Book Review

Define “Normal”

By: Julie Anne Peters

There is no specific definition of “normal”. For some people normal is being weird and just being a freak. For others it is sitting and doing nothing. Normal can’t be defined.

            Jazz is a troubled teen. More or less. Her family is rich…like rich. They have an Olympic sized swimming pool inside their house! But she is the black sheep of her family. Jazz’s family is perfect they have the perfect house, perfect clothes, perfect everything. Except for the perfect daughter.

            Antonia is the complete opposite of Jazz. She has good grades and a messed up family. She is more of a mom than her own mother is. Her dad left shortly after her little brother Chuckie was born. But when her mom’s depression becomes unbearable Antonia’s life turns upside down.   

            Antonia and Jazz have what their school calls Peer Counseling. That’s how Jazz and Antonia’s friendship began. At first Antonia didn’t want anything to do with Jazz. And then Jazz invites her to her house to teach Antonia how to swim. Then when Antonia’s mother goes into the hospital, Antonia and her little brothers Michael and Chuckie stay with Jazz and her family for the weekend. Then Antonia finds out that there “isn’t enough room” for her and her little brothers.

            Shortly after that Antonia, Michael, and Chuckie are staying with a foster family. The boys love it but Antonia hates it. She is angry that her mother is stuck in the hospital for who knows how long.

            In the end Antonia and the boys get home with their mother and things go back to the way they were when the children’s father was still around. Just without him in the picture. Antonia didn’t want to change her ways and now she is back to how she remembers her life. Her messed up “normal” life.