Practicing Normal is a captivating family saga. Each chapter is written from the perspective of a different character and I always tend to enjoy this format. It works really well with this story. We meet Kate who is the mother of Jenna and JT, wife to Everett and daughter to Marilyn. She is a housewife/stay-at-home mother who sacrificed her nursing career to be there for her family. She is an instantly likeable character and very relatable to many, I would imagine. She’s a busy housewife coping with a stroppy teenager, a son with Aspergers, a depressed, dependant, aging mother and a cheating husband! She also has an annoying sister, Evelyn, who I didn’t warm to at all. Kate deserves much more than to be treated as a glorified skivvy with little to no respect from certain members of her family who should cherish her more.
Everett is a cheating git who wants his cake and eat it. Why are some men never satisfied with what they have??
Jenna is moody teenager, to put it mildly! She is fully aware of what her father is up to though so I could empathise with her to a degree. She hates him and feels that her mother is weak for putting up with him. She becomes much more likeable as the story progresses. She develops a relationship with local boy, Wells, and becomes more relaxed and happy.
JT is a brilliant character! Loved him!
Marilyn is a difficult character to like initially, but easier to understand as the story progresses. Her story is quite heart-breaking.
These are real people with real problems and this story is full of raw emotion, but also hope for a brighter future.
I highly recommend.
Many thanks for my review copy via Netgalley.

I really enjoyed reading this book. The characters were well developed and it was the type of book that made you think long and hard even after the book was finished! I was amazed that so many social issues could be intertwined into one story. Thoroughly enjoyed it!!!

I love the title of this book--at most times, we're ALL just "practicing normal," hoping the rest of the world doesn't see past that to dysfunction we're trying to hide.

The author gives us this story from the perspective of three of the family members: dad Everett, mom Kate, and daughter Jenna. For me, this gives us a deeper look into what's going on than just having one person's perspective.

Everett and Kate, and their relationship, really frustrate me. Everett seems to think there is nothing wrong with having a constant revolving door of mistresses, and Kate, who knows about them, allows him to get away with it so she can keep her family together. For me, no matter how much you want to give the impression of being a "normal" family, there are still certain behaviors which shouldn't be acceptable--and serial cheating is definitely one of them. And there is an incident we learn about between Kate and Everett which would ABSOLUTELY have had me showing him the door, with or without the cheating (in fact, it is something which contributed to the end of my second marriage, which could be why I reacted to it so intensely.)

Jenna has her share of issues, but she seems to be self-aware and honest about them. And she is generally very good to her brother, able to relate to him in some caring, loving ways. The idea of her breaking into houses just to spend time there, not to steal things, is rather heartbreaking for me. It's like she needs to go elsewhere and fantasize about a different sort of life.

By the end, some major decisions are made, and life is beginning to change.

This is the second book I've read by the author, and I enjoy her style and her ability to take us deep inside the minds of her characters.

Practicing Normal is a compelling women's fiction story that easily draws the reader into the drama and emotions that come with the complexity of life and the the dynamics of relationships.

Set in the town of Pine Estates, the reader can't help but get drawn into the Turner family's story as they face the complexities that occur in their life. Told in the alternating perspectives of Kate (Mom), Everett (Dad), and Jenna (teenage Daughter), the reader can't help but get caught up in the intriguing dynamic of this family, as they each struggle to practice living "normally" while surviving everyday life issues.

Author Cara Sue Achterberg weaves an intriguing women's fiction story that will easily keep the reader engaged and turning the pages. The Turner's story has a great mixture of humor, drama, angst, heartbreak, and crazy trials and tribulations, but their family dynamic is both realistic and compelling, it is the kind of story that anyone can relate to, and provide a chance to ponder about their own family's style of living.

Practicing Normal is an interesting women's fiction story of trying to live a "normal" life while learning to survive life's challenges and twists and turns.

RATING: 5 STARS

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author / publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Providence Book Promotions.

https://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot.com/2017/07/practicing-normal-by-cara-sue.html

It started off promising, with a sort of Liane Moriarty vibe of a family with secrets. But then, the writing began to turn me off: very much the opposite of show, don't tell. I felt like I was reading diary entries of rather facile soap opera characters, and had zero sympathy for the pushover main character.

Authentic, heartwarming, and intriguing!

This is a thought-provoking novel that reminds us that life is unpredictable and that when it comes to “normal” perspective is everything.

The story is told from three different points of view; Kate, a mother, wife and daughter who spends all her time and energy taking care of those around her; Jenna, a teenager struggling with hormones, individuality and new love; and Everett, a husband and father who is impatient, selfish, and too wrapped up in his own wants and needs to appreciate what’s right in front of him.

The prose is reflective and sincere. The characters, including all the supporting characters, are complex, strong, and endearing. And the plot is a compelling tale full of familial dynamics, friendship, infidelity, secrets, coming-of-age, honesty, humour, love, as well as an in-depth look into the stereotypical mentality, difficulties and extraordinary abilities that those with Asperger’s experience.

This is the second novel I’ve read by Achterberg and once again she has blown me away with this well-crafted, touching story that gives us a real, raw look into a contemporary multi-generational family.

Thank you to Cara Sue Achterberg, the author, for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Opening up Practicing Normal to read I wasn't sure what I was going to find, or whether I would enjoy it, pretty much normal for me when I am reading into a new author. I have to say I was pleasantly surprised and enjoyed this story very much.

The telling of the story rotates around three of the characters - Kate, mom and married to Everett, Jenna their daughter and Everett himself. Through them we are given a view into the family dynamics.

The plot moves along at a good pace, there was always something interesting happening, and just a small thread of mystery weaving through that held my attention.

Kate - the mom, was a self sacrificing person, she was an ER nurse but now pretty much takes care of the various emergencies that arise in the family. She takes care of her ageing mother down the road, her son JT who is on the Asperger's continuum and generally keeps the family running. She also is perhaps being taken for a ride by a couple of people in her life. I liked her a lot, although I wished for more for her.

Jenna is her teen daughter, when we meet her she is breaking into houses and cutting school. However at the core she is okay and with the right people around her has every chance of doing well.

Everett is in my opinion a self serving, self centred person and ... a bully. While he does do a few things that redeem him a little he is mainly about his own pleasure. He needs a very large wake up call.

There are other characters in this book too who add to the story and the appeal of the book. Cassie in particular, the hospice nurse and cat lady, who is a support when needed and is one of those people any neighbor would be happy to have around.

If you enjoy family dynamics then you just might enjoy this story as much as I did.

The title of this book is "Practicing Normal", but I'm not really sure any of the members of this family are normal. However, I did really enjoy meeting this family. The author did a great job making the characters seem real and I have been lost in their world all day and loved it!

There were lots of chuckles while reading and there was a lot of pain going on in this family. I seriously don't know how the mother did it all. No wonder she was losing weight. I really felt sorry for her. The ending has a sad part and a few surprises as we finally learn the secrets about Kate and Evelyn that their mother guarded for years. And, their mother is definitely not someone you would want to spend a lot of your day with, she's pretty crusty.

Thanks to The Story Plant and Net Galley for approving and allowing me to read this very entertaining book in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

“Do not think that love, in order to be genuine, has to be extraordinary. What we need is to love without getting tired.” I don’t know about ya’ll, but by the end of the week I am exhausted. Between work, my son’s homework, tutoring, extracurricular activities, laundry, keeping the house clean and attempting to have a social life there are many times when it feels like I could slip away somewhere and sleep for days. Contrary to what social media would have us believe, life is not always unicorns and baby kittens and rainbows. Life can be hard. Sometimes brutally so. Ailing parents, a child that is deemed as “different”, a marriage that once was seemingly solid now stretched and pulled to a place where you don’t really recognize each other anymore, where you once saw love now you only see disappointment and failure.
Never before have I read a book that has dealt with these topics more tenderly and candidly then in Cara Sue Achterburg’s Practicing Normal. While it was at times, a heartbreaking read, it resonated with me because I saw myself and my friends throughout the pages. In fact, the book read much like an old friend was catching me up on what has happened in her life over the past year. I loved it – I thought it was authentic, relatable and beautifully done. If domestic fiction or books about families and the dynamics that make them and break them interest you at all, this is one you will not want to miss. 4.5 fantastic stars. Thank you so much to Netgalley and Story Plant for providing me with an advanced copy of this amazing book in exchange for my honest review.

I love Cara Sue Achterberg – mom, foster mom to pups, writer, wife, and on and on. She’s such an extraordinary person which makes it even better to bring you my review of this incredible new novel, Practicing Normal.

This may aggravate some, but occasionally I need to do bullet points with characters, it’s the only way for me to get organized!

Kate: wife to Everett, mom to Jenna and J.T., spends most of her day caring for her elderly mother Mildred who lives up the street, used to be an ER nurse
Everett: husband to Kate, Dad to Jenna and J.T., was a cop but now works for a security firm, cheater
Jenna: oldest child of Kate and Everett, hates her father, a loner, frequently skips school, very smart, breaks into people’s homes just to hang out
J.T.: Kate and Everett’s son, has Aspergers, fixations include watching E.R. and shows about emergency situations (fire, police, medical)
Mildred: Kate’s mother, hates Everett, obsessed with and talks to her birds in her backyard
Cassie: lives on their street, has several cats, hospice nurse
Wells: cute boy on the street 🙂
Evelyn: Kate’s sister and Mildred’s daughter; divorced, successful lawyer
There are so many more important characters but this will prevent me from having to explain everyone repeatedly! Everett and Kate live on the “rich end of the street” in Pine Estates, although they aren’t really wealthy. Kate’s mother lives a few blocks away, luckily since Kate is there for breakfast, lunch, and dinner to check on her mom. Everett has cheated on Kate before but she decided to forgive him and move on because “they are so in love.” Jenna is a somewhat angry teenager, especially since she is aware of her Dad’s previous and current indiscretions, but begins to open up after meeting and becoming close to Wells and her neighbor Cassie. J.T. is brilliant and also has Aspergers, making him prone to outbursts when his routine is changed. Everett is constantly frustrated with both children. This novel moves along with their day-to-day life as they navigate through jobs, taking care of Mildred, things going on with the children, and occasional socializing with neighbors. On top of that, Kate’s sister Evelyn wants to put their mother in a nursing home and is obsessed with suddenly hearing from their father that walked out many years ago.

Practicing Normal is an amazing look at a somewhat messed up family trying to feel and appear “normal.” Throughout this novel, Kate faces something new every day whether it’s the fact that Everett is ‘working” such long hours, problems with the kids, or ongoing struggles with her mother and sister. The woman is literally a super-hero. There are so many instances in this novel where I felt that if I were in the same situation I would have curled up and sucked my thumb. This is such an honest look at family dynamics and changes that everyone goes through whether young or old. I realized after finishing this novel that the things I thought were going to blow up or go bad didn’t, and the things that I thought would be o.k., did not end up that way. Although so much of this story was very relatable, there were still several twists and turns that were completely unexpected.

Achterberg’s writing style is once again flawless and I was immediately swept up into this story and all of the characters in it. And I can honestly say that even if certain characters did things that were disappointing or even infuriating, she wrote this in a way that I could still see each character’s point of view and find someway to still empathize or sympathize with their situation. This novel would speak to so many audiences whether a wronged spouse, a man/woman that feels out of place in a pretentious neighborhood, someone that has cared for an aging parent, someone with teenagers, someone with a child diagnosed has having Aspergers, and I could go on and on. Practicing Normal has left me with the feeling that whatever my normal is or your normal is, that it’s o.k. and I we will survive it!

*Thanks to NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Poor Kate Turner. She lives in a beautiful home in Pine Estates with her family: husband, Everett; teenage daughter, Jenna; and tween son, JT. But things are not as lovely (and normal) as they appear from the outside. Everett works at a security firm, but he also disappears for hours on end, and Kate worries he's having (another) affair. Jenna learned to break into homes from her dad, and she's busy skipping school and putting that talent to good use. She also has no use for her father since his mistress appeared on their front doorstep. And JT is a wonderful, intelligent kid, but he is also dealing with Asperberger's and the fact that his father would love nothing more than for him to be "normal."

I just have to preface my review to say that I don't understand why more people don't know of and read Cara Sue Achterberg. I read her last novel, Girls' Weekend, and it was so good. She also has a great twitter, fosters dogs, and is just so fun. Darn you, world!

Anyway, I liked the characters of PRACTICING NORMAL (or at least was drawn into their worlds) immediately -- there was no way I was ever going to like Kate's husband, though. Kate is so real--she is flawed, she is tough, she is a loving mom. She is no stock character. Achterberg does spot-on coverage of Kate's mother, Mildred, a crotchety old woman with borderline dementia. Mildred's love of her backyard songbirds is just awesome: you will laugh (and perhaps cry). There are also touching (and probably pretty realistic) interactions with her son. Meanwhile, her husband is just a piece of work.

Achterberg has a way of making you empathize so deeply with her characters. I felt so badly for Kate. Other times I wanted to shake her, wake her up, and get her out of her life. No matter what, I was completely invested in her story. She's relatable and will certainly appeal to the overworked, stressed moms of the world. (There's a moment where Kate wishes she could just have a temporary health issue and wind up in the hospital for a moment - where people actually care for her for once. Oh yes. Haven't we all been there--guiltily--for a minute or two?)

The POV varies mainly between Kate and Jenna--and about a quarter way through the story, we hear from that "louse" (as Mildred would say) Everett. I enjoyed how Achterberg used shorter sentences and simpler words when speaking as Everett. I'm sorry, but I could just never warm up to that guy. (Read it, you'll understand.) Now Jenna? She's a gem. A spitfire of a teen with the ability to see through the pretend layers everyone puts on. I fiercely wanted to protect Jenna--a testament to Achterberg's writing and this character she had created.

I was a bit irritated by Kate's sister Evelyn and her constant focus on bringing their deadbeat father back into their life (though that storyline picks up later), but Evelyn certainly stood for yet another thing poor Kate must deal with. I mean, seriously. This poor woman.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one. Much like GIRLS' WEEKEND, I am just amazed at how well Achterberg writes her characters and how quickly she draws you into their lives. I might have enjoyed GIRLS just a tad more, but only because I am more at the point of those women in my life (with younger kids) than Kate. I still really liked this novel. I would find myself just smiling at parts while I read it, because I was so taken by the characters. I was rooting for Kate and Jenna (and JT!) and, often, very much against Everett and Evelyn. It's truly a lovely reflection on the different kinds of love we have for others, and yes, the spectrum of normal. Highly recommend with 4+ stars.

Amazing, compelling and insightful. I loved it and would recommend it to everyone. The book was awesome with well built characters and a flowing prose. I can't wait to read more from the author.

I often say that I'd like to read about the everyday lives of well-developed characters simply because people are interesting and the way that they interact with the world is intriguing. This book brought me that in a satisfying way, though it had a distinct plot as well.

While reading this book, I truly got to know Kate and her daughter Jenna. I came to understand Everett and the way that he thought. And I came to appreciate and adore JT with his Asperger's and his unique way of viewing the world. The family itself is very insular, but I got to know secondary characters too through the ways that they interacted with the family.

Jenna was my favourite character--she has a tendency to break into houses and came to know many of her neighbours in that fashion. She's also quite intelligent and aware of what's going on. I loved the way she was vulnerable as she started exploring romance despite the cynicism of her grandmother.

And her grandmother, wow, she definitely kept things moving and provided a source of much of the conflict within this book. Her character also raised important questions of depression and the way we treat the elderly that I found to be quite poignant.

The plot wasn't quite interesting--if I described it to you, I'm not sure that it would persuade you to read this. In theory, it focused on a mystery of birth, and in Kate's sister trying to find their long-gone father. But instead, the strength of this book came from more of an exploration of characters as they navigated certain situations.

Nonetheless, this book was quite enjoyable, and I'm looking forward to more from Achterberg.

I was given a copy of this book as a gift and I freely chose to review it.
Tolstoi’s probably best-known quote: All happy families resemble one another, each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way fits perfectly this novel. As a psychiatrist, ‘normal’ is one of those terms that we always seem to come back to, even if it is impossible to define. It seems that normal is always what other people are, never us. Perhaps, as it is discussed in the novel in reference to Autism and Asperger’s, which are conditions that fall within a spectrum, the same is true for normality. It is not an on or off thing. Perhaps we all belong to some point within the spectrum, but we’d be hard pushed to find many people whom we’d all agree were ‘normal’, at least if we got to know them well.
The novel introduces us to the Turners, who live a reasonably comfortable life within a theoretically idyllic neighbourhood. Once we scratch a bit under the surface, we find: Jenna, the sixteen year old daughter, who is not a goth but likes to shave her hair, dye it in interesting colours, collects piercings and is an ace at breaking into neighbours’ houses (courtesy of her father’s job in a security company). Kate, her mother, is forever busy caring for everybody but herself. She has to look after her mother, Mildred, who might be dementing, or perhaps not, and who lives alone, never leaves the house and talks to her birds. She also has to look after JT, her son, with an Asperger’s diagnosis, who cycles through periods of obsession with different topics (ER Medicine, Fire-fighting…), has tantrums if his routine is disturbed, cannot read people’s expressions or understand their feelings, but is a genius at Maths and has an incredible memory. She also runs around the rest of the household and is always worried about her husband, Everett, who cheated on her once (that she knows of). The chapters alternate the first-person narrations of Jenna (who somehow becomes friendly with the rich, handsome and all-around nice neighbour, Wells, who isn’t, after all, the stereotypical jock), and Kate (whose sister, Evelyn, has made contact with their father, Frank, who left them when they were young children, and believes their mother has been lying to them) allowing the reader to better grasp, not only the secrets they all keep from each other, but also the different ways the same events can be interpreted and seen. Everett’s narration (also in the first person) joins later, giving us hints of more secrets to come, allowing us a more rounded picture and offering us a male perspective.
I found the first person narrations served well the topic, and the voices of the three narrators were very distinct and fitted in well with their characters. Although personally, I can’t say I liked Everett very much, no characters are despicable and all of them love their family and each other, even if they might go about it the wrong way. Jenna’s strong hostility towards her father is easy to understand, not only because he cheated on her mother (and is still doing it after promising not to) but because she had idealised him when she was a child and he’s shattered that illusion. She is clever, challenging and reckless but with a great heart (she doesn’t care for rules or conventions but has no bad intentions) and her romance will bring warm memories to all readers who are still young at heart. Kate is a woman who is always at the service of others and makes big efforts to ignore what she feels she can’t cope with, even if it means living a lie. But she learns that she is stronger than she thinks and grows during the novel. She also gets to understand that her dreams of romantic love are unrealistic, and we feel optimistic for her at the end. Everett is a man who lost his way (it seems) when he left his job as a policeman. Now, to feel better about himself he’ll do almost anything, not caring what the consequences for himself and others might be, and he always puts his needs before those of the rest of his family. He does not understand his children but he loves them and tries to do what he thinks is best, within limits. JT is a wonderful character, well-drawn and realistic in terms of the behaviours he exhibits and his relationship with Kate, Jenna and the rest of the family is heart-warming and has the ring of truth.
There are many secrets, some that come from a long time back and some much more recent, and the narrative is good at revealing them slowly, even if we might strongly suspect some of them, partly because we have access to the thoughts of several the characters (as they don’t communicate with each other that well). There are also many love stories and many different kinds of love that are explored. Ultimately, love must be about more than just saying the words and looking into each other’s eyes. It isn’t something we should feel automatically entitled to; it has to be proven and worked on, as Cassey, a friend of Jenna and later Kate, explains.
The secondary characters are also interesting, mostly sympathetic (with the exception of Wells’s family, and Evelyn, who comes across as self-centered and domineering) but not drawn in as much psychological detail as the members of the family, but they are far from unidimensional. I really liked Cassey, the hospice nurse who understands all the females of the family and helps them without asking anything in return, and Phil, a good man who, like Wells, disproves Mildred’s generalisations about men. Mildred, the grandmother, can be at once annoying and endearing, but eventually, we get to understand her a bit better, even if we might not necessarily agree with her actions. I also loved the animals, especially Marco.
This is a well-written book, where plot and characterisation go hand in hand, that offers good psychological insights into the nature of family relationships and the games members of a family play with each other. It also will make readers think about what love means and will remind them of the risks of keeping secrets, not only from others but also from ourselves. The narration flows well and once you get to know the characters it’s difficult to stop reading and you feel bereft when you come to the end as they’ve become part of the family. A great read.
I couldn’t leave you without sharing a few of the sentences I highlighted.
Never break more than one law at a time.
Kate talking about JT, her son, with Asperger’s: but I focus on what JT can do, not what he can’t.
Kate again, wondering about her son’s inability to read other people’s expressions and know what they’re feeling or thinking:
Maybe it would be easier to sail through life unaware of the emotions of the people around you.
And Jenna, on one of her typical (and oh, so accurate, sorry gentlemen) pearls of wisdom (although this one she keeps to herself):
If men didn’t have penises, they’d probably be a lot smarter.

Kate Turner is an overextended mom. She tries to care for her teenaged daughter, her son who suffers from Asperger’s and her elderly mother who lives down the block. She gets little help from her sometimes unfaithful husband, who has little time for his rebellious daughter and quirky son. Their lives start to unravel when their daughter is arrested for breaking into a neighbor’s house. Atcherberg tells the story of this family “practicing normal” through the alternating voices of the family members, each of whom is sympathetic but flawed. These characters are rich and believable and give us a story that is believable and captivating.

The characters and plot pulled me in quickly and kept me engaged. There was a lot going on in this novel - a lot of conflict, a lot of twists, a lot of drama. I enjoyed the author's writing style and liked how the chapters alternated points of views among the characters. I kept hoping to get a view from Mildred though.

Practicing Normal
by Cara Sue Achterberg
Available: June 6, 2017
Thank you to NetGalley.com for the opportunity to read an Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Ah – the great debate about “normal”. Are you normal if you’re happy? If you have money? If you have an important job and your children are smart/popular/athletic? As new definitions of normal or accepted are hurled at us every day, maybe normal is getting through the day and not hurting anyone?
What I loved: To see into the mind of Jenna was my favorite part of the story. As the mother of a teenager, I gained insight into my own child (minus the whole breaking and entering thing) while rembering my own teen angst against my father. My friends who have children “on the spectrum” (aren’t we all on one sort of spectrum or another?) or other learning abilities have told me time and and time again how they have to walk the very fine line between getting everything their child needs from the district and being such a demanding shrew that everyone groans when you walk into a room. I would have loved a chapter or two from JT’s point of view for his insight into the world because he was a fascinating character.
What I didn’t love: We could easily say the obvious (Everett - who I picture in my head as a cheezy Eric Estrada type from CHiPs but that’s probably because I’m seeing commercials for the movie reboot) but the character I really didn’t like was Kate. She was such a pushover her forehead said “Please Wipe Your Feet”. Between her mother and her husband, I’m shocked she hndn’t cracked yet. Towards the end she started to slowly gain a spine, bit by bit, but I think it would be crushed again by Everett.
What I learned: I’m locking my garage windows.
Overall Grade: B

www.FluffSmutandMurder.com

An entertaining book about a family- Jenna finds her first love and we follow her strange hobby. JT, the brother, is on the autism spectrum. Parents have their own problems. Good read.

Great book! Looking forward to reading more by this author! Highly recommend!

This isn't my normal type of read, but I liked it! The writing was on point, and I could not put it down.