Faking Normal (Faking Normal)

by Courtney C. Stevens

[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.