Review: A Shot at Normal

Title: A Shot at Normal

Author: Marisa Reichardt

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Publication date: February 16, 2021

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Summary

Juniper lives in an all-organic household with parents who are against cell phones, public school, and vaccines. While she doesn’t necessarily agree with all her parents’ viewpoints, she knows that being a part of a family means that you have to follow certain rules. Until her parents beliefs put her and their community in danger.

When Juniper contracts the measles and unknowingly causes an outbreak in their community, she’s shocked. She feels responsible for the hurt she’s caused and can’t help but get angry at herself and her parents. So, Juniper decides to get vaccinated. But it turns out, when you’re 16, it’s not so easy without your parents’ consent. However, Juniper is willing to do whatever it takes to keep her community safe.

Review: A Shot at Normal

Thanks to Farrar, Straus, and Giroux and NetGalley for providing me an advanced copy of this to review! Maris Reichardt is an author who has been on my radar, but I’ve never read anything by her. I was excited to get the chance, and the story line sounded unique and interesting!

At the start, I did enjoy the conversations Juniper has with her parents when she disagrees with their beliefs. They felt like real conversations, and Juniper brought up good points. However, her parents were extremely stubborn and frustrating, which is part of the point of the story. A lot of people who are anti-vaxxers are very, very grounded in their beliefs, and Reichardt portrayed this well in the book.

For me, none of the characters in this book were particularly likeable. I just don’t think they were quite fleshed out enough. A lot of the book is focused on Juniper trying things out for the first time and getting outside of her bubble, being able to find her own voice. Which is great! But it meant that some of the character development fell to the wayside. I would have liked to see some of the side characters developed a bit more, as some of them felt quite one-sided.

All in all, this is an enjoyable book that gives power to teens who just want to make their own choices when it comes to their bodies. Maybe not all teens will relate to Juniper’s specific situation, but there’s some level of it that will feel relatable to them. A quick read that’s sure to leave you thinking.