Am I Normal Yet?

“Bad stuff happens, people are mean, there are no steps you can take that ensure the world leaves you alone. All you can do is try not to be one of those people who contributes to the bad.”

This is the perfect example of why I believe people should pay more attention to the genre that is Young Adult. There are some fantastic and wonderful books such as this that get overlooked.

As someone who struggles with mental illness, it wasn't hard to connect with Evie and the struggle of attempting to juggle everyday life while just trying to simply exist when your mind is fighting against you.

Mental illness is an extremely serious topic and I loved the way it was depicted in this story, in a way that might seem confronting but quite insightful and brutally honest. It's not a walk in the park to battle with your mind. It's not easy and it's a journey that millions of people unfortunately have to partake in.

I loved every minute of this and I found myself sucked into the story and the characters from the very first chapter.

Not only did this shine light on mental illness but it also touched on subjects of feminism and how misogynists often use mental illness as a scapegoat to excuse their behaviour or paint women negatively when they don't fit their narratives.

I loved that at the core of this story, Evie just needed to focus on her self acceptance rather than masking and fighting who she is. Evie had to learn that people around her who love her just want her to be her, nothing else.

I can't wait to read more from this author.

I gave this book 4.5 stars when I read it 5 years ago but am now bumping it down to a 3.75 (3.5 simply feels too low). I love this book and the portrayal of mental illness. The main reason for lowering the review is that the feminism in the book very much lacks intersectionality. I didn't realise it when I was 15, but in hindsight a broader lens when discussing feminist issues would have made this book all the more impactful. Regardless it was enjoyable and the characters are so loveable!