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2.49 AVERAGE
2.49 AVERAGE
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
[Trigger Warning: internalized homophobia, I’ve been told slurs, toxic relationships].
So, I’m not going to use quotes, or directly spoil much I don’t think? But fair warning. This isn’t really, really a book about questioning sexuality. It may be the rep of some people, but the homophobia is so deep that the label that someone suggests (I believe it was demisexual) is immediately shut down. In this book, the main character believes that gay and not gay are the only two things existing and won’t even get past their own homophobia to do a single google and research the label that someone gave them, to see why they struggle so much with sex every time.
I thought maybe demisexual homo/biromantic maybe. Or even just demisexual demiromantic, with how they seemed to love the love interest so much more than their fairly toxic ex. Even graysexual or asexual is a possibility. But unfortunately rather than researching the ace spectrum, that another character literally brought up!! They insisted that no, gay or not gay.
I suppose this could be rep of how deep internalized homophobia can go, especially in bipoc- there being no real reason for it, his mother accepting him so much. But it rubbed me the wrong way. Some of the quotes were really bad, saying that he was gay for attention on literally every account. I get and don’t get it. I wish there were at least two scenes of googling lgbtqia definitions to balance it out, and at least questioning identity somewhat, to show that like… it was the character gaslighting themself, and not actually a fully messed up thing to rub me the wrong way? I would definitely have let it slid of there was more questioning thoughts than gaslighting, but so much toxic was there that there wasn’t time for it.
I was so disgusted I couldn’t finish so if it gets better let me know. But the other reviews say he ends up straight at some point. And then ends up with the love interest. That sounds non-toxic.
So, I’m not going to use quotes, or directly spoil much I don’t think? But fair warning. This isn’t really, really a book about questioning sexuality. It may be the rep of some people, but the homophobia is so deep that the label that someone suggests (I believe it was demisexual) is immediately shut down. In this book, the main character believes that gay and not gay are the only two things existing and won’t even get past their own homophobia to do a single google and research the label that someone gave them, to see why they struggle so much with sex every time.
I thought maybe demisexual homo/biromantic maybe. Or even just demisexual demiromantic, with how they seemed to love the love interest so much more than their fairly toxic ex. Even graysexual or asexual is a possibility. But unfortunately rather than researching the ace spectrum, that another character literally brought up!! They insisted that no, gay or not gay.
I suppose this could be rep of how deep internalized homophobia can go, especially in bipoc- there being no real reason for it, his mother accepting him so much. But it rubbed me the wrong way. Some of the quotes were really bad, saying that he was gay for attention on literally every account. I get and don’t get it. I wish there were at least two scenes of googling lgbtqia definitions to balance it out, and at least questioning identity somewhat, to show that like… it was the character gaslighting themself, and not actually a fully messed up thing to rub me the wrong way? I would definitely have let it slid of there was more questioning thoughts than gaslighting, but so much toxic was there that there wasn’t time for it.
I was so disgusted I couldn’t finish so if it gets better let me know. But the other reviews say he ends up straight at some point. And then ends up with the love interest. That sounds non-toxic.
This was a very strange book and I'm not even sure what to rate it. First of all it was very cerebral in that almost the entire book was spent in the main character's head, and the dialogue was all about him thinking and talking about his thoughts. Not much actually happened. The plot, setting, even the characters weren't very well developed, and their thoughts and behaviors were only mentioned as they related to the main character. He was extremely self obsessed and we spend the entire book in his head alone. It could get kind of repetitive.
I thought the main character questioning his sexuality was interesting and relatable but I just didn't like him that much. He and almost every other character was obsessed with manipulating people and though he did explore and was self-aware of his behavior, he never stopped to think about whether it was right or wrong. This definitely was the kind of book where you can tell the author is trying to work some things out about his own past and present life, but I'm not sure if it's worth reading for anyone else who isn't him.
I thought the main character questioning his sexuality was interesting and relatable but I just didn't like him that much. He and almost every other character was obsessed with manipulating people and though he did explore and was self-aware of his behavior, he never stopped to think about whether it was right or wrong. This definitely was the kind of book where you can tell the author is trying to work some things out about his own past and present life, but I'm not sure if it's worth reading for anyone else who isn't him.
no plot. bland characters who are awful people. problematic statements. this is not a contemporary queer coming of age story like it seems, it’s mainly just a documentation of how the main character uses all of the people in his life to get attention.
This book had so much wasted potential.
Honestly? This could have been a book that was not only important, but genuinely good. I say that because while I think this book is genuine shit, I understand and respect that it might be really important to queer poc. And as much as I don’t want to disregard that, I can’t pretend that this made the novel any better for me.
Let me make it clear: I dnf’d this at 80%. I do not have the full story to make a completely accurate review... but at this point, I think I have more than enough.
I have a lot of issues with We Are Totally Normal, but I’ll try to make it quick.
First of all, this book is marketed wrong. It’s labeled as a “queer romance”, a “coming-of-age” novel where the main character finds himself and struggles with sexuality. In reality, none of this is true. Our main character, Nandan, is not queer. I don’t have to finish the book to know that- partially because I read a few reviews on goodreads and partially because it’s obvious. The only struggles we have in this book are Nandan feeling confused as he tries to force himself to be queer in order to get closer to his ex, Amavi (ew) and me wondering why tf I’m still reading this.
Nandan tries really hard not to be straight here. He fully commits himself to a relationship with another man (the “love interest”, Dave), comes out to his school and mom, and constantly tries to convince himself that he’s attracted to this homosexual relationship. (Spoiler alert: he’s really, really not.)
Other than that blaring issue of Nandan essentially using the queer community to make himself feel special and get closer with his ex, there are a lot of underlying themes of homophobia in this book (to pick one example, Nandan at one point implies that bisexuals are “confused” and already “weird” and “messed-up”.), as well as misinformation. Nandan says at one point that he can’t be asexual because he masturbates. I am not asexual myself, but, uh... I’m pretty sure that isn’t quite right.
There’s also an instance where Nandan thinks, as Dave touches his upper thigh, that “this is how normal people must feel when they’re touched by another guy.” I... don’t think I need to explain that one further, to be totally honest. But in case I do: the implication that being straight = being normal is a hugeeee no-no and honestly borderline homophobia. I mean, what the heck?!
Along with these things, I found the author’s treatment of women really... weird. I honestly couldn’t tell you what it was specifically, but it gave me huge faux-feminism and predatory vibes.
Oh, and one last thing: Nandan was a huge jerk. His treatment of Dave especially was shitty and brushed off like it was nothing, even by Dave himself. Like, what? You’re okay with this guy you have feelings for using you to get closer to his ex by pretending to be queer?? Sounds fake but ok.
I really wish this book were different. I can think of a lot of ways Rahul Kanakia could have made this a genuinely wonderful contemporary about navigating sexuality and gender as an Indian teen. But ultimately, for me it was none of those wonderful things and served as a huge let-down.
I recommend this book to anyone confident in their sexuality who is interested in LGBTQ+ contemporaries, as I would love to hear different perspectives. However, I truly do not think this is a good book for people still navigating sexuality and gender (which is absolutely more than okay) as I feel like its often borderline-harmful ideology could really be detrimental. Of course, the decision is entirely up to you.
Essentially, if this book were about Nandan discovering she’s actually a girl and also biromantic asexual, it both would have fit how Kanakia was writing and not been lowkey homophobic.
Honestly? This could have been a book that was not only important, but genuinely good. I say that because while I think this book is genuine shit, I understand and respect that it might be really important to queer poc. And as much as I don’t want to disregard that, I can’t pretend that this made the novel any better for me.
Let me make it clear: I dnf’d this at 80%. I do not have the full story to make a completely accurate review... but at this point, I think I have more than enough.
I have a lot of issues with We Are Totally Normal, but I’ll try to make it quick.
First of all, this book is marketed wrong. It’s labeled as a “queer romance”, a “coming-of-age” novel where the main character finds himself and struggles with sexuality. In reality, none of this is true. Our main character, Nandan, is not queer. I don’t have to finish the book to know that- partially because I read a few reviews on goodreads and partially because it’s obvious. The only struggles we have in this book are Nandan feeling confused as he tries to force himself to be queer in order to get closer to his ex, Amavi (ew) and me wondering why tf I’m still reading this.
Nandan tries really hard not to be straight here. He fully commits himself to a relationship with another man (the “love interest”, Dave), comes out to his school and mom, and constantly tries to convince himself that he’s attracted to this homosexual relationship. (Spoiler alert: he’s really, really not.)
Other than that blaring issue of Nandan essentially using the queer community to make himself feel special and get closer with his ex, there are a lot of underlying themes of homophobia in this book (to pick one example, Nandan at one point implies that bisexuals are “confused” and already “weird” and “messed-up”.), as well as misinformation. Nandan says at one point that he can’t be asexual because he masturbates. I am not asexual myself, but, uh... I’m pretty sure that isn’t quite right.
There’s also an instance where Nandan thinks, as Dave touches his upper thigh, that “this is how normal people must feel when they’re touched by another guy.” I... don’t think I need to explain that one further, to be totally honest. But in case I do: the implication that being straight = being normal is a hugeeee no-no and honestly borderline homophobia. I mean, what the heck?!
Along with these things, I found the author’s treatment of women really... weird. I honestly couldn’t tell you what it was specifically, but it gave me huge faux-feminism and predatory vibes.
Oh, and one last thing: Nandan was a huge jerk. His treatment of Dave especially was shitty and brushed off like it was nothing, even by Dave himself. Like, what? You’re okay with this guy you have feelings for using you to get closer to his ex by pretending to be queer?? Sounds fake but ok.
I really wish this book were different. I can think of a lot of ways Rahul Kanakia could have made this a genuinely wonderful contemporary about navigating sexuality and gender as an Indian teen. But ultimately, for me it was none of those wonderful things and served as a huge let-down.
I recommend this book to anyone confident in their sexuality who is interested in LGBTQ+ contemporaries, as I would love to hear different perspectives. However, I truly do not think this is a good book for people still navigating sexuality and gender (which is absolutely more than okay) as I feel like its often borderline-harmful ideology could really be detrimental. Of course, the decision is entirely up to you.
Essentially, if this book were about Nandan discovering she’s actually a girl and also biromantic asexual, it both would have fit how Kanakia was writing and not been lowkey homophobic.
Synopsis: Nandan wants to have a chill and fun junior year, he just needs to help his friend Dave with the ladies, get his ex to talk to him again, and keep the party vibes right. But, after a party one night when Nandan was helping Dave, they hooked up. Nandan has to undergo a complicated exploration of his own sexuality and hopes for the future.
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Thoughts: I really liked this book! I found the main character to be very unique and most of the characters to be very lovable. I saw a few pretty negative reviews of it on good reads before I read it, and I think it’s important to think of it as one individual’s coming out / beginning to explore sexuality story, not as a proposed template of how everyone should act while dating. I thought the characters were all really interesting, and this idea that Nandan would do whatever it took to feel that sense of comfort, intimacy, and normalcy in his friends, and just has no idea where the line between those wants and his own sexuality is was really fascinating to me. This book has a lot to think about in regards to how much we base our interactions with others on gender and sexuality, highlighting some of the good and bad tendencies we have. This was just the beginning of Nandan figuring it out I think, and there are a lot of readers out there who could connect to it.
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Thoughts: I really liked this book! I found the main character to be very unique and most of the characters to be very lovable. I saw a few pretty negative reviews of it on good reads before I read it, and I think it’s important to think of it as one individual’s coming out / beginning to explore sexuality story, not as a proposed template of how everyone should act while dating. I thought the characters were all really interesting, and this idea that Nandan would do whatever it took to feel that sense of comfort, intimacy, and normalcy in his friends, and just has no idea where the line between those wants and his own sexuality is was really fascinating to me. This book has a lot to think about in regards to how much we base our interactions with others on gender and sexuality, highlighting some of the good and bad tendencies we have. This was just the beginning of Nandan figuring it out I think, and there are a lot of readers out there who could connect to it.
I loved this book. I was hesitant going in because of the low ratings, but strangely enough that's what pushed me to read it in the first place. I knew that there had to be more to the characters and the story than what I had been reading and wanted to form my own opinions.
I will be honest, at times, this is an uncomfortable read. Nandan is not a perfect main character and made decisions that I'm sure most people would not root for. He's complex, not a bad person. He's a kid just trying to get in where he fits in and he's not sure exactly where he fits in. One of the things I loved most about this book was how it explored the different ways you may feel and the things we do while figuring out our sexuality. You feel happy, you feel gross, you're confused, you're not confused it goes around and round until you figure it all out somehow. And it's not perfect but it's something.
I get why this may not be everyone's cup of tea, if I were anyone else I probably would have found Nandan to be unbearable. But instead, I see myself in parts of him. He's relatable in some ways, and completely alien in others but I appreciate his thinking process and definitely have felt the way he has felt.
The writing was great, the author wasn't trying too hard to do "teen speak" as I have seen from other authors. This book was simply written yet was so profound in ways you didn't expect. Overall, I love this book and would recommend if you are looking for a contemporary books rather than a fully romance book.
I will be honest, at times, this is an uncomfortable read. Nandan is not a perfect main character and made decisions that I'm sure most people would not root for. He's complex, not a bad person. He's a kid just trying to get in where he fits in and he's not sure exactly where he fits in. One of the things I loved most about this book was how it explored the different ways you may feel and the things we do while figuring out our sexuality. You feel happy, you feel gross, you're confused, you're not confused it goes around and round until you figure it all out somehow. And it's not perfect but it's something.
I get why this may not be everyone's cup of tea, if I were anyone else I probably would have found Nandan to be unbearable. But instead, I see myself in parts of him. He's relatable in some ways, and completely alien in others but I appreciate his thinking process and definitely have felt the way he has felt.
The writing was great, the author wasn't trying too hard to do "teen speak" as I have seen from other authors. This book was simply written yet was so profound in ways you didn't expect. Overall, I love this book and would recommend if you are looking for a contemporary books rather than a fully romance book.
Truly and honestly, I don’t even know if I’m going to rate this title because I don’t really know if I actually enjoyed any of it. (Except Henry. He was the light in the mess of a world that is Nandan’s brain - and I really don’t mean anything to do the range of the gay-not gay-gay experiences he has). Like this is at least a 2* and at most a 3*.
Like. OK. Teenagers are annoying but the degree to which they are in this book is off the charts. I can also completely believe that Nandan likes then doesn’t like then likes Dave, but I cannot be convinced that he loves him because they made out on their ‘last night together’ - that last chapter was so jarring to me. I kind of wish, even though I wanted nothing more than for the book to end, that that conclusion was more of a journey. Neither will I be convinced that Nandan is a great person who pretends he’s not the most annoying human being in a 100 mile radius 75% of the time. I liked him a few times, but I hated him more times than not.
I’m never reading this book again but I will maybe come back to give more coherent thoughts. Because like with Nandan, I liked some parts of it and I really appreciated this journey and how much of a doozy it was for him, even when he thought it wasn’t, but I also wanted to chuck it into the nearest lake.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel! My favorite part is Nandan's voice, since the book is in first person. It was an amazing way to live through his journey as he considered what his sexuality and sense of self meant to him and how they changed throughout the novel.