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A Shot at Normal
Marisa Reichardt's A Shot at Normal is a powerful and timely novel about justice, agency, family, and taking your shot, even when it seems impossible.Dr. Villapando told me to get a good attorney. He wasn't serious. But I am. I'm going to sue my parents.Juniper Jade's parents are hippies. They didn’t attend the first Woodstock, but they were there for the second one. The Jade family lives an all-organic homeschool lifestyle that means no plastics, no cell phones, and no vaccines. It isn’t exactly normal, but it’s the only thing Juniper has ever known. She doesn’t agree with her parents on everything, but she knows that to be in this family, you've got to stick to the rules. That is, until the unthinkable happens.Juniper contracts the measles and unknowingly passes the disease along, with tragic consequences. She is shell-shocked. Juniper knows she is responsible and feels simultaneously helpless and furious at her parents, and herself.Now, with the help of Nico, the boy who works at the library and loves movies and may just be more than a friend, Juniper comes to a she is going to get vaccinated. Her parents refuse so Juniper arms herself with a lawyer and prepares for battle. But is waging war for her autonomy worth losing her family? How much is Juniper willing to risk for a shot at normal?
344 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 16, 2021
27 people are currently reading
3471 people want to read
About the author
Marisa Reichardt
5 books258 followersMarisa Reichardt is the critically acclaimed author of the YA novels UNDERWATER, AFTERSHOCKS (2020), and A SHOT AT NORMAL (2021). She has a Master of Professional Writing degree from the University of Southern California and dual degrees in English & American Literature and Creative Writing from UC San Diego. Before becoming a published author, Marisa worked in academic publications, tutored high school students in writing, and shucked oysters. These days, you can probably find her huddled over her laptop in a coffeehouse or swimming in the ocean.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 175 reviews
April 5, 2021
this book reminded me of ‘my sisters keeper’ in a lot of ways. but instead of organ/tissue harvesting, its the right to vaccinations. which is so relevant nowadays.
i appreciate how juniper is written. i like how invested she is making a change and doesnt take her decisions lightly. she does research, stays well-informed, so that she can make educated choices. i also like how her choosing to get vaccinated and loving her parents arent mutually exclusive things. and i really like how things ended for her journey for body autonomy.
my only critique would be how junipers parents are portrayed. they are a stereotype and one that could potentially be harmful. i have met anti-vaxxers who are not hippie vegan anti-public schoolers. i feel like these views are meant to show the parents in a somewhat backwards light, and i wasnt really a fan.
but overall, this is a very topical and important story which will lead to some great discussion among teens.
↠ 3.5 stars
i appreciate how juniper is written. i like how invested she is making a change and doesnt take her decisions lightly. she does research, stays well-informed, so that she can make educated choices. i also like how her choosing to get vaccinated and loving her parents arent mutually exclusive things. and i really like how things ended for her journey for body autonomy.
my only critique would be how junipers parents are portrayed. they are a stereotype and one that could potentially be harmful. i have met anti-vaxxers who are not hippie vegan anti-public schoolers. i feel like these views are meant to show the parents in a somewhat backwards light, and i wasnt really a fan.
but overall, this is a very topical and important story which will lead to some great discussion among teens.
↠ 3.5 stars
March 1, 2021
3.5
This is a hard book to review because this is a Very Important Book, especially given, uh, our current circumstances. I have a feeling that in the near future, the right for children to decide their right to be vaccinated with end up becoming a big thing. That being said, parts of this book just felt cartoonish; namely or just...literally everything about the parents. Also, I feel a bit misled. I was expecting this to focus more heavily on Juniper's quest to sue her parents, but it often felt like that took a backseat to the instalove-y romance and Juniper's general desire to live a "normal life".
I liked both Juniper and Nico, and though the romance was instalove-y, it was cute enough. They were pretty much the only characters I liked, though. I loathed the parents, Mary, and even Poppy, and I really couldn't feel too bad for the parents when their own asinine decision got their family ostracized. Like I don't support the , but people have a right not to associate with you if your actions led to the death of a baby and your kids could potentially give others fatal diseases. I also felt like the parents just stayed the same cartoonish caricatures of hippies throughout the book, and while people like this do exist, it just felt...difficult to believe? I'm unfortunately aware of the existence of anti-vaxxers like them but there were times where I put the book down and went "this isn't satire, right?". It also felt like they didn't change at all by the end, and that no one but Juniper had any sort of arc.
Anyways, this was still a solid book and I'd recommend it, but it requires some suspension of disbelief.
This is a hard book to review because this is a Very Important Book, especially given, uh, our current circumstances. I have a feeling that in the near future, the right for children to decide their right to be vaccinated with end up becoming a big thing. That being said, parts of this book just felt cartoonish; namely or just...literally everything about the parents. Also, I feel a bit misled. I was expecting this to focus more heavily on Juniper's quest to sue her parents, but it often felt like that took a backseat to the instalove-y romance and Juniper's general desire to live a "normal life".
I liked both Juniper and Nico, and though the romance was instalove-y, it was cute enough. They were pretty much the only characters I liked, though. I loathed the parents, Mary, and even Poppy, and I really couldn't feel too bad for the parents when their own asinine decision got their family ostracized. Like I don't support the , but people have a right not to associate with you if your actions led to the death of a baby and your kids could potentially give others fatal diseases. I also felt like the parents just stayed the same cartoonish caricatures of hippies throughout the book, and while people like this do exist, it just felt...difficult to believe? I'm unfortunately aware of the existence of anti-vaxxers like them but there were times where I put the book down and went "this isn't satire, right?". It also felt like they didn't change at all by the end, and that no one but Juniper had any sort of arc.
Anyways, this was still a solid book and I'd recommend it, but it requires some suspension of disbelief.
June 19, 2020
Works a lot better as a novel for a YA audience than as one read by an adult who likes YA. I wanted to read this based on the back cover copy, where a teenager with new age, organic, hippie parents catches measles and goes on a battle for medical emancipation. There's not much legal battle here, it focuses much more on her meeting a boy and forming a relationship with him and friendships amongst a peer group, while also exploring the tension of what Juniper wants for herself versus what her parents want for her. All great YA novel stuff.
For me, the first hurdle is right on the back of the book, that she catches measles and there are disastrous consequences. Then, I truly have an issue with how the parents were portrayed. They are extremely sympathetic. Like, even for parents in a YA book, where often reasonable parenting is treated as draconian. In some circumstances, it would be considered skillful for an author to make us sympathize with characters who are villains, but here it feels sort of irresponsible? Sadly, in the US today there are more and more people who agree with the Jade's viewpoints and this "both sides" stuff is dangerous. The criticism of Juniper's parents is pretty much confined to being stubborn and not listening to their kids. Not even a discussion of how they want the kids to "think for themselves" and then throw tantrums as soon as Juniper has differing opinions than them.
Criticizing mob mentality, especially against children, is important, but this is a YA novel that could reach so many suburban children whose parents sell MLM essential oils and diffuse in a dangerous way around pets and babies, who put oils directly on skin without a carrier oil, and even ingest them (because MLM oils are "so pure!" they think this is safe, despite the medical evidence otherwise) and they really could use something that says parents are not infallible and them doing things because they love you and want to protect you doesn't make them automatically right.
Nico's peanut allergy and bee sting allergy are slightly interesting because Juniper recognizes how wonderful the medical technology of an epipen is, but I wonder what the story would look like if there was a cancer survivor in the film club, so she couldn't be welcomed in as easily? Or someone who had a rare vaccine reaction and couldn't be up to date and truly needed herd immunity to protect them?
The book ends pretty abruptly, with the court decision, and the promise that there will be ramifications in Juniper's relationships, but then the consequences don't get to be explored. The toddler-like tantrums of her parents ignoring her and not speaking to her and not setting a place at the dinner table for her is straight up emotional abuse and I found it difficult for the book to not have a hard stance that this is wrong, even if it is mostly from Juniper's point of view. This all could make for some great discussion in a teen book group, but I'm wary of a teen reading it on their own without someone to discuss it critically with.
For me, the first hurdle is right on the back of the book, that she catches measles and there are disastrous consequences. Then, I truly have an issue with how the parents were portrayed. They are extremely sympathetic. Like, even for parents in a YA book, where often reasonable parenting is treated as draconian. In some circumstances, it would be considered skillful for an author to make us sympathize with characters who are villains, but here it feels sort of irresponsible? Sadly, in the US today there are more and more people who agree with the Jade's viewpoints and this "both sides" stuff is dangerous. The criticism of Juniper's parents is pretty much confined to being stubborn and not listening to their kids. Not even a discussion of how they want the kids to "think for themselves" and then throw tantrums as soon as Juniper has differing opinions than them.
Criticizing mob mentality, especially against children, is important, but this is a YA novel that could reach so many suburban children whose parents sell MLM essential oils and diffuse in a dangerous way around pets and babies, who put oils directly on skin without a carrier oil, and even ingest them (because MLM oils are "so pure!" they think this is safe, despite the medical evidence otherwise) and they really could use something that says parents are not infallible and them doing things because they love you and want to protect you doesn't make them automatically right.
Nico's peanut allergy and bee sting allergy are slightly interesting because Juniper recognizes how wonderful the medical technology of an epipen is, but I wonder what the story would look like if there was a cancer survivor in the film club, so she couldn't be welcomed in as easily? Or someone who had a rare vaccine reaction and couldn't be up to date and truly needed herd immunity to protect them?
The book ends pretty abruptly, with the court decision, and the promise that there will be ramifications in Juniper's relationships, but then the consequences don't get to be explored. The toddler-like tantrums of her parents ignoring her and not speaking to her and not setting a place at the dinner table for her is straight up emotional abuse and I found it difficult for the book to not have a hard stance that this is wrong, even if it is mostly from Juniper's point of view. This all could make for some great discussion in a teen book group, but I'm wary of a teen reading it on their own without someone to discuss it critically with.
February 17, 2021
5 VACCINATED STARS
When Juniper June contracts measles because her hippy parents are anti vaxxers, she decides to take them to court for medical emancipation.
A SHOT AT NORMAL is about as perfect a book as Marisa Reinhardt could have written. Juniper longs to be a normal teenager, to go to the high school with other kids, have a cell phone and drink Starbucks. Her parents prefer their hippy ways. Juniper’s parents are among the worst and most realistically bad parents I’ve ever read. They felt authentic and realistic. I wanted to jump through my kindle screen and throttle them.
Juniper was such a well-rounded character. She doesn’t plan on being a hero, but measles makes her realize she has responsibility not just to herself, but also to her community. Her parents weren’t traditional villains, they made their decisions out of what they considered love, but those decisions were also selfish, controlling and uneducated.
I would love to see a sequel to find out Juniper’s next steps in life and how her family accepted or didn’t accept her.
Reinhardt couldn’t have predicted the book she wrote would be so applicable to the days of COVID and vaccinations. Today news reported a preacher claimed the COVID vaccine turns people gay (insert eye roll icon). I recommend this to everyone.
When Juniper June contracts measles because her hippy parents are anti vaxxers, she decides to take them to court for medical emancipation.
A SHOT AT NORMAL is about as perfect a book as Marisa Reinhardt could have written. Juniper longs to be a normal teenager, to go to the high school with other kids, have a cell phone and drink Starbucks. Her parents prefer their hippy ways. Juniper’s parents are among the worst and most realistically bad parents I’ve ever read. They felt authentic and realistic. I wanted to jump through my kindle screen and throttle them.
Juniper was such a well-rounded character. She doesn’t plan on being a hero, but measles makes her realize she has responsibility not just to herself, but also to her community. Her parents weren’t traditional villains, they made their decisions out of what they considered love, but those decisions were also selfish, controlling and uneducated.
I would love to see a sequel to find out Juniper’s next steps in life and how her family accepted or didn’t accept her.
Reinhardt couldn’t have predicted the book she wrote would be so applicable to the days of COVID and vaccinations. Today news reported a preacher claimed the COVID vaccine turns people gay (insert eye roll icon). I recommend this to everyone.
March 29, 2023
Das Buch ist keine leichte Lektüre. Aber so wichtig. Das Thema ist wirklich wichtig und dass es in der Literatur aufgearbeitet wird, umso wichtiger. #ImpfenRettetLeben
Ich habe mich bei der Argumentation der Eltern so sehr aufgeregt, das Buch hat meinen Blutdruck echt in die Höhe getrieben. So eine Ignoranz. Masern, Polio und Co sind nur so selten, weil so viele geimpft wurden. Junipers Gefühle sind gut dargestellt, sie will diese Sache für sich selbst bestimmen dürfen, gleichzeitig ihrer Familie aber nicht schaden, weil sie sie trotz allem liebt. Das Buch hat mich nicht 100%ig vom Hocker geworfen, aber ich finde es super wichtig.
Ich habe mich bei der Argumentation der Eltern so sehr aufgeregt, das Buch hat meinen Blutdruck echt in die Höhe getrieben. So eine Ignoranz. Masern, Polio und Co sind nur so selten, weil so viele geimpft wurden. Junipers Gefühle sind gut dargestellt, sie will diese Sache für sich selbst bestimmen dürfen, gleichzeitig ihrer Familie aber nicht schaden, weil sie sie trotz allem liebt. Das Buch hat mich nicht 100%ig vom Hocker geworfen, aber ich finde es super wichtig.
October 25, 2020
Marisa Reinhardt does it again. A brilliant, sharp, evocative story of a girl fighting for control over her body. Complex and emotionally nuanced, just like Marisa's other work. So timely and relevant and an absolute must-read.
June 7, 2021
This ain't it. This could have been something really really great but it totally missed the mark for me. The love story overshadowed and overtook the important premise of this story. A child died because of this family. Juniper could have died, but instead it was turned into a hate crime (which I might add was hilarious when you find out who did it?? like.. no?) and some instalove.
I am also all for parents being able to choosing to do things differently. I'm very moderately granola mom myself (with a focus on vaccinating, but trusting science but also loving some of the granola things like childwearing etc). I think this book should have forgone the love story and focused more on her parents, the real trauma behind the choices they've made (not enough focused on this imo), how Juniper and her siblings are ultimately the losers here bc of their parents. The awfulness about a baby dying. Yes, it's mentioned. Yes, it does get taken up but it feels like it's the same convo over and over again. Even her parents when they are defending their right to not vaccinate, it's... hollow.
Her relationship with her parents esp when Juniper is in the hospital is ridiculous and quite frankly, I'm... flabbergasted at it lmao. This book could have slapped so hard. If you see the story of Ethan Lindenberger and other teens that ask on reddit "my parents are anti-vaxx and i need to get vaccinated" and this is what you come up with?? anyway no
I am also all for parents being able to choosing to do things differently. I'm very moderately granola mom myself (with a focus on vaccinating, but trusting science but also loving some of the granola things like childwearing etc). I think this book should have forgone the love story and focused more on her parents, the real trauma behind the choices they've made (not enough focused on this imo), how Juniper and her siblings are ultimately the losers here bc of their parents. The awfulness about a baby dying. Yes, it's mentioned. Yes, it does get taken up but it feels like it's the same convo over and over again. Even her parents when they are defending their right to not vaccinate, it's... hollow.
Her relationship with her parents esp when Juniper is in the hospital is ridiculous and quite frankly, I'm... flabbergasted at it lmao. This book could have slapped so hard. If you see the story of Ethan Lindenberger and other teens that ask on reddit "my parents are anti-vaxx and i need to get vaccinated" and this is what you come up with?? anyway no
January 8, 2021
A SHOT AT NORMAL is a heartbreaking, page-turning, important novel I stayed up all night to finish. Marisa Reichardt delivers Juniper Jade’s fight to get vaccinated against her parents’ with compelling, breathtaking prose.
March 29, 2021
I read this book practically in one day, it was fascinating to me & kept a great pace. While I stand firmly in my decisions to vaccinate my children, I felt this story did a great job presenting both arguments & while I disagree with Juniper’s parents, I can also relate to them & their lifestyle decisions as many of them I’ve also adopted for the well-being of my children & the planet. The cute little YA romance intertwined was a delight too.
July 13, 2021
An absolutely riveting read from start to finish. So timely and poignant and should be essential reading in these times, forcing us to think beyond ourselves. A must read.
February 23, 2021
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an early copy!
I really like Marisa Reichardt’s writing style - it’s so fast-paced and to the point. A Shot at Normal is a story with a pretty to-the-point kinda plot - Juniper and her siblings have super organic, homeschool, and essential oil type parents who did not vaccinate them. Juniper contracts the measles at 16, with pretty devastating results. After the ordeal, Juniper decides she wants her vaccinations, but everyone keeps saying she has to wait until she’s 18. But does she? She begins pursuing a way to fight for her vaccinations in court. (Can I mention I love this title? It’s a little cheesy but it fits the story SO well.)
The story is definitely interesting and opens me up to the kind of thing I would never have had to worry about at 16. As someone who is probably just about as close in age to Juniper’s parents as to Juniper herself, I just wanted to choke her parents out. They honestly are everything I hate in adults - unwilling to listen to children - especially their own, selfish, conspiracy theorists, and just bullheaded as hell. But the thing is, they’re still the people that raised Juniper. So she sees all that, but also knows the sides of them that make them lovable, because they’re her family. And I think that really thin line between disagreeing with your parents on something so colossal but still loving them as family was really portrayed well.
The pacing and stakes were just a little weird in this story. Something bad happened when Juniper had the measles, and it somehow was covered too frequently but also not deeply enough at any point. The townsfolk also begin to shun and harass the family as their anti-vaxxer stance comes to light, and there’s never much follow-up on that. Did it just stop? It seems tough to live in a small town and that kind of thing just go away.
There’s a romance in this story that is really sweet, but also I’m not sure that it really fit in the story. I get that Juniper was making her own way in the world and branching out but it just seemed like a conveniently high amount of change at once. She actually seemed to have plenty of conviction on the subject before she had any outside support. Nico’s opinions on the whole anti-vax thing were a little muddy at times which was sorta weird. He’s a really supportive and kind love interest, though, even if we probably could have done without him.
I think teens will like this quick and relatively simple story, especially because it’s about knowing what’s best for yourself even if your parents don’t agree. Not in the typically rebellious way, but the thinking-of-your-future kind of way. Sort of like when kids in novels tell their parents they want a different college major. But Juniper just didn’t want to get rubella. Ya know?
I really like Marisa Reichardt’s writing style - it’s so fast-paced and to the point. A Shot at Normal is a story with a pretty to-the-point kinda plot - Juniper and her siblings have super organic, homeschool, and essential oil type parents who did not vaccinate them. Juniper contracts the measles at 16, with pretty devastating results. After the ordeal, Juniper decides she wants her vaccinations, but everyone keeps saying she has to wait until she’s 18. But does she? She begins pursuing a way to fight for her vaccinations in court. (Can I mention I love this title? It’s a little cheesy but it fits the story SO well.)
The story is definitely interesting and opens me up to the kind of thing I would never have had to worry about at 16. As someone who is probably just about as close in age to Juniper’s parents as to Juniper herself, I just wanted to choke her parents out. They honestly are everything I hate in adults - unwilling to listen to children - especially their own, selfish, conspiracy theorists, and just bullheaded as hell. But the thing is, they’re still the people that raised Juniper. So she sees all that, but also knows the sides of them that make them lovable, because they’re her family. And I think that really thin line between disagreeing with your parents on something so colossal but still loving them as family was really portrayed well.
The pacing and stakes were just a little weird in this story. Something bad happened when Juniper had the measles, and it somehow was covered too frequently but also not deeply enough at any point. The townsfolk also begin to shun and harass the family as their anti-vaxxer stance comes to light, and there’s never much follow-up on that. Did it just stop? It seems tough to live in a small town and that kind of thing just go away.
There’s a romance in this story that is really sweet, but also I’m not sure that it really fit in the story. I get that Juniper was making her own way in the world and branching out but it just seemed like a conveniently high amount of change at once. She actually seemed to have plenty of conviction on the subject before she had any outside support. Nico’s opinions on the whole anti-vax thing were a little muddy at times which was sorta weird. He’s a really supportive and kind love interest, though, even if we probably could have done without him.
I think teens will like this quick and relatively simple story, especially because it’s about knowing what’s best for yourself even if your parents don’t agree. Not in the typically rebellious way, but the thinking-of-your-future kind of way. Sort of like when kids in novels tell their parents they want a different college major. But Juniper just didn’t want to get rubella. Ya know?
May 11, 2021
This had so much potential and it was so close to actually slapping but it just wanted to focus on a boring instalove romance instead.
A Shot at Normal is about a girl named Juniper whose parents are hippies, and anti-vaxxers. Her and her siblings haven't had any vaccines and they are home-schooled and Juniper hates it. When she gets the measles and it spreads with deadly results, Juniper decides she is going against her parents wishes to get vaccinated herself. The only thing is they won't allow it so she'll have to sue them.
This starts off strong but really sad- Juniper gets sick and a baby dies when it could have been avoided. But then Juniper meets a cute boy at the library and everything goes downhill. I thought most of the book would be the plotline of suing her parents for her right to bodily autonomy but no, it's rarely talked about while cartoonish things happen and Juniper falls in instalove with literally the first boy to talk to her. This book literally uses a baby dying as backdrop / unimportant to an instalove teen romance and I'm actually screaming at how STUPID and offensive that was.
Some of the things that happen in here are such a joke. Like someone spray paints the letter A and "anti-vaxxers" on their front door and lawn and then there is a facebook group to stalking them like??? Her relationship with her family could have been hard and complex but instead it was just them throwing tantrums and going off about the same things in long ass rants. There is a part where they don't give her a placemat at the breakfast table and I just died laughing because really?
The instalove oh my god what is the POINT. I wanted to read about anti-vaxxers getting told to choke not literally the most boring instalove romance ever with just a little sideplot. I get why she wants to be normal and her desire for that but that is literally all it is. Also the writing just wasn't good. I'm still thinking about the line of how when she was in the hospital, she was "laying in the bed like a scoop of mashed potatoes" girl wHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN.
Cool idea, bad execution. Entire book was just weird as hell???
A Shot at Normal is about a girl named Juniper whose parents are hippies, and anti-vaxxers. Her and her siblings haven't had any vaccines and they are home-schooled and Juniper hates it. When she gets the measles and it spreads with deadly results, Juniper decides she is going against her parents wishes to get vaccinated herself. The only thing is they won't allow it so she'll have to sue them.
This starts off strong but really sad- Juniper gets sick and a baby dies when it could have been avoided. But then Juniper meets a cute boy at the library and everything goes downhill. I thought most of the book would be the plotline of suing her parents for her right to bodily autonomy but no, it's rarely talked about while cartoonish things happen and Juniper falls in instalove with literally the first boy to talk to her. This book literally uses a baby dying as backdrop / unimportant to an instalove teen romance and I'm actually screaming at how STUPID and offensive that was.
Some of the things that happen in here are such a joke. Like someone spray paints the letter A and "anti-vaxxers" on their front door and lawn and then there is a facebook group to stalking them like??? Her relationship with her family could have been hard and complex but instead it was just them throwing tantrums and going off about the same things in long ass rants. There is a part where they don't give her a placemat at the breakfast table and I just died laughing because really?
The instalove oh my god what is the POINT. I wanted to read about anti-vaxxers getting told to choke not literally the most boring instalove romance ever with just a little sideplot. I get why she wants to be normal and her desire for that but that is literally all it is. Also the writing just wasn't good. I'm still thinking about the line of how when she was in the hospital, she was "laying in the bed like a scoop of mashed potatoes" girl wHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN.
Cool idea, bad execution. Entire book was just weird as hell???
January 20, 2021
An absolute must-read for 2021.
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has made us not only keenly aware of our own and family members’ sniffles and coughs, but it has also tasked us with greater responsibility for protecting the health of others, including strangers on the streets and in grocery stores. The emerging availability of vaccines represents a new and hopeful chapter in our shared saga, but how we respond to these fast-tracked immunizations, as well as the challenge of balancing our own health and rights with the health and rights of others, depends on our unique circumstances and the impact the virus has had on us and our loved ones.
Into these “unprecedented times” drops my CHS classmate Marisa Reichardt’s eerily prescient third novel, A Shot at Normal, releasing on February 16. Reichardt chronicles how individual choices impact public health through teen protagonist Juniper Jade, who launches a legal fight against her neo-hippie, anti-vaccinationist parents for her right to access immunizations after she contracts a serious case of the measles and unwittingly spreads it. In 2018 and 2019, when she first conceived the idea and wrote her next book, Reichardt could not imagine just how relevant the themes and conflicts faced by Juniper, her family, and her community would be. But she intuitively captures the skepticism, fear, vulnerability, loss, anger, and guilt so many of us have felt and expressed during this time of heightened powerlessness. Where this book hits a particular and timeless sweet spot is in its poignant and empathetic exploration of the differences in how risk is perceived, calculated, weighed, and then responded to among members of one family.
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has made us not only keenly aware of our own and family members’ sniffles and coughs, but it has also tasked us with greater responsibility for protecting the health of others, including strangers on the streets and in grocery stores. The emerging availability of vaccines represents a new and hopeful chapter in our shared saga, but how we respond to these fast-tracked immunizations, as well as the challenge of balancing our own health and rights with the health and rights of others, depends on our unique circumstances and the impact the virus has had on us and our loved ones.
Into these “unprecedented times” drops my CHS classmate Marisa Reichardt’s eerily prescient third novel, A Shot at Normal, releasing on February 16. Reichardt chronicles how individual choices impact public health through teen protagonist Juniper Jade, who launches a legal fight against her neo-hippie, anti-vaccinationist parents for her right to access immunizations after she contracts a serious case of the measles and unwittingly spreads it. In 2018 and 2019, when she first conceived the idea and wrote her next book, Reichardt could not imagine just how relevant the themes and conflicts faced by Juniper, her family, and her community would be. But she intuitively captures the skepticism, fear, vulnerability, loss, anger, and guilt so many of us have felt and expressed during this time of heightened powerlessness. Where this book hits a particular and timeless sweet spot is in its poignant and empathetic exploration of the differences in how risk is perceived, calculated, weighed, and then responded to among members of one family.
May 8, 2022
A really really really fantastic novel about a homeschooled teen who wants to make her own decisions about her body. Super realistic and I love that because of the love for her family, it is hard for her to choose to go against her parents and everything that they've engrained in her.
August 31, 2021
Please get vaccinated.
Considering that I just submitted Proof of Vaccination to my uni, I figured this was a good choice for a next read.
I don’t know if it was me not being in a reading mood or the book itself but I wasn’t interested in reading it. The love story did nothing for me. It was poorly developed and Nico didn’t interest me in any way. Hell, a lot of events in the book felt very surface level, nothing felt explained or presented in-depth. I wanted more of the legalities, mob mentality, anti-vax hippie lifestyle. I also wanted more of an ending. It felt very open-ended and unresolved . Things seemed pretty easy going and accomplished for something very serious.
Considering that I just submitted Proof of Vaccination to my uni, I figured this was a good choice for a next read.
I don’t know if it was me not being in a reading mood or the book itself but I wasn’t interested in reading it. The love story did nothing for me. It was poorly developed and Nico didn’t interest me in any way. Hell, a lot of events in the book felt very surface level, nothing felt explained or presented in-depth. I wanted more of the legalities, mob mentality, anti-vax hippie lifestyle. I also wanted more of an ending. It felt very open-ended and unresolved . Things seemed pretty easy going and accomplished for something very serious.
September 17, 2025
As I mentioned yesterday, it's been a couple of not great weeks, although it's getting better. Today i actually got something accomplished and felt pretty good. Despite having some NBA finalists to read, I decided I wanted something "light" to read. Boy, was I wrong. Although this was published in 2021, it must have foreseen the future. Juniper Jade is a teenager whose parents do not believe in vaccinations. She feels ill while helping her mother at the farmers' market. holds a baby, finds out it's measles, and the baby dies. Fumy how it was written before Trump was elected and published during his first term. The 5 stars is not so much for the writing although it is a very nicely done book, but because of the current realism and the fact that I would love to see more teenagers like Jade stand up for their righs.
January 19, 2021
2 Stars
Note: I was provided with a free ARC by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions here are my own.
Though this is the best "topic" book I have reviewed in 2021 so far, it still falls short quite short of my hopes. This book unfortunately falls into the trap that many books revolving around a controversial topic do: it gets too involved in its agenda. And, amazingly, this book manages to swerve away from taking any sort of strong stance at the same time, which is boggling to me.
A full review of what went just about right and what else failed to meet the mark will be published in February 2021 on my blog. LINK: https://gatewaybookreviews.blogspot.c...
Note: I was provided with a free ARC by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions here are my own.
Though this is the best "topic" book I have reviewed in 2021 so far, it still falls short quite short of my hopes. This book unfortunately falls into the trap that many books revolving around a controversial topic do: it gets too involved in its agenda. And, amazingly, this book manages to swerve away from taking any sort of strong stance at the same time, which is boggling to me.
A full review of what went just about right and what else failed to meet the mark will be published in February 2021 on my blog. LINK: https://gatewaybookreviews.blogspot.c...
May 9, 2025
A good teen fiction read especially right now was measles cases are on the rise.....go get vaccinated people!
March 24, 2021
Timely and well researched. Reviewed at Reading Rants: http://www.readingrants.org/2021/03/2...
February 28, 2022
// Content Warning: Bullying / Child death / Miscarriage / Medical content //
A SHOT AT NORMAL follows Juniper as she fights back the mindset she was brought up with and is determined to be granted the right to make decisions about her own body.
That's it, that's literally the plot.
I don't know what it was about the writing that I found addictive. I kept telling myself, "One more chapter" and ended up finishing the entire book during maths.
I admired Juniper because no matter how difficult the struggle was, she didn't stop fighting back, even if it meant involving the law.
The romance was cute even though it wasn't the main focal point of this book. Noah was the sweetest guy and yes, it's just cute.
This review is so short because there's nothing else to write, apologies.
4/5
A SHOT AT NORMAL follows Juniper as she fights back the mindset she was brought up with and is determined to be granted the right to make decisions about her own body.
That's it, that's literally the plot.
I don't know what it was about the writing that I found addictive. I kept telling myself, "One more chapter" and ended up finishing the entire book during maths.
I admired Juniper because no matter how difficult the struggle was, she didn't stop fighting back, even if it meant involving the law.
The romance was cute even though it wasn't the main focal point of this book. Noah was the sweetest guy and yes, it's just cute.
This review is so short because there's nothing else to write, apologies.
4/5
February 21, 2021
This plot was somewhat interesting, but it was executed super poorly. All the characters were incredibly one dimensional and were like stereotypes. Juniper’s parents were like hippies, or the ideal of what a hippie would be. I have to believe that many other people in that situation would behave, most people do in fact get their children vaccinated. They just kept repeating their talking points (vaccines have bad things in them, they cause more problems, etc), because we the readers had the hear about it again and again. I was just bored by their naivety. Also, I feel like Juniper’s court case was super rushed, with no real fallout. I wanted some more consequences for their actions.
June 14, 2019
I had the opportunity to read this one early and it is All That. Any book that deals with a girl fighting for control over her body has my vote, and I couldn't stop rooting for Juniper. Plus, there's swoon.
December 1, 2020
Okay, so everyone knows I'm a huge Marisa Reinhardt fan. Her stories are always the perfect mix of brilliant, thought-provoking, and relevant. This one COMPLETELY captured my heart. Timely and gorgeously written (HELLO, swoon!), A Shot at Normal is an absolute must-read!
February 12, 2021
A controversial topic/story written well. All sides are portrayed respectfully through endearing characters. A timely and recommended read for 7th grade and up.
Read
June 10, 2024
Trigger & Content Warnings
Discussions of antivaxxers and child neglect
Physical illness (measles)
Death of an infant
Discussions of antivaxxers and child neglect
Physical illness (measles)
Death of an infant
July 24, 2022
Easy but GREAT read!! Loved that it comments on current issues and the different perspectives associated with them.
August 11, 2021
This story had two messages: children should not be judged by their parents' actions and teenagers can think for themselves and make responsible decisions. In this situation, Juniper grows up in an anti-vax household. When Juniper is sixteen, she contracts measles and must deal with the aftermath of her illness. She then sets out to gain bodily autonomy and get vaccinated before she turns eighteen. I'm on board with any story in which someone without any power takes their power back.
A teen romance is weaved into the story, which at first deserved an eye-roll. Upon reflection, I think teen readers who may relate to this situation may feel a sense of hope and relief that despite her status as unvaccinated, she makes connections with her peers.
The story highlights how teens can differ in opinions or beliefs but still love their families. Juniper's family takes an all-or-nothing stance against her resolve to get vaccinated. They alienate her because she has different priorities, yet champion their own way of life for being "different" from the mainstream. After fighting so long against the grain, it can be difficult to accept that someone you love feels differently on a topic than you. I thought this novel handled that nuance in a digestible way for teen audiences. Juniper doesn't think her family is bad, she just wants to forge her own path. She recognizes that vaccination is safe and healthy.
This novel is a bit simplistic, but the writing is engaging. A Shot at Normal is not trying to convince anti-vaxxers that their decisions are wrong. It is not meant for parents or an adult audience yet I think much insight can be gained if you fall into that demographic.
A teen romance is weaved into the story, which at first deserved an eye-roll. Upon reflection, I think teen readers who may relate to this situation may feel a sense of hope and relief that despite her status as unvaccinated, she makes connections with her peers.
The story highlights how teens can differ in opinions or beliefs but still love their families. Juniper's family takes an all-or-nothing stance against her resolve to get vaccinated. They alienate her because she has different priorities, yet champion their own way of life for being "different" from the mainstream. After fighting so long against the grain, it can be difficult to accept that someone you love feels differently on a topic than you. I thought this novel handled that nuance in a digestible way for teen audiences. Juniper doesn't think her family is bad, she just wants to forge her own path. She recognizes that vaccination is safe and healthy.
This novel is a bit simplistic, but the writing is engaging. A Shot at Normal is not trying to convince anti-vaxxers that their decisions are wrong. It is not meant for parents or an adult audience yet I think much insight can be gained if you fall into that demographic.
Read
February 1, 2021I was really interested in this one from the time it was announced. I had no idea that I would be in the midst of a global pandemic when I got to read it, or that we'd be in the middle of a major vaccine....issue. So, circumstances considered, this is a really interesting book to pick up right now. There's a lot of back and forth about vaccines and the pros and cons. The public reaction to not being vaccinated was uh....really interesting to me, in light of current events.
All that said, this was a quick read - I flew through it in a day when I couldn't really sit up or get out of bed much. There's a lot of telling, which gets a little annoying, but not enough to make me not want to read it. The ending's a little anticlimactic and I think it'll be divisive.
Overall, a pretty average book for me, but reading it when I'm literally in between doses of a controversial vaccine probably had me more invested than I would've been otherwise.
All that said, this was a quick read - I flew through it in a day when I couldn't really sit up or get out of bed much. There's a lot of telling, which gets a little annoying, but not enough to make me not want to read it. The ending's a little anticlimactic and I think it'll be divisive.
Overall, a pretty average book for me, but reading it when I'm literally in between doses of a controversial vaccine probably had me more invested than I would've been otherwise.
January 29, 2022
16 year old Juniper Jade loves her family but sometimes she can’t help but to want more than homeschool in her kitchen and working the farmer’s market with her mom. She looks longingly at the local high school across the street wishing she could be more like other teens.
One day, Juniper feels out of sorts when she’s working at the farmers market. She gets hospitalized for the measles because her hippy parents are anti-vaxxers. She learns something shocking as a result of her diagnosis and it motivates Juniper to ask her parents to let her get vaccinated. But they stand firm with their decision so Juniper seeks professional help. She also starts seeing a boy that she meets at the library named Nico and gets a taste of life as a teenager. Juniper just wants a shot at normal without destroying her family in the process.
It does tie up oddly neatly at the end but otherwise it’s a timely read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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