Conceptions (Fruit of the Vine #2)

Joni Bishop is a teenager in a loving relationship, who makes the decision to give her child up for adoption. Lori Bennett is the woman blessed with the opportunity to adopt, as she is unable to have children. Shanna Price is a teenager who begrudgingly agrees to abort her unborn child upon her boyfriend’s insistence. Tabitha Johnson is a young woman who chooses to keep and raise her child. These girls and women are connected unknowingly and knowingly, and the decisions they make affect the others 

"Conceptions" is designed with an intriguing concept that draws attention to the circumstance of unplanned/unwanted pregnancies, and the connection between the women is beautifully conceptualized. The story is one that should be told, but this presentation came off a tad preachy and at times quite naïve. The young women were not portrayed in a way that gave them a level of intelligence that would be expected. Shanna’s relationship bordered on abusive, which could have made a huge difference to the impact of the abortion. Lori is the solid character and almost deserved to be the main one, that brought everything together into a neat package. The message being sent is profound; it simply needs a boost of confidence to stand as the powerful novel it truly could be. 

Penelope Anne Bartotto