I had the opportunity to read The Art of Being Normal – yes, everybody knows about this book, right?
The Art of Being Normal by Lisa Williamson is a book with a not-so-much debated topic, which is transgenderism. It shows us two boys, David and Leo. David thinks he was born in wrong body. When he was small, everybody in class should have said what do they want to be when they got older. The dreams were typical: I would like to be an astronaut, a football player… But David stood up and said: I would like to be a girl.
From that moment, every time David is home alone, he puts on girlish clothes, does his make-up and puts on his long-haired wig. And that’s the time when he feels great. But then, unfortunately, he has to be a boy again. He also has a special notebook where he glues things that matter to him and remind him that some day, maybe, his dream will come true. His family doesn’t know about his wish, the only ones who do know are his two best friends, Essie and Felix. They are supporting him all the time.
But then, something changes. A new boy arrives to school. He has extraordinary eyes and his name is Leo. He is mysterious, but David feels that something will definitely bond them together. Leo doesn’t speak and he is frowning all the time. Well, he has a right to, because he comes from a very poor and troubled district, his mum is not always nice to him and drags home hopeless guys. And also, he has some big secret which he doesn’t want to show…
David longs to talk to Leo and, finally, they started chatting a bit when David wanted a help with maths. Leo is great in maths, so he started to teach him, but he still keeps distance. Their friendship is really complicated at first, but when Leo’s girlfriend Amber finds out the truth about him, everything changes. And the only one who could help Leo is David. Because this secret definitely has something to do with both of them…
The Art of Being Normal is a very witty and nice book, but on the other hand is also very serious. Lisa Williamson wrote a great gripping story with likeable characters, and through their story she is showing us, the readers, that transgender individuals are normal people. The only thing is that they were born in a wrong body. Just imagine the situation that you wouldn’t be feeling satisfied even in your own body, in your own skin? You would definitely want to do something, because it is important to be happy, of course. We can also see that this decision is not easy. It’s a long way to fulfill this dream, but in the end, it is worth it.
So please, read this book. Not only because of the beautifully-written story, but also because of the topic, which is, in our society, still taboo. Believe me, this book will open your eyes.
- Buy this book at the Guardian Bookshop
