Review - Fifteen Seconds of Normal

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.

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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!

YA Review - Frannie and Tru

Frannie and Tru by Karen Hattrup 

What the say: When Frannie Little eavesdrops on her parents fighting she discovers that her cousin Truman is gay, and his parents are so upset they are sending him to live with her family for the summer. At least, that’s what she thinks the story is. . . When he arrives, shy Frannie befriends this older boy, who is everything that she’s not–rich, confident, cynical, sophisticated. Together, they embark on a magical summer marked by slowly unraveling secrets.

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Buy links:
Amazon UK * Harper 360 * Amazon US


I received a copy in exchange for an honest review!

What I say: I loved the drama, slow pace and often unfortunate tension between the characters in this cute YA contemporary story.
I've seen a few people mention a disconnect with the characters but I actually appreciated the distance and awkward feel. Karen Hattrup does a great job portraying the variety of problems teens face today. She tackles the potential pitfalls of first crushes, issues of gender and sexuality, religion and family in a sensitive and forthright manner.
Frannie isn't particularly likeable, but without making too great a generalisation, this can be said about a lot of teenagers. Emotions are heightened and Frannie is desperate to be liked and prove herself to Tru. I really wanted her to stand up to him and do things for herself a bit more.
Tru is Frannie's cool older cousin. She looks up to him and is thrilled when he comes to stay with her family for the summer. The tone gives a firm nod to Paper Towns and The Perks of Being a Wallflower but not in quite the same way. I also liked the analysis of the drama of The Great Gatsby, the commentary on society and levels of wickedness.

I loved the members of the band and Sparrow. I would have liked to read from Sparrow's POV, or even from the twins. I did initially think we needed to hear from Tru but the point of the books is that Tru remains something of a mystery - his POV would have removed this - sometimes the unknown is more intriguing...

Frannie and Tru is a Gloriously awkward coming of age story.

4 Stars in my Sky!

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