More of a 2.5 rating. I couldn't get into this book at the beginning. Jamie's narrative and self-talk was scattershot and confusing. But once we learn what she's hiding, it makes more sense and the story becomes more compelling. I guess her stressed-out frame of mind would explain her scattered emotions. After reading this and the author's note, you wonder if "back-alley" abortions will make a so-called comeback. Scary. ( )

A compelling story but the narrative suffers from unevenness and an occasional heavy hand. Levine does a superb job of capturing the cultural nuances of the time. ( )

We've seen a lot of YA novels tackle the topic of teen pregnancy, but IN TROUBLE by Ellen Levine is the first one I've read to look at girls "in trouble" from this angle. Taking place in the 1950s, IN TROUBLE is the story of a teen girl who's best friend has recently moved away. Jamie misses Elaine dearly, and they keep in touch through letters -- letters in which Elaine is constantly singing the praises of her college boyfriend. But when the unthinkable happens, and Elaine becomes pregnant, even Jamie can't help her. She tries -- talking to her aunt, her cousin, trying to convince Elaine that there are options out there other than being locked away in a Catholic home for girls where they will force her to give up her baby.

But the thing is, Jamie has her own trouble. Trouble she can't tell her mom or her grandmother, or even her friend Paul. And it isn't until she confronts what happened to her on that night -- a night that she is trying so hard to forget -- that she will be able to help herself.

I loved every moment I spent with IN TROUBLE. The voice is distinct, and the 1950s New York setting is perfectly painted. Even with such a hard topic, Ellen Levine manages to bring out hope, to show the strength of her characters, and to relate to the modern reader. This is absolutely a read that I'll be recommending to anyone who will listen, and a story that both historical fiction buffs and contemporary fiction lovers will enjoy. ( )

Tackling serious topics can be tricky for a young adult novel. Writers can easily fall into a trap of presenting one side of a debate thinly cloaked in character and plot devices. The novel can become a parody of the Afterschool Special and focus on its message rather than its story.

In Trouble by Ellen Levine is not one of those books. Although teen pregnancy is at the center of her story, Levine’s characters drive the story. The 1950s New York setting helps remove issues surrounding teen pregnancy from a modern reader’s world, but Jamie Morse, Levine’s 16-year-old protagonist, could easily eat lunch in any high school cafeteria today.

Spoilers ahead.

Readers meet Jamie during a phone call with her best friend, Elaine. Elaine needs Jamie’s help to sneak off for a weekend with her college boyfriend. Jamie’s views of teen sex are colored by her recent date-rape experience. As if that weren’t enough for Jamie to deal with, her father will be returning home from 11 months in prison. He was sentenced for contempt of Congress as part of the McCarthy hearings.

The McCarthy connection could serve as a novel on its own that may not belong in In Trouble. The conviction speaks to how Jamie’s father thinks and what his family supports means in the larger context of the novel, and it serves to flesh out Paul, Jamie’s would-be boyfriend and editor of their school’s newspaper. Those aspects could have been developed differently.

When Elaine discovers she’s pregnant, Jamie contacts an older cousin for information about abortions. Soon, her entire family is involved, although Jamie, like her father, refuses to name names beyond assuring her family she is not the pregnant girl.

A less talented writer would use the family discussions as a focus for the novel’s debate, presenting one (or several) sides of the argument. Because Levine has a gift for breathing life into even minor characters, the family discussions are natural. No character stands out as a straw man.

Jamie’s aunt reveals a long-ago abortion to Jamie in confidence. And In Trouble picks up a slight lecturing tone as Aunt Shelia tells Jamie that pregnancy doesn’t happen only to loose girls and premarital sex does not make Jamie’s friend a slut. The sentiment is echoed in Levine’s afterword, which also adds historical context for the book.

Elaine holds strong to her belief that her suddenly absent boyfriend will marry her and they’ll raise the baby together, but eventually her secret becomes apparent to her parents. Elaine is sent to a Catholic home for unwed mothers, a decision Jamie finds hard to understand.

Jamie’s difficulty intensifies when she discovers the rape has led to her own pregnancy. Since she never told her family about the attack, she feels she cannot tell them about the pregnancy. She tells Paul, who goes with her to a doctor for a pregnancy test. The two pretend to be married in order to receive the test.

After a failed attempt to get an abortion — the unlicensed abortionist discovers Jamie isn’t 18 — Jamie ends up telling her parents. Jamie’s family is the polar opposite of Elaine’s, and her parents help her get an abortion. Shortly after the procedure, Jamie learns Elaine was forced to give her baby up for adoption.

The book ends somewhat abruptly. Elaine and Jamie’s friendship is irrevocably changed by their different decisions. Jamie’s relationships with Paul and her father are at the beginning of something new or something to be mended. Levine doesn’t continue with Jamie’s reactions to the abortion, which works for the novel. Jamie’s reactions aren’t something to come and go in the space of a few weeks. Levine told the story she wanted to tell and leaves the next pieces to the reader’s imagination.

The publisher lists the interest level as ages 12 to 18. In Trouble may not be appropriate for the younger part of that age group who may not be ready for discussions the book is sure to engender. Jamie and Elaine represent different answers to teen pregnancy, although the novel comes down more on the pro-choice side of the abortion debate because Jamie tells the story. If Elaine narrated In Trouble, the book may have come down more on the pro-life side. Levine’s afterword details her own perspective on the debate.

More than being a pro-choice or pro-life book, In Trouble’s main message is one of support for and from family and friends. The characters behave like real teenagers of any time would, and the story flows naturally. ( )

This is a great book about getting "in trouble". I remember the days were times were like this. My mom freak out one time cause when I was in eighth grade back in 1998-99 school year, a girl in my class got pregnant. My mom flipped out, questioning me about "boys." Granted, my mom was only doing what she felt she needed to be done. But back then, teen pregnancies were not that common. And getting "in trouble" was wrong.

I will say that I really enjoyed this book. I think the author did a wonderful job on capturing the essence of the time period and what it was like for a young girl to get in trouble like that. This book reminded me of the movie Riding in Cars with Boys, but with slightly more drama. This book deals with the issues of abortion, adoption, and of course keeping the baby. I love that the author gave different point of views in dealing with getting in trouble.

I think that this book can be very controversial. I know for every girl it is a different situation.Some are forced into it, while others have no other choice. And just like this book, each girl has to do what is right for her. ( )