The Art of Being Normal

by Lisa Williamson

[Leah]

The Art of Being Normal was AMAZING, folks. SO SO GOOD. This book has had so much buzz - so much buzz that when I was in the airport in February I picked it up and paid full price for it. Granted, it's taken me until May to read it, but it was so worth the wait, because it was simply stunning. I can see why this novel is being applauded and it actually makes me so sad that this is a rare book, that there aren't other authors willing to write a book about a trans-gender character, because I LOVED David.

David was such an amazing character - Leo, too! To have two strong leading characters was so awesome, and despite their secrets (because they both have secrets) I was so desperate for them both to be accepted at their school and it made me sad that David was called "Freakshow" from the mean bullies, bullies who shouldn't have even been allowed at the school. It's perfectly FINE for someone to call David Freakshow, but Leo gets in trouble for punching the kid in the face? GOOD JOB SCHOOL. Honestly.

The book made me both sad and happy at the same time. Happy that the story was being told, happy that a publisher published this book and that it's getting very well deserved praise, but sad because how many kids out there are going through what David goes through, and are too scared to say something, because they fear they're not normal? Or how many kids are trying to be normal instead of being themselves? It was just sad, because while David's conclusion was pretty freaking awesome - and Leo's, too - that just isn't the case in real life for most of the kids going through what David goes through.

The Art of Being Normal is such an important book, this is a book that every kid should read. Schools should be championing this book and rightly so. It's important. It's nice to see that a book like this can be published, and can receive such freaking awesome praise, and such good praise! I'm so, so glad I picked this book up, it was by no means an easy read, but it was very much an important one and it was just so good. I loved getting to know Leo and David, and I loved the story telling, and I loved even more than David had two awesome friends, who didn't care that he wanted to be a girl, and who actively encouraged him to do so.

I will remember this book for a long time to come and if you haven't picked it up, then you must. And then pass it on to all of your friends.