Little Bang by Kelly McCaughrain
A bittersweet Northern Irish romance that takes a new look at teen pregnancy, the magic and mess of first relationships, and a young woman's right to choose her own future.
Beneath the New Year's Eve fireworks, shy science-nerd Mel and slacker songwriter Sid get pregnant on their first date.
Any sixteen-year-olds would expect trouble, but this is Northern Ireland in 2018, where abortion is still illegal. Mel's religious parents insist she must keep the baby, whilst Sid's feminist mum pushes for a termination. Mel and Sid are determined to do this together, but they soon discover that pregnancy is totally different for boys and girls.
When their relationship starts to fall apart under all the pressure, Mel finds herself feeling alone with the impossible dilemma of the Little Bang growing inside her.
About the Author
Kelly McCaughrain’s first YA novel, Flying Tips for Flightless Birds won the CBI Book of the Year and NI Book Award and was nominated for the Carnegie Medal. She was the QUB Children’s Writing Fellow 2019-21. When not writing, she enjoys the adrenaline rush of driving an extremely old and unreliable VW campervan around countries where she can’t say ‘fan belt’ in the local language, but her favourite pastime is running a Fighting Words creative writing club for teen writers who constantly inspire her and put her teenage self to shame with their brilliance.
Praise for Little Bang
'McCaughrain uses the backdrop of the Repeal the Eight campaign south of the Border to good effect… This is a nuanced and thoughtful engagement with the issues, rather than a polemic; the teenage and adult characters are fully developed and complex. A smart, deeply moving book.'
Irish TImes
'McCaughrain is an undeniable talent and a force to be reckoned with, skillfully exploring all the facets of debates around reproductive rights, while leaving enough space for the reader to truly fall in love with Mel and Sid.'
Irish Examiner
'McCaughrain shines a harsh light on the lack of sex education for teenagers and young people in the school system, communities and homes in Northern Ireland… This book had me rooting for Mel and Sid as two young people navigating choices that they have little knowledge of. Both Mel’s and Sid’s lives are utterly changed, and it is intriguing to read how they not only react, but also come to settle with their decision. McCaughrain motivated me to question, and that is the beauty of a powerful book.'
Inis Magazine, Children's Books Ireland
Publisher: Walker Books
Date Published: 4 January 2024
Paperback, 304 pages
ISBN: 9781406375725
