Name: Art of Being Normal
ISBN: 9781910200520

Lisa Williamson

David is funny and quirky and has always felt different from other people - but he also has a huge secret that only his two best friends know. Ever since he can remember, he has felt like a girl trapped in the body of a boy.

Art of Being Normal

The Art of Being Normal

As a trans person the same age (ish) as Kate and Leo: it’s bad. The 1 * is there because I liked the ball scene, other than that the entire book felt like a waste of time. 

Robin

A Novel

Wes Michaud

no just no not good trans rep not good at all

jess

As far as books starring trans characters go, this was pretty decent. I do have problems with "born as a boy/girl trapped in a boy's body" being used because I understand that's not how many trans people choose to identify themselves as - rather, they've always been a girl. But that's just minor and kind of nitpicky.

A lot of the book was rather predictable and typical of YA lit and trans lit, so the plot wasn't revolutionary or anything, but that it started a trans character was. (view spoiler)[I have to say that I did not see Leo coming out as trans; I was expecting something else. I do like the difference in storytelling and where both characters are in their transition - with David being at the start and Leo being in the middle. (hide spoiler)]

The writing didn't suck me in like I wanted it to and both character's voices sounded quite similar at times. 

This is an important addition to the queer YA canon.

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 his class 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 , and soon everyone knows that Leo used to be a girl. As David prepares to come out to his family and transition into life as a girl and Leo wrestles with figuring out how to deal with people who try to define him through his history, they find in each other the friendship and support they need to navigate life as transgender teens as well as the courage to decide for themselves what normal really means.

(actual rating: 4.5)
 
"[...] and soon everyone knows that Leo used to be a girl." Way to spoiler this novel. It's like this big relevation to the characters, but the reader knows it before starting to read it. Well, you could guess it while reading, too.

Apart from that I really enjoyed The art of being normal. Especially David is really well-written and you experience his struggles along with him. Him measuring his body and noting how it gets more and more masculine was heartbreaking.

I still had the feeling that this book is not about trans* characters but with them. Friendship is a really big theme and I think everyone can get behind identy issues, whether they fall into the LGBTQIA+ spectrum or not. I would have loved to analyze this book in school instead of The Confusions of Young Törless, but that's a story for another time.

Disclaimer: I was provided with a free copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you.

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 11 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...

Steffi

David Piper, always an outsider, forms an unlikely friendship with Leo Denton who, from the first day at his new school wants only to be invisible, but when David's deepest secret gets out, that he wants to be a girl, things get very messy for both of them.

Courtney ✿ @librarycutie

I really enjoyed this book, I loved that it was about two different people but try connected together, and oh boy oh boy was I both shocked and excited about halfway in! This is a story about two teenagers trying to fit in with secrets, one is a transgender trying to keep it a secret as well as trying to tell his/her parents, and the other is just seen as a troubled kid, he doesn't want friends and doesn't want people to notice him, or get close to his secrets.

I DEFINITELY RECOMMEND!

Grace O'Callaghan

I really enjoyed this book when I first read it, but since reading it I have read a few #ownvoices reviews about how poor the representation is in this book.

Fiona

This book follows two boys, who are alike and different in ways they (and we) don't know.

3.5 - I'm trying to read more widely/diversely and this was an interesting look into the world of transgender. I can't comment on the authenticity of the subject matter as I have no personal experience of this myself, however, I felt like I understood the characters' well and the author was able to really put me into their mindsets.

I originally thought that some of the younger characters felt too childish but then I remembered how I was when I was 14...

A major plot point was revealed maybe 3/4 of the way through, and it really could've easily wrapped up there after a few more chapters. We continued onwards and a few more points opened up which honestly left me satisfied with where we left the characters - no questions needed answered.

Elena Garcia Navarro

Didn't blow up my mind but it was an easy and quick read. I liked the diversity of it, since the characters are part of the LGBTQ+ community but apart from that, it felt pretty much like any other YA story, and lately I feel like I'm growing out these type of books. Still and enjoyable and cute read.

Jelke Lenaerts

*I'm part of this marginalised group so my review might not be the best if you want to know if this had good representation*
It was so intresting to me to be in the mind of a transgender girl. It's just so different from our "normal" main character and diffrent to my own mindset.

Ruth Parker 

I found this book easy to get invested in and liked the trans representation. However, I’m not qualified to comment on this and I have read reviews from members of the LGBTQ+ community that are less than favourable about the characters and their portrayals....

Laura

This is such an important novel. It is incredibly engaging and has a great plot. Beyond being the story of a transgender teenager, it is the story of a teenager growing up. Loved it, hope this book becomes required reading in schools.

Rebeca 

4.5 stars!!!! 

Ugh this book was fantastic!!! There were a few parts that I didn't really like but other than that, this book was enjoyable and the characters made me feel so many emotions. Even though David and Leo are complete opposites, they were both good loveable characters. Would definitely recommend.

Barbara Rosas

The story is amazing, I love the plot and all those turn the story took but I didn't like the writing. 
I had big expectations and it was a great book, but I can't shake the feeling that it could have been better.
*fangirl feeling* I ADORE LEO AND HIS LITTLE SISTER.

Lara

Even as a cis person this book constantly made me feel uncomfortable due to how the author handles trans characters. The constant misgendering and dead naming people even after they’ve come out to other characters in the book and phrases like “wants to be a boy/girl” instead of “are a boy/girl” made it hard to finish this book.

Ana Koljanin

This book is great! It is overly emotional (at least for me).. Both Leo and David/Kate are so powerful characters and I wish this book was made in series. :(

Emily Syson

Such a good book. it is amazing and shines a spotlight on really relevant issues

Amy Juniper

So good, I came back to read it again and I'm not disappointed. Devoured it in one sitting! And I'm in a reading slump.

Ethel

This was a nice book to re-read for this pride month. This was the first book I read with a transgender main character and I quite enjoyed it as an introduction on the subject. The story is simple, you know what is going to happen but you still want to read it. I think it is a nice book to introduce teenagers and children about the subject as the story is not hard to read and has quite a happy ending. One of the problems of this book however is the mis-use of pronouns because David, who identifies as a girl, is referred through almost all the book as “he” which does and doesn’t make sense to me. It does make sense because the change in the pronouns happens when his family accept her as a girl but it also doesn’t make sense because, for example, Leo who knows David/Kate identifies as a girl still uses the pronoun “he” to talk about her. In conclusion, it’s not a perfect book but it is a heartfelt novel.
Did you read it? What did you think? I think it is quite difficult to review a book on a subject you have never experienced.