Review : Something Like Normal by Trish Doller

Summary (from Goodreads)

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.

Personal Thoughts

This book wasn't really on my radar since I thought it would be some kind of fluffy romance, but when Cait from Basia's Bookshelf highly praised it, I knew this would be my kind of book. Something Like Normal isn't your typical YA contemporary book. Behind the "more of a love story" cover, lies a beautiful and poignant tale of a young man learning to deal with reality and learning to get over a painful experience.

Travis Stephenson comes back home for a month holiday after enlisting to the Marine in Afghanistan 7 months ago. He returns a completely different man and realizes that life back in the US is in shambles. His parents' relationship is rocky, his brother is dating his ex-girlfriend and his dead best friend keeps popping up everywhere. It's like everything has changed. The only thing in his life that has remained unaltered is Harper, a girl he hasn't gotten along with in a long time. Soon, he and Harper start spending time together, and he starts to come to terms with his reality.

Travis was a character who was so easy to fall for because of his heart-warming personality. He didn't have a normal childhood since his domineering and callous father kept pressuring him to do things he didn't want to and insulted him whenever Travis refused to heed him. In fact, the main reason he joined the Marine was to escape his egotistic father. I thought it was incredibly courageous of him to indulge in such a risky job. Before he left, Travis was pretty much a typical guy. He participated in sports, drank, partied and slept with girls. His experience in Afghanistan was a reality check for him and it brought him back to his senses. He underwent an extreme emotional maturity. At the same time, his time in Afghanistan also tormented him. When he returned, he was plagued by nightmares and visions of his dead best friend because he felt guilty and was also suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Travis might have been strong but he also had an air of vulnerability to him that made him all the more likable. Also, he wasn't always flawless and he made mistakes like a normal human being. Trish Doller did a fabulous job at encompassing Travis' range of emotions and she did it in a way that touches your heart and makes you want to cry. Harper, his love interest, was another favorite of mine. I loved how nonjudgmental and big-hearted she was. I'll be the first to admit that what Travis did to her was selfish and really mean, but the fact that Harper forgave him and provided him with a chance highlights her kindness. Basically, Harper acted as an anchor to Travis. This figurative quote from the book perfectly describes her role : " She stands there and keeps me from drowning ". I liked that she was there for him no matter what. She stood by his side and most of all I liked that she didn't pity him, but instead provided a shoulder for him to cry wordlessly. Both Travis and Harper ended up topping my list of favorite characters because they were portrayed in a realistic manner.

As I mentioned above, the book wasn't exactly a romance book. It had a lot of elements in it. It was a story about healing, making amends and learning to live life all over again. I'll be honest, I had no idea that soldiers went through such a tough and miserable time, so in a way, this book was very knowledgeable to me because it gave me so much insight on the lives of soldiers in war zones. I loved the secondary characters in this book. The book makes you wonder what it would have been like if you were in Travis' place. The secondary characters were also absolutely fantastic and weren't left in the side lines. Wonderfully fleshed-out, they made reading their interactions with the main characters delightful. Travis' mom ,especially, stood out throughout the story because she too grew. Her devotion to her son was really sweet. The romance in the book wasn't overly sappy and it didn't take over the plot. It was subtle ,but satisfying. I thought Harper and Travis had a strong and healthy relationship that eventually grew to become one based on trust and support. Concerning the writing style, few authors can perfect the male POV and in my opinion, Trish Doller nailed it. Her writing was simple, yet beautiful. I liked how she gave her readers glimpses of what it was like on the war zone with several flashback scenes strewn across the story. These scenes helped me understand in depth the mindset of Travis. Something Like Normal is a book that will suck you in, will have you reading non-stop and will leave you in an emotional mess.

Trish Doller wrote a simple, but meaningful and deep story that will strike you with an intense rush of feelings. It's a book that's really worth reading because it's got brilliant characters, a beautiful plot, a spine-tingling romance and important values to be learned. For me, Something Like Normal was a winner!

Rating

Cover : 4/5
Characters : 5/5
Plot : 4/5
Writing : 4/5