Jumping Off Swings

Jumping Off Swings (2009), a contemporary novel for young adults by Jo Knowles, centers on a teenage girl who becomes pregnant after sleeping with numerous local boys. Exploring the stigma around teenage sex and youth pregnancy, the book is suitable for high school readers. The first book in the Jumping Off Swings duology, it was nominated for the 2010 Milwaukee County Teen Book Award. Knowles started writing novels for teenagers after taking a children’s literature course at college. When she is not working on novels, she is teaching.

The protagonist, Ellie, is insecure and wants someone to love her. Believing that boys only care about sex, she thinks she must sleep with guys to get their attention. Although she has already had numerous sexual partners, they are always one-night stands; she has never had a real relationship. Girls don’t like her because she sleeps around and they don’t want the same reputation as her. Corinne is her only friend.

The other major character, sixteen-year-old Josh, is a shy boy. His friends tease him because,  still a virgin, he is terrified to approach girls. They tell him that Ellie is an easy target if he plans to lose his virginity before college; she doesn’t say no to anyone. She has already slept with his friends and so, they know what Josh can expect.



One night, there is a huge party. Everyone from school shows up. Josh gets drunk and hits on Ellie. She is happy to sleep with him and they hook up. Once it is over, Josh feels dirty and guilty. He sobers up and runs away, leaving Ellie alone. She feels worse than ever, but this night is only the beginning of her problems.

Ellie soon discovers that she is pregnant. She was drunk at the party and forgot to make Josh use contraception. Now, scared, she doesn’t know what to do; she feels she can’t tell Josh yet. Despairing over the mess she is in, Corinne can’t decide whether to keep the baby or get an abortion.

Before long, everyone at school finds out about Ellie’s pregnancy. Josh is horrified. He cannot believe that a girl got pregnant after just one time. His friends think it is funny and tease him about it. The only person who doesn’t find it amusing is Caleb. Caleb fancies Ellie and wants a relationship with her. Not believing that Caleb wanted more than just sex, Ellie never took him seriously.



Meanwhile, Corinne is upset because she fancies Caleb. She’s jealous because it seems that every boy at school wants Ellie. Corinne’s jealousy tests their friendship to its limit. Caleb feels stuck in the middle of everything. Josh just wants the whole problem to go away, but Ellie decides to keep the baby.

Josh doesn’t want to bring a baby into his family. He comes from an abusive and uncaring home, and he knows his parents won’t support the baby. He doesn’t feel ready to be a father when he is only a child himself. Ellie tells him that he doesn’t have to be in the baby’s life. She will look after the baby on her own.

Corinne thinks she is irresponsible, but Ellie doesn’t care what anyone else thinks. Ellie learns that she shouldn’t let her previous actions define her. She does not want to sleep around anymore. She wants to grow up. Caleb thinks that she is incredibly brave, and Corinne reluctantly agrees.



Although Ellie comes from a more affluent background than Josh, her parents are distant and don’t pay any attention to her. When they find out that Ellie is pregnant, they make it clear that she is not keeping the baby, whatever she thinks. They will not let her ruin her life over a one-night stand with a teenage boy at a drink-fuelled party. Ellie faces a difficult decision—abort the baby or have it and place it up for adoption.

Ellie decides to go through with the birth. It is a difficult labor. Not able to deliver naturally, the doctors perform a C-section; it is very traumatic for her. What is even more traumatic is seeing her baby for the first and last time. Before she bonds with it, she is expected to hand it over and leave it with social workers.

Jumping Off Swings ends with Ellie bitterly regretting her decision. She and Josh go their separate ways. Meanwhile, Corinne and Caleb start dating. They have their first kiss right at the novel’s end. Ellie struggles to feel happy for them because she is so broken inside. Josh and Caleb are still best friends, but Corinne and Ellie are not as close.