Tuesday, April 8, 2014

ARC Review: Faking Normal by Courtney Stevens


Title: Faking Normal by Courtney C. Stevens
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: Febuary 25th, 2014
Genres: Drama, Romance
Medium: ARC Paperback Via Publisher


Faking Normal was an dramatic, itelligent, engrossing read that refused to let me go long after reading it. It was poignant and interesting, and definitely a novel I would recommend to of most everyone, since the subject of this novel is something so important to educate about especially this day in age.

Alexi Littrell hasn't told anyone what happened to her over the summer by her backyard pool. Instead, she hides in her closet, counts the slats in the air vent, and compulsively scratches the back of her neck, trying to make the outside hurt more than the inside does.

When Bodee Lennox—"the Kool-Aid Kid"—moves in with the Littrells after a family tragedy, Alexi discovers an unlikely friend in this quiet, awkward boy who has secrets of his own. As their friendship grows, Alexi gives him the strength to deal with his past, and Bodee helps her summon the courage to find her voice and speak up. -From Amazon.com

The plot of this novel was actually one of the most interesting plots I have read from lately. The plot was simple, yet so very detailed. It is very hard to describe. The plot is very simple, in the way that you have a normal and yet horrible occurance taking place, yet the characters and their emotional impact on each other, along with creative dialogue and small plot twists makes this novel intricate and emotional. It was set at a good, steady pace, with unexpected plot twists happening at every page, stirring up a cute love story between two broken people.

The characters were also very addicting. The relationships they create and the friendships they share are some of the most natural and realistic human relationships I have ever seen. This novel is completely realistic and believable. Alexi is a very relatable character who is going through problems that so many other girls are facing today. Although she has trouble admitting what happened, Bodee (another ferociously relatable and realistic character) slowly convinces and coaxes her into accepting and coming to terms with what really happened at a party over the summer. Through all of this, friendships, romances, and complicated drama blooms and keeps you turning pages. Wonderful simple dialogue, human relationships, and drama that resembles reality so good, it's like a real reading from a real life soap opera.


The writing was also spectacular. It was raw, emotional, and original. Stevens crafts a story with such 
authenticity, it's a wonderful breath of fresh air in the world of young adult literature. The writing is so emotional, from the dialogue to even the main character's thoughts, that the emotion is palpable by all readers. It was refreshing and heartrenching, yet uplifting and joyful at the same time. I cannot wait to see what else Courtney C. Stevens has in store for us.

Overall, this novel was an epic emotional tale of both redemption and real romance. The plot was riveting and dramatic, the characters were interesting and realistic, and the writing ties everything
together perfectly. This is a novel I would definitely recommend to readers of all genres, especially females of all ages. Wonderful.

No comments:

Post a Comment