Customer Reviews

Anything but Normal: A Novel

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Though memories of a summer fling are still fresh and painful, Sophie is cautiously optimistic about this school year - after all, she's got a good group of friends and a cool job on the school newspaper. But Sophie's heart may not be the only thing that still remembers the events of last summer. . .

WARNING: THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS

As a big fan of Melody Carlson, I was extremely interested in her take on teen pregnancy, so I began this book with high expectations. And I wasn't disappointed. . . at first.

One of Melody Carlson's greatest strengths lies in getting readers to understand and care about her characters, and Anything But Normal is no exception. In Sophie, Carlson creates a likable, "everygirl" sort of protagonist, and her intimate style makes Sophie very easy to relate to. Though I've never been in Sophie's exact circumstances, these circumstances are presented in a way that the reader can instantly sympathize with her fear and confusion. I felt like I was going through home pregnancy tests and morning sickness with her.

Without condoning abortion or presenting it as a viable option, Carlson also believably shows the kind of desperation that would prompt a girl to even consider such a thing - even a girl like Sophie, who had always thought of herself as a good, pro-life Christian. A scene where Sophie travels to the Women's Clinic to "weigh her options" will likely make readers stop and truly *think* about what they would do in her shoes. That's the effect it had on me, at least.

Carlson's compassion for pregnant teenagers shines through on every page. Presenting a wide variety of scenarios that could get a girl into the situation she finds herself in, she compellingly argues that one mistake shouldn't define who these girls are. A great point, however. . .

She also seems to argue that it *should* define who the guys are. Young fathers are offered none of the compassion and grace Carlson extends to young mothers, and I'd go as far as to say the novel thoroughly vilifies them. While the pregnant girls in this book are mostly nice gals who made one wrong choice, every single guy responsible for their pregnancy is presented as a selfish, heartless user who wouldn't know what right and wrong were if they bit him on the leg.

This isn't entirely Carlson's fault. It's a common stereotype, and for good reason - guys in that position who will stand up and at least try to do the right thing are, sadly, in the minority. However, in Carlson's writing, such guys aren't in the minority. They simply don't exist, despite the many different scenarios of teenage pregnancies she presents.

Unlike other reviewers, I didn't think Dylan came across as a terrible person. For the majority of the book, he seemed more like a confused teenager whose hormones had simply gotten the better of him and who had little more idea about what to do now than Sophie did. This, along with their pastor's fair, rational handling of the situation, led me to hope that perhaps *their* situation would bring some much-needed balance to the book's conclusion. However, a last-minute plot twist completely obliterates that possibility and left this reader shaking her head in disbelief.

Sophie, for her part, goes from constantly beating herself up for her mistake to taking practically no responsibility. Neither stance is very desirable, but the book would have us believe that Sophie is right on in her climatic "apology," which winds up amounting to little more than, "I'm sorry I ever met Dylan. I'm sorry I trusted Dylan. I'm sorry Dylan caused me to sin."

Furthermore, the aforementioned powerful scene at the Women's Clinic is marred slightly when Sophie briefly muses over the fact that she can get an abortion without her parent's permission, when at school she can't even take an aspirin without her parents being notified. Though she makes a good point, the way it was integrated into the narrative was jarring - for a moment, I felt like I was reading a pro-life pamphlet rather a novel.

Finally, the last chapter moves way too fast. Sophie deals with her friends' reactions to her pregnancy, rushes to the hospital with contractions, gives birth, and gives her baby up for adoption - all in about twenty-five pages. I honestly don't know if I caught the baby's name before the book abruptly concluded with a final, feeble "Sophie knew she would never be the same after all she'd been through and all she'd learned" or something similar. It doesn't even bother to mention exactly *what* Sophie had learned, because, frankly, it didn't feel like they we were leaving her in a very spiritually healthy place. The empathy I had felt toward her had waned considerably by that point.

There are much worse YA novels out there today, but there are also much better ones, even if you limit yourself to Carlson's works ("Burnt Orange" is highly recommended). Those searching for a Christian perspective on teenage pregnancy would probably be better served by the Nikki Sheridan series by Shirley Brinkerhoff. Though long out of print, you can likely find them at a public library, and they provide a much more detailed, balanced view of the subject.

Sophie wants to forget the summer before. She has a lot of great things to look forward to, especially being editor of the high school newspaper. But Sophie can't forget what happened at camp, she wonders if God has abandoned her, and now she has a secret that she won't be able to keep much longer.

This is the first book I have read by Melody Carlson, and I am really impressed with the way she writes about teen issues. Sophie's story is very realistic and very inspiring. She isn't a cover girl for the perfect Christian teen, but her mistakes are not "glamorized" either, and I was pleased with the way the story was presented. The ending was very good, and it really wasn't all that predictable! The only criticism I would offer is that it is slightly discriminating to males, but then again, the story is told from a girl's point of view.


I don't want to give too much away, so you'll need to read it yourself! A great choice for parents and their daughters to read and discuss together.

This story tackles a tough subject. Anything But Normal is an excellent illustration of how one mistake can shred someone's future plans, or at least alter them in a major way. I really enjoyed this story. As a social worker I've come across similar situations and this story reflects scenarios that some of the teens I have worked with have experienced. Young people have a lapse in judgment one time and their world is jacked up for years to come. It's true with many young women that once they've fallen they don't see the point of trying to stay pure anymore. They feel ruined for life and nothing fixes that. Confessing brings forgiveness but the consequences remain. And often it wasn't something the girl wanted to begin with. It was the guy's idea.

I thought the author did a great job with the guilt she experienced, with her wanting to hide the evidence, her fear of people finding out, etc. And best of all, the author did a great job showing the issues surrounding people who are not showing Christ's love and forgiveness. That was well done. People don't realize how self-righteous they sound when they spout off about things they really don't understand. This story is about compassion and the need for more of it. It's also about not shooting the wounded when they are down. I really understood Sophie and her many issues. I adored Wes. He was such a great guy. And Dylan was pretty much what I expected. Unfortunately his response is all too common in scenarios that I've seen. I loved how the Pastor got involved in the end and how Sophie went to the church for help. That was a great example of how things should work when people are hurting and need support. While the story didn't make me cry like I expected, it definitely touched my heart and I'm sure it will do the same for many young women who need to hear the message.

This is the first book that I have read by Melody Carlson and I enjoyed it. I'll try to be a little vague since I don't want to spoil the plot for someone who hasn't read this book yet. There was a certain guy in this book that I was hoping would come to a sudden and painful end. Well, that didn't happen, but I wasn't expecting it to, just hoping. ;) I was a little disappointed with Sophie's final decision, but I can understand why she would do what she did. I really liked how Sophie changed in the book, and befriended people that she probably wouldn't have before. Sorry to be so vague, but I don't want to give anything away! This is a good book and I liked it, but it isn't quite my cup of tea. I tend to like books that get more in-depth with the characters and are a little longer. It is a good book that I'm sure lots of readers will really like.

Okay, now my opinion. I did not really like this book. From the first page I knew the "secret" Sophie was keeping. So no working up to it, anyone could guess what it is. The back cover of the book was not accurate. She did not get the attention of the hottest guy in school. Not sure if there was a mistake or something. Anyway, the book is all about how Sophie is keeping her secret from her friends and family. I was disappointed how easily everything seemed to for Sophie spiritually speaking. She did not seem to take the spiritual aspect of her "secret" a seriously as she should have. She was more concerned about what other people would think about her then what God thinks. I would not want my daughter to read this book because I want her to realize that forgiveness from God is more important then what her friends think.

Senior year should be the best in Sophie Ramsay's life, but Sophie has a secret that she can't hide forever. As she struggles with how to deal with it, she learns a lot about real love. Her only fear is that when the secret comes out, someone will still love her.

This book got out to a bit of a slow start, but once it got going, I couldn't put it down. Carlson wrote a wonderful character in Sophie, a typical good girl who fell for the wrong guy. Happens all the time, unfortunately. I ached watching Sophie deal with this, see which friends stuck by her and which ones didn't, to see how she would work it all out. Life is too short to be cruel to each other. I highly recommend every teenage girl read this book.

I was very impressed with this book. I've read a fair amount of fiction books about teen pregnancy. Most of them focus on the girl's decision on what to do with the baby (abortion, adoption, raising the child, etc...). This one strayed from that beaten bath, focusing on Sophie coming to terms with her pregnancy. It was refreshing to read a different view on teenage pregnancy. Sophie was a believable teenage girl who had believable responses to the situations around her. The author did not make her overly brave or cowardly. I felt the horror of Sophie's situation with her and like her, just wanted it all to go away. Sophie was genuinely lovable as a character and I LOVED her sense of humor. She had me smiling throughout the book.

It was a nice read and I finished it easily in one sitting. At the same time, I was wishing that the author didn't rush the ending so much and that I would have been able to go through more of Sophie's journey with her and maybe see what happens with her years down the road.

Also, Sophie's friends as well as certain situations bordered on unbelievable at times. I don't know any students in high school who would sit around discussing weather the school's pregnancy center is a good or bad thing or who frequently talk about their chastity pledges. Even with those flaws, I would still recommend the book.

The worst of the past has a way of ruining one's present. "Anything But Normal" the story of Sophie Ramsay, who has everything going right for her high school life. Nothing seems to be able to stop her until a foul ghoul of a summer past comes out to ruin her life. "Anything but Normal" is a fine read that younger readers will relish and relate to.

Teen pregnancies seems to be a very popular topic with the media these days. Movies like Juno or the TV show 16 and pregnant are prevalent in our society. It's also interesting how Christians tend to handle this subject. Usually it's done the same cookie cutter way in every book I read. This time however, Melody Carlson puts her edgy spin on this familiar topic.

This book made me think a lot about what I'm going to tell my kids next time about sex when they are teens. I can see the dilemma that a lot of parents have. While you don't want them to start having sex until they are married, it's also not good for those that are having sex to be doing it without protection because no one told them about it. It still amazes me how the myth of "you won't get pregnant the first time you have sex" keeps going around. Even more so it's the number of Christian teens who think this. I am not quite sure what many other Christian teens are told, but I know my parents did let me know this very early in our sex talks.

What stood out to me the most was the judgmental Christians in this book. Carlson does this in a lot of her books of showing the hypocrisy of the thinking of a lot of so-called Christians and it's actually one of my favorite things about her writing. Many people have been brought up to think this way and it's sad that Sophie had to face people like that, even from her own friends and church. I remember back in high school when purity pledges were very popular to do and that several friends of mine had took that pledge, only to go against what they had pledged to do. Also interesting was the notion that it's always the girl's fault, even when it come to Christian teens. I really got annoyed at a certain character's mother for thinking her son had done absolutely nothing wrong and didn't seem to think she should taken any responsibility or take action. Therefore I was glad to a hear a certain particular rumor at the end of the book. Although actually it's rather sad when you think about the circumstances that is now going to happen again.

I did feel the ending was a bit too tidied up and rushed. There's a brief emotional moment that Sophie has with her baby before giving it up but I didn't feel as if we really got to connect with during the final weeks of pregnancy as well as what's going to happen now. Other than this, I really enjoyed this book. It takes a subject that is talked about a lot, but puts a different spin on the views normally presented. This is a really good book for older teens and one that I think all Christian teen girls should really read. It's not only a good book about teenage pregnancies but also a good look at the dangers of passing judgment.

Read the Back:
SHE THOUGHT SHE LEFT THE SUMMER BEHIND...

This year should be the best of Sophie Ramsay's life. She's friends with all the right people, she's a shoo-in for editor of the school newspaper, and she's managed to turn the head of one of the hottest guys in school.

But something's not quite right. Sophie has a secret - one she won't be able to keep under wraps for much longer.

What I Thought:
What an amazing story! I've always enjoyed reading Melody Carlson's books as she gets right down to business with tackling the issues facing teens in today's society. This book gave me a new perspective on how people, even Christians, can be really judgmental. Sophie is faced with a big problem and has many decisions that she needs to make throughout this book. Sophie begins to doubt and question her faith. Her friends can see a difference in her attitude. She falls away from God when she really needs him most.

As a Christian, I found this book really eye opening. It gave me a new perspective on how cold people can be. It also gave me the gentle reminder that God is there no matter what! Couldn't we all use that reminder? Even though this book is written as young adult fiction, I think that any adult could benefit from reading it. I found myself crying right alongside the characters. I also got that desperate feeling too. Melody Carlson has done it again and I HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone.

Available now at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Book is courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.