3rd Book Review: The Art of Being Normal

The Art of Being Normal

Author: Lisa Williamson

Publisher: David Flickling Books

Publication Date: Jan. 1, 2015

Pages: 368

Setting: Eden Park, England

Price: £9.99

ISBN: 1910200328

Readers Rating: 4.37/5

My Rating: 5/5

Goodreads Link

Synopsis: Two boys. Two secrets. David Piper has always been an outsider. His parents think he’s gay. The school bully thinks he’s a freak. Only his two best friends know the real truth – David wants to be a girl. On the first day at his new school Leo Denton has one goal – to be invisible. Attracting the attention of the most beautiful girl in year eleven is definitely not part of that plan. When Leo stands up for David in a fight, an unlikely friendship forms. But things are about to get messy. Because at Eden Park School secrets have a funny habit of not staying secret for long…

Characters: David "Kate" Piper

Leo "Megan" Denton

Review

Contains a lot of spoilers!

Main Points:

My transgender friend recommended me The Art of Being Normal about a half year ago, because she bonded with the book and was able to relate to it. But initially, I wasn't all that interested in reading this book because I thought it would be the typical love story with a twist of the main characters being transgender, but I was so very wrong. It showed you the hardships of being transgender. Discrimination, bullying, misunderstandings and broken hearts. And it all came together to make the perfect read. The only problem I had was the ending, simply because Kate (David) and Leo didn't end up together.

Lisa Williamson was able to show great representations of two transgender characters, along with their family, friends and other forms of relationships. David Piper, or Kate, was a boy who hated her own body and had wished to be a girl ever since she was younger. In media, this is the typical transgender story but it still brings a good story with it. Leo Denton was the scary new transfer student who no one wanted to be a part of him, but attracted the attention of a beautiful girl. But what they didn't know was that Leo was actually female. My favourite character definitely had to be Leo because I loved his personality and attitude towards everything which I could feel a small relation to, and I also liked how he tried to be with the women he loved by telling her the truth. That shows courage, and although it didn't work out, I respect him for doing that.

Opinion:

I definitely enjoyed reading this book a lot, so much that it only took me two days to read. I would say that my favourite part of the book was when Kate and Leo came out to each other about being transgender. Just the fact that Kate said her whole story without fearing about what Leo would do, and afterwards, Leo took his top and jumper off to show his breast brace. That moment in itself was just great to read. My least favourite part of the book, like I said previously, was the ending just because Kate and Leo didn't end up as a couple, and from the looks of things, Leo and Alicia may have. If I could change anything, it would be that Leo and Kate kissed during their winter ball and have gotten together. It would have been so sweet. I just wish Kate took Essie's advice.

Recommendation:
I would recommend The Art of Being Normal to anyone, it is an amazing read and definitely worth anyone's time. I'm so glad that my friend recommended this to me, and I hope that anyone who reads this enjoys it as much as I did. Type of people that would enjoy this would have to be people with an open mind and is prepared for a couple tears.

Cover.