, I liked the relationship between Hannah and Aaron, as well as the conversations between Aaron and Neville and I was really wanted to read a friendship story. So that was nice.

But felt the story was a bit predictable.

The story ended where I thought it was going to end, but like a lot of contemporary books you always want to know a bit more after, rather than just finishing where they do.

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Oct 24, 2014 Aimee ♥ | Aimee, Always rated it liked it

Shelves: love-triangles, covergasm, eye-roll, this-is-hilarious-stuff, swoony-book-boys, predictable

More of a 2.5 star read.

The first half was really dragging, but things picked up after a while and I like how the book ended. Full review to come!

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Mar 05, 2014 Cynthia rated it liked it

Shelves: contemporary, ya, ya-book-prize-2015

Actual rating: 3.5 stars

TROUBLE was a really enjoyable and engaging read about two teenagers who find friendship in each other when they need it the most.

Hannah is fifteen and pregnant. She can't tell anyone who the real father is. When the whole school finds out about her pregnancy, Aaron, a new boy at school, offers to pretend to be the baby's father. Aaron has a secret tragedy in his own past to deal with, but through his newfound friendship with Hannah, he learns that maybe it's finally time ...more

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May 06, 2017 Dahlia added it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2014-releases

Really liked this one <3

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Jan 02, 2014 Kayleigh {K-Books} rated it it was amazing

Shelves: contemporary

Trouble Review on K-Books

Note: Before I go on to review this book I just want to say that this is possibly the hardest review I have ever wrote. Nothing that I wrote was ever good enough for the masterpiece that this book is. I started this review 5 times before I decided to sit down with some pen and paper and handwrite the review. (I do this when I really can't write a review as it helps me get my thoughts into words.) After all the trouble starting this review I am so thrilled with it and pro ...more

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Nov 20, 2016 Christine rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, contemporary, standalone

I've been going back and forth whether I should rate three or four stars. For a good chunk of the book I would say it was firmly at a three but I was very satisfied with the ending so I'm going with four for now.

This is a dual perspective contemporary ya novel about two teens one of whom finds herself pregnant at fifteen and the other a boy that just moved schools dealing with starting over in a new environment after troubles at his old school. They strike up an unlikely friendship and find the ...more

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Apr 26, 2015 Dulcie rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: Everyone!

Shelves: favourites, owned-books

Originally posted at my blog The Bibliolater

Reasons why TROUBLE will be your new favourite book:

1. It explores family themes like no other book. When you start this book, it’s pretty obvious this will explore families (I mean, there’s fucking sperms on the cover, what do you really expect?), but I never knew it would do it just so well. I loved the dynamics between everyone because they were so realistic, and family life was captured so well. Hannah’s family really became my own while I was read Originally posted at my blog The Bibliolater

Reasons why TROUBLE will be your new favourite book:

1. It explores family themes like no other book. When you start this book, it’s pretty obvious this will explore families (I mean, there’s fucking sperms on the cover, what do you really expect?), but I never knew it would do it just so well. I loved the dynamics between everyone because they were so realistic, and family life was captured so well. Hannah’s family really became my own while I was reading this.

2. I adored all the characters! Trouble is told with 2 POVs, and I cared about each of the characters completely equally. I was really rooting for them all the way, and I found their story so captivating. I was hooked throughout the whole book, and found it really hard to put down, because of how much I just wanted everything to be okay! They had so much depth, and were so complex. Everything became too real, so I just didn't want the book to end!

3. SO. MUCH. FRIENDSHIP. This might have been one of the biggest ideas, and I loved it! It showed how much a true best friend can mean to us, and this was the aspect that really helped me. The platonic relationship between Hannah and Aaron made me realise so much about my own life, which was one fo the reasons I found this book so touching. It hit really close to home, and although this won't make it everyone's favourite book, I think it was really moving, and important for everyone.

4. It’s feminist. If you’ve read this, you might be thinking: “What on Earth is she talking about?!”, but hear me out. It doesn't explicitly deal with gender politics. But I found that the way this dealt with issues like slut-shaming, and misogyny in sex, really opened my eyes (and will do to so many other people). Let me explain further:

Hannah is known for being ‘easy’ in her school. Everyone has the idea that she’s slept with loads of guys, so she’s worth less. (Bear with me for this bit). The other protagonist, Aaron, doesn’t believe in any of this. He doesn’t think of Hannah any differently, even though his ‘friends’ are miming her giving them a blow job, and being really horrible about her behind her back.

I liked the way this was shown to be not true. It’s a really big issue for teenage girls today, and it was explored so well, if you want to look for the themes. It's another really important message that I took away from this book, and I think if you're willing to think about it a bit, it's really educational. Also, Hannah's self esteem and self worth is not dictated by these disgusting men. She knows it isn’t true, and that’s one of the reasons why I love this book so much.

5. It’s emotional af, but in a good way. There were sad points (yes, I did well up in the school library. I was having a tough day, ok?! *sniffs*), but there were also times when this book was so uplifting. I loved how happy it made me feel (the ending... it was perfect!). SO MANY FEELS HERE. It was sad and happy all at once, but overall, it was light-hearted (even if it dealt with some really hard topics), and such an enjoyable read.

6. It’s super meaningful, and has so many brilliant messages for you to take away. There’s some pretty heavy themes in the second half of the book, but they were dealt with so well, and the book was still kept light and enjoyable. These dark feelings a character had were really important, and weren’t glorified in any way. It was real, dark, yet uplifting because of how well they were dealt with.

7. It’s a sex positive YA, and deals with it really well. Although this won’t appeal to everyone, I think if you’ve made it this far, you’ve seen the cover, and you’ve seen the sperms! I think you’ve probably twigged that this book is (to some extent) about sex. I liked how it was shown, as it wasn’t the typical fade to black scenes. There certainly wasn’t any “and then I didn’t know where he ended, and I begun” crap that seems to be in 50% of the sex scenes I’ve read. It was so honest, which I think is so important in YA fiction. ...more

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Dec 28, 2019 L A i N E Y ~back in a bit~ rated it liked it

Shelves: uk, ya, contemporary

Like the writing. Story also not bad it’s just not very memorable.

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Jul 19, 2014 Jaime Arkin rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, recommend-forever, ya, read-in-2014, stand-alone-books, simon-schuster, on-my-real-shelves, contemporary, 2014, 2014-real-book-challenge

4.5 Stars

From the moment I saw the summary of Trouble I knew I had to get my hands on it. The quick and dirty summary is when Hannah finds out she is pregnant, she can’t disclose who the father of the baby is. Aaron the new boy at school does something unthinkable and offers to take on the role and support her in every way that he can.

Trouble is at times a gritty and realistic portrayal of the lives of teens and teen issues – Pratt touches on drinking, drugs and definitely sex and she doesn’t 4.5 Stars

From the moment I saw the summary of Trouble I knew I had to get my hands on it. The quick and dirty summary is when Hannah finds out she is pregnant, she can’t disclose who the father of the baby is. Aaron the new boy at school does something unthinkable and offers to take on the role and support her in every way that he can.

Trouble is at times a gritty and realistic portrayal of the lives of teens and teen issues – Pratt touches on drinking, drugs and definitely sex and she doesn’t hold back, and at times, a lighthearted story of friendship and love. She approaches the sensitive subjects with a bit of humor and a lot of seriousness, because above all the situation the characters find themselves in is absolutely a serious one.

Pratt has created amazingly layered and captivating characters in the form of Hannah and Aaron and we get their stories in alternating chapters. Both of them are struggling with what is going on in their lives… Hannah in a very apparent way, and Aaron in a way that is a bit less apparent but none-the-less hard for him.

I truly loved the eventual rallying of Hannah’s family upon hearing her news. Her relationship with her grandmother was such a wonderful part of her story. And Aaron’s relationship with the cranky Neville added some necessary levity to the overall story.

What I loved most though was that Pratt isn’t preachy in telling her story. She doesn’t use this opportunity to present a cautionary tale to scare young girls into not having sex. Hannah isn’t shamed by her peers for having sex or even for getting pregnant and that’s something to commend.

And while it may seem that a romance might be imminent for our two main characters, that isn’t what this story is about. Instead both have much more important things to think about. And you’re going to be surprised by this… but I loved that about the story. Instead these two focus on building a true friendship.

I don’t know if I can pinpoint what exactly it was about this story that hooked me… but I found that I couldn’t put this book down once I started it, staying up all night to read. There are no huge moments filled with action and suspense, but what you will find here is a lovely story about family… both the family you are born with, and the family that ends up choosing you. And life with them is messy and confusing and frustrating and sad but ultimately filled with love, and that’s what shines through. Mistakes may be made, and there is definitely some disappointment, but the love is always there.

I know… you’re probably wondering why I didn’t give this five full stars. So here are my nit-picky comments – I thought the end was a bit rushed, and even though I know it’s a bit greedy, I wanted a bit more there at the end. But that’s it. This was pretty much a perfect read for me.

If you’re looking for an issue book that isn’t preachy … a story with characters that will have you wishing they were real people, then you definitely need to pick up Trouble as soon as you can!
...more

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Feb 17, 2014 Daniela rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, best-of-2014

Originally at www.danio710.blogspot.com

WOW!!! That was pretty damn near perfect. And I don't mean in the conventional way, absolutely positively the opposite. Non Pratt has crafted an elegant coming of age tale about a girl, a boy, a bun in the oven and all the trouble that ensues when one boy, a new boy, decides to take on the role of 'baby daddy'. When I first came upon this book while browsing through GoodReads, I thought to myself, "Not really into the whole teen pregnancy narrative", Katie Originally at www.danio710.blogspot.com

WOW!!! That was pretty damn near perfect. And I don't mean in the conventional way, absolutely positively the opposite. Non Pratt has crafted an elegant coming of age tale about a girl, a boy, a bun in the oven and all the trouble that ensues when one boy, a new boy, decides to take on the role of 'baby daddy'. When I first came upon this book while browsing through GoodReads, I thought to myself, "Not really into the whole teen pregnancy narrative", Katie Cutugno's "How To Love" had caught my attention now and again, but I have never decided to pull the trigger when it came to stories about teen pregnancy. Why? I am not quite sure. Perhaps it is the litany of Teen Mom propaganda that is constantly thrust in my face when I turn on my television. All in all, I thought it would be a very big waste of my time. BOY, AM I HAPPY THAT I GAVE IT A SHOT!!!

This book is pretty amazing, let me tell you why. Have you ever read YA contemporary novels and been sucked into some preposterous, completely unbelievable romance, well, I have, CONSTANTLY, most times I don't mind, but sometimes, sometimes I crave something with a bit more substance, cue 'Trouble'. What fascinated me most about this novel was that it was authentic and unassuming. The characters, for example, are prefect misfits, they aren't your stereotypical YA character, they have flaws, glaring ones at that. They make poor decisions and make destructive choices, but yet, you want to take a deeper look. You end up hoping, against all odds, that they will find their way. Any novel that makes you root for characters that in the beginning you were annoyed by is a RESOUNDING SUCCESS.

Because although we may claim "I don't judge, not at all" we all do, maybe not all to the same extent, but it's something that is pretty unavoidable. So for this novel to elicit emotions such as, compassion, sadness and empathy, all for characters that at times seemed irredeemable is pretty fantastic. Another thing I loved about this novel was the entirely platonic relationship between the main characters. I for one remember being around 7-8 years old and having a best friend named Robert, back when boys and girls being friends didn't mean distant wedding bells. I remember how effortless and uncomplicated that friendship was, which makes me wonder, Why can't there be more YA novels with this kind of platonic relationship between main characters? Are we really always on a quest for love and romance that we will jam it into any situation regardless of how inappropriate and ineffective it is for the narrative.

All that I really want to say, before I go off on a tangent, is that Non Pratt has created a real-life story about teen pregnancy, one that isn't glorified, one that is full of complications and bumps in the road, but one that is dazzling and unprecedented in its beauty. ...more

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About Non Pratt

Non Pratt

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Non Pratt started her career working on non-fiction activity books at Usborne, before becoming an editor at Catnip Publishing. Her debut novel TROUBLE shortlisted for the YA Book Prize and the Branford Boase Award, with rights sold to the USA, Germany and Brazil. Her second novel, REMIX came out in 2015 and a novella, UNBOXED for Barrington Stoke in 2016. Her third novel with Walker Books, TRUTH O ...more