Faking Normal (Faking Normal)

by Courtney C. Stevens

Alexi Littrell hasn't told anyone what happened to her over the summer. When Bodee Lennox, the quiet and awkward boy next door, comes to live with the Littrells, Alexi discovers an unlikely friend in "the Kool-Aid Kid," who has secrets of his own. As they lean on each other for support, Alexi gives him the strength to deal with his past, and Bodee helps her find the courage to finally face the truth.

Hiding the truth about a sexual assault that makes her hide in the closet and compulsively scratch herself to redirect her pain, Alexi befriends Bodie, whose own secret gives Alexi strength. The plot contains profanity, violence, and violence.

• ISBN10: 0062245384
• ISBN13: 9780062245380
• Publish Date: 25 February 2014
• Publish Status: Out of Stock
• Out of Print: 19 July 2021
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Inc
• Imprint: HarperCollins
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 336
• Language: English
• URL: http://harpercollins.com.au/9780062245380

Reviews

[Sam@WLABB]

Rating: 4.5 Stars

I just love Courtney C. Stevens' books!

This was another winner for me. There was so much pain and suffering, but watching that bond form and grow between Bodee and Alexi was really special. My heart broke for both of them, but I was also filled with joy, when they were able to take control of their emotions and take steps towards healing.

I can only imagine that some people were not super pleased with the way Alexi's attacker was dealt with. Stevens did justify it to some extent, but I could say that was something I would file under "dislike" BUT because there were so many other things, which played larger roles in the story, I was able to overlook it.

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[Bianca]

Your hurt is not an excuse to take.
Your loneliness is not an excuse to cheat.
Your desire is not a reason to rape.

— About abuse, consent, and speaking up. Very timely, relevant, and eye-opening.

[lindsey]

Review coming soon.

[Angie]

Faking Normal was intense. It may not be the most gritty YA Contemporary out there, but it was a hard one for me. It made me sad, mad, uncomfortable, and furious, but I enjoyed it. Although enjoy isn't quite the right word, since this isn't a happy book at all. But I'm sure you all know what I mean. Alexi has been keeping a couple of secrets for the past three months, and it isn't until she starts hanging out with Bodee--after his dad murdered his mom, and he came to live with them--that she realizes that the lies she tells her friends and family are nothing compared to the lies she tells herself just to get through the day.

I thought I was going to be annoyed with Faking Normal once Alexi's secret is revealed. She was raped over the summer and has been hurting herself ever since. I'm kind of sick of authors using sexual assault as a plot device, or thinking it's the way to get ratings because it's gritty and emotional. But this one is different, and I realized that the more I read. I also realized that I was so irritated with it was because I could relate to Alexi's silence. It took me years to realize that the grey area isn't really that grey when it comes to this issue, and I just wanted her to see that so badly, too! Basically, I got it. I knew why she never tells anyone no, and I knew why she kept it secret. It's so much easier to pretend like things are fine than to go through the whole mess that the truth brings.

Faking Normal also has a really sweet romance going on, but it's not really the focus. Alexi and Bodee become friends after she comforts him at the funeral, and as they live together. They do agree to just stay friends though, since they both need someone who understands. Meanwhile, Alexi is falling for the mysterious Captain Lyrics, some guy who leaves lyrics on her desk every day. She has no clue who he is, and kind of doesn't want to know either. I really enjoyed this addition to the story. It added some light, without being cheesy or out of place. Of course, I do think it's pretty obvious who this mystery boy is, but that's okay.

My only real problem with Faking Normal was the author's overly liberal use of red herrings. In the beginning, I thought I had figured out who had done this to Alexi. But there were just so many hints that didn't fully feel like hints, but more of a way to lure us away from the real asshole. It just didn't fit, and I feel like the story would have been stronger without all of those extras. Even though I did figure out who it was once I changed my thinking, the full story is always worse.

In the end, I thought Faking Normal was a great read. In a sad and sickening kind of way. I believed Alexi as a character, even when I was frustrated with her to no end. I also think the author handled the subject respectfully and didn't use it as some device to move the romance along. Alexi and Bodee came together naturally and helped each other heal, and that was great, too.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.

[inlibrisveritas]

4.5 Stars

Faking Normal is definitely going to be one of those books that sticks with me for a long time. It’s a hard one to stomach at times, but it was something that needs to be endured. This is a realistic contemporary novel where the teens have actual problems and don’t live perfect lives, and it’s one that could possibly even help someone find their own voice.

The story itself is one that you understand the premise of going in but you don’t find out everything until the last third of the book. You know Alexi has been hurt in some way but it takes time to see why the pain is so difficult for her handle and so ‘easy’ for her to hide. You do find out what happened before you find out the who and in some ways the who doesn’t really matter, because it’s more about the internal struggle that Alexi is having to deal with. It definitely tore me up to read this one and I had to take a lot of breaks because I couldn’t handle it in large doses. It’s an incredibly raw read and it probably won’t be for everyone. I know I had trouble understanding some of her reasons for being so quiet and passive about things, but I also know it’s because I’m far from passive…if I don’t like something I’ll be the first one to tell you. But I do know there are women and girls out there who are not like me and don’t find it so easy. I did understand her need to try and ‘control’ her situation, because I’ve been there. High school is one of the tougher times in a young person’s life and a lot of the time control just doesn’t factor in and you feel helpless. I understood why she felt the need to sit alone, count, or self harm because I’ve been there, and I think that’s one of the main reasons this resonated so deeply with me. I saw bits of myself in Alexi.

Alexi is quiet girl with a good head on her shoulders, but has trouble finding her voice. There were times when I wanted to jump into the book and say what she wanted to say but couldn’t, I wanted to lend her my voice. I want girls to be able to find their voices to say what they need to say. Then there is Bodee, who is an absolutely amazing person. He has his own struggles that he has trouble dealing with, and I loved the strength that he gave Alexi when she needed it. Their relationship was slow and natural as it moved over bumps, strengthened and sometimes faltered a bit. Then there are the characters I didn’t like through out the entire book: Heather and Kayla. Heather is one of Alexi’s best friends and she’s one of those girls who have trouble thinking about anything but relationships. While it’s completely understandable and normal, (I knew a few of those girls) it’s also highly annoying and I hated seeing her make decisions for Alexi and I hated that Alexi agreed. Kayla is just hard to handle over all, granted there are some redeemable qualities about her…but it seemed overshadowed by the fact that she throws tantrums like a child and is incredibly vindictive.

I thought the writing for Faking Normal was really solid and gave Alexi her own unique voice. Not to mention the fact that Stevens handled such a sensitive topic carefully and in a realistic way. I fully plan on purchasing my own physical copy of Faking Normal, and I definitely recommend this to any readers who want a book about social issues handled in a realistic and sometimes raw way.