Halfway Normal

I think that Halfway Normal was an amazing story. It is about a girl named Norah who is finally going back to normal school after having Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. She can finally be normal…but not really. Norah is stuck as the “Cancer Girl.” She’s treated differently by not only her peers at school but the teachers and staff as well! Everyone pities her and expects her to require special attention and have this amazing “I survived cancer” story to share with the world. Truly, she just wants to be a normal kid. She isn’t even allowed to do anything after school like clubs or hanging out with friends! Only the eighth graders don’t know about Norah’s past with cancer. Norah now has to figure out how to navigate herself through not only the seventh grade, but life.

This is one of the best stories that I’ve ever read. The plot was relatable, since people who have had cancer have most likely experienced this in one way or another. However, I’ve never read a book like this before, and it’s very different. It gives the characters REALISTIC struggles that people actually deal with in real life. Overall, this was a great book, and I would definitely recommend it to others.