Jumping off Swings by Jo Knowles

One pregnancy. Four friends. It all adds up to a profound time of change in this poignant, sensitively written YA novel. Ellie remembers how the boys kissed her. Touched her. How they begged for more. And when she gave it to them, she felt loved. For a while anyway. So when Josh, an eager virgin with a troubled home life, leads her from a party to the backseat of his van, Ellie follows. But their "one-time thing" is far from perfect: Ellie gets pregnant. Josh reacts with shame and heartbreak, while their confidantes, Caleb and Corinne, deal with their own complex swirl of emotions. No matter what Ellie chooses, all four teenagers will be forced to grow up a little faster as a result. Told alternately from each character’s point of view, this deeply insightful novel explores the aftershocks of the biggest decision of one fragile girl’s life — and the realities of leaving innocence behind.


This was a brutally honest book. The characters seemed real and the situation was totally believable. Ellie's character was emotional, but in a real-life way. She acted like a normal stressed and emotional teenage girl.
I honestly didn't expect Caleb's emotions to go in the direction they did. It was a pretty big surprise for me when I read it, and I really liked that. It made the book seem unpredictable.
I also liked how Josh kinda went against stereotypes a little at the end. He wanted to care for his child.
I highly recommend this book! It is wonderful.