I unfortunately did not finish this book - I found it incredibly dull to read and kept dipping in and out of it and struggled to convince myself to read it. Thank you very much for the ARC, but it was not for me.

This was a beautifully written story that followsa teen dealing with an unplanned pregnancy. During the story she draws strength and comfort from the biblical story of Mary. It's written in free verse and eloquently deals with this topic without being preachy. I would definitely recommend this book.

“Punishment”What else would you call it?I know girls who have sex every dayand walk away.Me, I break God’s law once,and look what it gets me.
Mary Rudine is one of those characters that is very realistic with how society treats certain things and how relationships can work at a young age. She ended up falling for this guy who really seemed to care for her, but sadly things went wrong and he showed his true colors a little to late. Leaving her not only heartbroken and scared, but also having to deal with something on her own that she never thought she would have to worry about. She was always told abstinence by her mother and the church she went to. So when she did end up breaking that abstinence she didn't know who to tell. I really felt for her in those moments, because sadly it is the fate of so many other young women. She is struggling with her faith as well during this time and had been before as well, and this made her even more unsure, until she started reading a book that was also her mothers favorite. This book helps bring her a little bit of peace and comfort in a time where she is going to have to make some very difficult choice on her own.
One other thing I liked about this story was also how her bestfriend stuck by her side through it all instead of just shaming her or making her feel guilty all the time. She treated her just like she always had and I kind of think as well this brought them closer together.
For me I found this book a little confusing at times, on rather it was talking about Mary Rudine or Mary the mother of Jesus. Also I felt like the verse just didn't go together the best at certain points (mainly when it was switching characters), but having said that I'm not sure how it could have been done any other way and make the story what it was.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This novel paralleled the story of two virgins who becomes pregnant in tow very different ways and the struggles each face to do the right thing. While the prose was pretty good, the format didn't work for me. The ending was also abrupt. I wished the author would have written in novel form to flesh out the story in its entirety.