Book Review: The Pregnancy Project

I recently heard about a girl who faked her own pregnancy. That's right: she faked it. What gets even better? SHE WAS A SENIOR IN HIGH SCHOOL. You may be thinking that's crazy. I did. And then I looked into her book and decided to read it. I learned that she did it for a very interesting reason. The Pregnancy Project by Gaby Rodriguez is one of the most compelling stories I've ever heard.

I don't think I've ever heard anyone say it is fun to be pregnant. I also don't think I've ever heard anyone say that they wished they had been pregnant during high school... or anyone who was pregnant in high school that enjoyed that experience very much. But Gaby Rodriguez, a young Hispanic woman in Oregon, had been told her ENTIRE life that she would have a baby before she finished high school. And that she wouldn't even make it through school. Her family and people around her told her this because that is exactly what happened to each of her (several) older siblings.

Gaby, however, had a thirst for knowledge and worked hard to achieve good grades in school. When she decided to fake her own pregnancy as her senior project, the administration had to jump through some hoops for her. Eventually, it was given the okay, and she embarked on a crazy journey where she found out who her true friends were. Only three people knew about the project: her mother, her boyfriend Jorge, and one of her older sisters (so she could mediate and pass along information from the other siblings). The rest of her family did not know, and her boyfriends siblings and parents weren't even in on it. 

Gaby worked hard to conceal that her pregnancy was fake, and it's fascinating to read about. She learned a lot about people at her school, what her family truly thinks of her, and how stereotypes can affect people, such as when she wondered if she was taking her project too far when she realized there were girls in her school who were actually going through with a pregnancy in their teens when she was only faking. She didn't want the news of hers being fake to affect any of them negatively. 

I could write all evening about this book, but that would tell every single detail about it. I will stop now and let you decide if you should read for yourself. If you have ever been affected by stereotypes, though, or if you work with people who have, you should absolutely read this book. You won't be able to put it down. The Pregnancy Project by Gaby Rodriguez is a quick, informative read.