Despite her no-dating-in-high-school rule, donor-conceived Calliope is starting to fall in love with her new next-door neighbor, Max, as her 18th birthday draws near. Curiosity about her sperm donor’s identity leads to her finding out earth-shattering information: her donor is Max’s dad. With the support of her moms and the people around her, Calliope has to decide what kind of relationship she now wants with Max, her sperm donor, and the rest of her donor’s family.
DCP Stories Collection
- Book – Fiction
- Ages 13-18 (e.g., young adult/teen)
- Katelyn Detweiler
- Sperm Donor
The People We Choose
Review
What’s Done Well
- Recipient parents show support. While Calliope’s moms aren’t enthusiastic that Calliope wants to learn more about her donor, they still support her decision. After finding out Calliope’s donor’s identity, her moms make an effort to spend more time with the donor and his family to support Calliope’s desire for further connection.
What Bothered Us
- Uses donor conception as a plot twist. The big twist in the novel is that Calliope’s boyfriend is her donor’s son. While it isn’t an impossible reality, the inclusion of this twist has the potential to uphold negative stereotypes around donor conception.
- Centers sensational stories. When Calliope begins to consider whether or not she wants to learn more about her sperm donor, she starts doing research online about what it means to be donor conceived. But the only narratives she finds are sensational stories. These stories, in conjunction with the donor plot twist, the narratives presented could feel othering to donor-conceived youth.
