Kyung Paek St.

Adalbert Waiting for Normal

9/05/11 8th Grade

Waiting for Normal by Leslie Connor is a book about a girl who desperately searches for normal in a family that takes many twists and turns. Addie is at a critical point of her life and has to undergo many challenging obstacles that are getting in her way of her reaching normal. Addie had moved from living with her stepfather to a trailer. Mommers had problems with the mortgage money and they had to move out. Mommers and Dwight, Addies stepfather, now lived separately because they just couldnt stand each other. They had two children named Brynna and Katie also known as the Littles. Dwight loved Addie as if she was his child and Addie loved him too. Addie lived with her mother now and Dwight and the Littles barely visits. Addie was all alone until she went to the mini-mart across the street. In the mini-mart were Soula and Eliot. Soula was very big and peppy but she had cancer. Once Addie found out she was very surprised and worried. Eliot is bi-curious with a guy named rick who owns a restaurant near the trailer. Dwight had found a job up at Lake George where he had to turn a mansion into an inn. His boss was Hanna who treated the Littles very well. Hanna and Dwight spent time together and decided to get married soon. When Addie found out she was a little surprised but after she got to know Hanna she was all right with the situation. Before this Mommers was also going out with another guy named Pete. Apparently she was going out at night for meetings and job interviews but she was most likely getting acquainted with Pete. Mommers has always had problem with money. She wanted to do many things like go to school or be a nurse but this time she got pregnant with Pete and decided to live together with Addie. Things didnt go as smoothly as Mommers expected. Soula called child services because Addie accidentally started a fire in the trailer and Mommers wasnt there to do a thing. Child services contacted Grandio, Addies grandfather, and Addie had to live with him. Addie gave Soula, piccolo, her cute hamster that she got on Halloween from Dwight, to take care of until she could come get it back but Soula passed away because of her cancer. Soula left Addie an envelope that had a letter and money to buy a flute. Addie went to the mall with Eliot and Rick. Addie ate French fries and went to the music shop for a secondhand flute but they didnt have so Addie just gave them her number to call and notify her if one came up. Addie was upset and happy because she couldnt see her mother but Dwight, Hanna, and the Littles visited a lot. Mommers finally came to Grandios house. Grandio yelled at her to get out but Mommers was begging to see her baby. Grandio gave her one minute. Mommers asked Addie if she wanted anything and told her that we will one day get normal but thats all she couldve said because Grandio had yelled at her that one minute was up. In the end dwight had gotten adoption papers for Addie just like he wanted and everything turned out to be great. In my opinion Addie finally got what she was longing for, normal. She was able to live everyday knowing whats next in her life. She got to move in with her stepfather, the Littles and Dwights fianc.