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Anything but Normal: A Novel Review
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.
Anything but Normal: A Novel Overview
Sophie is starting a new school year. Shopping for it with her best friend should be fun, but nothing seems to fit, which is a major issue to a high school girl. But her biggest problem is the secret she's keeping. And she's about to find out that she won't be able to keep things under wraps for much longer. This page-turning novel explores the tangled web of choices, secrets, and love that all teen girls navigate. Melody Carlson enjoys a huge audience of teen readers. Now, Revell presents another new stunning story from an author who understands teen girls right where they are.
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