Grace is chosen to tutor Jack, a star on their high school’s baseball team, in AP Biology. Over the weeks they become more and more attracted to each other until one day they have sex. Soon after, Jack breaks up with Grace to get back together with his old girlfriend. At the same time, Grace discovers she is pregnant.

Biology Lessons, a book by Melissa Kantor, shares the perspective of a teen who accidentally gets pregnant and then has to decide what she wants to do. Grace is sure her parents would she needs to give birth and raise the baby with their help. But she has always dreamed of leaving their small Texas town for New York City, and she’s set to take her first step on that path when she enters a prestigious college in the fall.

Together with her friend Addie she explores her options, ultimately deciding she wants to have an abortion. But that’s not possible in her home state. The two keep searching until they find a group willing to help with information and support to a get to a neighboring state for the procedure.

Biology Lessons looks at a difficult topic, teen pregnancy and abortion, through the lens of the current legal restrictions in Texas, although those same restrictions exist in many states. Grace goes through a gamut of emotions, particularly because her sister-in-law is pregnant at the same time. She wants to discuss what’s happening with her parents, but she feels they won’t listen to her perspective. In the end, she knows she has to do what’s right for her.

As with any book that addresses a difficult topic, readers can benefit by seeing how a fictional character handles the situation. Grace’s story, and the process she goes through to decide what she wants to do, is sure to help others facing an unwanted pregnancy. Also, it can help foster real world conversations between moms and daughters that may help them talk about potentially emotionally-charged situations like this.