When Travis returns home from a stint in Afghanistan, his parents are splitting up, his brother’s stolen his girlfriend and his car, and he’s haunted by nightmares of his best friend’s death. It’s not until Travis runs into Harper, a girl he’s had a rocky relationship with since middle school, that life actually starts looking up. And as he and Harper see more of each other, he begins to pick his way through the minefield of family problems and post-traumatic stress to the possibility of a life that might resemble normal again. Travis’s dry sense of humor, and incredible sense of honor, make him an irresistible and eminently lovable hero.
Something Like Normal has been on my radar for a while but it’s one of those books that I just kept putting off. I was a little scared to read it because my expectations were pretty high after reading all the wonderful reviews. I’m happy to say that my expectations were met and exceeded.
Something Like Normal is a short book but don’t let that fool you. It will take you on a roller coaster ride of emotions in just a little over 200 pages. I laughed, I cried, and there were some times when I really just wanted to scream (I was on a plane at the time so I don’t think that would have gone over well.) From the very first page I felt connected and invested in the characters and I was rooting for a happy ending. Something Like Normal takes no time at all to get into and you won’t want to stop reading once you start.
Travis has not had it easy the past year. His best friend is dead, his girlfriend left him for his younger brother, his dad hates him, and his mom has become a little obsessive. Everything changed for him when he joined the military. It’s easy to see that he has post traumatic stress disorder but he doesn’t want to deal with it. He does everything he can to forget about what happened in Afghanistan but he can’t leave it behind. Travis is very emotionally messed up but I couldn’t help but love him. His heart was in the right place, even if his head wasn’t. He’s an easy character to grow attached to and you won’t be able to help loving him and wanting him to be happy. His family is really messed up but not one of the worse I’ve read. His mom was loving and supportive and awesome, no matter what he did. His brother was a little annoying. His dad was a downright ass. Just saying. As for Harper, she was everything I could have wanted in a love interest for Travis. She wasn’t his typical style (like his crazy ex-girlfriend) and that’s what he needed. He needed someone smart and stable and kind. Harper was perfect for Travis.
The story is a lot deeper than most YA. In fact, this one could pretty much be considered NA. I really liked that Trish Doller didn’t try to gloss over the gritty details. Travis has seen people die. In fact, he’s been the cause of some of those deaths. Trish Doller doesn’t leave out any of the details about what Travis has seen and done. She didn’t shy away from the hard stuff and it made Travis’ story so much better.
Overall, I highly recommend checking out Trish Doller’s debut novel. Contemporary fans will completely adore it.
What others are saying about Something Like Normal:
YA Book Queen’s review: “Once I began, I couldn’t put this book down until the final page arrived.”
Stacked’s review: “Trish Doller’s Something Like Normal is an emotional read and one that hits every single note right.”
The Bookish Brunette’s review: “Call me predictable, but given that this book has a Military Man in it, it pretty much rocked my face off.”