This book is about was about a 14 year old girl, Jett Harper, as she starts freshman year at a new school. She has grown up being told that she isn’t normal so therefore puts a lot of pressure on herself to not show any ‘anormal’ signs.

I’ll be honest, I struggled a bit at the start because it was quite slow. But now I think this was done on purpose by the author to reflect how nothing is simple in Jett’s mind. And as someone with anxiety I can relate a lot to the constant overthinking of every tiny decision, so I think that’s quite a clever writing choice.

I gave it 3 stars because the plot isn’t anything extraordinary but I did still enjoy it!

I read a lot of YA fiction. I do this for two reasons. The first reason is that YA fiction is really, really good. It is far superior to the YA of my youth and it deals with topics that writers from my teen days would not have touched and for that I am thankful. The second reason is because I work with students and I strive to find books showing diversity of representation. I firmly believe that every child should be able to see themselves in fictional characters. To be able to look at a character and go "they are just like me." It is for this second reason that I really rate Needing Normal by Emma Grange.

Our protagonist - Jett Harper - finds the world hard. She takes the things that people say literally and she struggles to find her tribe of people because of this. However, when she is assigned to do a group task in school Jett shows herself and others just how she can overcome the challenges and barriers she faces. What's more is that it shows how a little kindness from others can go a long way.

Jett is a neurodiverse character and the way Grange has written her gives a clear insight into how the world is not shaped to fit every person and how the vulnerable can sometimes be left behind. Equally, she shows you how amazing a place the world can be when our expectations are altered.

Needing Normal is a book that needs to be in every school library. I know I will be getting a copy for my school.

Needing Normal by Emma Grange is available now.

I dnf'ed this title at 37%. It started of well with an intriguing plot and characters. However as I got more into it I realised that the character of Jett was very snobbish and unlikable. The protagonist was quite unbearable to read about and I couldn't sympathise for her.

The theme was great but the execution fell short. I lost interest in the plot as it seemed to go on about the same thing for a long time and it felt repetitive.

Other than that it felt like a nice quick read that discussed quite relieved and relatable middle grade themed but it just didn't work for me.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc.

I believe this type of story is very much necessary. It deviates from the normal YA storyline and I was eager to see what would happen. However, it had some issues that were difficult to ignore.

For the good parts, I liked being able to see things from Jett’s point of view. It is a unique perspective that reminded me how differently things appear to her. I liked her connection with her neighbor and felt that it came across authentic.

Now for the issues. Timing and pacing was hard to determine. Some chapters take place over one day while others happen over a series of days. We find out that Jett struggles with a particular class early on in the book and her new grade isn’t brought back up again until nearly halfway through the story. That made no sense since she got her initial grade pretty early on. The scenario that Jett finds herself in at the beginning is so unrealistic that it made me skeptical of the story.

Except for her neighbor or classmates, Jett is often by herself and I found it weird that we don’t see to much interaction from her parents unless there are problems. Her parents are very much good cop/bad cop roles that lacked depth. The story wasn’t a well rounded look at her life, just snippets her and there. Jett’s teachers bring up on multiple occasions how intelligent she is but I wish we actually saw that reflected in the story. When Jett finds herself struggling with an issues that requires outside help I was hoping at a realistic glimpse into everything she endures to regain her normal level of communication. Instead, the whole situation is skipped and we find her at the end of her stay with not much info as to what went in to helping her. Skipping such a pivotal time was a big disappointment. Especially since Jett seems leaves the center well adjusted, focused and confident. It feels like she is a different person. The ending is a big lead up to Jett’s ultimate success but I have no clue what the key was to the big turn around.

Overall, I think it was a decent book but I really wish it didn’t skip parts that were crucial to the validity and thoroughness of the story. Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC.

I honestly could not stand this book and it's portrayal of the character, she was incredibly stereotyped and painful to read and the story fell flat in so many areas, I made it around 70 pages in before having to stop for my own sanity

This book was so sweet. Tho author did a an amazing job with this book. I loved the characters. I would totally recommend to anyone and everyone.

⭑⭑⭑ 3 stars

themes:
- emotional navigation
- acceptance
- autism diagnosis
"'What you're telling me is, happy and sad and everything else I feel all can be part of contentment? You're saying all the emotions are valid. 'Typical' is comparative, while 'normal' is personally subjective. Are you telling me normal doesn't matter?!?'
'No, I'm suggesting just the opposite,' Dr. M said. 'Typical doesn't matter. And 'normal' is whatever you experience and accept it to be.'”

Goodreads Synopsis:
What do you do when you find out everything you know might be wrong?
Prove you’re right, of course.
And that’s exactly what Jett Harper plans to do.
As a freshman, she only has two goals: get good grades and prove she’s normal. That’s easy enough, right?
At least she thinks so, until she learns her biggest assignment is to understand love. Harder still? She must work within an assigned group, her Core5, and they couldn’t be more diverse. Will they make the grade?
As the Core5 tackles the school year head on, Jett also fights for the definitive answer to one other simple question: What is normal?

Plot
The author uses the plot as a tool to sculpt the characters: challenging them and encouraging them to be the best version of their selves. Nothing exactly wild happens. There are no twists. The plot is a simple conveyer belt moving the characters along their development arcs.

Characters & Dynamics
This is the main focus of the story. Jett's journey to understand love in all its forms (emphasis on understanding instead of participation) in a monumental group task to achieve the highest grade is a journey of acceptance, emotional navigation, and good grades.

I am sorry to say that I did not like the dynamics between Jett and half of the Core5. There didn't seem to be a solid bonding moment other than one conversation at a table that didn't justify Core5's strong feelings towards Jett. Especially the protectiveness from Carlos and Andy. Jett and Sam's dynamics was a much more comfortable bloom. And the relationship between Jett and Ruby I enjoyed too as it seemed much more complex than the other dynamics.

I really enjoyed Jett's relationship with her parents and how she suffers from one understanding parent and one non-understanding parent. The juxtaposition was a familiar theme and served different perspectives on Jett's atypical characteristics.

Jett as a character was slightly frustrating. She is depicted as incredibly intelligent and I enjoyed that aspect of the book, however it felt like she had never gone to school before and did not understand basic social communication. I think at high school age many autistic kids have learnt to mask and mimic their peers and yet there was very little of that in Jett's story.

Writing
The writing was really engaging. I enjoyed EG's writing very much, I think it's an ambitious feat to write about a character who is incredibly intelligent and EG pulled it off beautifully. Needing Normal was very easy to read in one go.

World Building
The world of Presidio Prep was exactly as expected, I enjoyed the mechanisms of the school and how they interacted with Jett. Although how helpful the school counsellor is is bordering on contrived; far too good to be true. But absolutely crucial to the story.

Likes
- The diversity of the characters
- The writing
- Jett's relationships with her parents
- Presidio Prep

Dislikes
- Some of the character dynamics
- Jett, sometimes

Final Thoughts
This is an engaging read full of complex relationships that the main character attempts to navigate. The reader is bought along on that journey and is lead to an insightful story of acceptance.

The plot was not the strongest, most complex one I’ve ever read, and the characters were not the most relatable (or even likable). However, this book had some great messages in it.
“What is normal?”, “What is love?”. Like Jett, I find that all of us search endlessly for an answer to those two (very complex) questions. What really made me finish the book was Jett’s quest for answers to these questions.
Something else that I liked was the neurodiverse rep (my understanding is that this is an OwnVoices book). To me, this was a positive aspect because I’m always searching for new books with neurodiverse representation (especially if they are written by neurodiverse authors).

Thank you to @NetGalley and @emmegrange for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Jett Harper wants desperately to be "normal," to fit in among her peers at high school. What is the definition of 'normal' though, and for that matter, of love and how one experiences it? Will she be accepted and have true friendships in and outside class? How does it all sync? Jett wants to know. Go through the ropes of doubt, stress and turmoil with Jett as she ponders and puzzles these weighty matters out for herself and how she squares in with her "Core5" group. Afterall, doesn't everyone "need normal"? Teens will certainly like this book.

~Eunice C., Reviewer/Blogger~

August 2021

Disclaimer: This is my honest opinion based on the review copy given by the publisher.

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Ok... so I am very upset to say that I dnf'd it at 50%. Whatever I was thinking before opening this book, it definitely wasn't what I got. There are only 2 ways one could go after reading this book. One, they would understand what this was about, they would find Jett amusing, and continue reading. Other, they would not understand it, they would think it's a pain to read it and they wouldn't be generous with ratings. I am in the latter category.

Jett is unlikable. That was clear from page one, and when it's the case with a story, a reader reads on for the plot or the character development. 50%, I read, I couldn't identify the plot. It's annoying, what's more annoying is Jett herself. She's the kind of person who's too self centred, she keeps making assumptions about every one, thinks she's the smartest (can't stop mentioning her "researchs" and "hypothesis") but is really portrayed stupid in social terms. I can't understand her problem, and unlike the school therepist, I am not patient enough.

“20 page research with relevant links associated with how Carlos is mentally sick”

“Was she even a qualified teacher?”

“Manita, imaginary sister of Carlos.”

It was just too much.

To me, it was thoroughly boring. So little happened compared to the number of pages. More or less, I was always annoyed with Jett's questions. The book just got on my nerves, I couldn't bear one more word.

Thank you NetGalley and for providing me a digital arc of this book.

Have to say, this book is one of a kind.

I expected to be disappointed because most the time the ‘I am the most smartest person in the who universe, worship me’ people always are the snob and rude people who are annoying and then end up hating the book because every second of the book I’m hating the main character. But, even in this book, the Main character, Jett, WAS like that but it didn’t ruin the book.

In short worda, this is worth reading. It’s totally awesome and cool even though the characters are not likable but you’ll enjoy the book, I’m tellin’ ya. A bit. This CAN get boring in the miidlle and make you feel like dnf-ing the book but its okay-ish by the end. The person I’m not cool with is Jett’s mother who pushes her and tries makes her into ‘cool’ and ‘normal’ and popular’ and something she is not! Eff off woman🔪

Overall, it was good though confusing at times. I only have two problems with this book:
~ Slow pace
~ Confusing plot

I kinda didn’t know what was happening in the middle of the story and also this is quite long. The length is always a problem but I’m glad I didn’t ‘hate’ it, I already have enough on my mind. It could have been more realistic though, I don’t think people like Jett live in this society. And I didn't like the Indian boy rep here...I just didn't like it.

Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.

Loved it! It was so good. Well written. Great characters. Would recommend to friends and family. Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for my copy of this book.

Needing Normal is about a 14 year old teenage girl named Jett Harper. She's going to start at a new school. At her new school she needs to do a group assigment with her 4 classmates. They need research and make a project about love. In this YA Jett takes you with her to discover what love is all about. Maybe love means something to you than it does to me.

I enjoyed this book. It was so beautiful to see Jett grow and see the heartwarming relationship she has with her father. Damn but I was so annoyed with her mother. If you want to know why....than you should read the book ;).

The book has short chapters and reads easy. That's what I really enjoy when I read a book. Another plus is that is has a disability representation.

Thank you NetGalle for providing me with a copy of this Arc. All opinions are my own.

I loved the neurodivergent rep, although I'm neurotypical so it's not for me to judge whether it was good. (I think it was OwnVoices??) The plot was ok, a little bland, though, and I felt that Andy was not great rep (this is me saying this as an Indian person, by the way)

I don't know. It just felt a little mediocre.

"Needing Normal" is about a 14 year old girl —Jett Harper— who is starting freshman year in a new school and is trying to find what is to be normal. Because of her mother, that are constantly telling everyone that she is not normal, Jett is always trying her best to fit in and not to show any "anormal signs".

At first I found the book a little slow and too descriptive, but then I understood the purpose of the author writing the book the way it is. I really liked Jett and her way of seeing the world. Jett is someone who is always trying her best in everything in order to catch even the minimum detail and her way to sort things out is really impressive.

There were two things that made me choose to read this book. One of them is the definition of "being normal" and the other, the definition of love.; and I found the answers inside the book.

Even though the bookdoesn't have an amazing plot, the author's words are meaningful and the message she wanted to give is clear.

"In what scenario did she get to avoid counseling offices and people assessing her well-being? In what scenario was Jett accepted as valuable, just as she was? That was the scenario she wanted."

Needing Normal follows Jett Harper, a 14-year-old girl who is starting freshman year at a new school and is grappling with the concept of "normal." She wishes strongly to fit in with her peers, but can't help but feel different from them. Furthermore, through a school project that puts her in a group with four of her peers, Jett must focus on the concept of love when she is unsure if she has ever experienced it before. Through the relationships built over the course of the year, Jett learns about life, love, and the fact that maybe normal is overrated, anyway.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel and living inside of Jett's head. Her voice was so strong and carried the novel nicely. Getting to see the way her brain worked was marvelous and I grew attached to her very quickly. I also enjoyed the cast of supporting characters and the bonds that they formed, and I can't wait to see them continue to develop as the series continues. The Core5 friends were all likable and nuanced. Jett's relationship with her father was heartwarming (I call my father Daddio as well, so I found this particularly endearing), as was her friendship with Ben and Yoda. Her complicated relationship with her mother was well-balanced, though I was surprised at how insensitive her mother was with her background and education in psychology.

The plot itself wasn't particularly eventful, but it didn't need to be. While I felt that the pacing was a bit confusing at times, I thought the overall flow of the book worked well. Needing Normal is a charming novel with a lot of heart, and I eagerly await the sequel.