The First Part Last

Title: The First Part Last
Author: Angela Johnson
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication City: New York, New York
Publication Date: 2003
ISBN: 0-689-84922-2

Summary

Bobby is excited to turn sixteen, until his girlfriend Nia gives him the surprise of his young life. She's pregnant. From there life starts to turn upside down for the young couple. Neither set of parents are very excited about being grandparents, and it is decided that they will give up the baby, so Bobby and Nia can live normal lives. But things do not always go as planned and Bobby ends up taking care of the baby by himself. As Bobby struggles to take care of baby Feather, flashbacks to life while Nia was pregnant show a Bobby who realizes there is more to life than just hanging out. Then chapters show the semi-carefree Bobby. Now chapters show the Bobby who has a support system of friends in K-Boy and J.L. and his mom, but he knows at the end of the day it is him taking care of little Feather. Bobby makes some poor choices, but in the end he learns from them, and learns that parenting doesn't always mean living in a comfort zone.

Review

Most Young Adult books that deal with a teenage pregnancy tell the story from the point of view from the girl, but Angela Johnson uses the boy's point of view for this poignant story. Bobby's whole world turned upside down the moment he turned 16, and it is not because he could finally drive, which is pointless for a boy in New York City. No, it's because his girlfriend Nia gives him the shock of his life, she's pregnant. Told in alternating flashback and current day snippets, the First Part Last looks at the male of teenage pregnancy. Not every teenage male who gets his girlfriend pregnant ditches her. Bobby deals with trying to keep up with Nia's cravings, his classes, and frets about keeping the baby when Nia is pregnant. After baby Feather is born Bobby deals with a Mom who refuses to really help him besides allowing them to live with her, friends who don't understand his new role, staying awake in class, and taking care of a baby who thinks nighttime is playtime.

Teens will love the viewpoint of the young African-American father and how he speaks at their level. He tells it as it is, even if they are a little over-the-top. But then again, 16-year-olds can be prone to narcissism and over-exaggerating. However, Johnson writes a novel that makes the reader feel a bit of the struggle of a young father. The reader is left wondering why Nia is not helping Bobby when the couple seemed so close during the pregnancy. The revelation that Nia is now in a persistent vegetative state due to eclampsia and lives in a nursing home, is a bit much and falls flat in the storyline. It's a "so that's what happened" moment and nothing more. Johnson's build up to the birth is anti-climatic due to the eclampsia storyline, but readers will love the now chapters as Bobby tries to live his life as normal as possible.

Professional Review

From School Library Journal
Grade 8 Up-Brief, poetic, and absolutely riveting, this gem of a novel tells the story of a young father struggling to raise an infant. Bobby, 16, is a sensitive and intelligent narrator. His parents are supportive but refuse to take over the child-care duties, so he struggles to balance parenting, school, and friends who don't comprehend his new role. Alternate chapters go back to the story of Bobby's relationship with his girlfriend Nia and how parents and friends reacted to the news of her pregnancy. Bobby's parents are well-developed characters, Nia's upper-class family somewhat less so. Flashbacks lead to the revelation in the final chapters that Nia is in an irreversible coma caused by eclampsia. This twist, which explains why Bobby is raising Feather on his own against the advice of both families, seems melodramatic. So does a chapter in which Bobby snaps from the pressure and spends an entire day spray painting a picture on a brick wall, only to be arrested for vandalism. However, any flaws in the plot are overshadowed by the beautiful writing. Scenes in which Bobby expresses his love for his daughter are breathtaking. Teens who enjoyed Margaret Bechard's Hanging on to Max (Millbrook, 2002) will love this book, too, despite very different conclusions. The attractive cover photo of a young black man cradling an infant will attract readers.
Miranda Doyle, San Francisco Public Library
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Connections

1. Put yourself in the feet of Bobby. Would you have done the same thing? What would you have named Feather? What would you have done when Nia slipped into a coma?

2. Talk to a teenage mother/father and ask them about their experiences. Do they have support? Write about their experiences.

3. Split the class into two sections- Now and Then. Have them turn the sections into a play and act it out in order so they can see the story in chronological order. Which way was more effective to portray the differences in Bobby's life? Discuss and brainstorm, no essay needed.