The Readventurer
  • Home
  • YA Reviews
  • Adult Reviews
  • Contests and Giveaways
  • Policies
  • About Us
    • Flannery's Challenges
    • Catie's Challenges
  • Contact Us

YA Review: Something Like Normal by Trish Doller

9/20/2012

13 Comments

 
Something Like Normal cover
Something Like Normal
Author: Trish Doller
Publication Date: 6/19/12
Publisher: Bloomsbury

Blurb (GR): When Travis returns home from a stint in Afghanistan, his parents are splitting up, his brother’s stolen his girlfriend and his car, and he’s haunted by nightmares of his best friend’s death. It’s not until Travis runs into Harper, a girl he’s had a rocky relationship with since middle school, that life actually starts looking up. And as he and Harper see more of each other, he begins to pick his way through the minefield of family problems and post-traumatic stress to the possibility of a life that might resemble normal again. Travis’s dry sense of humor, and incredible sense of honor, make him an irresistible and eminently lovable hero.



Review:

In this male-narrated upper YA/new adult book, Travis has just come home after a deployment with the Marines. In many ways, he is returning to exactly what he purposely left behind--his overbearing and disapproving father, his pushover mother, and his resentful brother, but he himself is coming back to that situation a somewhat changed young man. Doller treats her characters realistically; no one suddenly sees the light or does a complete 180 in this book. Travis was emotionally traumatized by the death of his best friend in action and at the end of the book, he still is, but just to a lesser extent. He begins a romance with Harper and she helps him deal with a few situations and issues in his life but at the end of the novel, I wasn't particularly rooting for them to succeed. Was I supposed to be? Probably, but I just wanted Travis to be able to deal with his PTSD and patch up familial relationships.  I was reluctant to go into the book as a romance and to those readers who have similar feelings, I say go for it. Something Like Normal reads like an episode or story arc from one of those juicy teen drama shows that so many of us enjoyed in high school, college, and ashamedly sometimes still enjoy as adults.  Travis is that tortured soul with so much to say and no capacity to express it. Harper is that girl from back home who's understanding, forgiving, and you wish you'd gotten to know her through your shared high school years. There's moments where you'd gasp or shake your fist at the screen if you were watching them, times to roll your eyes, and the entire last quarter of the book is for the sad puppy dog eyes. I didn't cry, but I bet you might. 

Sometimes I get angry at a books because of choices characters make. It was very interesting to compare and contrast parts of Something Like Normal with another I was simultaneously reading (well, listening to), Story of a Girl by Sara Zarr. In both books, a young man has done something that tarnishes a girl's reputation for several years. How does she deal? Should she forgive and forget? In Story, Deanna stumbles around her life, trying to figure out why she made the choices she did and what she can do in her current situation. It's angsty, it's heavy, and it takes 192 pages for Zarr to tell the story. While I certainly do not believe that all people take the same amount of time to process and forgive wrongs, I am still surprised when something I consider to be serious seems flippantly tossed aside to move the story along. You were called names for years because of a lie someone told? Here's a thought: Don't date him a few years later. I was borderline ecstatic when Harper treated Travis like dirt when they first met back up -- the elusive YA character, a girl with a backbone. Tell him how his actions adversely affected your life, Harper! What? What's that? Yes, he is rather attractive, I guess. He's changed? You're going to what now? Er, well, this is awkward. Perhaps I am just envious of people who are so able to believe others have changed, to forgive those people. But Doller does not try to write likable characters, and that's what I really enjoyed about the book. I hated that Harper started dating Travis, I hated that she seemed to forgive him*, I hated that Travis' ex-girlfriend took up with his brother when he deployed, I hated the brother for "stealing" his girlfriend and car, I hated the dad for being an awful person, I hated the mom for not sticking up for her children, I even hated some characters because I didn't think they grieved enough. But I didn't hate this book at all.  Not every person is a mystery wrapped in an enigma. Also, lots of people do stupid things.  

As one of my Short YA list books, I read Something Like Normal in one sitting. This is Doller's debut work and though this wasn't one of my recent favorites, there's an authenticity of voice that rings through her writing and makes me want to read more from her. The dialogue is anchored in reality and for the most part, the writing is devoid of that poetic nature that many readers crave. I, for one, am not always looking for that, and thus I found this book to be an easy and enjoyable look into one soldier's life.


3.5/5 stars

*Just as an aside, am I the only one who wishes that this book had been dual narration? STOP THE PRESSES! This might be the first time I've ever said this before. I wanted to know Harper's side to everything. 

Readventurer F Signature
13 Comments
Tatiana (The Readventurer) link
9/20/2012 09:31:25 am

If what Travis did was even close to what Tommy did to Deanna, I wouldn't have forgiven him either. In fact, IMO, Deanna was too generous with Tommy. What Tommy did was practically criminal, the way I see it.

Reply
Flannery (The Readventurer) link
9/20/2012 09:44:43 am

Oh, totally agree about Tommy. I like where Deanna's mind ends up with him--kind of at the point where she sees that he's just...well, pathetic to an extent. In SLN, there was never any sex. Travis told people he hooked up with Harper during a game and then people called her a slut for ages and he never did anything to correct them or anything. So she basically got all the same crap that Deanna got but without sleeping with anyone ever.

Reply
VeganYANerds link
9/20/2012 09:55:13 am

I find it hard to believe that someone's rep could be tarnished after such a stupid comment and that for years after it would haunt them. But I went to an all girls school, maybe it's different for co-ed schools? I mean, girls were always gossiping but it wasn't like the whole school knew everything, only your classmates.

Anyway, I enjoyed your review, Flann, and I most definitely cried! But I was really annoyed by his brother and his ex and his horrible dad.

"Also, lots of people do stupid things." - YES, this!

Reply
Flannery (The Readventurer) link
9/20/2012 10:15:42 am

I don't know, I went to all girls school as well and I knew of several girls who had awful reputations and I really have no clue at all whether some of them were deserved. A LOT of the stories were disgusting and probably exaggerated and I still remember them 10 years later. That's the thing that got to me a bit--in that situation,if I knew who started all those rumors about me, I don't think I could ever date them, like, ever.

You sucker, I knew you'd cry:)

Reply
Christina (A Reader of Fictions) link
9/20/2012 10:32:07 pm

Personally, I'm hoping for a companion novel set a couple of years in the future told from Harper's perspective. Wouldn't that be the best? Ideally, it would be about her and Travis not making it in the long run.

I do totally get what you're saying about how odd it seemed that she made that choice, and normally I would be right there with you, but there was something about it that felt authentic to me. I think to some level, that was just something that she felt she needed to do. Like it was cathartic somehow. I don't see them lasting as a couple, because I don't know that they have a firm foundation. Plus, she's going to go off to college, and meet lots of nicer guys, perhaps with similar interests.

Reply
Flannery (The Readventurer) link
9/21/2012 03:57:07 am

I'd love to read that book from Harper's perspective. Truly, I'm glad to hear that there are other readers who see them not making it. I think what they had was great in that it helped Travis deal but I think she was much more present for him than he was for her.

That's what conflicted me a bit, how authentic most of it feels. I was talking to some people about it last night and presented it as a non-book-related hypothetical. People were torn about what seemed realistic. In some ways, I want to just say, "Well, maybe she knew what she was doing. Maybe she knew that nothing would come of this."

Reply
Sarah link
9/21/2012 12:29:20 am

Funny about the dual narration comment--awhile back, Trish posted a snippet from Harper's POV because it started out as a switching POV narration. (I asume it changed because SLN is more Travis' story about battling PTSD than anything, but I don't know for sure.)

Reply
Flannery (The Readventurer) link
9/21/2012 03:58:27 am

Really?! I will have to find and read this snippet, though I am wondering if maybe I shouldn't. I *want* Harper to be really astute and clever and I don't want to be let down if she isn't...

Reply
Catie (The Readventurer) link
9/21/2012 01:51:46 am

Gosh, after I read this review the first time I was feeling all confident about giving it a pass but then after reading these comments I'm torn again! What you wrote does make the whole scenario sound really unrealistic. But then again, I do love stories about forgiveness, even when it's not deserved. Also you know how I love the unresolved endings. If it's left open about whether they'll stay together or not...I would probably love that.

Your review cracked me up as always though. I love how your thoughts flow from one thing to another. I always smile when I'm reading your reviews. :)

Reply
Flannery (The Readventurer) link
9/21/2012 04:56:59 am

I'm skeptical. However, knowing you, this book would only take you about two hours to read.

Reply
Maja
9/21/2012 03:29:21 am

Authough I certainly wanted to know more about what HArper was thinking when she forgave him for... well, everything, dual narration is never a good choice for me.
I know what you mean about romance, though, I could have done without in this book. I wanted more Travis dealing with PTSD and less sea turtles (Mandee, don't kill me!), but I still liked the end result.
I love it when you write reviews.

Reply
Flannery (The Readventurer) link
9/21/2012 05:09:52 am

LOL at the sea turtles comment. I could've predicted your interest in Travis, but I'm surprised you read this considering how you feel about war-related books.

Reply
Maggie, Young Adult Anonymous link
9/24/2012 08:48:01 pm

Where the hell did you hide this review? I didn't see it on my goodreads feed, Sneaky McSneakerson. Anyway, yes to everything you wrote. I had such high girl with a backbone hopes. Should I read Story of a Girl?

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Follow Us On:

    Facebook Twitter Feed

    Subscribe:

    Subscribe
    Follow on Bloglovin

    Subscribe via email:

    Delivered by FeedBurner


    What We're Reading:

    Blood of my Blood cover

    Flannery

    Goodreads
    Monstrous Affections cover

     Tatiana

    Goodreads
    Rules of Civility cover

      Catie

    Goodreads

    Archives 

    March 2014
    September 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011

    Categories

    All
    Author Spotlight
    Book Events
    Book Vs. Movie
    Catie's Adult Reviews
    Catie's Y.A. Reviews
    Contest Or Giveaway
    Flannery's Adult Reviews
    Flannery's Y.A. Reviews
    If You Like This Maybe That
    Library Quest
    Odds & Ends On The Web
    Randomness
    Readalong Recaps
    She Made Me Do It
    Tatiana's Adult Reviews
    Tatiana's Y.A. Reviews
    Three Heads Are Better Than One Or Two
    Year Of The Classics


    Blogs We Follow

    Angieville
    Anna Scott Jots
    Badass Book Reviews
    The Book Geek
    The Book Smugglers
    Book Harbinger
    Books Take You Places
    Bunbury in the Stacks
    Chachic's Book Nook
    Clear Eyes, Full Shelves
    Collections
    Cuddlebuggery
    For the Love of Words
    The Galavanting Girl Books
    Inkcrush
    Intergalactic Academy
    Ivy Book Bindings
    The Nocturnal Library
    Rainy Day Ramblings
    The Readers Den
    The Reading Date
    Realm of Fiction
    Sash and Em
    Stacked
    The Unread Reader
    Vegan YA Nerds
    Wear The Old Coat
    Wordchasing
    Wrapped Up In Books
    Young Adult Anonymous 

    Grab A Button

    The Readventurer
    <div align="center"><a href="http://www.thereadventurer.com" title="The Readventurer"><img src="http://www.weebly.com/uploads/7/8/9/9/7899923/custom_themes/149267861480723643/files/TheReadventurer.png?1321429794244" alt="The Readventurer" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

    Parajunkee Design
    SiteLock
    Since 2/4/2012

Creative Commons LicenseThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States License.
Photos used under Creative Commons from savillent, vue3d, vue3d, ljcybergal