A review by wai
The Art of Being Normal by Lisa Williamson

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would. As a trans man, it's still obvious to me that this was written by a cisgender author for a cisgender audience - but I've read a few books like this now and this one was the closest to realistic for me, and the most palatable by far. There are some issues particularly with the way that the trans girl, Kate, is referred to, particularly in sections narrated by Leo, who is also trans and thus should be more conscious of/aware of things like the use of names and pronouns. But they are also young characters so there is a bit that can be explained away by them being young and thus making mistakes. It just felt like it was more done to ensure cis readers didn't get confused which felt clunky and inauthentic. 

All in all though, this is a pretty cute YA book with fairly good trans representation. I would've liked to have a book like this when I was in high school. Since it is still in the minority, I would recommend this to teens despite minor issues especially if they are queer/trans. 

Slight content warning: there is a situation where Leo is physically assaulted by bullies and there is an implication it was the beginning of a sexual assault, but does not actually go that far. 
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