The Art of Being Normal

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Sweet Polly Oliver: The Eden Park student body, who have apparently never heard of transgender identity, think that Leo is this, making Alicia Sweet on Polly Oliver by association.

Navigating bullies gets a little easier for him though with a well aimed punch from Leo Denton, who struggles alongside David with a family that barely seem to notice him and a blossoming relationship with a beautiful girl that seems too good to be true. However, the use of the first-person unreliable narrator also allows Lisa Williamson to conceal some major surprises. The Art of Being Normal follows two protagonists who both go to Eden Park School: Kate, who has always wanted to be a girl, and Leo Denten, an outsider with dark secrets of his own.

Si bien es cierto que últimamente algunas editoriales apuestan por los conflictos de la orientación sexual, esta es la primera novela que puedo leer con un protagonista transexualidad. S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents show up unsuccessfully seeking his Pa at his New York City bodega. Both teenagers face hostility and ignorance and we are shown the agony of having to hide your real identity. Como digo si por algo se caracteriza esta novela es porque trata diversos temas que me parecen muy importantes y que hacen reflexionar.

Simon Allen wanted to be Harry Potter, so badly that the previous term he had scratched a lightning bolt onto his forehead with a pair of scissors.

Preferring to keep himself to himself, and happy to hide behind a reputation as the tough kid you don’t want to mess with, Leo rejects an attempt by David to be friendly. Another thing mentioned in reviews I read, is how there are transphobic comments made to transgenders by transgenders. I'm not talking about the cringe-worthy dialogues here, I'm talking about the actual execution and development of the main themes. An important addition to collections for its first-person perspectives on the experiences and inner lives of transgender teens. The trans girl character is continuously referred to as just a boy who wants to be a girl, which isn't the case.

I rather encourage readers to read books, written by trans instead of cis authors, with a more accurate representation of what it is like to be trans, such as George, Peter Darling or Dreadnought.Williamson created such complex characters that you feel for and root for, characters you think about after the book is over. One of my only major vices with the book is that it started by jumping straight in with David proclaiming 'I want to be a girl. Both of their stories are very moving in their own way and have the right balance of sensitivity, development and humour. David is insistent in becoming friends with him but Leo moved schools for a reason and David is set to become the only person to know the real truth of why. I have to be honest and say that I don't believe I've read a book about a transgender character before, certainly not as the main focus of the story.

I was also a bit disappointed by the author’s treatment of transgender topics like bullying or transitioning. I get fiercely protective of those being bullied…reading it makes my stomach tie up in knots and I want to crawl into my Kindle and make it right. The Greatest Story Never Told: Leo's mother's story is alluded to all through the book, but we only get bits of it from Kerry. Platonic Life-Partners: Kate and Leo, while they grow very close, are more likely to become this than a couple. The messages of this story: friendships, family, being true to yourself, standing up for yourself, being different is ok, It-gets-better…they all work today to present a story about hope.Wrong Side of the Tracks: Brought up word for word by Leo, who is from Cloverdale, which is definitely more working-class than the gentrified Eden Park (see also Uptown Girl). Loved the introductory exploration of trans issues in this book, even if it faltered in other areas.