Define 'Normal'

By: Julie Anne Peters

Narrated by: Christine Lakin

Length: 5 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

©2014 Julie Anne Peters (P)2014 Hachette Audio

The voice actor, Christine Lakin was simply amaxin

I loved it. The amazing narrator plus the great story. It was a pleasure to finish

This book is amazing!

The narrator made this book 10× more enjoyable! Her voice was clear, her impressions were impeccable, and listening to her soothed me. I highly recommend this audiobook, not just because of the well-written book, but because of the amazing narrator! Props to her!

Heartfelt, Heartbreaking and Well-Acted

What made the experience of listening to Define 'Normal' the most enjoyable?

Definitely the voice acting. Christine Larkin not only perfectly imitated a very young boy, but also a toddler, and both French and Hispanic accents. Not many people can handle doing all those things in the same book.

Would you recommend Define 'Normal' to your friends? Why or why not?

I'm not sure. The story can get pretty dark and beautifully heartbreaking at times, but it was nice to see some real issues being tackled, such as living with a parent's depression.

Which character – as performed by Christine Lakin – was your favorite?

I feel she puts just the right amount of toughness into the character of Jazz, yet can easily take it down a notch whenever the performance needs it.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

We each have our own cross to bear.

Any additional comments?

The one minor issue I had was that this title is always grouped together with "lesbian teen" related books, and so I kept waiting for a lesbian relationship to form between Jazz and Antonia. But only now do I see that it's just because of the other books in Julie Ann Peters' ouvre.

The "poor rich girl growing up with expectations from her parents so bad that she totally bucks them" thing is also pretty overdone, as is the "two opposite people becoming friends" thing, but that doesn't really detract from the overall greatness of the story.

Define 'Normal' by Julie Anne Peters

If you could sum up Define 'Normal' in three words, what would they be?

NORMAL MEETS GOTH
I listened to this amazing audiobook from the Hub Challenge and LOVED it. Both girls are fantastic protagonists, although the story is told solely from Antonia's point of view; she is peer counseling Jazz Luther who is the total opposite of Antonia. As I listened to this compelling audiobook I realized why I love Julie Ann Peters books- she gets teens. This book is no different- both Jazz and Antonia have "stuff" going on and teens will love reading or listening to this book; can seeming "opposites" get along, trust each other, and become friends? Highly recommended!

Who was your favorite character and why?

I liked Antonia because she 'seemed' more normal than Jazz. Antonia is a straight A student and her view of life is getting more and more murky--thank goodness for the peer counseling. I think that became her life line as well as her new friendship with Jazz.

Have you listened to any of Christine Lakin’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This was my first and I want to listen to more of her performances:)

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When Antonia got Jazz to play the piano; I think it was a defining moment for both of them although they do not realize it at the time.

Any additional comments?

I listened to this Amazing Audiobook as part of The 2015 Hub Challenge and loved this oldy but goody book.

Funny, striking, and heart-warming story

Despite the somewhat cringe worthy slang, this was a beautiful story, full of good humor and heart-warming moments. The narration was also amazing, bringing the characters and story to life.

Appropriate for tweens

Antonia, a rule follower and good student becomes a peer counselor to Jazz, a rebel with a bad attitude. At home, Antonia cares for her younger brothers while her mentally ill mother languishes in bed. How can Antonia possibly help Jazz when she can barely hold her family together?

DEFINE “NORMAL” is a quick, especially appropriate for tweens dealing with added responsibility due to a parent’s mental illness.

Female book

Really not a book for guys. adolescent females might like it. You know right away who you would date and who would pass the MMPI.