The Art of Being Normal

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I can't really put it into words because my brain is silly, but as a trans person, I felt uncomfortable reading this, especially as it was written by a cis author and it was specifically taking about someone being trans. To me, it wasn't an accurate representation of what it was like to be trans, and this goes on the list of 'disappointing trans books' along with 'What We Left Behind' by Robin Talley. Tenemos dos protagonistas que parecen muy diferentes y que al final resultan no serlo tanto. Ambos son personjes redondos, que nos sorprenden, nos emocionan y tienen muy buenos giros. David es el personaje más predecible, mientras que Leo guarda toda una sorpresa muy inesperada. Broken Pedestal: Leo, who has never met his father, idealizes him as a dashing adventurer, who he is certain misses Leo just as much as Leo misses him. When he finally does meet him, it transpires that Jonathan Denton has a whole new life as an upper middle class family man, and wants absolutely nothing to do with Leo. Smart People Wear Glasses: Felix wears glasses and is easily the brainiac of the trio he forms with Kate and Essie.

Two boys. Two secrets. David Piper has always been an outsider. His parents think he’s gay. The school bully thinks he’s a freak. Only his two best friends know the real truth – David wants to be a girl. On the first day at his new school Leo Denton has one goal – to be invisible. Attracting the attention of the most beautiful girl in year eleven is definitely not part of that plan. When Leo stands up for David in a fight, an unlikely friendship forms. But things are about to get messy. Because at Eden Park School secrets have a funny habit of not staying secret for long… The Art of Being Normal by Lisa Williamson – eBook Details Both David and Leo stole my heart. David knows he's supposed to be a girl - he/him-pronouns are used throughout the entire book for him - and he's struggling with it. The only people in the know are his two best friends, Essie and Felix. This novel, which won awards in the UK, is a first-person narrative about two transgender students, and is ideal for cisgender (cis) readers—people who identify with the gender assigned to them at birth—to learn more about gender identity and what it means to be transgender. No Name Given: Kate's father's name is never said, though her mother's name is Jo. Similarly Leo's father Jimmy/Jonathan's name is brought up frequently, but his mother's name (Samantha) only finally shows up in the second half of the book.I honestly thought I had somehow misremembered Leo being trans until, GUESS WHAT, the author uses it as a huge plot twist (and a bad one with that). He's basically forced to reveil his transness to someone he cares about after which that person completely drops him. Which is very shitty. Every once in a while, I’ll come across a book that will make me feel all multitudes of emotions at the same time – in this case, The Art of Being Normal. It really is something beautiful. It’s touching, funny, eye-opening and so well told. Lisa Williamson really understands what it’s like to be a teenager in the modern age, and how we can be both great friends and, sadly, bullies at times. A sensational, heart-warming and life-affirming debut. Lisa Williamson writes witty, charming characters you can’t help but root for” -Juno Dawson Overall, I did like The Art of Being Normal, although I felt like some things weren’t presented as well as they could have been. If you’re looking for your first book about a trans character, or you simply devour any and all LGBTQIA+ books, then I would still say give The Art of Being Normal a go. However, me rating this book 3 stars doesn’t mean this book isn’t worth reading. We need stories like this to introduce trans issues to a broad public, and Williamson herself worked at a Gender Identity Development Service, so she certainly did her research for writing this book.

Just like in Simon, in this book it is about a diversity character, in this case a trans, but without the book being written in a learny way. You get to know David and you learn what it's like to be trapped in the wrong body because he is. Mistaken for Gay: Kate, a closeted transgender girl, is mistaken for a gay boy by her parents, by Leo, and by most people in general.The only thing i did not like about the book was that it is written in the present tense because for some reason that i do not know, i just cannot stand books written in the present tense. I made it through though so yassss bihh. As David prepares to come out to his family and transition into life as a girl and Leo wrestles with figuring out how to deal with people who try to define him through his history, they find in each other the friendship and support they need to navigate life as transgender teens as well as the courage to decide for themselves what normal really means.

He Cleans Up Nicely: Leo looks sharp in a grey prom suit. Essie loudly proclaims her appreciation, much to his embarassment. David Piper has really never fit in. Apart from his two best friends, most of his fellow high school students ridicule him for being different. One of the school bullies has called him "Freak Show" since they were younger, but David is willing to wait him out until high school ends. His parents think he is gay, and are waiting for him to tell them. From here on, there will be some spoilers, but honestly, you probably don't want to read this book after you've read my review so does it really matter? You decide. The Art of Being Normal is a deeply powerful, important story that also happens to be a blast to read. You’ll fall in love . . . right away, your heart will bleed at some moments and melt at others, and you’ll root for them until the bitter end.” —Bill Konigsberg, Stonewall Award–winning author of Openly Straight and The Porcupine of Truth Ever since we made the decision to come here, I’ve been envisioning a cinematic adventure full of self-discovery, bonding and life-defining moments, but so far Leo is failing to cooperate.The characters in this book are wonderful. There are alternating points of view from David and Leo and each had a very distinct voice. Both of their stories are very moving in their own way and have the right balance of sensitivity, development and humour. This is not true. Granny has bridge on Wednesday evenings and doesn’t miss it for anyone, especially her least-favorite grandchild. Livvy is Granny’s favorite. But then Livvy is everyone’s favorite. PDF / EPUB File Name: The_Art_of_Being_Normal_-_Lisa_Williamson.pdf, The_Art_of_Being_Normal_-_Lisa_Williamson.epub Despite having found each other, David and Leo’s lives are still hard, and they constantly fear being outed. By transferring to Eden Park, Leo hopes to start fresh. Since no one is aware that he has transitioned, no one will question his masculinity. We learn that Leo left his old school because some of his fellow classmates still thought of him as female and bullied him for transitioning. They lured Leo into the woods and slashed his clothes. Leo’s plan to stay under the radar at Eden Park succeeds until he falls for Alicia, the most popular girl in school. Alicia likes Leo too and pursues him, but when he tells her he is transgender, she abruptly stops. Her friends spread Leo’s secret all over the school, where transphobia becomes widespread.