Fiction, Fantasy, and YA Book Review: FIRST PART LAST

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Johnson, Angela. 2003. THE FIRST PART LAST. New York: Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing. ISBN: 9780689849237

2. PLOT SUMMARY
When Bobby turned sixteen, he expected to have a fun day with his friends and family, not get life altering news from his girlfriend Nia. On Bobby’s sixteenth birthday, his life is turned upside down when he finds out his girlfriend is pregnant. From this point on, the novel follows Bobby and the difficult choices he has to make to help determine what is best for himself, his girlfriend, and their daughter, Feather. With a surprising twist at the end, Angela Johnson has carefully written a very believable novel about teen pregnancy and the effects and ramifications it can have on all involved.


3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Johnson has written a short yet gripping novel about teenage pregnancy through the eyes of the father, Bobby a sixteen year old African-American male. Johnson lets the reader inside Bobby’s world through brief, one to three page chapters, entitled “Now” and “Then.” Through the constant flashbacks to the past combined with Bobby’s thoughts in the present, the reader is able to get a deeper understanding of what Bobby is going through, how he got to the situation that he is currently in, why he has made the decisions he made, and the bond he is developing with his child.

Furthermore, in writing this story with all characters involved being of African-American decent, Johnson has taken great care not to stereotype these characters. Bobby and Nia, are both well educated children that come from middle class homes in New York City that have both parents heavily involved in their lives. The dialogue between characters in the book is intelligent and though it does include a minuscule amount of slang terminology, it does not over power the book or make the characters seem less intelligent.
Johnson has done a great job of letting readers see the possible ramifications a teen pregnancy that crosses racial boundaries and is relatable to all readers.


4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
PUBLISHER’S WEEKLY review: “The author skillfully relates the hope in the midst of pain.”

VOICE OF YOUTH ADOVCATES review: “This well-written book is not like anything that I've ever read before. It goes fast and has realistic fiction, romance, and suspense all in one. Most teen pregnancy books are about what the girl goes through, but this one is written from a different, exciting angle. Both girls and boys can read it.”

5. CONNECTIONS
*Have former teen aged parents come and talk to students about the struggles of raising a child or the difficult decision made to give up a child for adoption.
*Have health experts come to school and discuss the serious health issues related to teen pregnancy.

*Other books that focus on teenage pregnancy
*Draper, Sharon M. NOVEMBER BLUES. ISBN: 9781416906988
*Bechard, Margaret. HANGING ONTO MAX. ISBN: 9780689862687
*Hornby, Nick. SLAM. ISBN: 9780399250484