Search This Blog
June Reviews Link-Up
July Reviews Link-Up
August Reviews Link-Up
September Reviews Link-Up
October Reviews Link-Up
November Reviews Link-Up
December Reviews Link-Up
2024 Literary Escapes Challenge
2024 Build Your Library Reading Challenge
What's Normal? Hint: Not Your Family.
Mieka Baker doesn't know what a "normal" family looks like, but she's pretty sure hers doesn't qualify. Ever since her mom took off, she's been living with her artist dad in a Chicago apartment decorated in what he likes to call "Salvation Armani." Her maternal grandmother, who owns a secondhand shop nearby, is Mieka's only close relative. As if a fractured, abnormal family isn't enough to deal with, she's also watching her best friend defect to the popular side. Life gets even crueller when she has to stay with her cousin's perfect family for a few weeks. Hanging out with her beautiful cousin Greta only makes Mieka realize what a big, clumsy oaf she is. Between Greta's uber-niceness; her family's big, spotless Texan mansion; and Mieka's chain-smoking, poison-tongued fraternal grandma, Mieka will learn the true definition of "normal." Hint: No family really qualifies.
Wow! A one-paragraph book summary may be a new record for me. Chasing Normal by Lisa Papademetriou is easy to describe because it's really a quick, simple book about learning to accept yourself for who you are. The story's been done a million times, but Papademetriou at least gives us some fresh characters. Don't expect a perfect happily-ever-after ending, but it's a very honest, hopeful story.
(Readalikes: I could name one hundred similar kids-learning-to-love-themselves stories.)
Grade: C
If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG for one scene involving a submerged maxi pad
To the FTC, with love: I received this book from the generous folks at Disney/Hyperion. Thanks!
1 comment:
Comments make me feel special, so go crazy! Just keep it clean and civil. Feel free to speak your mind (I always do), but be aware that I will delete any offensive comments.
P.S.: Don't panic if your comment doesn't show up right away. I have to approve each one before it posts to prevent spam. It's annoying, but it works!
Reading
Listening
Followin' with Bloglovin'
-
-
#ThrowbackThursday. Stephen Fry in America3 hours ago
-
Time Travel Thursday3 hours ago
-
-
-
The Wild Lavender Bookshop by Jodi Thomas8 hours ago
-
Daily Prompt 15 May Wednesday10 hours ago
-
-
World of Books ~ Review19 hours ago
-
Review: One of the Girls by Lucy Clarke21 hours ago
-
-
-
Spoon To Be Dead By Dana Mentink1 day ago
-
Very Bad Company by Emma Rosenblum1 day ago
-
Displaced Persons - Joan Leegant1 day ago
-
Reading Recap April 20241 day ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
Bridge to Bat City2 days ago
-
-
-
Blood Rubies by Mailan Doquang5 days ago
-
-
-
-
47. The One and Only Family1 week ago
-
A bit of catching up1 week ago
-
-
May TBR2 weeks ago
-
-
-
-
March Monthly Wrap-up1 month ago
-
-
-
-
-
What Happened to Summer?7 months ago
-
6/25/23 Extra Ezra10 months ago
-
-
-
-
-
Are you looking for Pretty Books?1 year ago
-
-
-
-
-
Grab my Button!
Blog Archive
- ► 2021 (159)
- ► 2020 (205)
- ► 2019 (197)
- ► 2018 (223)
- ► 2017 (157)
- ► 2016 (157)
- ► 2015 (188)
- ► 2014 (133)
- ► 2013 (183)
- ► 2012 (193)
- ► 2011 (232)
- ▼ 2010 (257)
- ► 2009 (211)
- ► 2008 (192)
Hmmm, should I be offended by the name of this post? lol
ReplyDelete