Detour for Emmy

Hamilton High #1

by Marilyn Reynolds

In the 9th grade, Emmy is an A student, a soccer star, and a lead soprano in the school choir. She won't let her alcoholic mother or her father, long gone, stand in her way. Emmy falls for Art, a junior who is also one of the choir's lead singers. Art is a dream of a boyfriend until Emmy finds that she's pregnant. Then he wants nothing to do with her. Her mother is furious and wants her to have an abortion. Her guidance counselor claims that Emmy's life will be ruined, and only one of her friends tries to stand by her. But what does Emmy want, and what about her dreams, if she chooses a new life as a single mother?

Genres: Banned Books, Young Adult, Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Teen

272 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1993

Reviews

[Mariah Roze · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in high school and loved it! I still remember this book so clearly! It opened up my eyes to a lot of things.

[Mayra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emmy is a good student and has a bright future but then she meets her boyfriend and starts dating and going out. Her mom's never been to into her life and Emmy needs love she starts having relationships with him and one day she becomes pregnant. She does not know what to do but her boyfriend starts peeling off. Emmy decides to have the baby and she teels us about it is. Her mom is totally soppurtive and her boyfriend takes resposibility. Although he never takes emmy and their baby to meet his parents. Then later in the story he stops talking to her and starts dating another girl. Emmy gets mad and decides that she will present the baby to his parents and this is only one of the things she does for her baby.It is a great book on how a girl decides to do what is right since her boyfriend won't.

[Eletric Eel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book for health class but really liked it, and couldn't put it down. It's a book about a teen pregnancy and how one girl has the courage and determanation to help her baby have the best life possible even though her boyfriend left her, her mother is an alcholic who refuses to help and her brother is a confused and distressed teenager in prison( long story). She must give up school and learn how to balance everything. but with the help of a supportive grandpa and caring friends she makes it okay.

[Justen Perez · Rating 5 out of 5]

all time fave

[Rachel Mortenson · Rating 3 out of 5]

well written, but definitely intended for a younger audience than myself. could have done without the weird racist comments.

[Chrissi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this as part of a banned books feature that I do on my blog. I thought it was an interesting read. I really enjoyed how strong a person Emmy was.

[Guadalupe Garcilazo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE this book. I read it in high school and I just got done reading it again! I really like how the book describes each character and I get to create a picture of how they all look. I think this book is one of those that make me think what I would do or what my life would be if I were in a certain situation. I think that Emmy is a strong and smart girl that just had a sudden life change and she still managed to pull through and prove that we can achieve whatever we want.

[Maria Brandenburg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wasn't a bad book. Took awhile to get into for me and seemed a little slow going. I think it is a good book for young ladies to read though, a real life story that they can see what might happen if they were to get pregnant at a young age while still in school.

[Amber Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book in middle school and wanted to reread it and I loved it just the same! Although times have changed since this book was written, it’s still such an amazing book.

[Amy Perrault · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book for a young teen mom & is in other books of the series.

[Ashleigh Osborne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book along with our teen parent students. I enjoy working with this teacher and class! It was very real to read the book and hear about their experiences. Detour for Emmy tells the story of a teenage girl who gets pregnant and decides to keep the baby. While she struggled, she stayed true to herself and did what she thought was best for her and the baby.

[Isabella Cole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Comfort read!

[Damon Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Detour for Emmy is the best book in the whole world!!!! ITs a story about a girl who falls in love with "the boy of her dreams" in highschool. She loses her virginity to him. One night they had unprotected sex and he "pulls out" right before... and she gets pregnant. He doesn't take responsibility and she has to deal with her alcoholic mom, her angry brother while balancing school and her new baby.
The author’s style is quite interesting since it’s a girl’s perspective and it was a great experience reading her work. I love the fact that the author writes a bunch of stories about teens. Since it’s about teens it was easy for me to read it since I’m a teenager myself and it’s interesting because I would want to be able to click as well in high school when I talk to girls.
I would recommend this book to whoever likes high school drama, boy/girl relationships, and family drama.

[Desiree Zempel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the book “Detour for Emmy” by Marilyn Reynolds. This book was the best book I have ever read. Reading this book from the start catches your attention right away. By the little detail and everything that is said. It all started out with Emmy being a shy girl, but falling in love with a boy from choir and lost her virginity to him. Later on after they had sex, Emmy didn’t get her period and she knew right then and there she was pregnant. Emmy went to go tell her boy friend and he acted like he would be there for her, but it was all a lie. I don’t want to say much more because I will spoil the book. It was a good book. I recommend this book to any teens that are pregnant as a teenager, or are into nonfiction books about pregnancy.

[Maura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really good, realistic story about teen pregnancy. Emmy, who has been a good girl all this time, meets Art who romances her and they agree to take their relationship further. One time they don't use protection (he pulls out) and she gets pregnant. Only he doesn't believe he's the father and he's not willing to take responsibility and Emmy is left alone to endure pregnancy, finish schooling and raise a baby. We see how much Emmy's life changes and how vulnerable she is...especially when Art comes back from college. A really good book about teen pregnancy and how it can change your life. It doesn't feel preachy and it doesn't speak out against sex or love between teens...it just shows a realistic portrayal of things. Teens can draw their own conclusions.

[Jasmine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book when I was a teen and in high school and the thing I got out of it was not to get pregnant in high school. It was raw and real and a very good read. Emmy fell in love, got pregnant and her life was turned upside down and there isn't a cookie cutter ending. Here she is stuck with a brand new life in her hands staying up late, changing diapers while the baby's father is left unchanged and to live his life. Now, why teens are given this book to read is news to me it should be mandatory.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Emmy showed great promise in school and on her soccer team. She meets a cute boy and they have a relationship. They are careful when having sex, but one time they aren’t. Obviously she gets pregnant and her whole life turns to crap, ish. Her brother is in jail, her mother wants her to have an abortion, the baby’s father denies his responsibilities and her teachers have already written her off. Emmy will have this baby and she will follow through on her plans of graduation and college.

Nothing much here, standard teen pregnancy book. The characters weren’t all that interesting.

[Erika Guerrero · Rating 4 out of 5]

a 15 year old girl that gets pregnat. She doesn't know what todo with the babt. Whne she's to young to take care of him. She feelslonley and scare. She doesn't have love from her family. And she feels tha no one is going to support her with a baby. With a deunk mother she didn't have n one to caount with. Her boyfriend didn't want to be responsible for the baby. She had to face the world on her own and with a child.

[Whisper_willow]

This book was so sad but so very true. This is one of those books taht you read and you look at the world around you and ask youself where mankind went wrong. what started all this stuff? Detour for Emmy is about a teen girl who gets pregnant and her boyfriend (the father of the baby) wants nothing to do with it b/c hes "too young for a kid" it just tore me to pieces that he would tell her he loved her and then when it comes to actually proving his words right he failed so miserably.

[zapkode · Rating 5 out of 5]

{my thoughts} - This book hit home hit home with me. I recommend this book for any teenage parent to read. It is well written and is not full of fluff. It says what can happen in such a situation and the reality of what it is like to raise a baby as a teenager. It doesn't beat around the bush it says it how it is and that is all that matters. Teenagers need to know the reality of such a situation and this book shares with them that reality.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel is very interesting and heart opening.It shows the stuggle of a teen facing motherhood.This book can show many teens, that parenthood is not easy for a teenager that has nothing to give to her child.I like how the book also shows that your not always going to have your boyfriend in a situation like this because they will not always stick to your side no matter what because at some point things will change.

[[:maяia:] · Rating 5 out of 5]

emmy is an intelligent girl who got pregnant at age 16.she was still attending school trying to make up all the work she missed.she was having a hard time but got through all the difficult moments and gave birth to a baby girl:]






i learned that being pregnant is very difficult for teens who is still in school.

[Devon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've always been one for fiction books of teen pregnancy and this is one of my favorites. Marilyn Reyenolds really call pull at your heart strings with this story of a teenage girl becoming pregnant, her boyfriend leaves her and her family is broken. Love how you can see the girls passion of only wanting the best for her baby

[Anners · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the story of fifteen-year-old Emmy, who finds herself on a diversion from her carefully laid academic plans to the road of single motherhood. The hardship, tedium, and responsibility of parenting and the pain of deferred dreams provide a strong, if sometimes didactic, message to YAs. The story is predictable and the language is at times tedious, but the story is still compelling.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I especially enjoyed reading about the infant center. This is an on-site daycare that offers young parents an opportunity to finish their education.
I have previous work experience in different child care settings. Very much looking forward to reading some more by this young adult writer.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved this book as a teenager. Although I was not a pregnant teenager, I found this to be a very realistic book because a lot of girls in my high school were pregnant. Even though Emmy's situation is terrible, you find yourself rooting for her!

[Evan Williamson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I cannot say this is a good book, but it does have a good heart and a great message buried in a wealth of stilted, Lifetime movie quality dialog and jerky pacing. The audience for this book is teenagers and it is written on their level, sometimes too well.

[Lissette · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the book Detour for Emmy she has to go through a lot of things.Its has to be hard to be a teen mom,but emmy got through it. I like this book because it shows that even though she made a mistake she still made something with her life and still taking care of a baby.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Poor Emmy. That is pretty much the only thought in your mind while reading this book. You can just see how starved of affection she was her whole life, and how that drove her to do what she did. It's a fast read, and the story touches your heart.

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good story for youthful teenage girls that leaves a moral or lesson towards the end. Marilyn Reynolds leaves a message about caring and accepting life changes through the lonely and tough parts of life.