The Art of Being Normal is about two teens, David and Leo. Ever since he was little, David wanted to be a girl. David wants to start the transition before his body becomes even more manly, but is too afraid to tell his parents. Leo is a mysterious boy who has just moved schools from Cloverdale (the roughest part in the city) to Eden Park, where David goes. There are several rumours claiming that Leo was kicked out of Cloverdale, which is almost impossible. This causes everyone around him to be terrified of him, except David who doesn't believe the horrible stories and is instead curious about Leo. He wants to be friends with him, however Leo wants to stay solemn and friendless. It is when Leo stands up to Harry, who has constantly bullied David, that David knows he will be friends with him. Leo ends up tutoring David, helping him with his maths and their friendship begins to grow. Leo also meets Alicia at Eden Park and while their relationship seems to be growing, he never feels fully comfortable with her.
I really enjoyed this book as I found it really interesting and eye opening on the subject of transgender people. Overall, it was a really good story and even though it is narrated by both Leo and David, it isn't confusing nor do you feel like you only want to hear one person's story, more than the other's. The only problem I found with it, was that there were too many references to modern culture, going as far as listing song lyrics – of a pretty awful song as well.
I would give this book a rating of 3 and a ½ out of 5.
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