Faking Normal by Courtney C. Stevens

"An edgy, realistic debut novel praised by the New York Times bestselling author of Between Shades of Gray, Ruta Sepetys, as “a beautiful reminder that amid our broken pieces we can truly find ourselves.”

Alexi Littrell hasn’t told anyone what happened to her over the summer by her backyard pool. Instead, she hides in her closet, counts the slats in the air vent, and compulsively scratches the back of her neck, trying to make the outside hurt more than the inside does—and deal with the trauma.

When Bodee Lennox—“the Kool-Aid Kid”—moves in with the Littrells after a family tragedy, Alexi discovers an unlikely friend in this quiet, awkward boy who has secrets of his own. As their friendship grows, Alexi gives him the strength to deal with his past, and Bodee helps her summon the courage to find her voice and speak up about the rape that has changed the course of her life." (overview provided by Barnes and Noble.)

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I picked up a copy of Faking Normal after coming across the blurb on EpicReads, and didn't put the book back down until  I finished it that night. From the very first pages of Faking Normal,  I was invested in Alexi. I wanted to know exactly what happened to her and who was responsible for her pain. The pain Alexi struggles with is so apparent to the reader that it's almost depressing how much it seems others don't see it. There are a few times when her friends mention a change in her behavior and attitude, but her parents and sister seem a little oblivious. The only one in the book who truly notices how much pain Alexi is in is Bodee, a boy whose mother is murdered by his father shortly before the story begins.

What I love about Faking Normal is how accurately Courtney C, Stevens portrays small town southern America. Set in Rickman, Tennessee, the highlight of the town are the high school football games and some of the football players have a pretty significant role in the book. Alexi's best friends, Heather and Liz date football players (Collie and Ray), Alexi is asked out by 2 different football players (Dane and Hayden), and Alexi's sister Kayla is dating/engaged to the high school football coach, Craig Tanner. 

Alexi's story is complicated. She doesn't want to tell anyone about what happened, not just because she's embarrassed and ashamed, but because she doesn't want to hurt someone who means so much to her and would be devastated if the truth ever came out. At one point, I thought I knew who Alexi's rapist was and when it was finally revealed, I had to double check that I read the correct name-- something that Bodee had to do as well when he found out the who. AMAZING twist. I loved how that reveal occurs.

Faking Normal  is an amazing book about trying to heal after trauma and how you can't do it on your own. I love this book. Another amazing review of Faking Normal can be found here by Teen Librarian's Toolbox.

Review: How it Went Down by Kekla Magoon

"WHEN SIXTEEN-YEAR-OLD TARIQ JOHNSON dies from two gunshot wounds, his community is thrown in an uproar. Tariq was black. The shooter, Jack Franklin, is white.
In the aftermath of Tariq's death, everyone has something to say, but no two accounts of the events line up. Day by day, new twists further obscure the truth.
Tariq's friends, family and community struggle to make sense of the tragedy and to cope with the hole left behind when a life is cut short. In their own words, they grapple for a way to say with certainty: This is how it went down." (jacket summary)
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So. Many.Thoughts. There seems to have been an increase in gun deaths among teenagers. However, I am not entirely sure if there has been in increase in deaths or just an increase in media attention. We live in a world where moments after something happens, EVERYONE knows. A world where journalist begin to sensationalize a story before all the facts are known. We make judgments based on what we are shown, never knowing the whole story. Even the people who witness these awful events don not know the entire story.

What I love about Kekla Magoon's novel is how she shows various witness point of views. How it Went Down demonstrates how people who witnessed Tariq's death saw different things and have conflicting stories. Did Tariq have a gun or was it a candy bar? Was Tariq in a gang or not? Why? Why? Why? So many questions, so many answers and still an incomplete conclusion.

Reading How it Went Down by Kekla Magoon,made me think about Trayvon Martin, Jordan Davis, Michael Brown and so many other who were gunned down. A time when conflicting news sources led us to such horrid opposition with one another that it lead to civil unrest, rioting and violence. This novel is amazing. So many passages made me stop and think, not only of teenagers being killed by gun and the stories that are never fully told, but how we consume our news. Do we wait to pass a judgement until all sides of the story are presented, or do we rush to make judgement and make everything much worse.

If you are ready to take a moment and really think, How it Went Down is the perfect book to help you think and a great way to start a global conversation.


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Bonus: Song that went through my head as  I read How it Went Down: Glory from the movie Selma sung by John Legend and Common.

Stronger than You Know by Jolene Perry

" 'I'M JOY, THE GIRL WHO'S BEEN BROKEN. I'LL PROBABLY ALWAYS BE BROKEN.
Joy's fifteen. Her normal life just began three months ago. Before that was another life that she doesn' like to remember. When the police came, it was supposed to be all over.
But now, living with her aunt and uncle in this new family where everyone tries to understand, it's not over. Joy's got a whole list of reasons why she's crazy-- the panic attacks, the meds she's on, and the hard-to-breathe feeling she gets when she has to talk to someone new. Somehow it's even harder when the person is nice.
Yet hope has a way of taking hold, and Joy just might find a way to hold on . . ." (book jacket summary)

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Wow. When I picked Stronger than You Know off the shelf I could not have imagined how amazing the book would be. The first few pages of Jolene Perry's book drew me in and I could not put it down. I believe that Joy's hidden inner strength is present from the first pages of the book. For 15 years, Joy lived with her abusive mother and endless parade of other adults who did NOTHING to help the young girl, Joy had the strength to survive and open up when finally questioned.

I'm going to give this book 4 fireflies for the following reasons:

• Stronger the You Know is the kind of book that will stick with your for awhile. I finished reading this book on New Year's Eve and I couldn't help but think about it the next couple of days. 
• Joy's struggle to acclimate to her new reality is exactly what it should be -- a struggle. Fifteen years of abuse and neglect won't go away in the blink of an eye.
• The struggle of Joy's extended family is beautifully portrayed with each member of the family trying to find ways to interact with Joy and not cause her to panic.
• The relationship between Joy and her Uncle Rob is probably my favorite relationship of the entire book. From Joy's wariness and Uncle Rob's protective instincts it's a beautiful relationship.