Finding Normal

The eating disorder floor at the Children’s Hospital in Harrisburg, Pa., was the last place 17-year-old Gemma Leonardo, diagnosed with anorexia, wanted to be. When she meets Lucas Polizzi, a 15-year-old wrestler navigating bulimia, and learns of his scheme to bust out, she agrees to go so long as she can choose their destination. All Gemma has ever wanted was to be normal—which is why she determines they’ll visit all the U.S. towns called Normal they can drive to. With her deceased mother’s road atlas as their guide, Gemma and Lucas travel to Normal, Ky., in a borrowed vintage Impala. As they traipse cross country, Gemma realizes her desire for normalcy may be a coping mechanism for past traumas. They encounter unexpected roadblocks stemming from Gemma’s need for perfection and control and Lucas’s carefree attitude. And though Gemma is wary of starting a relationship, she can’t ignore the growing spark between them. Doktorski (How My Summer Went Up in Flames) balances humorous banter with teenage hijinks and heartfelt conversations to deliver a propulsive road-trip novel that showcases white-cued characters refusing to be defined by their hardships forging new paths forward. Resources conclude. Ages 12–up. Agent: Kerry Sparks, Levine Greenberg Rostan Literary. (Jan.)