The New Normal

Gr 9 Up—Tamar is an indefatigable, scrappy 16-year-old who is coping with the death of her younger twin sisters. The stress causes her to lose her hair, and her parents to lose themselves-her mom to yoga and her dad to beer and television. The twins "died riding in cars with boys. Stupid, drunken boys." The bright spot in this novel is Tamar. One cannot help but root for her to survive the challenges in her life. The problem is that they never let up-she faces drug dealers, sexual harassment, being robbed at gunpoint, getting a prom date and being stood up, and being bullied-and that is not the whole list. Some of these incidents are plotlines that are never completed- acupuncture is introduced at the start of the volume and never mentioned again until it is neatly abandoned at the end of the book. The especially cruel bullying scene is not fully developed either. Still, readers remain connected to this feisty, capable teen and just want for her to be happy. It is her friend, Roy, from the chess club and her involvement in the school play that keep her from sinking. Through sheer tenacity and a love of life, she saves herself and, in the process, her family. A quick read that delivers a happy ending.—Joanne K. Cecere, Monroe-Woodbury High School, Central Valley, NY