Monday, February 11, 2013

Review: SOMETHING LIKE NORMAL by Trish Doller

Title: SOMETHING LIKE NORMAL
Author: Trish Doller
Published: June 19th, 2012
Genre: YA/NA contemporary
Publisher: Bloomsbury
POV: 1st person
Pages: 214
Format: Hardcover
Source: Won
"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."
One free month, and then Travis is headed back to Afghanistan to complete his final three years of active duty in the Marines. But upon arriving home for his short break, he finds that nothing is the same. He has no girlfriend (because she's dating his brother), no car (brother, yet again), a father he can't please, an overenthusiastic mother, a girl that isn't interested in him after he ruined her life, and the most disturbing change of all: haunting nightmares and visions of a friend that died in Afghanistan that won't leave him alone. Travis is trying to keep everything together, especially himself, before it's time for him to leave. But sometimes, you just can't escape your demons.  

I initially judged this book on its cover and almost let a wonderful, touching story pass me by. SOMETHING LIKE NORMAL quickly became one of the most surprising debut novels that I read in 2012. Doller takes a story you don't see all that often in YA lit and brings it authenticity through Travis's straight-forward narration. It's almost awkward to read Travis's narration, simply because it feels so realistic that it almost seems as if you are intruding on an actual person's thoughts. Travis is struggling with the past while looking to the future, and I was thoroughly invested in his every word as his story unfolded. Doller shifts easily from the humor to the serious moments, but it's with her characters that she truly excels. Everyone is flawed in some way, and they all manage to be memorable by the end. SOMETHING LIKE NORMAL is an emotional story that makes a strong impression. 

Highlights: Once I began, I couldn't put this book down until the final page arrived. There's humor, a little bit of romance, and plenty of honest and true-to-life moments that you want out of a contemporary novel. Even better, Travis is an older young adult. He's lived life in a dangerous way, and I found his story to be compelling. 

Lowlights: It's a very, very short book. I think a few scenes and characters could have been fleshed out a bit more to help this story make an even stronger impact.

Cover: Based on the cover, I never would have bothered to read this book (I'm very grateful to have won a copy, or else I wouldn't have read it). There is a romantic subplot, but it's not the largest aspect of this story, so I'm surprised the cover features a couple making out (which is a shame, since I think boys would like this book, but the cover doesn't show that side of the novel). I like that they included dog tags. 


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15 comments:

  1. I agree that the cover can be very misleading. I picked it up because I knew what it was about, but I doubt I would have based on the cover alone. I loved this story so much, it was honest and deep and heartbreaking. I'm glad you did too.
    Fantastic review!

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    1. Glad that you loved it too! It was definitely honest and heartbreaking - such great writing! :)

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  2. I've almost let a book cover get in the way of a wonderful story as well! (What can I say? A cover is what initially attracts my attention. Then it's the actual story line.) I'm glad to see that you loved the book!

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    http://www.coolkidsreadreadread.blogspot.com

    Thanks!

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    1. Covers are important! I try not to judge books on their covers, but sometimes it happens. This cover is okay, but I don't think it fits the book 100% at all.

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  3. Wow. I have to admit I'm kind of hating his brother right now. And his former girlfriend. I don't know how you could do that to someone you supposedly care about! Grrrr. I'm not a big fan of this cover either, but I'm glad to know the story behind it is awesome, and I'm definitely adding this to my list. I need to know what happens with Travis! Fabulous review Lea!

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    1. His brother + girlfriend are definitely frustrating characters, but Travis (mostly) handles it better than I expected. You should check it out, this book really is great!

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  4. I loved this book! I thought it was really eye-opening, and one that EVERYONE should read. I'm so glad you ended up reading it! Great review!

    Karis @ YA Litwit

    Don't forget to enter my GIVEAWAY of TWO books by Jennifer Lynn Barnes! One winner will receive a hardcover of NOBODY and a paperback of EVERY OTHER DAY!

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    1. Yay! So happy you loved it too! SLN truly was fantastic :)

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  5. I've been reading so many good reviews for this book and after hearing that you like it, I will definitely have to get my hands on a copy. I love that you say there are many honest and true to life moments; that's why I love reading good contemporary novels. Thanks for the great review!

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    1. It's such a fantastic contemporary novel - it doesn't hide the more difficult aspects of life (and it doesn't hide the more silly ones, too).

      Hope you give this one a chance!

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  6. I picked this up because it was short (hey-short books count toward a books read total just as much as long books) and enjoyed it but definitely agree that it could have been longer to better flesh some things out. It felt like it was only part of the way there.

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    1. It was so short! I was surprised at how few pages there were. I think with more pages, more development, this story could have been excellent.

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  7. Yup, I totally let this one slip under my radar also probably because of the cover, which doesn't appeal to me. I never would have guessed it would have so much depth! Interesting. I really like your description of the narration. His brother and his ex-girlfriend don't seem so great though.

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    1. It's fabulous, and the cover does not do this book justice at all. You should check it out!

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  8. I've been staying away from romances lately because they do often seem forced, unrealistic, or just plain ridiculous to me. So it's nice to see that it is still done right once and a while.

    Zaira Lynn (Divorce Attorney)

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