Something Like Normal

I checked this book out from the library, knowing only that it was a contemporary novel. I opened it up and all the inside flap said was “I just came back from Afghanistan. My best friend is dead. And the girl I have crush on punched me in the face.” Anyways, I went into this pretty much blind. It was short, it was quick. Good things in a contemporary novel. Things I Liked: I liked the representation of Travis’s PTSD—it was very real, and his reaction to it is a standard guy reaction. Also, it was made this book meaningful. And the development of Travis’s relationship with his mom—which had obviously been strained prior to the beginning of the book, but improved over the course of the book. Things that I didn’t Like: Harper: She was not a real person, I’m sorry. Because of Travis, everyone has thought that you are total SLUT since middle school, effectively ruining your entire high school experience. He returns from Afghanistan, you punch him, he shows up at your house at four in the morning and apologizes—lamely—for the whole slut thing, and two days later you’re making out with him? No, this is not how real life works. Furthermore, within two weeks of your relationship beginning, he asks you to go to a funeral with him in a different city. You go, and when you get there, he tells that he’s cheated on you already during the WEEK AND HALF that you’ve been together. What do you do? You give him the silent treatment—for about six hours. Than funeral happens, he gets depressed, and you’re kissing him again! I understand that he’s messed up, but that’s no excuse for the things he does to Harper—and even if it is, she should not forgive him that easily. Needless to say, the romance also moved rather quickly. Quicker than it should have. Oh, and none of the other character besides Travis, his mother, and Harper received ANY character development at all. Why does Ryan think Travis gets everything? What’s the deal with Paige? The plotline involving Harper and her father and Allison was also left completely unresolved. Also, there as no coherent plot. There were lots of things happening, but there were all random and unconnected for the most part. No one thing pushed events forward consistently. Overall: This book was a quick, short, and unique read. It had an interesting concept—I think it fell off the mark, though. The thing is—this book is far too short to encompass all the issues of the story it contains. Another 50 to 100 pages would not have been amiss. This book is only 210 pages—I generally cap contemporaries at around 350 pages. This book could have and should have gone right up to that mark. It's just—I really think the author should have put some more thought into it. I give it a solid C—because it simply wasn’t ready to be turned in and graded.

Wow.