Happy Friday and welcome to my review of A SHOT AT NORMAL by Marisa Reichardt! You guys, I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH!!! I’m so excited today to share my review and an excerpt, so you can start reading and see how good this book is! This book is truly amazing and I’m so so excited to for you to find out more about it!
I received this book for free from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
A Shot at Normal by Marisa Reichardt Published on February 16, 2021 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (Byr)
Genres: YA, Contemporary
Pages: 352
Format: eARC
Source: Edelweiss
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Marisa Reichardt's A Shot at Normal is a powerful and timely novel about justice, agency, family, and taking your shot, even when it seems impossible.
Dr. Villapando told me to get a good attorney. He wasn't serious. But I am. I'm going to sue my parents.
Juniper Jade's parents are hippies. They didn’t attend the first Woodstock, but they were there for the second one. The Jade family lives an all-organic homeschool lifestyle that means no plastics, no cell phones, and no vaccines. It isn’t exactly normal, but it’s the only thing Juniper has ever known. She doesn’t agree with her parents on everything, but she knows that to be in this family, you've got to stick to the rules. That is, until the unthinkable happens.
Juniper contracts the measles and unknowingly passes the disease along, with tragic consequences. She is shell-shocked. Juniper knows she is responsible and feels simultaneously helpless and furious at her parents, and herself.
Now, with the help of Nico, the boy who works at the library and loves movies and may just be more than a friend, Juniper comes to a decision: she is going to get vaccinated. Her parents refuse so Juniper arms herself with a lawyer and prepares for battle. But is waging war for her autonomy worth losing her family? How much is Juniper willing to risk for a shot at normal?
DID I LIKE IT?
Yes I did!!!
FAVORITE CHARACTER?
Juniper! The first time in a while that the main character was my absolute favorite!
WILL I RE-READ IT?
Possibly? I don’t re-read standalones as often as I do series, but I definitely enjoyed it enough to read it again!
THREE WORDS TO DESCRIBE THE BOOK
autonomy, fierce, love
- My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult
- Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy
- Meet Me in Outer Space by Melinda Grace
Marisa Reichardt is the critically acclaimed author of the YA novels UNDERWATER, AFTERSHOCKS (2020), and A SHOT AT NORMAL (2021). She has a Master of Professional Writing degree from the University of Southern California and dual degrees in English & American Literature and Creative Writing from UC San Diego. Before becoming a published author, Marisa worked in academic publications, tutored high school students in writing, and shucked oysters. These days, you can probably find her huddled over her laptop in a coffeehouse or swimming in the ocean.
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What do you think about A Shot at Normal? Have you added it to your tbr yet? Let me know in the comments and have a splendiferous day!
[…] JUNIPER JADE V. HER PARENTS by Marisa Reichardt and TO BE (MIS)READ by Marisa Kanter, which became A SHOT AT NORMAL and WHAT I LIKE ABOUT YOU, respectively. The original titles would definitely have been on […]