TeenLit Book Reviews


January 2005

Define Normal

Julie Ann Peters

Genre- Fiction..Family Troubles/Relationships Rating- 3 1/2 I would recommend this book to Middle School kids and High School teenagers, both male and females. "Normal" Is there such a thing? Should someone be condemned because they are different as some people may say. Of course not! Antonia and "Jazz", so different in so many ways, and yet alike and others. Antonia who was always helping out, or taking part in things, she then decides to volunteer in the new "Peer Counseling" program at school, only to find out that her new person to counsel was Jasmine Luther. "Jazz" is anything but ordinary. While hating each other from the start of the counseling sessions, they never knew what exactly their relationship could turn into. Both thinking the total opposite of what actually happens. We would like to think that "Jazz" would be the one living in the slums, having no money or outlook on life ect. and we should also like to think Antonia, straight A student lives in a huge mansion, great parents, and a great life. But this book make's society's way of thinking very much so, wrong. As the story proceeds an amazing turn comes-about. Antonia lets down her barriers by letting "Jazz" become a part of her life. Define Normal is an extraordinary book about how someone so normal, and so differant as we would like to think, can actually be alot alike, just give the person the time of day and you will come to find out they aren't so different after all. This novel, was an all-around great book. It deals with conflicts many teens will go through. The book could have been written in a little better detail,