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327th out of 1,502 books
—
3,940 voters
Absolutely Normal Chaos
Mary Lou Finney is less than excited about her assignment to keep a journal over the summer. Boring! Then cousin Carl Ray comes to stay with her family, and what starts out as the dull dog days of summer quickly turns into the wildest roller coaster ride of all time. A wonderful story of contemporary teen life.
Paperback, 230 pages
Published
2004
by Scholastic, Inc.
(first published October 30th 1990)
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Feb 28, 2009
Audrey
added it
I was in a book store and the only books I was seeing were historical fiction books; and personally, I hate historical fiction. Then I saw this book on the shelf and Absolutely fell in love!
I am reading a book called Absolutely Normal Chaos. This book is about a girl named Mary Lou Finney. She tells us about her summer (she is telling her journal this) sometimes she is also living the events she talks about. She has a friend named Beth Ann who is using her Mary Lou's cousin (Carl Ray) to make Beth Ann's boyfriend jealous and to make him get back together with her. Mary Lou is also dating one of the cutest guys in her class, Alex. Mary Lou's brothers and older sister are very annoyi...more
Jul 20, 2010
Kimber~!!
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Anyone who wants a heartfelt story
Recommended to Kimber~!! by:
Scholastic.com
Mary Lou Finney's story about her cousin, her love, her book, and her life keeps you turning pages when a new neighbor dies, her cousin gets hurt, and her love life takes a surprising turn. It starts out with Mary Lou doing the project just for school, not for joy, but when she finds out juicy, gossipy, revealing, embarassing, over-the-top, insane things, she has to write them down. But then one question rings in her head: How can she show it to her next English teacher, no matter how cool he or...more
Oh, Alpha Omega! Oh, King of Kings! I enjoyed reading this book :D!
It's written as a journal of a 13 years old girl. The journal was supposed to be an assignment for her summer vacation, turn out that the girl--Mary Lou Finney--was really into writing in her journal. She filled up six little blue books. She wrote about her family, her weird cousin--Carl Ray--, her best friend, her first boy friend, and about Homer's Odyssey--the book she picked out from her summer reading list--.
Girls, you shou...more
It's written as a journal of a 13 years old girl. The journal was supposed to be an assignment for her summer vacation, turn out that the girl--Mary Lou Finney--was really into writing in her journal. She filled up six little blue books. She wrote about her family, her weird cousin--Carl Ray--, her best friend, her first boy friend, and about Homer's Odyssey--the book she picked out from her summer reading list--.
Girls, you shou...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Mary Lou Finney is less than thrilled when she finds out her assignment over the summer is to keep a journal, nothing interesting ever happens anyway. For her, it turns out to be a summer of chaos with her best friend trying to steal her boyfriend Alex, who happens to be the cutest guy in class, and her friend decides to use Mary Lou's cousin Carl Ray to try to make Alex jealous. Mary Lou isn't so happy about that because he wasn't supposed to stay with them over the summer. She also finds plent...more
i love this book so much. two main resons are because it's full of suprises and it keeps you in a spence. mary lou finney is the main character and she can be described as a courius person because she was the problem solver in this book. I think that someone that would like this book would be someone that likes mysterious. i say this because this book is just like a mysterioy.one challenge of this book was the point of veiw. I remeber when marry lou was cleaning Carl Rays room and she went throu...more
Feb 15, 2011
Mspringman
added it
This was a pretty believable story of a thirteen-year-old girl named Mary Lou who is growing up in a small suburb. She lives in a family of five, and is constantly busy. Her English teacher assigns the kids a journal to write in over the summer, and to her surprise not only does she fill it up, but she buys six more, and fills them all the way up too. Mary Lou starts out as being pretty easy to understand, but quickly her life begins to turn itself upside down as her cousin comes looking for a j...more
This companion book to "Walk Two Moons" follows one of the minor characters from that book, Mary Lou Finney, as she navigates the pitfalls of family, friends, and boyfriends during the summer between seventh and eighth grade. Mary Lou's cousin, Carl Ray, comes to live with her family, adding one more person to feed and clean up after. Her best friend, Beth Ann, starts dating an older boy, becoming distant and secretive. And a popular boy from the more affluent side of town, Alex Cheevy, starts t...more
When thirteen-year-old Mary Lou Finney is given the assignment to keep a summer journal, she has no idea her summer will be so eventful. First, her cousin Carl Ray comes to live with her family bringing all kinds of mystery with his silent and sad ways. Soon after, their neighbor has an unexpected heart attack. In the middle of that excitement, Mary Lou deals with her best friend having her first romance and Mary Lou encounters some unexpected romance of her own.
Through the voice of Mary Lou, Cr...more
Through the voice of Mary Lou, Cr...more
This story is 13-year-old Mary Lou Finney's summer journal. The setting is during the time-period before remote-controlled television. The journal details her relationships with her family, her cousin, Carl Ray, and her friends.
I liked the summary of Homer's Odyssey that Mary Lou included as she read through it over the summer.
I also liked the tone of the story, the family interactions, and Mary Lou's visit with Carl Ray's family in West Virginia. During this visit, she experiences life without...more
I liked the summary of Homer's Odyssey that Mary Lou included as she read through it over the summer.
I also liked the tone of the story, the family interactions, and Mary Lou's visit with Carl Ray's family in West Virginia. During this visit, she experiences life without...more
Mary Lou Finney is not looking forward her summer. It's going to be regular nothing to do summer, or so she thinks. First Carl Ray comes to look for work and lives in Mary Lou's family nursery upstairs, then she sees Alex Cheevey at her towns swimming pool and they soon start dating, and finally Mary Lou's mom wants Mary Lou to treat Carl Ray like some sort of prince. Between making Carl Ray's bed every morning, trying to see Alex everyday,listening to her so called best friend Beth Ann go on ab...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Oct 04, 2011
Lauren
added it
When I fist met one of my best friends Mackenzie, I hated her! I thought she talked too much and was just annoying! But a few years later I started talking to her and I realized that she’s really cool and we became great friends. Just like me with Mackenzie, Mary Lou, in Absolutely Normal Chaos by Sharon Creech, hates her cousin Carl Ray before she even gets to know him. Mary Lou is forced to accompany her cousin to visit his family. Throughout the whole summer Mary Lou is constantly comparing h...more
Mary Lou Finney has been assigned to keep a journal over summer vacation. She's not crazy about the assignment, but gives it her best effort anyway. Luckily, all sorts of things happen to keep her summer interesting: a mysterious cousin comes to visit for the summer, her best friend pulls away, and Alex Cheevey likes her. During all this excitement, Mary Lou somehow also finds time to read the Odyssey and comment on it in her journal as well.
Many girls will relate to Mary Lou's experiences, and...more
Many girls will relate to Mary Lou's experiences, and...more
Even though I'm not in the demographic this book was aimed for, I still feel that this is an absolutely excellent read.
You read the book through the eyes of Mary-Lou Finney the second eldest of five children. For a summer holiday project, she is told that she needs to keep a journal and hand it in to her new english teacher when school resumes. At first, Mary-Lou doesn't understand what a journal is or what she needs to write in it, but eventually she gets the knack for it and starts to really...more
You read the book through the eyes of Mary-Lou Finney the second eldest of five children. For a summer holiday project, she is told that she needs to keep a journal and hand it in to her new english teacher when school resumes. At first, Mary-Lou doesn't understand what a journal is or what she needs to write in it, but eventually she gets the knack for it and starts to really...more
This book was good. Mary Lou learned a lot over the summer bnecause of her cousin visiting. Carl Ray made her realize that you shouldn't judge a person by what they look like or some things they do. Carl Ray actually turned out to be a nice person but because he seemed different to her she decided he was wierd. All through her journal she writes about how horribole Carl Ray is. She learns her lesson by almost literally putting herself in Carl Ray's shoes. When she went with him to visit her aunt...more
Creech's Absolutely Normal Chaos was my favorite book as an adolescent. I remember my mom kept trying to buy me new books to expand my reading horizon. I probably read it 15 times!
Reading it as an adult, with a new perspective, I still see its appeal. Mary Lou Finney has to write a journal for a summer assignment. Mary Lou's realistic summer makes for a great read! Its written in journal form, and is from her point of view. Being written by her, an adolescent, makes it very realistic. It paralle...more
Reading it as an adult, with a new perspective, I still see its appeal. Mary Lou Finney has to write a journal for a summer assignment. Mary Lou's realistic summer makes for a great read! Its written in journal form, and is from her point of view. Being written by her, an adolescent, makes it very realistic. It paralle...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
June 22
This book was veryyyyyyyy interestinnnnnnnnng. And that was imitating half the words in the book. How about I make my review sound the way she wrote this book?
I thought this book was prettttttty gooddddd. Good ole Sharon Creech has written wayyyyyy better though. I didn't think it was di-viiiiiiiiiiine, but it was okay. I love Alex Cheevey. I'm too in love to write more. I'll write more later
Later
I stillllll think this book was just o.k. it was nothing speciallllllll. (Expletive).
yes, she...more
This book was veryyyyyyyy interestinnnnnnnnng. And that was imitating half the words in the book. How about I make my review sound the way she wrote this book?
I thought this book was prettttttty gooddddd. Good ole Sharon Creech has written wayyyyyy better though. I didn't think it was di-viiiiiiiiiiine, but it was okay. I love Alex Cheevey. I'm too in love to write more. I'll write more later
Later
I stillllll think this book was just o.k. it was nothing speciallllllll. (Expletive).
yes, she...more
Once I realized that I would receive many phone calls were I to continue reading Bad Boy: A Memoir, I needed a replacement book and soon! I settled on Absolutely Normal Chaos because it's written as a journal which meant I could keep my lesson on the importance of memoir-writing.
It's interesting that I had so many students wanting to read this book once we got started on it. I had one student finish reading it today; it only took him a week of reading in class to finish it.
It's fun watching the...more
It's interesting that I had so many students wanting to read this book once we got started on it. I had one student finish reading it today; it only took him a week of reading in class to finish it.
It's fun watching the...more
I really like this book "Absolutely Normal Chaos" because in this book it is talking about Mary Lou Finney's life. We are like reading her own personal diary that someone took from her. In this book i have been reading, Mary has so far been just writing what she does everyday and puts it in her diary or journal. She is in the summer right now in the book and she doesn't want anyone reading her diary especially her teacher.
What else i have read in this book is that Mary has family problems and...more
What else i have read in this book is that Mary has family problems and...more
Why would anyone want to read about normal, boring everyday events that take place in Mary Lou's life? Oh well, she must keep a summer journal because her English teacher made it an assignment. Groan! It also turns out that her summer isn't so boring after all. An unexpected (and maybe just a tad frustrating) family member coming to visit, a summer romance and a mystery...
I really enjoy books that read as journal entries and Sharon Creech did a great job of making the story detailed. I also appr...more
I really enjoy books that read as journal entries and Sharon Creech did a great job of making the story detailed. I also appr...more
Sharon Creech always has interesting book covers. Walk Two Moons was a good cover, and Heartbeat. They all represent what the main story is about. I like how the paper is flying out of the journal though.
Normally, I would ignore books that were told from a journal, but more often now, I find myself reading something like that. Right now, I'm reading a journal based book called Runaway. I like them both though.
The story is pretty interesting. Carl Ray comes to live with them, and things turn upsi...more
Normally, I would ignore books that were told from a journal, but more often now, I find myself reading something like that. Right now, I'm reading a journal based book called Runaway. I like them both though.
The story is pretty interesting. Carl Ray comes to live with them, and things turn upsi...more
This book will always have a special place in my heart. When I was a child, I hated reading with a passion. I couldn't be bothered with books. Too many words and too many other things to do in a day then sit and read some book. Until I was in fourth grade, I was assigned to read Absolutely Normal Chaos and I completely fell in love with it. This was the book, ladies and gentlemen, that made me the book lover I am today.
and I'm not even sure why I fell so in love. Maybe it was because I could sy...more
and I'm not even sure why I fell so in love. Maybe it was because I could sy...more
This book, while having some funny parts, teaches 2 major lessons, don't judge a book by it's cover, and, you never realize what you have until it's gone.
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Mary Lou Finney lives in what you could barely call a house--it's more of a zoo. A zoo filled with loud, crazy children, two tired parents and one mysterious, quite cousin who seems to be hiding a secret or two up his sleeve. This is the story of her summer.
The season seems just like any other summer--hot, but happy (despite having to wait on her odd cousin.) But unlike other summers, romance is in the air, and drama seems to be lurking around every corner.
And she may even find out Carl Ray's b...more
The season seems just like any other summer--hot, but happy (despite having to wait on her odd cousin.) But unlike other summers, romance is in the air, and drama seems to be lurking around every corner.
And she may even find out Carl Ray's b...more
This book does an excellent job in reaching the audience. Everyone can remember what his or her first love was like. The main character, Mary Lou allows the reader to be apart of her first love.
I enjoyed the format of this book, how everything was written as journal entries. Majority of people know that journal entries document the most private moments of our lives, and that is the main reason I enjoyed this book because the main character allows the reader to see her on a personal level. I wou...more
I enjoyed the format of this book, how everything was written as journal entries. Majority of people know that journal entries document the most private moments of our lives, and that is the main reason I enjoyed this book because the main character allows the reader to see her on a personal level. I wou...more
I wanted to like this book -- maybe because of the great title; maybe because I have an overall good impression of Sharon Creech's writing -- but this just didn't work for me. I think that the only reason I kept reading is that I really wanted to find out what the deal was the strange cousin Carl Ray. (Okay, I got the "walk in someone else's shoes" theme, not to mention the tie-in with The Odyssey that Mary Lou identifies herself.)
Maybe I wasn't a typical enough 13 year old, but the forays into...more
Maybe I wasn't a typical enough 13 year old, but the forays into...more
I read this book as a preteen, and I instantly fell in love with it. I'm sure if I picked it up again now I wouldn't be quite as captivated, but it hit the nail on the head for what a 11 year old looks for in a book: drama and boys. It's not quite as shallow as all that, of course; there's a nice understory of a cousin coming to live with the protagonist's family, and there's a great message of how your "normal" might not be what everyone else considers "normal." If your over the age of 14 (mayb...more
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| book seris | 10 | 15 | Oct 21, 2011 05:38pm |
I was born in South Euclid, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland, and grew up there with my noisy and rowdy family: my parents (Ann and Arvel), my sister (Sandy), and my three brothers (Dennis, Doug and Tom).
For a fictional view of what it was like growing up in my family, see Absolutely Normal Chaos. (In that book, the brothers even have the same names as my own brothers.) Our house was not only full of...more
More about Sharon Creech...
For a fictional view of what it was like growing up in my family, see Absolutely Normal Chaos. (In that book, the brothers even have the same names as my own brothers.) Our house was not only full of...more
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“Then I thought, boy, isn't that just typical? You wait and wait and wait for something, and then when it happens, you feel sad.”
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Mar 02, 2009 02:43pm