From Publishers Weekly
Sparks (It Happened to Nancy) shares another slice of a troubled teen's life, this time focusing readers' attention on the topic of teen sex and pregnancy. The first, most excruciating entries in 14-year-old Annie's diary trace her victimization and impregnation by a manipulative and sadistic boyfriend. Completely obsessed with 16-year-old Danny ("He called me an 'Earth Angel.' And I think I'm going to commit myself completely to being just that for him, no matter what!"), Annie is less prepared than readers for the devastating fall she takes the day her home pregnancy test comes out pink. The remaining, more solution-oriented segments of the book convey Annie's arduous climb from rock-bottom ("I CANNOT BEAR TO FACE IT! I WILL NOT!") to a state in which she can confront her mistakes and plan for herself and her child. With the support of her exceptionally tolerant mother, patient teachers and a nonjudgmental therapist (supposedly Sparks), Annie changes from a self-deprecating romantic ("Could plain me possibly be good enough for awesome him?") to a more level-headed realist, who learns, painfully, to put her baby's needs before her own. The book carries a strong anti-abortion sentiment and has an aura of soap opera as well. However, it provides a plethora of objective and valuable information about sex, pregnancy and birth control, and even includes a "What Is Love?" quiz to help girls assess their relationships. An appendix lists relevant statistics, crisis and information hotline numbers, and other useful resources. Tackling issues young adolescents are often reluctant to discuss with adults, this volume will likely find a place on the reference shelf. Ages 12-up. Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Grade 6-10-A book that's sure to be as popular as Go Ask Alice (S & S, 1971), which was also edited by Sparks. Annie, 14, falls head over heels for handsome, wealthy 16-year-old Danny when he befriends her. She lies to her mother to go out with him and he takes her to drinking parties in his red convertible. Annie is soon totally dependent on him despite his frequent bad moods and erratic behavior. When he rapes her, he tells her that she led him on and made him lose control. She continues to love him even as he abuses her both physically and emotionally. Annie is heartbreaking in her trust and hope that Danny will turn back into the sweet, gentle boy she fell in love with only a few months earlier, and she becomes desperate when her period fails to come on schedule. Finally, she has to tell her mother and figure out what to do. The diary format is a surefire draw for teens and preteens. This book has the same errors in grammar and flow problems as Alice, but they lend realism to the narrative. Not as graphic as the earlier title, Annie's Baby displays a 14 year old's naivet? about sexuality and bodily functions. Buy multiple copies and prepare for the onslaught of requests.Susan R. Farber, Ardsley Public Library, NYCopyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Book Description
When Annie discovers she's pregnant by her boyfriend, she's devastated. She has never felt so alone. With no one she can talk to, she pours her heart out to her diary, confiding her feelings of panic, self-doubt, and the desperate hope that some day she can turn her life around. She decides she wants to keep her baby and dreams of loving and caring for this little person. But after the baby is born, it's in her diary that she faces the agonizing question: Can she really raise this child on her own?

About the Author
Beatrice Sparks is a family and adolescent therapist who edited the diary that formed the basis for Go Ask Alice, and has since edited many diaries on topics such as gangs, AIDS, and teen pregnancy in the 1988 Annie's Baby. She lives in Provo, UT.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

When Annie discovers she's pregnant by her boyfriend, she's devastated. She has never felt so alone. With no one she can talk to, she pours her heart out to her diary, confiding her feelings of panic, self-doubt, and the desperate hope that some day she can turn her life around. She decides she wants to keep her baby and dreams of loving and caring for this little person. But after the baby is born, it's in her diary that she faces the agonizing question: Can she really raise this child on her own?

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

Sparks (It Happened to Nancy) shares another slice of a troubled teen's life, this time focusing readers' attention on the topic of teen sex and pregnancy. The first, most excruciating entries in 14-year-old Annie's diary trace her victimization and impregnation by a manipulative and sadistic boyfriend. Completely obsessed with 16-year-old Danny ("He called me an `Earth Angel.' And I think I'm going to commit myself completely to being just that for him, no matter what!"), Annie is less prepared than readers for the devastating fall she takes the day her home pregnancy test comes out pink. The remaining, more solution-oriented segments of the book convey Annie's arduous climb from rock-bottom ("I CANNOT BEAR TO FACE IT! I WILL NOT!") to a state in which she can confront her mistakes and plan for herself and her child. With the support of her exceptionally tolerant mother, patient teachers and a nonjudgmental therapist (supposedly Sparks), Annie changes from a self-deprecating romantic ("Could plain me possibly be good enough for awesome him?") to a more level-headed realist, who learns, painfully, to put her baby's needs before her own. The book carries a strong anti-abortion sentiment and has an aura of soap opera as well. However, it provides a plethora of objective and valuable information about sex, pregnancy and birth control, and even includes a "What Is Love?" quiz to help girls assess their relationships. An appendix lists relevant statistics, crisis and information hotline numbers, and other useful resources. Tackling issues young adolescents are often reluctant to discuss with adults, this volume will likely find a place on the reference shelf. Ages 12-up. (July)

Children's Literature - Joyce Rice

Annie is completely and totally in love with Danny, and like most teenagers, she can only see, talk, and eat Danny. Unfortunately, Danny has never learned to love anyone without hurting them. Annie is very confused by her feelings, and by Danny's reaction. Surely he loves her too, because the two of them have been intimate, and Danny said that is what kids do when they love each other. So why is Annie now facing her problems alone, except for her diary named Daisy, who is her dearest friend in the world? Parents will be reminded of how difficult it is to be an adolescent and of all the dangers lurking in their world. Teens will be made aware of situations they may encounter and can handle differently than Annie did. This would be a worthwhile addition for middle school collections.

VOYA - Deborah L. Dubois

This is the actual diary of a fourteen-year-old girl who finds herself pregnant. It details her thoughts and feelings about her relationship with a boy two years older than she and the decisions her pregnancy forces her to make. Edited by the same person who did Go Ask Alice, this diary shows the emotional ups and downs of a girl in Annie's situation. Annie is a good girl. She is on the soccer team and wants to please her single mom, but when Danny is interested in her, he becomes her whole world. She starts to lie about where she is, who she is with, and what she is doing. At first Danny treats her well, but when he abuses her and even attempts to rape her, she wants to be his girlfriend so badly that she makes up excuses for him. She begs him to take her back and then lets him run her life. Even after he rejects her when she becomes pregnant, she still says she loves him. Annie feels that her diary is her only friend. She goes to a school for unwed mothers, has her baby, and tries to be a good mother. Her own mother is very supportive, but in the end, they find that it is impossible to keep the baby and give her a good life. This book conveys how easy it is for a girl to get in trouble when she lets a boy become all-important to her. It portrays a very realistic picture of what teenage pregnancy and motherhood do to a young girl's life. The book includes factual information on pregnancy, STDs, and violence, and crisis hotline numbers to call. This book should be available for girls before they have to deal with this situation. It just might get a girl to think twice before she lets a boy take over her life. VOYA Codes: 4Q 4P J S (Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses, Broad general YA appeal, Junior High-defined as grades 7 to 9 and Senior High-defined as grades 10 to 12).

School Library Journal