Lisa Williamson (2)Critiques

Representation: Biracial main character
Trigger warnings: Alcohol consumption, childbirth

5/10, this was a terrible UK young adult novel and if it wasn't for the ending I would have lowered this book's rating to two stars. Audrey and Grace were interesting characters since they were dealing with struggles behind their façade of perfection but they were relegated to the background most of the time which was a real missed opportunity. I would've liked to see more of those characters. Mia was rather insufferable and I had so many words to describe her but anyways she smoked cigarettes and got drunk at 16; I think she took that self-destructive path to develop her character eventually. Mia, Audrey and Grace were distant from one another until the end which irritated me but that's the point which didn't help that it was tedious with good moments interspersed.

I don't understand how Audrey and Grace were perfect since Grace just wanted to go to university to pursue her career that I forgot and Audrey was an Olympic level swimmer but then she stopped following her career and escaped to who knows where; by the way Mia does whatever other than a scolding from her parents and house arrest she gets away with it which doesn't seem like a fitting consequence for her. The sisters got together in the end and Mia experienced character development but I would've enjoyed it more if the book was improved upon; if you like books about relationships try this however there are better ones you can pick up.

This is a fantastic book about the perspective of trans people at different points in transition supporting each other.

This is absolutely amazing!!! I love the way it shows the mother-daughter relationship and the way that Ro (fourteen, like me!) deals with everything feels realistic, as do all the other characters! Tanvi is definitely my favourite character though

An important and timely novel chronicling the inner lives of transgender teens as they go through the gender transition process while enduring chronic bullying at school. Author’s Note.

realistic teen fiction (narrated by a 16y.o. party girl in Britain, who happens to be part of an unmarried mixed race family with an incidentally gay friend). I was trying hard to like Mia (I love that the cover actually depicts her face and hair and not a silhouette, or just her hands, or some other thing that publishers usually do to non-white MCs), but by the end of chapter 24 she had done very little to redeem herself. Yes, she's the seemingly marginalized middle child outshone by her two sisters' obvious talents, and yes, we all have self-esteem issues that make us do things we regret, but I found her impulsive self-destructive behavior very difficult to relate to (and hard to like, when she's not even that nice to her friends). I felt that the sweet moments she shared with her younger sister Audrey and the bonding and eventual growth from her friendship with her older sister's boyfriend (and the impending train wreck that would surely come along before Mia gets a grip on herself) were not enough for this far in the book to keep me reading.
And also, Mia and Stella really need to be watching their drinks closely (from the moment the bartender mixes them through consumption) rather than letting those guys at the club buy them and bring them to them. I get that the sheer amount of drinking Mia does provides serious consequences, but teens and ladies IRL for sure need to be aware that date rape drugs are all too easy to get and a very real danger.

I would still recommend this book to others (esp. if they seemed like someone who would relate more to Mia) but would keep in mind that this book is pretty LONG compared to other teen fic fare (though might be riveting to a teen who was contemplating similar behaviors). Parental note: you probably aren't going to like this if you are asking, but there is a lot of drinking, a small amount of smoking (characters are trying to quit), and sex is overheard / mentioned (though Mia herself only gets as far as kissing in the first half of the book, she has had sex before and her older sister is pregnant at 19 y.o., but there are also clear consequences for most of these actions).

I enjoyed the story, and the twists involved, but I felt the ending was a little bit of a let down, I wanted to know more about what happened further down the line. I'd like to have seen how the school dealt with the bullying better.

The trans stuff is all very cliché and a little disappointing. It's the same old narrative of trans people getting beaten up and bullied and talking about how they're 'born in the wrong body'. While this does happen, it doesn't reflect the diversity of trans experiences.

A sensitive and honest look at life for the transgender teenager in contemporary Britain.
David is very conscious that every passing day makes it more difficult for him to become the girl he has always wanted to be as he grows and changes. It's great that he is, in every other respect, a normal teenager despite being labelled a freak by certain people in his year group. The introduction of Leo, a new boy from the wrong side of the town and with an air of mystery about him, provides the spark to ignite change in David's life. They become friends and Leo's complicated life is revealed to the reader and to David. Characters are believable, and Leo especially is beautifully drawn. Highly recommended.

I really, really enjoyed this - what a creative and fun idea to let seven authors work on one story! I loved following these characters throughout the years and felt like every one got their moment to shine.

me ha durado horas

Full review including details of her talk at the Cambridge Literary Festival on my blog at https://kyrosmagica.wordpress.com/2015/04/26/my-kyrosmagica-review-of-the-art-of...

This is without any doubt one of my favourite books. It made me cry, it made me smile, it made me laugh, it made me frown, it made me want to punch Harry the school bully when he calls David “freak show.” Thank goodness Lisa Williamson gave David the guts to demonstrate that he isn’t a complete pushover. He retaliates calling Harry’s girlfriend “Bubble Brain.” Way to go!

A veritable rainbow of emotions flickered through me as I read The Art of Being Normal. I love the main characters in the book, David and Leo. All the subsidiary characters are exceptionally well crafted and believable too.

Lisa Williamson does an amazing job of creating a sense of the warmth and cosiness in David’s family life which is then artfully contrasted with Leo’s “dilapidated” council estate, in Cloverdale. The two boys develop an unlikely, and in Leo’s sense unwilling relationship. At first Leo is reluctant to get involved with anyone, this is his way of coping, his self-protection mechanism. We learn that he has been expelled from Cloverdale school. When Leo’s sister mentions the word “normal” he goes into an internal verbal tirade. Here’s some short quotes from the tirade: “I’ve spent my whole life being told I’m the complete opposite of ‘normal’. “Normal. I say it over and over again as I pace up and down…”

Cloverdale has such a “hard” reputation that all the kids at his new “posh” school Eden Park think he is a tough nut. But this is just a veneer, Leo has a secret, and so has David, and ultimately this is what will draw the two of them together.

The secrets in Eden Park School, and in the lives of these two families are poised on a precarious precipice edge, waiting for that moment when they cannot be contained any more and have to be released into the world. Of course when David reveals his true self, the effect is potent, painful, irreversible and life changing.

This is without doubt a remarkable debut from Lisa Williamson. As soon as I started reading The art of Being Normal I was struck by the voice of the novel. The reader becomes immersed in Lisa’s words because I do believe that Lisa really cares about Transgender kids and this empathy shines out in her writing. When I reached the halfway mark I wondered if the novel had more to give, would it progress at the same pace or would it turn up a notch or two? Well I wasn’t disappointed, the narrative cranked up and the revelations, particularly David’s, were such tear jerkers. Yes I was crying like a baby! His family’s response was just so heart-warming, you just have to read this book! Leo’s family life had an unexpected revelation about his mother too that I just didn’t see coming. David’s best friends Essie and Felix, are such a cute couple and I love how they do everything they can to make David feel special.

The art of being normal tackles so many issues that are not just solely relatable to the experience of Transgender kids, bullying, friendship, family, life’s difficulties growing up, and life’s hard knocks, these are all there for everyone to relate to.

The writing is so spot on, the dialogue is so natural, the settings are interesting and novel. I particularly enjoyed how Lisa Williamson set some of the scenes of the book in a disused swimming pool, culminating “in the very first Alternative Eden Park Christmas Ball,” the liberating but heart-breaking trip to Tripton-on-Sea, the wonderful time in Tripton’s bingo hall and pub these were just some of the many highlights for me.

A 5 star read. Highly recommended for readers of Young Adult, Contemporary, and Glbt.

All About Mia felt incredibly slow, but I liked the insight into Mia's unappreciated, middle child's feelings. I didn't like Mia but her insecurity about the future and living up to her sister(s) is definitely relatable. She is rather self-destructive and when she's not consumed with herself, she can be alright. Her friends seemed to put up with her for some reason. Also, it's really cute how much Mia's parents love each other.

Let me add with the way Mia (illegally) drank so much alcohol, she needed to be in A.A pronto.

Literary Merit: Okay
Characterization: Lacking
Recommended: No
Level: Gr. 9-12

Mia is the middle child, sandwiched between an impeccable older sister and Olympic-bound swimming younger sister. All Mia is good at is partying and having a good time, and is hyper-aware of her shortcomings when compared to her siblings. Until one day her older sister comes home from a trip abroad toting her new boyfriend and an unexpected pregnancy. Instead of disappointment, Mia's parents are overjoyed, leaving Mia to feel even more despaired.

Throughout the book, Mia continually acts out, getting wasted and creating embarrassing and dangerous situations. She's a train wreck for the vast majority of the book. Then, in the last 40 pages, Mia helps in her sister's delivery and is suddenly changed. She sees the error of her ways and vows to change. This change of heart is too little too late and feels unrealistic, to say the least. There is nothing profound or moving in this piece. Not recommended.½

I read most of this book in the space of two hours in the middle of the night (I've had that a lot lately what's up with that) so it was a bit of a whirlwind, but once I started I really couldn't put it down.

I had a lot of expectations going into this, most of them stemming from fears on how the trans issue would be handled. The "born in the wrong body"-narrative is out of style in a few trans communities, especially on the internet, where the focus is less on bodies and passing and more on acceptance and being who you are no matter what the gender binary tells you.

My expectations were proven wrong of course, especially with the reveal that both Leo and David are trans. I had my suspicions that Leo was trans the first few chapters, and really it should have been more obvious to me, but I let my expectations get the better of me.

The story of David and Leo is an utterly sympathetic one, showing different facets and ways of being that are all shown to be valid and okay. Williamson describes the characters feelings so vividly, and paints imagery with a side of everyday realism that makes it believable. The scene on the train for instance, which is so significant for David, is made all the more significant and sort of tragically funny with the description of the cold train toilet.

I also feel Williamson balances realism and wishful thinking very well when it comes to portraying the reality of living for trans youths. We're shown what happened to Leo at Cloverfield, and how cruel the students at Eden Park turn out to be. Still, it never really goes beyond that, and in a lot of ways David and Leo have happy stories - they're accepted by their families, given access to treatment, and have emotional support systems. The alternative ball at the end of the book, and the adventure in Kent are two shining moments in the book where Leo and David both forget and embrace their gender identities, living their lives as entirely normal teenagers, and yet not at the same time.

Questions/comments for reading group:

Did you anticipate that Leo was trans? Did it change your perception of him once you found out?

How did you view David/Kate throughout the book? Did his/her transition affect your perception?

How did you feel about the setting? Realistic, trying to hard, boring, interesting?

As far as books starring trans characters go, this was pretty decent. I do have problems with "born as a boy/girl trapped in a boy's body" being used because I understand that's not how many trans people choose to identify themselves as - rather, they've always been a girl. But that's just minor and kind of nitpicky.

A lot of the book was rather predictable and typical of YA lit and trans lit, so the plot wasn't revolutionary or anything, but that it started a trans character was. I have to say that I did not see Leo coming out as trans; I was expecting something else. I do like the difference in storytelling and where both characters are in their transition - with David being at the start and Leo being in the middle.

The writing didn't suck me in like I wanted it to and both character's voices sounded quite similar at times.

This is an important addition to the queer YA canon.

Due storie parallele, simili eppure diverse, raccontano l'identità sessuale in modo delicato e profondo. Da rendere obbligatorio nei licei.

Dos chicos. Dos secretos. Una amistad sincera.
David Piper ha sido siempre un rarito. Sus padres piensan que es gay y el matón de la escuela lo considera un friki. Únicamente sus dos amigos saben realmente la verdad: David quiere ser una chica. El primer día en su nueva escuela Leo Denton sólo tiene un objetivo: pasar desapercibido. Pero, en cuanto llega, llama la atención de la chica más bonita de la clase. Y así su amistad comienza a fraguarse. Todo en sus vidas está a punto de cambiar porque ¡qué difícil es mantener secretos en la escuela Eden Park! ¿Qué significa para ti ser normal?

David Piper ha sido siempre un rarito. Sus padres piensan que es gay y el matón de la escuela lo considera un friki. Únicamente sus dos amigos saben realmente la verdad: David quiere ser una chica. El primer día en su nueva escuela Leo Denton sólo tiene un objetivo: pasar desapercibido. Pero, en cuanto llega, llama la atención de la chica más bonita de la clase. Y así su amistad comienza a fraguarse. Todo en sus vidas está a punto de cambiar porque ¡qué difícil es mantener secretos en la escuela Eden Park! ¿Qué significa para ti ser normal?

The thing about this story is that if you're at all familiar with what it means to be trans, with how modern LGBT discourse works, and that kind of thing, this book might seem incredibly obvious. However, I still think there's a place for it, because loads of people aren't necessarily hearing these things. The story is sweet and I sympathised a lot with both main characters. It is pretty simplistic though and I would imagine pretty much everything in it has to be taken with a bit of a pinch of salt as while the writer has experience of working with trans youth, she doesn't identify as trans herself. I think hearing a similar story from a trans writer would bring more gravity to the issues discussed.

A realistic fiction novel, The Art of Being Normal is about being accepted for who you are without being ostracized or judged. It is reviews for ages 13+, which I think is very accurate. It isn’t a book for everyone and definitely deserves a more mature reader for the mature content.

Only two people know who David truly is--his two best friends, but they are away for the summer. When school begins, there’s a new kid, Leo. David has been bullied since elementary school for something he wrote in class about himself. Oddly, when the bully is especially cruel, it’s Leo who rescues him, the new kid who never speaks and doesn’t appear to want to socialize with anyone. David finds a friend; Leo can tutor him in math and seems to understand his desire to be invisible.

Eventually, David’s true self must come out or he’ll be wearing a mask, unable to be who he wants to be. His parents have assumed he’s gay, but he isn’t; he wants to be female, not male. In this novel, David makes a good friend, learns secrets, and must accept who he is and realize that not all people will judge him or treat him badly.

It seems like there are quite a few transgender novels being published lately.. This is a nice novel; it isn’t preachy or “in-your-face,” it’s truly a story about a boy who struggles with revealing his true feelings. Most of us never have to deal with telling anyone something so dramatic, so it’s a journey through someone else’s life that we couldn’t understand without being placed in his shoes through a story. David’s friends are the “fringe” of the school society because they are nice and accept everyone. The “inner circle” students are the bullies and the one who only love themselves and other like them, which is a bit stereotypical. Overall, it’s a realistic look at the struggle a few teens face.½

This is a worthy exposition of a topic that needs to be highlighted. However, as a successful novel, it has huge flaws. Two transgender teens at the same school meeting each other and sorting out their problems together? Mmmmm....not realistic. I think it would have been better to focus on either David's or Leo's struggle, but not both. The resolution is great and the prognosis is uplifting for both teens, but it feels kind of superficial and unrealistic.

"[...] and soon everyone knows that Leo used to be a girl." Way to spoiler this novel. It's like this big relevation to the characters, but the reader knows it before starting to read it. Well, you could guess it while reading, too.

Apart from that I really enjoyed The art of being normal. Especially David is really well-written and you experience his struggles along with him. Him measuring his body and noting how it gets more and more masculine was heartbreaking.

I still had the feeling that this book is not about trans* characters but with them. Friendship is a really big theme and I think everyone can get behind identy issues, whether they fall into the LGBTQIA+ spectrum or not. I would have loved to analyze this book in school instead of The Confusions of Young Törless, but that's a story for another time.

Disclaimer: I was provided with a free copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you.½