Reviews

The Other Normals by Ned Vizzini

elizabethseebee's review against another edition

3.0

This reminded me of Going Bovine, with the bizarre storyline... Not my favorite Ned Vizzini novel, but I liked it better than Be More Chill... The character dialogue was amusing in Vizzini fashion... Took me a few years to read because of Vizzini's suicide, but glad I finally read it...

jenmiller253's review against another edition

2.0

Just a little too much of the f word for me to really like it.

lucychanning's review against another edition

2.0

2.5*
It was more of some adventure book than a coming of age story as it was described. I didn't really feel like Perry went through that much development. The world was okay and I really do love Ned Vizzini's writing style so I did read it quickly.

meags1's review against another edition

3.0

I rather liked the semi-twist (portal fantasy is really in! As long as it is actually thinly disguised science fiction!), but the tone was sometimes all over the place. The pacing was frenetic to the point that once, when the pages stuck together, I missed a rather important SET of revelations. That said, I'm not sure I'd recommend it.

lisamquinn's review against another edition

3.0

I was very happy when a new Ned Vizzin showed up. I really liked "It's kind of a Funny Story", and I was expecting another realistic fiction. This was a fantasy that was kind of a bit out there for my taste, but I'll recommend it to the kids.

Tags: Roleplaying games, multiverse, camp.

sageorion's review against another edition

4.0

This book was so cute and awesome. The only reason I gave it a four instead of a five is because I love Vizzini's other books a little bit more than I loved this one.

jcargabr's review against another edition

2.0

I wanted to like this book more than I did. I pre-read it to find out if it was a book my 10 yo boy would like and I would be OK recommending. Unfortunately, although the level is fine some of the language veers into inappropriate territory - and is not especially enlightened. The narrator is a 15yo "late bloomer" who loves reading the manuals to a D&D like game and magically gets transported there to learn about life and love etx. That world is a multiverse version of Earth that somehow affects what is going on in Earth. Great setup for various issues but the book does a terrible job of delving into those issues. A good scifi/fantasy author could have taken this world building idea and created a masterpiece but this author who's bailiwick is firmly in YA realistic fiction merely uses the barebones ideas to walk the well-trod paths of budding sexuality and honor without adding any insight. Further the author seems to not realize that there are women/girls who like fantasy/comics/D&D - and objectifies them. Disappointing and I will not be recommending to my child or any other child.

mildlyjulie's review

4.0

I am so glad that I generally go into books (and movies) as blind as possible. If I'd read anything about this book, I may not have read it. (I found it in the e-book collection at the library, and added it because I'd read and liked another book by this author.)

This was such a FUN read! I really wanted it to keep going. There's a throwaway line that caught my eye: something like "Real adrenaline is like insanity juice." This book is full of both adrenaline and insanity, and it's such a cool ride!

thisgrrlreads's review

2.0

This book reads liked a bad B movie...and not in a "so bad it's good" kind of way. I was looking forward to a book about people playing RPGs bring depicted in a positive way, which never quite happens.

oeolson's review

4.0

This book is awesome at being totally unpredictable and way better than I thought it was going to be.