Book Summary and Reviews of The Unexpected Consequence of Bleeding on a Tuesday by Kelsey B. Toney

The Unexpected Consequence of Bleeding on a Tuesday by Kelsey B. Toney

The Unexpected Consequence of Bleeding on a Tuesday

by Kelsey B. Toney

  • Critics' Consensus (4):
  • Published:
  • Jun 2025, 304 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

Delia Bridges is striving to become the compassionate doctor she's been unable to find in her journey to diagnose her excruciating period pain—but when a single rule-breaking incident jeopardizes her future, she must find a way to reclaim her dreams in this funny, period-positive novel.

High school senior Delia Bridges has the most amazing mom and sister, a killer GPA—and periods that are so painful they make her scream, pass out, and throw up. Though she doesn't know it yet, Delia has endometriosis, an affliction plaguing millions of people that is notoriously difficult to diagnose.

Pain makes everything harder, but Delia is just one semester away from graduating from Stockwood Prep and pursuing her dream of becoming the kind of doctor she's never had: one who takes her symptoms seriously. But when she breaks a rule for the first time ever and is caught using marijuana at school to manage her pain, Delia is expelled.

Her expulsion jeopardizes her college acceptance, her planned mentorship, and everything she had carefully planned for years. Without her academic success and no closer to a diagnosis, is Delia anything more than her period?

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"With laugh-out-loud catastrophes that are told with empathy, Toney's debut is a fast-paced romp full of heart, presenting not just an engaging story but a helpful road map for teens seeking to practice self-advocacy." —Booklist (starred review)

"An honest, empowering, and relatable story about self-advocacy and perseverance in the face of discrimination." —Kirkus Reviews

"Toney comingles humor with the horrors of Delia's 'violent and shocking' periods with aplomb, writing cringe-worthy laugh-out-loud scenes without ever taking away Delia's power on her path to getting the help she needs." —The Bulletin

"Honest, empowering, and deeply relatable." —School Library Journal

This information about The Unexpected Consequence of Bleeding on a Tuesday was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

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Author Information

Kelsey B. Toney

Kelsey B. Toney writes humorous, heartfelt stories about the hope that exists after our most laughably bad decisions. In past lives, Kelsey has been a teacher, recording artist, and actress—always in pursuit of connection through art and empathy. Learn more at kelseybtoney.com, on her podcast, or in her newsletter.

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