The Art of Being Normal

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Pint-Sized Powerhouse: Leo's mother is "tiny, built like a sparrow" but beat up Annette Bonner who, according to Leo at least, looks like The Terminator.

Jade-Colored Glasses: Leo's mother has these on at all times. Ironically, she plays a lot of bingo.And just the struggle of being a kid these days…honestly. I sometimes can’t believe how hard it is to grow up nowadays. Never mind growing up being a little different than the other kids in school. 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. Yeah…this book was a bit of a punch in the gut for me. Homophobic Hate Crime: Leo is a trans boy who transferred schools because of a hate crime. A few people at his school led him into the woods, slashed his clothes, and tried to shred off his chest binder. No Name Given: Kate's father's name is never said, though her mother's name is Jo. Similarly Leo's father Jimmy/Jonathan's name is brought up frequently, but his mother's name (Samantha) only finally shows up in the second half of the book. When it comes to LGBTQIA-books, transgender characters are very underrepresented, which is a damn shame. Complex topics like gender identity and transsexuality are more and more discussed in society these days, so it’s important that we see those topics represented in literature. The Art of Being Normal is one of those pieces of literature that tries to do that, and does a good job, but overall the plot, the writing, and the supporting characters are pretty average.

A sweet YA-story with a couple of amazing diverse characters, although the story itself could have been better. On the first day at his new school Leo Denton has one goal – to be invisible. Attracting the attention of the most beautiful girl in year eleven is definitely not part of that plan. What the Hell, Hero?: Leo gets one from his aunt Kerry upon returning from his brief escapade to Kent. Forced Out of the Closet: Leo comes out as trans to his crush Alicia, but she rejects him. Alicia's friends find out his secret and out him to the entire school.

On a meta level, and reportedly unitentionally, the two protagonists share their names with an iconic Hollywood duo. The Art of Being Normal is Lisa Williamson’s 2018 novel about two transgender students, Leo Denton and David Piper. On Leo’s first day at his new school, he has one goal: to keep his head low and not draw any attention to himself. Catching the eye of the most beautiful girl in the class is definitely not part of Leo’s plan, particularly because he is a transgender male and is not out at his new school. When Leo stands up for a classmate, David, in a fight, the two become fast friends. David is a transgender girl who has not come out either. With Leo’s support, David prepares to transition and come out as Kate. An uplifting story of two transgender teens trying to live a truth that has been a secret for too long, The Art of Being Normal takes a thought-provoking look at gender identity and what it means to be transgender. On the first day at his new school, Leo Denton has one goal: to be invisible. Attracting the attention of the most beautiful girl in his class is definitely not part of that plan--especially because Leo is a trans guy and isn't out at his new school. An amazing step forward in diversity in publishing, not such a step forward in engrossing storytelling. Pet the Dog: Though Livvy's status as Kate's bratty younger sister is established pretty early on, she still gives her big sister a nice and thoughtful birthday present.

Williamson presents a fresh perspective in contemporary LGBTQ drama by presenting two heroes in different stages of transitioning and further bringing the teens to life through their foibles and family dramas. . . . The best part is that it is a friendship tale; romance plays a role in the story, but it is not the focus. This is a wonderful addition to any teen collection.” — VOYA, starred reviewThis is not true. Granny has bridge on Wednesday evenings and doesn’t miss it for anyone, especially her least-favorite grandchild. Livvy is Granny’s favorite. But then Livvy is everyone’s favorite. However, me rating this book 3 stars doesn’t mean this book isn’t worth reading. We need stories like this to introduce trans issues to a broad public, and Williamson herself worked at a Gender Identity Development Service, so she certainly did her research for writing this book. Two British transgender teens try to come to terms with their lives while facing serious bullying in their school. El arte de ser normal es una novela juvenil que trata el tema de la transexualidad y que cuenta con una historia con giros muy buenos. Es una novela muy bien escrita, con una prosa bonita y unos personajes muy bien cosntruidos. Si bien ya la portada da a entender de qué trata la novela, no solo se centra en el tema de la transexualidad sino que toca otros como la violencia de género, el alcoholismo, los problemas de cualquier adolescente y el bullying. En sí es una novela cargada de valores y que hace reflexionar. Laser-Guided Karma: Harry Beaumont is two seconds away from publically outing Kate in the middle of the school cafeteria when Leo intervenes and breaks his nose.