Although all of us have certainly lived through the adolescent years, mercifully few of us clearly remember those times.  However, if someone were to feel the need to relive the agonizing teen years, all they would need to do is pick up a copy of Linda Oatman High’s book, Planet Pregnancy.  In it, the reader can vicariously re-experience all the uncertainty, isolation, and frustration of adolescence, combined with the complication of teen pregnancy.  Oatman High has managed to capture the fear, desperation, and loneliness of an accidental pregnancy with accuracy and insight uncommon in much young adult literature.

This is the story of Sahara, a sixteen-year-old girl who, on September 10, 2001, suddenly finds herself pregnant.  What unfolds is a diary of her pregnancy, written as a lengthy poem which spans her nine-month ordeal.  Although Oatman High has formatted the book as a poem, the rhymes are not cloying and sing-songy like so many other extended poems, but rather flow naturally with the story.  At times, the reader completely forgets that the text is a poem at all, it is so skillfully presented.  In addition to the fluidity of the writing, the book also contains many instances of le mot juste when describing Sahara and her family.  For example, Mom’s wearing/a green scarf/she never forgets/ a holiday/she also never forgets/a mistake (p.128).  The reader has no doubt as to what kind of mother she is.  When speaking of her absent father, who divorced her mother shortly after she was born, and whom she has not seen since, she says, He is/your biological/father, Mom says/Bio, maybe/logical, no (p.162).  In those few lines, Oatman High describes Sahara’s parents and their relationship with her with surgical precision.  We know these people, we have met them, and in some cases, they are us.

Sahara’s story is not a unique one, unfortunately, but Oatman High’s portrayal of it is novel.  It is a poignant tale of a young girl’s fear, anxiety, and self-doubt as she tries to decide what to do about her situation.  Afraid to share her secret with anyone, even her best friend, she struggles through the first five months of her pregnancy battling guilt, remorse, and a plummeting sense of self-worth. In addition, she cannot come to terms about whether she wants to keep the baby, give it up for adoption, or “terminate.”  Her anguish is genuine, and Oatman High’s subtle message is clearly anti-abortion, but she never crosses the line into preaching.

The authenticity of this book will appeal to young adult readers, and the messages it contains about patience, understanding, and empathy are especially important for adults.  Oatman High manages to remind us what it was like to be a struggling teenager, and also to encourage parents to support their children no matter what.

© 2011 Lynn DuPree

Lynn DuPree is an Associate Professor of English at a private university in Madison, Wisconsin. She holds a Masters Degree in Secondary Education from Viterbo University and a Masters Degree in English-Literacy, Technology and Professional Writing from Northern Arizona University. She has been an educator for over 20 years teaching students in grades from middle school through college.