A Shot at Normal by Marisa Reichardt

Abstract

Reviewed by: A Shot at Normal by Marisa Reichardt Deborah Stevenson, Editor Reichardt, Marisa A Shot at Normal. Farrar, 2021 [352p] Trade ed. ISBN 9780374380953 $17.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9780374380960 $9.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R Gr. 7-10 Everybody else in the Jade family seems happy with their super-crunchy, homeschooling, hippie lifestyle, but sixteen-year-old Juniper longs to go to a real school, with a lively cafeteria full of teenagers. Even if her parents allowed it the state of California wouldn't, since Juniper has never been vaccinated, a decision that has its cost when Juniper comes down with the measles and spreads it to her younger siblings—and to a baby she met at the farmer's market, who tragically dies of the illness. A horrified Juniper, helped by new boyfriend Nico, seeks to get vaccinated, even if it means taking legal action against her parents to do so. Reichardt makes no bones about which side she's on but nonetheless renders Juniper's parents with sympathy and dimension, while Juniper's arguments make important broader points about her parents' position of privilege. Her romance with Nico and her legal experience are a little tidy, but it's Juniper's yearning for important agency and social opportunities and her struggle to achieve them without losing her whole family that really matter here. This is an accessible exploration that gives heart to an often abstract issue, and readers will be eager for post-read discussion. Copyright © 2021 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois