Publishers Weekly
12/18/2017
Sixteen-year-old Kira moves back home after eight months of living with her aunt in Oregon while her father was in rehab. Back in Texas, Kira is happy to reunite with her best friends Lin, Whitney, and Raegan, and she hopes to reconnect with her ex-boyfriend, Jay. What she doesn’t expect is that her father has opened up their home to three other recovering alcoholics he met at rehab. Kira is upset by her father’s choice in roommates and does her best to keep the situation secret, but Lin knows Kira is hiding something, and Whitney is now dating Jay. Meanwhile, Kira’s middle school crush, Alex, is starting to feel like the only person she can talk to. Debut novelist Penn uses her own experience with an alcoholic father (discussed in an author’s note) as a basis for Kira’s relationship with her father—or, rather, the relationship she wishes she had with him. Penn is open about the fact that her story doesn’t address some of the harsher aspects of addition and relapse, but it does emphasize the importance of support and forgiveness. Ages 14–up. Agent: Suzie Townsend, New Leaf Literary & Media. (Mar.)
From the Publisher
Praise for Twelve Steps to Normal:
A Publishers' Lunch 2018 Buzz Book
* "Penn creates a realistic character in Kira, one who finely balances the rational thoughts of a child of addiction with the emotional struggles of a high school student. Kira's journey should speak to many teenage readers, even those who do not have firsthand experience with addiction or addicts. ... A smart recommendation for readers looking to escape into a substantive world of personal discovery."—Kirkus, starred review
"Twelve Steps to Normal is a searing, gut-punch of a story—one that is, unfortunately, all too common. It takes us through all the painful steps of a relationship with someone suffering from addiction, but it does so in a voice that's funny and personal enough to make us want to keep turning the page, even when we are afraid of what we might find there."—Josh Sundquist, bestselling author of We Should Hang Out Sometime and Love and First Sight
"Funny, honest, and smart, Twelve Steps to Normal is filled with nuanced characters who you can't help caring about."—Melina Marchetta, author of the Michael L. Printz Award-winning Jellicoe Road
"Penn nicely captures the all-consuming emotions of a teen wrestling life into some sort of order. ... Penn's note to the reader explains that she too had a father who suffered from alcoholism, and it's this loving, compassionate hindsight that will speak honestly to readers in the same situation."—Booklist
"Twelve Steps to Normal is a powerful, heartfelt debut about the lengths we'll go for those we love, and the hurdles we encounter along the way. In pages brimming with honesty, Penn shines an empathetic light on addiction, ultimately demonstrating that forgiveness—not only its redemptive qualities, but its messy ones, too—is well worth the struggle."—David Arnold, New York Times bestselling author of Mosquitoland
"Farrah Penn's debut, Twelve Steps to Normal, is a heartfelt story about the aftermath of addiction. Equal parts swoony and poignant, I couldn't help but cheer for her main character Kira as she tries to put her life back together in the wake of loss."—Julie Buxbaum, New York Times bestselling author of Tell Me Three Things
"Step one: Pick up this compulsively readable book and fall in love with its richly drawn characters and deeply empathetic reminder that none of us are broken beyond repair.
Step two: Repeat."—Jeff Zentner, author of the ALA William C. Morris Award winner The Serpent King
"Poignant and powerful, Penn's story is searing in its insight into the human heart and the effects of addiction. Bravo!"—Adriana Mather, author of #1 New York Times bestseller How to Hang a Witch
"Farrah Penn's characters feel like old friends and new loves, all intertwined in a story that feels achingly familiar yet entirely original. Bursting with humor and heart, Twelve Steps to Normal is a dazzling debut you won't want to miss."—Jessica Taylor, author of Junior Library Guild selection A Map for Wrecked Girls
"A heartfelt, nuanced story about learning to forgive and taking the best of the past, hoping for the best of the future. Kira's struggle to understand and move on from her father's flaws to her own is moving and real."—Huntley Fitzpatrick, author of the YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults title My Life Next Door
School Library Journal
01/01/2018
Gr 7 Up—Penn presents the dilemma of being a child of a recovering alcoholic with heart, melancholy, and an uplifting ending. Kira moves to Portland, OR from Texas where her dad is in an addiction rehab clinic. While away, Kira's embarrassment and despair lead to her cutting off her friends, breaking up with her boyfriend, and basically shutting down. Her homecoming to Texas upon her dad's release does not turn out as planned. She wants to pick up where she left off; unfortunately, too many wounds exist with family and friends. Paramount to Kira's struggle are her new roommates—Kira hadn't realized she'd be sharing her home with three other recovering alcoholics. Plus, her best friend is dating her former boyfriend while Kira herself has new romantic feelings for a childhood friend. Forced to face her own demons, the teen comes to understand that things can't go back; but with patience and acceptance, she can move forward. This is good choice for those seeking realism that isn't too disturbing. The book's tame and light romance with a dose of reality is a good bridge for middle grade readers looking to dabble in YA fiction. VERDICT A strong selection for middle school and high school libraries.—Lisa Ehrle, Falcon Creek Middle School, CO
Kirkus Review
★ 2017-12-21
The 12 steps to sobriety are tough; the 12 steps to repairing high school friendships are also difficult. After a year away, Kira is returning home to small-town Cedarville, Texas, to once again live with her recovering-alcoholic father in the house they once shared with Kira's late grandmother. The white teen's re-entry stumbles immediately when she learns that some of her father's fellow rehab patients are staying there too. Kira also needs to work on rekindling friendships with her friends, as she avoided contact with them after she left. Then there's Jay, Kira's ex-boyfriend, who has moved on in Kira's absence to friend Whitney. What's a girl to do? In Kira's case, the answer is to create her own 12-step program to return to a normal life. Penn creates a realistic character in Kira, one who finely balances the rational thoughts of a child of addiction with the emotional struggles of a high school student. Kira's journey should speak to many teenage readers, even those who do not have firsthand experience with addiction or addicts. All of the characters (there are some people of color among Kira's friends) are captured with a sophisticated eye and create a well-rounded story. Latino Alex—a friend-turned-love-interest—may be too good to be true, but readers will probably easily forgive that. An author's note offers resources.A smart recommendation for readers looking to escape into a substantive world of personal discovery. (foreword) (Fiction. 12-16)
