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A review by gillianw
How to Be a Normal Person by TJ Klune
4.0
i really didn't know what to expect when I picked up this book. Was it *really* going to be as funny as people said it was? Would I even be interested in a story about an asexual, hipster, stoner? It sat on my iPad for a couple of weeks before I finally decided to give it a go and see what all the fuss was about.
As it turns out, it was as funny as people said it was and yes, I actually was interested in a story about an asexual, hipster stoner. Go figure.
If that had been the sum total of the book, it still would have been a pretty good read. What I didn't expect and what the reviews won't tell you, is how emotionally invested you become in the story. I suspect my emotions have a lot to do with the fact that I haven't been 20-something for a long while, so what I would have taken for granted then, I don't anymore. You see, 20-something me would have fallen in love with accidental hipster Gus and in lust with intentional hipster Casey. Their story would have been the be all and end all. 40-something me, though? Well, I'm all too familiar with the loss of a parent and it was Gus' recollections of his Dad that had me in tears. Reading about Pastor Tommy's thoughts on the night Gus was born nearly killed me, not only because I read it as someone who is a parent but also as someone who has lost one. That one paragraph was pure gold and it made the book for me.
The other characters in this book were the absolute best. We Three Queens were likely the best supporting cast I have ever come across. I need more of them!
I was thisclose to giving the book 5 stars and only held back because the 'self help' portions were funny but overly long in parts. Otherwise, this was a wonderful read. 4 stars.
As it turns out, it was as funny as people said it was and yes, I actually was interested in a story about an asexual, hipster stoner. Go figure.
If that had been the sum total of the book, it still would have been a pretty good read. What I didn't expect and what the reviews won't tell you, is how emotionally invested you become in the story. I suspect my emotions have a lot to do with the fact that I haven't been 20-something for a long while, so what I would have taken for granted then, I don't anymore. You see, 20-something me would have fallen in love with accidental hipster Gus and in lust with intentional hipster Casey. Their story would have been the be all and end all. 40-something me, though? Well, I'm all too familiar with the loss of a parent and it was Gus' recollections of his Dad that had me in tears. Reading about Pastor Tommy's thoughts on the night Gus was born nearly killed me, not only because I read it as someone who is a parent but also as someone who has lost one. That one paragraph was pure gold and it made the book for me.
The other characters in this book were the absolute best. We Three Queens were likely the best supporting cast I have ever come across. I need more of them!
I was thisclose to giving the book 5 stars and only held back because the 'self help' portions were funny but overly long in parts. Otherwise, this was a wonderful read. 4 stars.