All The Small Things

Every Little Thing in the World

Written by: Nina de Gramont

Released: March 23, 2010 by Atheneum

Summary: When sixteen-year-old Sydney Biggs’s pregnancy test shows the tell tale plus sign, she confides in only her best friend Natalia, and Natalia promptly “borrows” her mother’s car so Sydney can confront the baby’s father. But after the car is reported stolen and police bring the girls home, their parents send them away to wilderness camp as punishment. With six weeks to spend in the wilds of Canada, time is ticking for Sydney, who isn’t sure what she wants to do about the pregnancy. As she befriends her fellow adventuremates and contends with Natalia’s adamant opinions on the choices available, Sydney realizes that making the right choice can mean very different things.

Ok, I loved this book and I’m not just saying that because it was sent to me. No, it was just so completely raw and real; I can completely see this happening in real life. But at the same time I hated it with a passion because of some of the things that happen. Really, this book pissed me off to no end.

First, I’m completely pro-choice – it’s your body, do with it as you will – and I would never even think of counselling someone on this since I’ve never experienced it, which is why Natalia annoyed me so much, but I am completely against getting drunk while knowingly pregnant. Still, that’s where part of the realness comes into play as well, I suppose.

Second was the idiocy that Natalia portrayed at times. I mean, come on, wanting to take care of your best friend’s baby and raise it with your boyfriend who your parents hate? At 16? What the hell? It’s idiocy like that that ran rampant through my high school; luckily no one acted on it… I don’t think. Then there was her trying to influence Sidney on the big decision. I wanted her to just but out and stay out. However, without her character the book would have been vastly different, I will admit that. She had a strong hand in how amazing the entire story turned out to be.

de Gramont’s writing is absolutely amazing in the way that she depicts this entire story, she takes the “oh no, girl gets knocked up and doesn’t know what to do” to an entirely new and amazing level that had me reading this book in one sitting while waiting for Big Brother to load on YouTube. It’s her fantastic way of writing the insight into Sidney’s character that was able to bring about such strong responses from me as I was reading. This is something that I think shows the skill of a truly phenomenal writer.

I was pulled into the realness of how Sidney was coping with her pregnancy and how there was a certain flavour of denial thrown in along with complete disregard for the entity that was growing inside of her. I was pulled into Sidney’s head and how her thought patterns sometimes turned slightly morbid, but at the same time I could picture this happening and it just felt so true and real.

If you’re easily offended or are pro-life, this book probably isn’t for you. From the Goodreads page, the more negative reviews have come from fairly devout Christians, so if you’re loving the JC (he is a pretty cool guy), you might want to pass this one by. However, if you’re able to see a situation from different viewpoints, then go for it. This is honestly one of the most fantastic books that I’ve read in a while from the writing right down to the storyline. In fact, I think that this would be a great book for young girls to read period, whether they're preggers or not, just because it does take the reader through so many emotions regarding the entire situation. I’m giving it a 9/10. It would be higher, but I just can’t get the image of Sidney drinking out of my head.