Extra Normal

by Kate Alice Marshall (Author)

Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade

It's hard to fight the supernatural when you're naturally "un-super." This chilling middle grade is perfect for fans of Stranger Things and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark...even if they don't have any special powers.

Charlie Greer is nothing special--at least not compared to her adopted siblings. Her younger sister is a ghost. Her brother Mateo is a werewolf. Gideon is the product of seriously sketchy experiments that gave him telekinetic powers. Even her parents work for the Division of Extranormal Investigations tracking down all things supernatural, alien, and otherwise unusual. Charlie's mom says her superpower is maturity--which doesn't really count. But what Charlie lacks in powers she makes up for by keeping the household running.

Now, with her parents off on their first vacation in years, it's up to her to take care of her siblings and make sure nothing disrupts the trip. But then the new neighbors arrive. The Weavers are a nice, normal couple. Too nice and too normal. And for some reason, they don't seem to want Charlie to see inside their house. She's certain they're hiding something. Charlie has to uncover what's going on with the Weavers and stop their plans--without letting Mom and Dad find out anything is wrong.

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Hardcover
$18.99

Kirkus

Starred Review
Simply a great read.

Publishers Weekly

A tween who believes she is "nothing special" investigates strange occurrences on her street in this creepy supernatural thriller by Marshall (Glassheart). Though her adoptive siblings are a ghost, a boy with telekinesis, and a Deaf werewolf, 12-year-old Charlie Greer--the biological daughter of renowned paranormal investigators--exhibits no unique abilities of her own. As such, Charlie maintains household safety measures, an important job in a family comprising beings with volatile powers. Charlie is uneasy around the Weaver family, a smiley couple and their son who move to the neighborhood the same day her exhausted parents leave for vacation. Determined to uncover the Weavers' secrets, she enlists her siblings and the family's pseudo-pet, a possessed doll that resembles a housecat. But when no one shares her distrust of the newcomers, Charlie begins to suspect that mind-control may be at play and engages in increasingly risky espionage. Touching sibling dynamics add warmth to this keenly plotted nail-biter, which boasts appropriately atmospheric prose and thrills and chills that draw on classic horror movie elements. Charlie cues as white; supporting characters are described as having varied skin tones. Ages 8-12. Agent: Lauren Spieller, Folio Literary Management. (Aug.)

Copyright 2023 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

Raves for Extra Normal

* "While saving her family from monsters, a very normal girl discovers what makes her special.... Simply a great read."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"[A] keenly plotted nail-biter, which boasts appropriately atmospheric prose and thrills and chills that draw on classic horror movie elements."—Publishers Weekly

"Kate Alice Marshall takes us for a fantastically creepy jaunt through the uncanny valley and beyond . . . The tightly twisting plot and eccentric cast of characters tap at heartfelt mysteries regarding monsters, the meanings of nice and normal, and what exactly makes a family. Oh, and one spider-hungry haunted doll. Marshall's clever, scary, and surprising answers will keep you turning pages long after all the porch lights on your street have been snuffed out for the night. I loved it!"—Dan Poblocki, author of Tales to Keep You Up at Night
Kate Alice Marshall
Kate Alice Marshall writes books for all ages, from middle grade to adult. Her YA novels include I Am Still Alive, Rules for Vanishing, Our Last Echoes, and These Fleeting Shadows. She is also the author of the middle grade novels Thirteens, Brackenbeast, and Glassheart. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her family.

Visit her online at katemarshallbooks.com and follow her on Twitter @kmarshallarts.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9780593526453
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Viking
Publication date
August 29, 2023
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV018000 - Juvenile Fiction | Horror
JUV013090 - Juvenile Fiction | Family | Alternative Family
JUV069000 - Juvenile Fiction | Ghost Stories
Library of Congress categories
Families
Family life
Ghosts
Ghost stories
Psychic ability
Neighbors
Supernatural
Paranormal fiction
Werewolves
Monsters
Good and evil
Siblings

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