Not Not Normal is Peter E. Fenton's first foray into YA fiction and I certainly hope it's not his last.
From the blurb:
Jordan and Nathan couldn’t be more different, but when order and chaos collide, opposites attract. Jordan is a bit of an oddball at school. He likes rules, routine, old sci-fi novels, and is often the victim of his bully’s torment. When new student Nathan joins the school, he wears down Jordan’s walls and, with his love, empowers Jordan to stand up for himself.
Nathan’s parents are going through divorce, and at a new school in a new city Jordan provides him with the stability he can’t find at home. Through their friendship and eventually their romance, Jordan embraces his newfound self-confidence and proclaims his love for Nathan in front of the school. Each is just what the other needs.
Not Not Normal shows readers that sometimes the qualities we need most can be found in and learned from the friends around us. We just need to let them in. Embracing your differences and facing the unknown can be scary, but with true friends and support, you can handle just about anything.
Heather's Review:
This book is part of a series aimed at young adults and is good for readers who may struggle with reading because it's both concise and written with the audience in mind, so very well word-smithed for it's audience.
As an adult reader, I enjoyed getting to know Jordan, his bestie Emma and Nathan, as well as their friends in the book club, Mr. Jenkins and of course Jordan's father. The book tackled several relatable issues including panic attacks, homophobic classmates, not fitting in, grieving and more. While I can't speak to the realistic nature of being a high schooler in today's world, I could easily picture my own kids going to school with Jordan and his friends and because I live in the same neighborhood as the author, I know exactly which path the boys went down one day (which as a life long East End Torontonian was lovely).
I've recommended this book to my almost 14 year old, since they fit both the demographic and the reading level this book is aimed at.. I'll update my review with their thoughts in a few weeks once the new school year has started to settle and I can get him to read fiction for pleasure again.
On a personal note, I hope Pete continues to write for this series as new ideas develop - it's such an underserviced sector and we definitely need more queer YA rep!
Not Not Normal is available in paperback and e-book formats in wide release.
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