Review Wednesday: Immaculate by Katelyn Detweiler

Title: Immaculate

Author: Katelyn Detweiler

1st Date of Publication: May 26, 2015

ISBN: 0451469623

# of Pages: 464

Genre: Young Adult Contemporary

Age Rating: 15+ (Language, Violence)

Buy it on Amazon

Book Description: Mina is top of her class, girlfriend to the most ambitious guy in school, able to reason and study her way through anything. But when she finds herself pregnant—despite having never had sex—her orderly world collapses. Almost nobody believes Mina’s claims of virginity. Her father assumes that her boyfriend is responsible; her boyfriend thinks she must have cheated on him. As news of Mina’s story spreads, there are those who brand her a liar. There are those who brand her a heretic. And there are those who believe that miracles are possible—and that Mina’s unborn child could be the greatest miracle of all.

Setting: Green Hill, Pennsylvania

Point of View: 1st Person- Mina

Goodreads Rating: 3.65

My Rating: 3.75

Part of the Book that Caught My Attention: Both title and cover

View on the Cover: The cover is really cool interesting because it is a beautiful girl laying down with desperation.

View on the Title: The word "immaculate" I've only heard one time and that was when the Virgin Mary so I thought that it would be interesting.

Pros:

• Jesse's character, in my opinion, is pretty awesome. He is so faithful to Mina, even though he just met her, through the whole situation.
• Mina's strength is amazing through the situation. Hardly anyone believes her that she is a virgin yet pregnant. I don't think I would have the amount of strength to go to high school (again) and be in her situation.
• I thought the concept was really neat and it was very captivating for me.
• It was interesting that the book was broken up into 3 parts to represent the 3 trimesters. I think that it helps keep track of the time and progress of Mina's pregnancy.

Cons:

• The bullying through both verbally and internet was ridiculous. It truly represents the problem of bullying and how judgmental people can be when something so life changing whether it was accidental, purposeful, or by chance.
• It dragged on a bit and could have been at least 100 pages shorter, but if anything  it allows the reader to understand Mina's character along with some of the other important characters.

Critics' Reviews:

"Detweiler's smart writing moves quickly and entertains, particularly with Mina's appealingly bright voice. Even as the story probes its mystical underpinnings, the focus remains firmly on Mina right through to the end. Detweiler's ambitious debut takes an intriguing premise and executes it well." -Kirkus Reviews

"Immaculate is a bewitching and thought-provoking story about the strength and faith required to face a contemporary miracle. This one begs for a sequel." -National Book Award Finalist Deb Caletti
"Katelyn Detweiler’s Immaculate is a vividly-imagined story about magic, faith, and family. Her heroine’s wildly unlikely teenage pregnancy leads to more than just a brutal break-up and national scandal; it allows for an exploration of essential questions about sex, identity, and what belief means to human beings. In a lovely and uplifting twist, Immaculate gives us girls who believe in themselves and each other, girls who move forward—in spite of extremely difficult circumstances—to create joy, love, and new life." -Rachel DeWoskin (author of Blind and Big Girl Small)

"[The] message is more about faith in general than a specific set of beliefs. A unique page-turner mixing humor and heart, this is a thought-provoking take on miracles and motherhood." -School Library Journal

"It's a sincere, romantic, and secular story of birth, young motherhood, and new love." -Publisher's Weekly

Katelyn Detweiler's Website:

http://www.katelyndetweiler.com/

Other Recommendations:

Eve by Anna Carey
The Chosen One by Carol Lynch Williams