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.

"A fantastically clever novel" - Sarah Crossan
"Full of authentic humour, youthful hyperbole and hope" - Books of the Year, The Big Issue
"Deeply true. A book to press into the hands of others" - Deirdre Sullivan
"Warm and wise" - The Bookseller
"Everyone who loved Derry Girls, this is the book for you!" - Sarah Webb
"Bursting with humour, compassion, and characters that fizz with life" - Padraig Kenny
"Romantic, funny, important" - Jenny Ireland

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 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.

"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

"Full of authentic humour, youthful hyperbole and hope… McCaughrain is careful not to be didactic or reductive. In the end this is a story about young relationships and concerns with believable, sympathetic characters." - The Big Issue

"Drawing on the events surrounding the 2018 Irish referendum on the eight amendment, McCaughrain shines a harsh light on the lack of sexual education for teenagers in school systems, opening the space for all to enter and discuss." - Children’s Books Ireland, Editor’s Choice

"This is a story that needs to be told and the authenticity and sensitivity with which it is told, bears witness to the award-winning author’s direct experience in schools and the stories she has heard from young people… Moving, compassionate and beautifully told this is an essential and important taboo- breaking book for young people to read." - LoveReading4Kids

"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