3 out of 4 stars
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In Normal Family by Don Trowden, 10-year-old Henry tells a coming-of-age story over the course of four holidays spent with his dysfunctional family. Through these holidays, we get a clear understanding of what Henry's life is like on a daily basis; and it isn't pretty. His older brother and sister bully him, his mom and dad don't love each other, and his grandpa is a proud, loud, and bossy alcoholic. Henry is the only one who acts like a normal and decent human being. Each holiday carries its own set of problems and throughout the book we see characters grow and change as they go through tragic circumstances. Sorry I can not say too much for fear of spoilers!
The author did a tremendous job depicting the life and concerns of a 10-year-old boy. For instance, at Easter time Henry has a lot of horrible things going on in his life, but still, like any child, his main concern is finding as many Easter eggs as he can. He really is a relatable and realistic character. I often felt very sorry for him being stuck in that family. The story, while written with humor, is sad. I think if you took out the humor, the book would be downright depressing so I must commend the author on creating a sad story that is enjoyable to read.
I am amazed at how well the author portrayed his characters. They are each unique and interesting although many of them are not likable. While I disliked some people immediately, by the end of the book I found myself actually liking them as I found out more about them.
Initially, I was expecting the book to be more humorous (something like “Christmas with the Cranks”). I thought the family gatherings would be large, with boisterous and crazy aunts and uncles. It is actually a small family consisting only of Henry's immediate family and his grandparents. I was a little surprised by this at first and found myself wishing for a few more people. However, about mid-way there are some more characters introduced.
The ending confused me a little. When I finished the last page, I kept trying to scroll because I didn't feel like it was over yet. There are a few loose ends left untied. I do not know if this was done on purpose to leave room for a second book or if it was simply overlooked.
My rating for Normal Family is 3 out of 4 stars. The book is well written. I did not notice any grammatical errors. I enjoyed reading it and I think anyone who enjoys a good coming-of-age book would like it as well. I would not recommend it to young readers as there are adult themes and some language.
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Normal Family
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Great job on the review.
