ARC #Review: AFTERCARE INSTRUCTIONS by Bonnie Pipkin

AFTERCARE INSTRUCTIONS

Author: Bonnie Pipkin
Series: N/A
Source: eARC via Publisher
Publisher: Flatiron
Publication Date: June 27, 2017
Rating: 4/5 stars

Summary:
In the tradition of Jandy Nelson and Rainbow Rowell, a big-hearted journey of furious friendship, crazy love, and unexpected hope after a teen's decision to end an unwanted pregnancy

“Troubled.” That’s seventeen-year-old Genesis according to her small New Jersey town. She finds refuge and stability in her relationship with her boyfriend, Peter—until he abandons her at a Planned Parenthood clinic during their appointment to terminate an unwanted pregnancy. The betrayal causes Gen to question everything.

As Gen pushes herself forward to find her new identity without Peter, she must also confront her most painful memories. Through the lens of an ongoing four act play within the novel, the fantasy of their undying love unravels line by line, scene by scene. Digging deeper into her past while exploring the underground theater world of New York City, she rediscovers a long-forgotten dream. But it’s when Gen lets go of her history, the one she thinks she knows, that she’s finally able to embrace the complicated, chaotic true story of her life, and take center stage.


This powerfully immersive and format-crushing debut follows Gen from dorm rooms to diners to house parties to auditions—and ultimately, right into readers’ hearts.

Purchase:

Amazon | Chapters | TBD

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book and decided to review it. This in no way impacts my opinions of the book.

This was really enjoyable and I loved the story and the characters but I wasn't a huge fan of the format with the flashbacks being in script. I think I would have enjoyed it more without that aspect. But I still really liked it! I think if you are a fan of heavy contemporary novels, this is one for you. The characters, the story, everything really worked for me.

I really liked the concept. I think some people will find it to be "controversial" but I think the topic itself was handled in a really fantastic way. It was clear that Gen had a clear understanding of what was going to happen to her and that she MADE THE CHOICE HERSELF. I liked that we never felt like she was forced or pressured to make one decision or the other, either in terms of sex, her future, or having an abortion. I felt so confident in Gen and her choices that even if I didn't agree with everything she did (like, for instance, getting extremely drunk when she shouldn't have), I still respected that she made the choice herself.

I liked the community she surrounded herself with and that she had problems with another girl Because of a Boy but it wasn't JUST because of that. I think the conflicts in this one were really well handled. I also thought that the supporting cast was really excellent. I liked that her friends (and not friends) all had their own motivations and interests and I could tell the difference between them all. Although I would say that when we are first introduced to her cousin I wasn't quite sure what to expect but I think it was partly because of the procedure Gen had just gone through.

The one thing that was meh to me was the flashbacks done in script format. I found that it took something away from the story and made me think of it as a story rather than staying in the moment and being there with the characters. I wasn't a fan and thought that without these scenes I would have enjoyed the story a bit more -- or even if they had been written in the same format. I am not a fan of changing formats within books and I don't like reading scripts so that is probably what did it for me.

I think there is something for everyone in this book: first love, loss, tough decisions, family, and friendship. I highly recommend reading this one but be warned that there are Heavy Topics in this one. I think this is one that people will either love or hate so I am glad I was in the "Love" section of that one!