Ellie Haycock is Totally Normal is a heartwarming and poignant adult novel that masterfully explores the journey of growing up. The characters are portrayed with such depth and authenticity that they almost leap off the page as real individuals.

The narrative spotlights Ellie's friendships within the hospital setting, where she and her peers are navigating their own challenges. These relationships are depicted with a rich tapestry of compassion and understanding, enriching the story with layers of heartfelt interactions.

While the book features a romantic subplot, it smartly focuses more on Ellie's personal development. Watching her learn to accept help and support from those around her adds a powerful layer to her story, highlighting the strength found in vulnerability.

This novel entertains and resonates deeply, reminding us of the incredible value of steadfast friends who stand by us through life's rollercoaster moments. It's a celebration of friendship and self-discovery that leaves a lasting impression.

Thank you to Wednesday Books for the eARC!

This was a good book that I think many young readers would enjoy! Also, I can see this being adapted into a movie, maybe a series. I enjoyed the depth that the author incorporated into this story.

I received an ARC from St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I loved Ellie, and all of her friends. Make sure to read the author’s note at the beginning of the novel - it adds another layer to the story. I appreciated the grit, honesty and respect this novel was written with. I think it would be a great read for all teens and parents.

I found the premise intriguing, but the medical discussions and medical gaslighting were just a little too much for me, sorry!

Book Review:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Gretchen Schreiber was inspired to write, Ellie Haycock Is Totally Normal, when she noticed a gaping hole in literature. In an effort to create a character that both she and others could identify with, she used her medical journey as a jumping off point. While this is not an autobiographical story, her first hand accounts provide readers with a unique look into a teenager struggling to be taken seriously by medical professionals, well-meaning family members, and society as a whole.

Yes, there have been a handful of recent YA books chronicling teens navigating life, love, and medical illnesses. Some of the more popular ones have even been turned into movies (6 Feet Apart and The Fault in our Stars). However, none of them have been written by an author who has lived it. Schrieber’s first hand experience made for an eye opening read.

Ellie is not your ideal protagonist. I often found myself annoyed or upset with her choices. In her effort to suppress her expectations she blames hospitals and doctors for not being able to cure her. In addition she compartmentalizes her life into two categories: ‘life-life’ and ‘hospital-life’, never wanting to mix the two. This results in her cutting people out when they step over one of her boundaries. This form of self-sabotage was both heartbreaking and infuriating. But if I am being honest with myself I would probably handle things the same way.

While I usually prefer a HEA, I loved how Schrieber chose to close this story. Ellie’s friendships and relationship with her mother was perfectly handled. This was a terrific debut novel that brought much needed awareness to the book community. I look forward to following Schrieber’s career.

Special thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Gretchen Scrieber for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

I think this had a lot of potential and will resonate with some but I don’t think it worked for me! Ellie was super jaded and it was hard to read about some times. I didn’t really buy the romance and I was beyond frustrated by the mom. I would definitely read another book by this author!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book. This was such a heartwarming story! The story follows a young lady with a disability throu ought her daily struggles. As someone with chronic illness and disabilities I could definitely relate. The author did a wonderful job!

📖My Thoughts📖

Sometimes you find yourself reading a book that you can really relate to, but from the other side of the fence. While reading said book, you are able to see things from a completely different perspective. This was one of those books. While it was hard to read at times, it opened my eyes to a lot of things, but I also felt a huge connection to Ellie. See, I work in healthcare. I have for over half of my life actually. I started out as a caregiver in a group home. From a caretaker, to an LNA and now a surgical technologist. Not only have I been the caregiver, but I’ve also been the patient myself. While my times as the patient weren’t the same as Ellie, it allowed me get a better idea of what other patients experience. I think the author did an amazing job portraying all the emotions that someone goes through while going through this. I know that she stated that this story is very similar to her own, but sometimes it’s difficult to put things into words. The writing was raw and filled with emotion, allowing the reader to get a better understanding of all that encompasses being a patient. I think the pacing was perfect and the writing was very descriptive and very articulated. While it’s a very heavy story, it’s definitely worth reading.
Thank you Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press and Gretchen Schreiber for the opportunity to read and review this book. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

This was a fun young adult romance novel! I loved the story in this book! The main characters disability felt very realistic and I loved getting to explore a disease I didn't know very much about before reading this book. The main character herself was hard for me to connect to than some of the secondary characters like her friends. I also struggled a lot with feeling the romance between the characters. Overall though it was a fun read that explored a topic I wasn't previously familiar with. Definitely recommend if you enjoy ya romance novels with disabilities representation in them.

This book is a very much young adult story about a girl named Ellie who has an illness.

She feels like she lives two separate lives. One where she is a normal teenager in high school on the debate team. While her other life is in and out of hospitals.

What I found a bit frustating was Ellie’s mom who kept posting about her illness online for the world to see. However, toward the end I felt for her mother. This was her way of coping with her daughters illness.

This go around in the hospital she meets an amazing group of friends. I absolutely loved them. I love that they never gave up on her and kept showing up.

The story felt very real and the overall message I got was to make sure to always advocate for yourself in the medical field.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and author for the copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I wanted to love this book more than anything, but it fell flat for me. The premise of romance in the context of illness/disability was beautiful but the romance fell flat and the interactions between Ellie and her mom were never empathetic on either side, which as someone with a disability, I found to be unrealistic. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free advance copy.

This was such a fun book. I enjoyed it so much and read it in one day! I would definitely recommend this book to all my family and friends.

I received a complimentary copy of this book "Ellie Haycock is Totally Normal" and all opinions expressed are my own. I really tried to get into this book but it was not for me.

DNF @ 17%

Honestly I just couldn't connect with the characters and the content. I thought this would be interesting when sold as The Breakfast Club in hospital... however, the fmc was rude, and just downright unlikeable. I get that she's been through a lot, but for me, I didn't have any interest in continuing.

They're not kidding about The Breakfast Club reference. That was the reference that hooked me on the book. Ellie has such a huge heart that she doesn't know how to protect it and rather than suffering constant heartaches she has separated her life and, in the process, cut herself off from feeling fully. But Ellie isn't the only character here, all of the characters; Veronica, Luis, Caitlin, Ryan, and even Brooke, who we barely get to know, are all so rounded and full. This is a powerful book for those without disabilities or chronic illness, giving insight into the world most of us are lucky enough to only glimpse most of the time in a way that isn't just depressing like Lurlene McDaniel's books. It was a lot of fun to read. I hope The Tumor Squad does well in the world.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author via Netgalley & Wednesday Books in exchange for an honest review.

This story follows a teen girl who stays at home or goes to the hospital and is trying to find her “normal”. I really enjoyed the storyline of this book. Schreiber did a good job describing a teen girl’s story and how Ellie wants a normal, basic life but has to through so much. I’m not a huge fan of hospital-themed books but I wanted to give this story a chance and really liked the message behind the story. I was not a huge fan of the MC as I kind of found her annoying at times but I did try to understand that she was going through so much and is just angry at the world in the understandable moment. I liked the friend group in this book and how supportive they were. The romance wasn’t it for the book and I didn’t feel the chemistry between the couple. Overall this was a great book that showcases so much of a young girl’s disability and how she navigates the world.

*this arc was sent to me by the publisher to give an honest review in return*

My heart<3

What an adorable and educational read by Gretchen Schreiber! High school student Ellie navigates life in two separate worlds: one at home, and one at the hospital. During her stay, Ellie forms unexpected friendships and discovers the possibility of an extraordinary life beyond her illness. This heartwarming and inspiring story is perfect for fans of Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott.

This was a good story with a lot of insights for readers to learn from. I feel like the main character learned a lot and was frustrated with the cards they were dealt. But also had her friends help her put things in perspective. It was a great read.

I really felt for Ellie, and I liked the story that was told using the medical diagnoses she'd been dealing with as a child and her sanding up for herself. I felt for the mom and ultimately I liked how the story played out.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.