In a world where humans hate witches, there’s no one who hates them more than Jameson Tyler – they are the reason his mother and little sister are dead. Then one morning, he wakes to find those he’s hated for his entire life are now his only hope to understanding his new identity, his new life…as a witch.
Jameson has to get to the witch’s side of town – a place he’s never been and has loathed his entire life – and give up everything he’s ever known before the Witch Special Forces (WSF) captures him. On top of avoiding the WSF, when his new Headmistress attacks him, things get even more complicated.
He must accept his new fate and life before being killed, letting the Magical Community fall into the wrong hands. Can Jameson put his hatred aside or will he let his prejudice destroy them all?
“Who are you?” I stammered, trying to sound more confident than I felt. The guy was still walking toward me, weaving his way through the students and staff frozen in place.
“I’m Terin,” The guy said, as he came to stop in front of me. “What do you want?” I asked. “You.” I winced.
“Me? What do you want with me?” “Wow, you really don’t know who I am, do you?” “No…” “I’m Terin.” “You said that.” “I did, but you didn’t ask the right question. So whose fault is that?” I glanced around me, more than a little confused. I finally shrugged. “It’s yours. Now that’s two things you’re responsible for.” “What do you mean?” I asked. “I mean you didn’t ask the right question and you also froze everyone in this
school. See? One. Two.” My mouth dropped open. I stood there staring for what felt like ages. Terin
stood there, with his hands behind his back, calmly waiting for me to get over my shock. He finally cleared his throat and I shook my head. He rocked slightly on his heels.
“What are you playing at? I didn’t freeze everyone here. Only a witch would be able to do something like this and witches aren’t allowed on these grounds,” I said. I glared at him, wanting him to leave. I didn’t want to hear what he had to say.
“Oh, Jameson. You really don’t know anything about witches, do you?” Terin said, shaking his head. I let out a bark of laughter.
“I know everything I need to – they’re vile, freaks of nature and they should be exterminated. Why would I need to know anything else?” I spat.
“Well, for one thing, it’ll help you learn how to control the power you just sent ricocheting throughout your entire school. For another, it’ll help you actually be productive in your new classes,” Terin finished.
He waved his hand around us, gesturing to everyone who stood silently and unmoving. He turned back to me, where I was silently freaking out. I didn’t want to be here anymore.
“I didn’t do anything.”
“Sure you did. When you released your anger in that little temper tantrum, you sent out your power. You were able to send a shock wave through your entire school and freeze everyone here. Must have been really pissed about something to have frozen that many people with your first spell. Quite impressive really,” Terin looked around at the people standing around us, looking mildly amused.
“I don’t understand,” I shook my head, still not connecting the dots. Terin sighed and said the three words that ruined my entire life: “You’re a witch.”
Title: A Shot at Normal Author: Maris Reichardt Genre: Young Adult Contemporary Fiction
Marisa Reichardt’s A Shot at Normal is a powerful and timely novel about justice, agency, family, and taking your shot, even when it seems impossible.
Dr. Villapando told me to get a good attorney. He wasn’t serious. But I am. I’m going to sue my parents.
Juniper Jade’s parents are hippies. They didn’t attend the first Woodstock, but they were there for the second one. The Jade family lives an all-organic homeschool lifestyle that means no plastics, no cell phones, and no vaccines. It isn’t exactly normal, but it’s the only thing Juniper has ever known. She doesn’t agree with her parents on everything, but she knows that to be in this family, you’ve got to stick to the rules. That is, until the unthinkable happens.
Juniper contracts the measles and unknowingly passes the disease along, with tragic consequences. She is shell-shocked. Juniper knows she is responsible and feels simultaneously helpless and furious at her parents, and herself.
Now, with the help of Nico, the boy who works at the library and loves movies and may just be more than a friend, Juniper comes to a decision: she is going to get vaccinated. Her parents refuse so Juniper arms herself with a lawyer and prepares for battle. But is waging war for her autonomy worth losing her family? How much is Juniper willing to risk for a shot at normal?
I skate for at least an hour to clear my head, then arrive at the urgent care clinic at five o’clock. The sign on the door tells me they’re open for another few hours. That should be enough time. I pull the bottom of my shirt up to wipe the sweat from my forehead and go to the front desk, not exactly sure what to do. My insurance card is in my mom’s wallet. And I don’t have any money.
The door to the hallway where the nurse took my vitals a few weeks ago is over my left shoulder, but the L- shaped check- in counter has one half in the waiting room and one half in the hallway. I can see the shut doors of exam rooms inside the hallway, which means those rooms are full and I might have to wait a while.
“I need to talk to someone,” I say.
A guy looks up from his computer and pushes the clipboard on the counter toward me. “Sign-i n sheet’s right there.”
“Can I get shots here?”
“A flu shot?”
“Shots. Plural. All of them.”
He squints at me. “What do you mean? Are you traveling out of the country?”
“Nope. But I’ve never had any vaccinations, and I want all of them. How do I do that?” He looks at me like I’m kidding. “I’m serious.”
He finally pulls away from his keyboard and really looks at me. “Are you eighteen?”
“I’m sixteen.”
“Do you have a parent or guardian here with you?”
“They’ll say no. I need to take care of this by myself.” He puts his elbows up on the desk. Leans forward. “No vaccinations ever? MMR? Tetanus? Chicken pox?”
“None of them.”
He leans back in his chair, hands behind his head like a cradle. “Wow.”
I’m a freak. An anomaly to someone in the medical field.
Coming up on the right, Juniper Jade, nocturnal and not vaccinated. Don’t feed the bears. Don’t vaccinate the children.
NMarisa Reichardt is the critically acclaimed author of the YA novels UNDERWATER, AFTERSHOCKS (2020), and A SHOT AT NORMAL (2021). She has a Master of Professional Writing degree from the University of Southern California and dual degrees in English & American Literature and Creative Writing from UC San Diego. Before becoming a published author, Marisa worked in academic publications, tutored high school students in writing, and shucked oysters. These days, you can probably find her huddled over her laptop in a coffeehouse or swimming in the ocean.
Tatum Everley is a freshman at Western Michigan University. Due to an emotionally and psychologically abusive past relationship, Tate struggles from Complex-Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. She has been working on controlling her symptoms and flashbacks, but when she meets Axel Burne at a fraternity party, who is notorious for sleeping around and getting into fights, she tries her best to dodge the bullet. Axel starts to become intrigued by Tate, but she’s better off choosing Lucas— the sweet guy who has been trying to take her out since orientation. But even though Lucas is the better option, Axel keeps reappearing. Tate continues to try to stay away from him, but it starts becoming harder to, and as she gets closer to him, things start to get way out of hand. If Tate wants her happy ending and her sanity intact, then she has to push through the hardships and maintain control over her disorder.
I kept messing with my hair, moving it from one side to the other. I contemplated throwing it up into a messy bun or ponytail, but I was too indecisive to choose. I was tired and hungover, and by the look of my face and messy hair, it showed.
Axe studied me, lifting an eyebrow. “Stop it. You look fine.”
“Yeah, if you think circus clowns look fine.”
“Maybe I like circus clowns.”
“Says the one afraid of turtles.”
“Only the ones that bite you,” he smirked as he handed me a dixie cup filled with coins. “I’ll play you in skee-ball,” he said.
“You’re on.”
We treaded past a small group of kids, making me feel slightly out of place as we made our way over to skee-ball. I placed my cup of coins on the ledge, my eyes trailing up to meet Axe’s, which were already looking at me. He raised a brow, waiting for me to speak first.
“You first, princess,” I said, motioning to the machine.
He rubbed his chin as he chuckled, picking up a token and sliding it in to the coin slot.
I took a step back so that he had room to play, furrowing my brows as he missed his target, time and time again.
“You suck,” I said with my arms crossed.
He threw his last ball, before turning his curly-haired head to me. “Think you could do better?”
“Yes. One-hundred percent.”
“Alright, Miss. Know-It-All. Prove it then.”
“Step aside,” I said as I placed my small hand on his bicep and playfully pushed him out of the way, pretending that the bulge of his muscle didn’t faze me.
I rolled each ball carefully, trying my best to make it into the holes with the higher points, considering how shitty my aim was. But even with my bad aim, I still managed to beat Axe’s score.
I happily raised a brow at him, delighted by my own performance.
“Whatever. I let you win,” he said.
“You let me?” I stifled a laugh. “Yeah, right.” Axe smirked, amused by my reaction. “You want a rematch?” I offered.
“I’m good.”
“Yeah, that’s what I thought.”
I bent down to pick up my cup of tokens, my heart pausing as Axe began to speak again.
“There’s something about you that I like,” he said.
I paused for a quick second before reminding myself not to let him or anything he said faze me. “Thanks,” I responded, trying to avoid eye-contact with him.
He shook his head, a perfect smirk still resting upon his face. “So damn stubborn.”
“I prefer to be stubborn.”
“I can tell.”
I shrugged, trying to end the conversation there. I didn’t know what to make of his comment. Was it a compliment? I couldn’t even tell.
“You know you don’t have to pretend be a bitch around me, right?” he asked.
“Maybe I’m not pretending.”
Axe tilted his head, refusing to believe my words. “Oh, c’mon. I see right through it.”
“What makes you so sure?”
“I just know,” he softly said.
“You don’t know anything,” I shook my head, unable to hide the tiny grin upon my lips.
Trinity Lemm is from a small town in Illinois. After graduating from high school in 2019, she began attending Western Michigan University to study both business and dance, with plans of maintaining a writing career on the side. When she is not writing, she enjoys dancing, spending time with friends and family, and watching scary movies.
