BOOK REVIEW + GIVEAWAY: The Art of Being Normal by Lisa Williamson

This is a book review for The Art of Being Normal by Lisa Williamson.

Two boys. Two secrets. 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 eleven 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.

Why, oh why, is this book not getting more love?? This book was AMAZING. The subject of transgendered people is such a tough one and I think this author handled it so well. The book goes back and forth between David and Leo's POV. David is struggling so hard with his feelings that he was born in the wrong body. It's so incredibly heartbreaking. Even though his parents have made it clear they would accept his sexuality if he were gay, he is still terrified of telling his parents the truth. He even has a letter written to his parents explaining his feelings, but keeps losing his nerve about giving it to them. He records his height, foot size and other changes associated with puberty in a notebook. Each time he grows or notices body hair, he hates his body even more. One day, David's notebook is found by a school bully and Leo stands up for him. This is the beginning of a wonderful friendship. 

There are times when a multiple person POV does not work because all the characters sound the same. That is not the case here. Each boy has his own unique voice. David is longing to fit in and be himself, while Leo is so distrusting of everyone. Leo has secrets of his own and eventually the two confide in each other. I don't want to give away any spoilers as to what Leo's secret was, but it definitely made for an interesting twist that I did not see it coming. This book is not just about transgendered people. It's also about bullying and what it means to be "normal" and it's about family and class and so many other things. This is such an important book to read. The character development in the book was so great. The only negative I noticed was that David's POV got lost in the shuffle a bit when Leo's secret was revealed. The author could have done a better job with letting David's story progress at the same pace as Leo's. Other than that, this was a great book. 

And now for the giveaway!! One lucky reader will receive a hardcover copy of The Art of Being Normal. The giveaway will run until 12:00am (Eastern time) on June 16. This giveaway is an international one so all entries are welcome. I will announce the winner on Wednesday, June 17. Good luck! 

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