Waiting for Normal
Waiting for Normal
Leslie Connor
Waiting for Normal, by Leslie Connor, is emotional, dramatic, and shows another side of society from a child’s point-of-view. Addie, the main character, is waiting for normal. But Addie's mother, or Mommers, has an all-or-nothing approach to life: a food fiesta or an empty pantry, her way or no way. Addie’s mother is bipolar, although it doesn’t say that, and she often neglects Addie. All or nothing additude never adds up to normal, and it can't bring Addie home, where she wants to be with her half-sisters and her stepfather. But Addie never stops hoping that one day, maybe, she'll find normal. Addie’s always had a way of dealing with her mom’s inconsistencies all her life, and now isn’t any different. With Mommers disappearing for days at a time, Addie concentrates on the things she can control. Her flute playing, her hamster Piccolo, her friends at the corner convenience store, and getting to see her half-sisters and Dwight whenever she can. Yet as her sisters’ lives get increasingly better without her, Addie’s own world becomes more and more unstable. Strength of character is her best friend now and her eventual freedom will have to rely on danger.
Waiting for Normal is an emotional story that shows things at a child’s point-of-view. Was some of this book predictable? Of course! Because this is a children’s book and if you read a certain amount of them then elements are going to crop up more than once. Addie’s mother kept reminding me of negligent mom or pop characters in other books, but she certainly had a manic depressive style of her own. I would recommend reading the first chapter of this book (it’s only five pages) in a children’s literature course or a class on how to write for children as an example of showing, not telling. Our slow realization that Addie’s mother is selfish and self-centered isn’t crystal clear from page one. All the same, you’re getting hints of it. So here’s the million-dollar question: Are kids going to like this book? I think so. Although this book isn’t in my top ten, it’s not a bad book. The actual writing isn’t that challenging or difficult, but the concept of child abandonment and divorce is a more difficult concept for kids.
Grade Level:
- Suggested: 5th-8th
- Advanced: 4th
- Genre: Realistic-fiction
- Key Elements: Child abandonment, divorce
- Possible Themes: Always hope
Overall Rating: 3.5/5
Happy Reading!
-The Book Lover-
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