When I read the book, The Art of Being Normal, I was amazed at how you could relate to the characters so strongly. The joy, the despair, it’s like you are right there with them. You will find yourself rooting for David and Leo, as they go through the struggles of high school. I am going to add trigger warnings for abandonment, bullying, homophobia, and transphobia. These are serious topics, but I feel like Lisa Williamson deals with these well. It’s a story of friendship, love, hate, endurance, and being yourself. About finding your people. The past and the future. It shows you the power that one person has, both good and bad. That being who you are is more important than others perceptions. That the world isn’t always a great place, but you can do something about it. It’s about fresh starts and new beginnings. It’s about standing against the world just to be who you are. It really resonated with me, and I loved the way it addressed how economic status and where you live can affect others perceptions of you. There are crushes, heartbreak, bullying, social shunning, searching, and, of course, fish and chips. She shows how ignoring who you are, what makes you, you, is like trying to stop a garden hose with your thumb. It doesn’t work, and it doesn’t actually make it go away, just gives it more pressure. This book shows the world so well from the perspective of those who don’t quite fit, and I can’t wait to read more by her. It’s a complex book, which I didn’t think would be that great when I first saw it, and it turned out to be one of my favorite books of all time. This book is definitely worth your time, and should be read by anyone who feels different.
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