The Last Exit to Normal (review)

Abstract

Reviewed by: The Freak, and: Visions April Spisak Matas, Carol The Freak. Key Porter, 2008160p Paper ed. ISBN 978-1-55263-930-6$6.95 Ad Gr. 7-9 Visions. Key Porter, 2008133p Paper ed. ISBN 978-1-55263-932-0$6.95 R Gr. 7-9 Even three years after his parents' divorce, Ben still has not fully adjusted to the fact that his dad is gay (and now happily partnered) and his mother left Ben with his father abruptly after she found out. Ben, now seventeen, has tried every rebellion trick in the book, until finally, in an act of desperation, his father and stepdad, Edward, decide to move the family out to Montana, where Edward was raised. They hope that in this rural environment, away from bad influences and under the strict tutelage of Miss Mae (Edward's mom, not averse to physical punishment) that Ben will finally find some peace. What Ben finds is that complications and troubled lives exist everywhere, and that his problems are minor compared to those of his eleven-year-old neighbor, who is being severely abused by his father, or his new girlfriend's uncle, who is recovering from serious physical injuries after a farming accident. Harmon adeptly avoids making this a message novel about gratitude and acceptance by letting Ben, sardonic, bitter, and slow to admit his mistakes, do the narrating. In this way, the perspective is firmly trained on a jaded teen, who may allow virtuous lessons to sink in but doesn't necessarily spend much time acknowledging them or exploring their impact. Readers may find intriguing overlaps between Ben and the male protagonist in Peters' Between Mom and Jo (BCCB 7/06), who faces a similar struggle in coping with his parent's sexuality while also seeking his own identity. Copyright © 2008 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois