eebluee's review
emotional
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
squirrel593's review
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
emilylanthierrr's review
3.0
got this book on clearance because the cover attracted me. it was a nice and quick easy read and it was a cute story relevant to the topics of vaccines today. the ending wasn’t my favourite, left a lot of questions, but i didn’t have high expectations for this book
sgwill's review
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
wildflowerz76's review
4.0
Juniper is your average 16 year old girl. If the average girl was home-schooled, living a 100% organic life, free of plastics, sugar, cell phones, and tv. Oh, and, of course, no vaccines. But when Juniper gets the measles and ends up passing it along, with some terrible consequences, she decides that something has to change. She's going to sue her parents.
I've, luckily, only really read about anti-vaxers. If I know any in real life, they aren't vocal. I found the parents in this book to be ridiculous and completely selfish. They say they just care about their kids, but they really only care about their own stubborn beliefs. The irony is thick because they try and teach their kids to think for themselves. I can even maybe understand that they think they're doing the right thing for their kids, but it would seem like body autonomy would also be something they would teach their kids. But at the first sign of disagreement, they shit down and start acting like toddlers. This book was good, but extremely frustrating.
I've, luckily, only really read about anti-vaxers. If I know any in real life, they aren't vocal. I found the parents in this book to be ridiculous and completely selfish. They say they just care about their kids, but they really only care about their own stubborn beliefs. The irony is thick because they try and teach their kids to think for themselves. I can even maybe understand that they think they're doing the right thing for their kids, but it would seem like body autonomy would also be something they would teach their kids. But at the first sign of disagreement, they shit down and start acting like toddlers. This book was good, but extremely frustrating.
siirix's review
3.0
I didn't really like it at first, but towards the end it got way better in my opinion. The book had an unique storyline and i like it. It did give me a new view of things. Juniper and Nico werent my favorite couple tho, they were cute tho.
carpe_librarian's review
5.0
I was going to wait and write this review Monday morning, but I literally could not wait to share this book with people. A Shot at Normal by Marisa Reichardt is one of my new favorite books. It is so poignant during this uncertain time in our lives.
This book does not come out until February of 2021 and I cannot wait- like publishers, get this out AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. It is that good- lighthearted, romantic, and important to understanding each other during a time like COVID-19.
Juniper James has always known she was different and just wanted to be normal. The problem was that she was born to some "hippies" who went to the 'wannabe Woodstock'. Her parents have very important moral convictions- no sugar, all organic, reuse, recycle, life and experience is the best educator. So as a sixteen year old you would expect some teenage rebellion from Juniper, but it is focused on the fact that her parents are anti-vaxxers. She and her siblings are not vaccinated. After Juniper and her siblings get sick with the Measles and Juniper ends up in the hospital, she realizes how dire her situation is.
There are a lot of key factors in this- similar to My Sisters Keeper- she is going to have to go through the legal system to get rights that should automatically be hers in the first place. She struggles with family issues as her parents do not listen to her very reasonable arguments because they do not align with their views. This story is very timely- focusing on how vaccines protect her, but more importantly protect others who are more at risk. I loved Juniper, Nico (her love interest who always supports her needs), and her family. The ending is open enough that Marisa could even follow up with a sequel, if she wanted or there was enough demand for it. There will definitely be demand for this book!.
A Shot at Normal by Marisa Reichardt is available February 2021. I know it will be in my library as son as I can get a physical copy. http://kaitlynrcarpenter.weebly.com/blog/a-shot-at-normal-by-marisa-reichardt-a-timely-novel
This book does not come out until February of 2021 and I cannot wait- like publishers, get this out AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. It is that good- lighthearted, romantic, and important to understanding each other during a time like COVID-19.
Juniper James has always known she was different and just wanted to be normal. The problem was that she was born to some "hippies" who went to the 'wannabe Woodstock'. Her parents have very important moral convictions- no sugar, all organic, reuse, recycle, life and experience is the best educator. So as a sixteen year old you would expect some teenage rebellion from Juniper, but it is focused on the fact that her parents are anti-vaxxers. She and her siblings are not vaccinated. After Juniper and her siblings get sick with the Measles and Juniper ends up in the hospital, she realizes how dire her situation is.
There are a lot of key factors in this- similar to My Sisters Keeper- she is going to have to go through the legal system to get rights that should automatically be hers in the first place. She struggles with family issues as her parents do not listen to her very reasonable arguments because they do not align with their views. This story is very timely- focusing on how vaccines protect her, but more importantly protect others who are more at risk. I loved Juniper, Nico (her love interest who always supports her needs), and her family. The ending is open enough that Marisa could even follow up with a sequel, if she wanted or there was enough demand for it. There will definitely be demand for this book!.
A Shot at Normal by Marisa Reichardt is available February 2021. I know it will be in my library as son as I can get a physical copy. http://kaitlynrcarpenter.weebly.com/blog/a-shot-at-normal-by-marisa-reichardt-a-timely-novel
bookalchemist's review
1.0
This was....such a disappointment. The author says at the end that the idea came from reading about anti-vax people and wondering what it would be like to be a teen raised in that environment, but disagreeing. It feels like that was about as much research as she did into that kind of household, and it felt incredibly stereotypical. I am not about to defend anti-vax people, but I do think that if you're going to portray a crunchy household, try to make it feel real. She's not allowed a phone, but her dad does copyediting (I assume on a computer? it's never mentioned). Her mom makes natural deodorant and shampoo, but before the winter dance she mentions putting on makeup (and it is not said that this is homemade, or a questionable/one-time decision).
And above and beyond that there's the weird portrayal of the 'normal' teens, and Juniper's strange sense of privilege, and how the whole thing wanted to be a high school movie and managed to grab all the worst characteristics of that.
I really hope other authors explore the idea of being raised anti-vax because there's a lot of potential.
And above and beyond that there's the weird portrayal of the 'normal' teens, and Juniper's strange sense of privilege, and how the whole thing wanted to be a high school movie and managed to grab all the worst characteristics of that.
I really hope other authors explore the idea of being raised anti-vax because there's a lot of potential.
bethhthelibrarian's review
4.0
Juniper Jade has lived with her parent's decisions her whole life. She is homeschooled in the kitchen of her home, she only eats organic material, she does not watch TV or have a phone. She is not your typical sixteen-year-old girl. And she has never gotten a vaccination.
This doesn't bother her until she gets the measles and unknowingly spreads it to her younger siblings and a (TRIGGER WARNING) four-week-old infant who dies. Juniper then decides she needs to take her life and her body into her own hands and begins the fight for her right to be vaccinated.
This book was awesome. I love books that encourage our teens to change the world and fight for what they believe in. I empathized with Juniper's struggle, and cannot imagine what she felt when she learned that her lack of vaccinations is what caused a baby to die. Her attempt to argue with her parents was valid, and she truly did what she felt she had to do to protect herself and others. This book is timely, especially given our current social climate.
There were a few problems I had with the book. Her parents did seem rather one-dimensional and were the stereotypical hippie-dippie people who homeschool their kids. The book also seemed rather preachy at times. But overall, I think it's a great book for any teen who is interested in learning about law and how a teen can change the world. I did also really like how June still loved her family, despite disagreeing with them. I think that was really well done.
Content: There is some kissing, and some very mild language. There is also the death of an infant.
This doesn't bother her until she gets the measles and unknowingly spreads it to her younger siblings and a (TRIGGER WARNING) four-week-old infant who dies. Juniper then decides she needs to take her life and her body into her own hands and begins the fight for her right to be vaccinated.
This book was awesome. I love books that encourage our teens to change the world and fight for what they believe in. I empathized with Juniper's struggle, and cannot imagine what she felt when she learned that her lack of vaccinations is what caused a baby to die. Her attempt to argue with her parents was valid, and she truly did what she felt she had to do to protect herself and others. This book is timely, especially given our current social climate.
There were a few problems I had with the book. Her parents did seem rather one-dimensional and were the stereotypical hippie-dippie people who homeschool their kids. The book also seemed rather preachy at times. But overall, I think it's a great book for any teen who is interested in learning about law and how a teen can change the world. I did also really like how June still loved her family, despite disagreeing with them. I think that was really well done.
Content: There is some kissing, and some very mild language. There is also the death of an infant.
lindaaaaaa's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
A really well-written book about an important topic with a loveable, independent main character just trying to do what she thinks is right. Personally I think, that the pre-story was a bit too long & the end a bit too sudden. But besides that, it's a great book about a topic that might be more important right now than (almost) ever before.