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    Define 'Normal'
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    Define 'Normal'
    Unavailable
    Define 'Normal'
    Audiobook5 hours

    Define 'Normal'

    Written by Julie Anne Peters

    Narrated by Christine Lakin

    3.5/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    This thoughtful, wry story is about two girls – a "punk" and a "priss" – who find themselves facing each other in a peer-counseling program and discover that they have some surprising things in common.

    A Hachette Audio production.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHachette Audio
    Release dateJun 10, 2014
    ISBN9781478980803
    Unavailable
    Define 'Normal'
    Author

    Julie Anne Peters

    Julie Anne Peters is the critically-acclaimed, award-winning author of more than a dozen books for young adults and children. Her books have been published in numerous countries, including Korea, China, Croatia, Germany, France, Italy, Indonesia, Turkey, and Brazil. Julie is a member of The Society of Book Writers and Illustrators, the Colorado Authors League, and The Authors Guild. She loves writing because she gets to be her own boss and doesn't have to work in an office cubicle. It's hard to think outside the box when you work in a cube. Julie lives in Lakewood, Colorado, with her partner, Sherri, and far too many cats. The cats are under the impression that they're creative geniuses, since they spend a majority of their day walking back and forth across her computer keyboard. They probably generate more words per day than she does, but who can read cat gibberish?

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    Reviews for Define 'Normal'

    3.5/5

    250 ratings25 reviews

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 3/5
      The two main characters were compelling, but this was such an issue book that it wasn't easy to lose one's self in the story. The supporting characters were built of cardboard, and the whole seemed a little forced, as if it came reluctantly from Peters' pen. It's a testament to the quality of the writing that I had to finish it anyway, because what happened next was pretty interesting.
    • 5/5
      I really loved this book. Two girls from different worlds share a connection. The "normal" girl has a rough family life. Her dad left and her mom has been severely depressed. The punk girl is rich and she clashes with her parents because she's different. Through peer counseling, they connect and help each other through family problems. Define "Normal" is a really good book because who gives the definition of normal. Everybody has problems and nobody is better than the next. This book really shows that idea. Highly recommended.
    • 5/5
      When she agrees to meet with Jasmine as a peer counselor at their middle school, Antonia never dreams that this girl with the black lipstick and pierced eyebrow will end up helping her deal with the serious problems she faces at home and become a good friend.I loved this book! Filled with humor and interesting observations about two girls who are both nothing alike and at the same time very similar, this novel took me by surprise. Great ending with an interesting twist
    • 4/5
      I remember when I first found this book, it sounded like something out of a self-help article. But once i finished reading it, I realized it was so much more. This is a true to its word book, about two girls living life. I loved this book, and I promise if you give it a chance, you will too.
    • 4/5
      This book really touched on what it means to be 'normal' in today's day and age. There was a character for everyone to relate to and explained that what might not be considered conventionally normal IS normal. Everyone is different, has different fashions, likes and dislikes and different interests. Normal is subjective and this book explained that pretty well.
    • 5/5
      This is a very good book for people to relate to. When a "Normal" girl with "Normal" grades, has to counsel a goth girl who has lots of family problems. But everybody isn't normal, as you'll read later on, and as you read, the question, "What is Normal?" will be playing in your brain frequently. Overall, a great read.
    • 4/5
      I thought this book was something that you could relate to. You had a goth ish person, and a regular looking teen girl, which is what a lot of people can relate to seeing, like at their school. It flowed nicely and kept me reading.
    • 5/5
      Jazz reminded me very much of myself... (yes, i am like her. do not sneer or whatever you think you want to do) except for the piano aspect. this book was perfect for what i was going through at the time. it was "crunk"
    • 4/5
      I liked this a lot more than I thought I would. Excellent YA.
    • 4/5
      Excellent book! You know sometimes there are books you get just because they're easily available and you're interested in the subject matter, but you doubt it'll actually be a favorite book of yours? That's what it was like with this book, except that I found it was pretty good writing and I actually loved it. There were two or three swear words in the whole book, which was a nice change from some of the "troubled youth" books you find. I loved both the characters and the plot. Definitely worth the read.
    • 4/5
      Antonia, a high-achieving student, participates in a peer counseling program. When she is paired with Jasmine (Jazz), a pink-haired punker who is always in trouble, Antonia wants to run the other way. Jazz isn't any happier to be seen with Antonia. Eventually, though, the girls learn that not everything is as it seems and that "normal" doesn't necessarily mean "happy." They come to depend on each other and be less afraid of showing who they really are.
    • 4/5
      Antonia is a "priss" she works hard, gets good grades and helps her mother around the house. Jazz is a "punk" with black lipstick and a leather jacket. They would never be seen together until Antonia is asked to do peer counseling. Jazz is ordered to do fifteen hours of peer counseling by one of the schools counselors. At first Antonia feels she can't get through to Jazz, but then they find they may have more in common than they think.At first i didn't think i was going to like this book, but i had to read it for my book club. I was surprised that i really liked this book. It was a quick read and it was extremely hard to put down. The characters were very believable, and so was the story line. I liked both Antonia and Jazz equally, which is strange for me, usually i like one character more. I think this is a really nice quick summer read.
    • 4/5
      This is a great book for older children probably around 11-13 years. This story teaches children not to judge others by their appearance; it also confronts issues about child neglect, counseling, and when to ask for help. The author is careful to take into account the age of her readers, so parents can feel safe giving this book to kids, yet the writing is appropriately challenging for the age group. The style is personable.
    • 3/5
      In Julie Ann Peter's Define Normal, Jazz (short for Jasmine) and Antonia (whom Jazz starts to call Tone) are paired up for teen counseling. Antonia has agreed to be a peer mentor because she hopes to get into a college prep program and needs the extracurricular activities; Jazz is her mentee. Or, at least it's set up to look that way. Both girls learn a lot from each other and become friends, in the midst of a difficult time for Antonia, as her home life deteriorates and her responsibilities for her younger brothers increase. Peters does a good job of depicting the interpersonal relationships in this novel; they are believable. However, the dialogue didn't ring true and Antonia's type-A personality didn't really come through as authentic. Antonia's plight never seemed truly desperate, though I'm sure Peters intended it to be. But there was a certain authenticity lacking from the story. Antonia's mother, hospitalized due to clinical depression, could have been better developed as a character. All in all, this is a great discussion piece for readers aged 12-14. There's no drinking, sex, drugs, or smoking, and the book will challenge young readers to rethink their stereotypes of the social clique and the individuals they encounter at school every day. I think that a middle school book group could have a field day with this book; it addresses familiar teen topics: family responsibilities, asking for help, reaching out, befriending people that are different from you, and tensions with parents. Recommended for teen public library collections and middle school libraries.
    • 5/5
      Two girls are put into a "PC" program at school. Both think they are the peer counselor, but, in reality, both counsel each other. One is a punk, the other a geek which makes for interesting byplay.
    • 4/5
      This book is fast paced, with interesting conversations between Antonia and Jazz. The peer counseling sessions are well written with raw emotion and language. Many kids will connect with Antonia's home life. The book showed much more of Antonia's story than Jazz's story, which I thought would have been interesting to read. I would recommend a teacher use this book in a small literature circle where students can discuss the book in great detail, especially the counseling sessions.
    • 4/5
      Makes you think about stereotypes and what really makes a good friend. Well-written.
    • 5/5
      Julie Ann Peters has become one of my favorite authors for teens. She takes topics that lots of authors tackle, but handles them with a raw, unflinching style that I find more honest. No sugar coating necessary. The don't judge a book by its cover theme is written effectively and managed by characters who are far from stereotypical. This keeps the book from feeling like a hammer making its point to a nail.
    • 5/5
      This was a short, quick read, and an excellent young adult book. I was a little surprised by how much I enjoyed it, because I had previously read Peters's Luna and found it to be somewhat overrated. Luna is about a transgendered teenage boy, a topic which on the surface seems much more exciting than that of Define "Normal", which is about an unlikely friendship formed between two very different middle school girls who meet during a peer counseling session. The characters and situations are very realistic, and this is another one that I couldn't put down. I finished it in one sitting. Definitely recommended.
    • 2/5
      I was hoping for something to happen between both characters the whole novel. Not that it wasn't a good story, but I do feel cheated. I don't know. Something was missing all along.
    • 4/5
      Liked this one. Good story about accepting other people as they are. A couple of twists I didn't expect.
    • 4/5
      High school student Antonia has always been the perfect student. Straight A's, math club, never a late assignment... She has agreed to be a peer counselor to an abrasive, punk girl, Jazz. As the two girls reluctantly work through the counseling sessions, it becomes clear that Antonia has deep problems at home, living with an absentee father and a clinically depressed mother. It also becomes evident that Jazz really isn't much like the facade she puts on. She does have some issues to address, but they're not the ones Antonia initially assumes them to be. In the end, both girls help each other.A good solid story about coping with a dysfunctional family, but nothing spectacular or surprising. I also found Jazz a bit difficult to believe.
    • 3/5
      A lovely and moving story of a teenage girl learning to cope with absent parents, bringing up her brothers by herself. Great characters. Peters' use of made up slang words was somewhat annoying. Recommended.
    • 5/5
      "Define "Normal"" is a fantastic book about two girls who would never be caught in school together, but they get paired up for peer-conseling. These two girls realize that they have so much more in common than they could have ever known. This book shows readers that you truly can't judge a book by it's cover. Just like Antonia truly couldn't judge Jazz just because she was a punk rocker girl. Antonia found that she could really rely on Jazz when things seemed to get to tough.
    • 5/5
      I originally reviewed this book on my blog - The Cosy Dragon. For more recent reviews by me, please hop over there.

      Antonia has signed up for additional peer counselling sessions - but she's the normal one! Her peer, Jazz, seems to be anything but normal - piercings, weird clothes and tattoos. Somehow they have to begin to get along and work through the complex problems both bring to the conference table.


      Antonia is a believable character. She's unique in her own way, and not similar to any of Peter's other characters. She has been managing virtually by herself with her two younger brothers for a long time, and yet she has to worry about getting into college and now trying to get a peer counselling session going with Jazz who doesn't seem to be even vaguely interested in the idea.

      Jazz seems a little overblown as a character - but then again, that is the type of person she is. I presumed she was the same age as Antonia, and so I find it hard to believe a 14 year old has tattoos or so much freedom. Maybe the rules are different in the USA where this book is written? Don't let it put you off though - whether you've been the 'punk' that Jazz is, or you've noticed one in your classes, you'll be able to relate.

      Define 'Normal' doesn't set out to define normal! But the characters certainly go through looking for normal, and finding the conventional descriptions of it lacking. It's great to have a book that talks about problems, namely depression, that are usually pushed under the carpet.

      The opening to this book is great, it will grab you, but not for the usual reasons. There are some twists in this book that you may or may not see coming. Every word counts, every word adds meaning to the story. I don't think there are any throw away lines in the whole book. There are no extra descriptions, just pure good reading.

      This book is a very quick read, I probably read it in less than 2 hours. That's not to say it is an easy read in content terms - you will find it heart rending and probably uncomfortable to read in sections. There is no conclusive happily ever after, or even a traditional climax in my opinion, but it's such good writing I didn't care! And it certainly made the storyline ring true.

      I'd recommend this book for teenagers and children. It raises some great discussion questions, and some important issues, such as adult depression and how children cope. As with all Peter's other books, it contains a set of questions at the back for school English classes.