I am a storyteller. My debut novel, FAKING NORMAL (HarperTeen), will be released on February 25th, 2014.
Faking Normal by Courtney C. Stevens
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Faking Normal was one of those books that I put off because I wasn’t sure I wanted to read something heavy. After seeing people’s updates, I decided to jump right in and I wasn’t disappointed.
Alexi had something happen to her over the summer and it has caused a major change in her. What happened isn’t exactly revealed but as a reader, things are alluded to enough that you know what happened…just not with who and the whole story. I do feel for Alexi but wanted to shake her most of the time. Not just to get her to speak up about what happened to her but also to stand up for herself now.
No doubt, this was Alexi’s story but the runaway character for me here was Bodee Lennox, the quiet boy who colors his hair with Kool-aid and has been living in a tent outside his house for quite some time. There was just something about him that made me want to know more. His protectiveness of Alexi and the fact that no matter what she says, he is there to help her when she needs him.
His shoulders bend like the wire hanger in my closet that sags under the weight of my winter coat. I want to put my hand in the center of his back, force him upright. His sluggish shuffle is as sad as his shoulders…
He blinks up at me. “And I promise you, I’ll stop whoever’s hurting you.” I stand there barely breathing, and he says something that sounds like, “Even if it’s you.”
The way Stevens built his character and described him allowed me to see him change throughout the novel. I’m wouldn’t be sad to see more of Bodee and find out more about his life. The very brief glimpse we got into his story wasn’t enough for me…I freely admit it.
This was one of those books that I was unable to put down. The story kept me turning the pages just so I could figure out what really happened but also after the reveal, I had to see how things progressed. Without giving anything away, I wish the ending had involved Alexi’s parents more and that there had been repercussions. (view spoiler)
Definitely check this book out when you can – it was a quick read with a solid story and introduced a great new character in Bodee Lennox.
Thank you to Edelweiss and HarperTeen for the ARC.
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