Waiting for Normal

Written by Leslie Connor, Waiting for Normal is the story of 12-year-old Addie and her all-or-nothing mother. Following her mother and stepfather's divorce, Addie and her mother move into a run-down yellow trailer. Addie's mom shows throughout the book that she is not the most responsible parent, often leaving Addie for days at a time to spend time with her new boyfriend. Addie makes do by making friends with Soula and Elliot, who work across the street at the minimart, taking care of her pet hamster, getting ready for her flute solo in her school's Christmas concert, and looking forward to visits from her stepfather and half-sisters.

The great thing about this book is that it tackles some really serious issues without making the reader feel incredibly depressed, but still with a good amount of realism. Addie's mom is negligent and self-centered, but never cruel. Addie herself is so used to her mother's erratic behavior that it takes a bit of time for her to fully realize that the way her mother lives is far from normal. This means that Addie does not spend the entire book wallowing in misery or being unnecessarily optimistic: She simply tells everything the way it is, both good and bad, and lets the reader draw his/her own conclusions about the situation. I've encountered few books that handle such difficult issues with this sort of tone. This would be a great read for those looking for more gritty issues, but not wanting to spend the entire book crying.

Overall Grade: A