Review: Hooked by Catherine Greenman

Hooked by Catherine Greenman

August 9, 2011

Delacorte Books for Young Readers

Synopsis:
Thea Galehouse has always known how to take care of herself. With a flighty club-owner mom and a standoffish, recovering-alcoholic dad, Thea has made her own way in her hometown of New York, attending the prestigious and competitive Stuyvesant High School. But one chat with Will, a handsome and witty senior, and she's a goner—completely hooked on him and unable to concentrate on anything else.
Always worried that she loves Will more than he loves her, Thea is pleasantly surprised when their romance weathers his move to college and Will goes out of his way to involve her in his life. But then, Thea misses a period. And that starts Thea and Will on a wild ride that neither of them could have possibly prepared for. When they decide to keep the baby, their concerned parents chip in what they can to keep Will in school and give both teenagers a comfortable place to raise their child. But when a freak accident leaves Thea shaken and threatens to upend their little family altogether, Thea is forced to turn to the last place she would have chosen for comfort: her stiff, uncompromising father.
This smart, touching first novel brims with realistic, beautifully drawn characters, and reminds us that love is never as easy or predictable as we might like it to be.

My Review:
Going in to Hooked, I was weary but hopeful. Teen Pregnancy is such a taboo subject so I was interested in how Greenman would pull it off. I am sad to say that I was a bit disappointed in the outcome. The characters were one-dimensional and I wasn't able to really get into Hooked because of that. They weren't very likable, and I found myself cringing at their words and actions. If you are interested in books like this, try it. If you aren't but are a bit curious about it, be prepared to be let down.

Thea was a clingy, needy teen who should not have gotten involved in such a relationship with her boyfriend. I don't know what Will saw in Thea, or even Thea in Will. I wasn't at all involved in what Thea was going through because I didn't like who she was as a person and she wasn't real enough for me. Sure, I felt pity for her at times, but not enough to get how she got herself into the situations she did. One thing I will say is that I commend her for not getting an abortion. It was her fault for getting pregnant and not the baby's so I was happy when she decided against it.

Will was rude, mean, and an over all jerk who I would never fall for. He is such a tool and pulls Thea around. Everything she does revolves around him and I got so mad at him. Especially towards the end!! What he said and did to Thea infuriated me. If I wasn't so close to being done with the book I would have put it down then and there.

Though I didn't care for most of the story, it did have a few redeemable parts. Ian, Thea and Will's baby is a total sweetie pie. I just love babies and the way Greenman described him made me come to love him! I also liked Will's parents and Thea's dad. Even though Will's parents aren't around often, they made some scenes lighter and I was happy with how they handled certain situations. Thea's dad doesn't have the greatest personality, but I commend him for being there for Thea when she needed him most.

While Hooked isn't that great of a read, I did like that it didn't promote teen pregnancy. Readers will see from the story that it isn't at all glamorous like some TV shows (16 and Pregnant) make it out to be. It is tough and will change your life forever.

My Rating: