Fifteen Seconds of Normal
by Alex Marestaing
What they say: Step 1: Transfer High Schools.
Step 2: Hide your Tourette’s.
Step 3: Find your fifteen seconds of normal.
Kaeya Garay has a plan. And it seems to be working. But when a curious interruption named Thatcher Kelly stumbles upon her “safe” place in the school’s abandoned art gallery, her grand plans for normalcy are suddenly derailed.
Set over the course of three weeks, Fifteen Seconds of Normal is the quirky saga of a literature obsessed teen on the edge of a meltdown and the hope driven heroine who begins to pull him back. Fans of Eleanor and Park be warned. You won’t be able to put this one down.
A “Breakfast Club” for a new generation from EPIC Award finalist Alex Marestaing, author of I’m Nobody: The Lost Pages.
Buy links:
US * UK
I received a copy from YA Bound in exchange for an honest review!
What I say: Fifteen Seconds of Normal is Kaeya's and Thatcher's story. Kaeya is battling her Tourettes and trying to find a way to live a normal teenage life after a huge tragedy. Thatcher is having a particularly terrible day when we meet him. The school photo was like the ultimate nightmare scenario and I felt particularly sorry for him, especially considering what lead to it and with the ensuing carnage.
I loved the awkwardness which seemed to ooz out of Thatcher and Kaeya. It was this vulnerability and general struggle which seem to pull them together and I loved how they began to rely on each other.
This is going to sound a bit odd, but something about the character voices reminded me of Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist (the plot is totally different though). I hope this will make more sense when you read the book...?
It's worth noting the story isn't always easy but that there are real moments of joy mixed in with the more difficult ones.
The synopsis and cover may have initially drawn me to Fifteen Seconds of Normal, but the tone and characters kept me reading this interesting YA contemporary story.
A solid 4 Stars in my Sky!
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