Review: 2 Days by L.B. Tillit

2 Days

by L.B. Tillit

Published by: Saddleback Publishing

Available: January 1, 2012

Pages: 198

Source: Publisher
Purchase from Publisher





Sixteen-year-old Neema Powell was always the best-looking girl in school. But right now she was a wreck. Her mother's sleazy boyfriend was towering over her screaming, "Get out!" And her own mother wouldn't even look at her as she walked out of the apartment into the dead January day. Neema knew that Nate, her boyfriend, would take care of her. I'll give Mom a couple of days to calm down. But those two days made all the difference, and Neema must draw from somewhere deep for the inner strength she will need.

My Thoughts 

I received 2 Days for review quite a while ago, read it, but didn't review it after reading it. I couldn't quite figure out exactly why it was difficult to put down my thoughts. I reread it again this past week and I am still struggling with sharing what I think about it, and now I think that I realize why. 2 Days isn't filled with all of the struggle and angst that I typically find (and enjoy reading) in a lot of contemporary young adult which resulted in a lack of emotional connection and believability.

2 Days opens with an argument between Neema and her mother (and her mother's boyfriend) and she is forced to leave her home with little more than the clothes on her back. While she isn't completely welcomed with open arms, she goes to stay with her boyfriend. Neema seemed so unaffected by the whole situation. This is where my issue lies with the story - she doesn't haven't any moments of freaking out, worrying about where she is going to live. I don't want to fault her for being this way because it is great to see this amount of strength and willfulness at a young age, but it just didn't seem realistic.

As the book cover and title suggests (and I don't think I'm giving anything away here), Neema finds out that she is pregnant after missing two of her birth control pills. Again, she reacts in a way that is unexpected. She immediately tells her aunt that she needs to go to the health clinic to find out for sure. On one hand, I respect that this approach is taken to show that a teenager can be mature and take action, but on the other hand, it just doesn't seem realistic.

The story continues detailing parts of Neema's pregnancy and shows how her relationships with her boyfriend, her mother, and her friends, change as a result of her pregnancy. This part I did find to be a more realistic portrayal of how a teenager's life can change when she decides to become a mother.  

2 Days reads like a diary which is something that I do like about the book. I like that Neema is a strong-willed character, but she was a little too no-nonsense at times. I would have liked to read more about her inner struggles, contemplating her decisions, rather than being so decisive about every choice she had to make. I think that would have helped develop the emotional connection I like to have with a story or a character. I know that this book will appeal to many readers, but it left me wanting more.

2 Days is from the Gravel Road Urban Teen Fiction series of Saddleback Publishing.  

Disclaimer: I received this Advanced Readers Copy for review from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. I did not receive any compensation for providing this review. Thoughts and opinions are my own.