Faking Normal

What I Loved: I loved Alexi and Bodee’s relationship. The pacing was well done, how and when they opened up to each other, when things turned from friendship to something more, and everything else. You have two teens who suffered from traumatic events and eventually learned to lean on each other and open up to each other in order to heal, let go, and move on. I’ll admit, I would’ve expected them to be a little more messed up than they were, but Stevens still did a good job and I loved their moments together.

Left Me Wanting More: I’ve read quite a few books based on rape and I have to say that this wasn’t as gripping or emotional as I was hoping for. Yes, it tackles the issue in a somewhat different way, and I appreciated that, it didn’t really get into the meat of the topic like I was expecting. It took awhile longer than I would’ve liked for Alexi to find her inner strength and courage and face what had happened to her, but in the end, I liked how she turned out.

Also, I really despised Alexi’s sister, Kayla. While she somewhat redeems herself in the end, through most of the book she was a downright witch and if she were my sister I would’ve slapped her for a lot of what she did and said. I was a bit surprised with how she acted in the end, because it really could’ve gone either way, and with the way the author went, I was hoping for more, but it was still acceptable.

Final Verdict: While I certainly had some issues with the story overall, I still read it pretty quickly and really enjoyed Stevens’ writing style. I knew early on who was behind it all, so the waiting around for the big reveal and resolution felt like it took forever, but I think Stevens took all the necessary steps for her character to come to that point in her life and face her demons. I’d say this book can fall into the higher up category of books in dealing with issue. It wasn’t the best, but it was definitely a good one.

FAKING NORMAL is one of the best contemporary reads I've ever picked up. Honest, relatable, and very real, it very convincingly brings to life the story of one girl's journey to channel her bravery and speak up about tragedy.

With one troubled boy with Kool-Aid colored hair Courtney Stevens brings out a wide range of emotions in the reader. There is so much to say about Bodee, but I just can't find the best words to do it, so I'll tell you how he made me feel instead. "Bodee Lennox is never really anything. I'll bet most kids in our class didn't know his name before the murder. And yet his face is not expressionless the way I once thought." Bodee is full of feeling. He made my heart swell, my fists clench, he made me gasp and grit my teeth and I felt worry, anxiety, love, angst, and longing for that boy. Can you imagine what he made Alexi felt? You will. In moments like this: "'Don't you ever touch her again,' Bodee says." This was one of the most powerful scenes in the entire book. Bodee was there for Alexi. He was her blue-haired knight (or was it red that day?), and I am so glad he came to her rescue.

Alexi's friends are well-crafted secondary characters that add so much to the depth of the story. Heather and Liz are Lex's best friends. They're quite different from each other, and from Lex. They're believable, interesting, and have their own issues to cope with that add to the plot and Alexi's struggles, but don't take attention too far away from the main story. Their dialogue, in particular, is very well-written: "You're in somethin' with him. Like you're in somethin' with Bodee." Heather says this to Alexi one day in 4th period, when they're musing over Captain Lyrics latest message. It's just colloquial enough, without being too twangy, that we know Heather is a Southern girl and she has a particular way of saying things. I love it.

The twisty-turny plot reflects the maze of complex memories and emotions in Alexi's mind. This was a necessary and crucial plot device for the story, and it didn't feel faked or forced at all. It was very natural, real, well-written. Lex has a lot of things to keep straight, and she uses destructive ways to cope with her pain. At one point she thinks: "There's a hammer pounding on my brain that says I'm missing something. Have I forgotten other things? Other things that keep me silent?" It seems like forever, but it only takes months for Alexi's true memories to surface. She wouldn't have done it without Bodee's unwavering support and her own strength - channeling brave. But those memories, those twisty paths in our minds where we lock things down and bury them deep - we can all relate to that.

Courtney's writing style itself was very enjoyable. I liked her writing of Alexi's narration. I liked her unique attention to peculiar little details. One passage written on Alexi's way to a Halloween party was especially entertaining: "A dachshund outfitted like a hot dog trots beside a little boy who is Batman for the night. I don't remember Batman with a hot dog, but it makes me laugh to watch them take on the neighborhood." Of course, I have a dachshund, so I couldn't let this one go!

I really enjoyed FAKING NORMAL. I don't often read fiction about sexual abuse, but I knew I had to read this one. I was so glad I did. Alexi and Bodee are very brave, they have so much strength that they can pass on to readers. I would highly recommend this book for all teens, girls or boys.

FAKING NORMAL is one of those books that sucks you in from the first page and doesn’t let you go. It’s a quiet, introspective story, but the connection I felt with the characters and the truth that radiated from every page made it impossible to put down. Alexi isn’t like me, but her voice rang so true that I practically felt like I was her. No matter your personal experience going into FAKING NORMAL, she is written with such honesty that it’s impossible not to empathize with her. Even when she’s making bad choices. Even when she’s hurting herself. Even when she’s too petrified to speak up, no matter how much she should.

Alexi isn’t strong in the way we often think of “strong characters.” She is broken and she is scared and she is silent. She doesn’t seethe about what happened to her, she doesn’t cast blame on the people who wronged her, and justice doesn’t fuel her. She carries her burden alone, even though it weighs her down, because she feels she has no other choice. And though I spent the book yearning for her to take action and seek justice — because that’s what happens in books, right? — her strength was in her empathy, her selflessness, and her perseverance in putting one foot in front of the other. It wasn’t that her actions (and often, inactions) were right or healthy — arguably, they were neither — but that while some people would completely shut down after an ordeal like Alexi’s, she keeps going.

Then there is Bodee, who also doesn’t fit into the typical YA hero mold. He has his own struggles and fears and doubts, and he needs Alexi just as much as she needs him. He doesn’t swoop in and fix her problems, and she doesn’t fix his. Rather, they help each other find the strength to face the dark marks on their own souls. Readers will love Bodee not for his strong jaw and chiseled abs (neither of which he actually possesses…at least not in my mind), but for his gentle heart and quiet encouragement. I appreciated that Bodee was a friend more than a love interest, and that romance never dominated the story. FAKING NORMAL is a story of friendship and loss and betrayal and hardship and healing, and while there is romance, it is at most a supporting character, never the star.

FAKING NORMAL tackles difficult topics without ever seeming like an “issues” book. It’s not a “self-harm book” or a “sexual assault book” or a “domestic violence book,” even though at the surface, one might assume it is. But at its core, FAKING NORMAL isn’t about events and moments and trauma. It’s about healing and friendship and trust. It’s about finding light in the darkness, strength in unexpected places, and triumph in moving forward. It’s about being honest with yourself, and with the people who love you.

FAKING NORMAL isn’t the easiest book to read — although the clean, truthful prose certainly helps — but it’s worth the pain and the tears. While the events of Alexi and Bodee’s pasts are not universal (although for too many, they are), every reader can find themselves in the pages of FAKING NORMAL. Maybe not in action, but in heart. Everyone has dealt with dishonesty and helplessness and heartbreak, and everyone can use the (not so) occasional reminder to channel their brave.

I’ve read a lot of Contemporary YA fiction that was good, moving, even inspiring. But as I was turning the pages of FAKING NORMAL, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this book was something special. Important. Empowering. I remember thinking, “I can’t wait until this book is in the hands of teenagers and can start changing lives.” Because I really believe it will.

What I Loved:

I hardly know where to begin with how much I loved this book. Authentic, unflinching emotional journeys, a compassionate and insightful look at the inner pain left behind after trauma, capable prose, fully realized characters, and a relationship that will have readers turning pages long after bedtime--these are just a few of the things that make for a story that is as honest as it is compelling.

I'll start with the basics of storytelling. The pacing is smooth, the tension builds nicely, and the clean prose make for an enjoyable read. Ms. Stevens' characters are fully developed, flawed people who will resonate with readers. Both the hero and the heroine have significant inner pain that is taking over their lives, despite their attempts to fake normal, and Ms. Stevens captures that pain with a deft insight that is as compassionate as it is unflinchingly honest. Readers who have dealt with trauma of any kind will find kindred souls in Lexi and Bodee, and readers still searching for a path toward healing will find a road map to use in their journey.

But beyond the mechanics of storytelling, what really makes this book stand out is the truth buried in the pages. Lexi is a perfect example of how abuse and rape culture silence victims. She moves through a cycle of excuses for her abuser, self blame, fear of reprisal if she tells the truth, and the conviction that she will ruin everything if anyone finds out--as someone with abuse in her past, I can testify that there isn't a false note in Lexi's character arc. Bodee, on the other hand, is the safe harbor, the one who can see what Lexi hides from others, and the voice of patient truth who consistently and compassionately refuses to allow the lies in Lexi's head to continue to flourish. He's the map-maker on the road to Lexi's healing, and in doing so, he is also the map-maker for readers who see themselves in Lexi and need the hope that they will not always self-destruct in silence.

It's rare that I find a book that I feel is important enough to recommend to every reader, but this is that book. Librarians need this on hand to give to the kid who is quietly falling apart while desperately trying to fake normal. Teachers need this for their classrooms. Parents need this for their teens. And every reader who has felt their secrets burn inside of them while they tried their hardest to convince the world that all was fine need this book.

Final Verdict:

Brilliant, insightful, and utterly compelling--FAKING NORMAL is the book everyone needs to read.

Thank you Courtney C. Stevens for writing an amazing story.

Wow. Just, wow. This is one of those rare stories that kicks you in the feels and makes you smile all while making you wish you had your very own Kool-Aid Kid! ;)

Most YA Contemps deal with teenagers and their issues, many of which are so over the top they're nearly impossible to believe or relate to. Not so with FAKING NORMAL.

Courtney C. Stevens has given us a compelling story about two teens, Alexi and Bodee, both of whom are struggling with pretty heavy stuff in their lives, like death, self-mutilation and sexual assault. Alexi and Bodee are doing the best they can to just to survive even if that means pretending everything is okay. But things begin to slowly unravel for both of them and while it would be very easy for Stevens to drag her characters through the muck and leave them there, she doesn't. Instead, she gives them a chance to be brave, to speak up and she gives them each other.

Does this turn into a mushy "fix you" teen romance? No, which is another reason this story sets itself apart. While the relationship that develops between Alexi and Bodee is heart-achingly tender and sweet, Stevens writes them with enough maturity to know that they need to figure out their own issues first before they can "jump ahead" into a full-on romance. Together they make each other stronger and help each other start to heal.

What I loved most about this book was the hope it offers. Hope that, despite the bad things we experience, we are the ones who choose whether or not we allow bad things to define us or to make us brave.

Read this book and then go channel your brave!