Honestly I liked the book in general but there were a few things that frustrated me. I didn't like Heather and Liz, they didn't seem like very good friends and I hate how Heather kept trying to push Alexi into dating guys she wasn't interested in. Another thing I didn't like was the fact that Alexi didn't show any signs of distress or any level of discomfort with her rapist because the author was trying to keep the rapists identity a mystery. I also disliked the fact that Bodee told Liz what happened to Alexi when she obviously was not comfortable with her knowing, if he was going to betray her trust he could have at least told her parents instead. Faking Normal is a raw, difficult story of two teens who help each other through trauma. Alexi has been raped over the summer, but has not shared the information with anyone, including her parents, sister, and friends. Bodee, a quiet boy with a locker next to hers, saw his dad shoot and kill his mom. Bodee doesn't have friends, and he is only known as the Kool-Aid kid (because every day he dyes his hair with a different shade of Kool-Aid powder). Since Bodee's and Alexi's moms were in the same prayer group, Alexi's mom invites Bodee to come and live at Alexi's house with her family. Bodee and Alexi begin a slow but sincere friendship, and she starts to trust him. He is the only one who notices the scratches she leaves on her neck, and she is the only one he trusts with information about his mom and what happened. Alexi continues to struggle to "fake normal" in various dating situations, even though she is terrified after what happened. As she reveals more and more about what happened and how she still has to see her attacker in certain situations, the reader is left wondering and analyzing every man in her life. Bodee is perceptive enough to see that someone has hurt her, and finally helps her to say what happened and free herself from the horrible pain of keeping everything inside. The story is well written and realistic and ends on a positive note, but it's definitely more appropriate for older teens. There's a lot of difficult content: murder, rape, trauma, self-injury, teenage drinking, etc. Many teens could probably be positively affected by the conclusion of this story, but it's probably too much for some younger readers to handle.
What do You think about Um Dia De Cada Vez (2014)?
Would give it more than 5 stars if i could! Absolutely loved it. We all need a Bodee
—banburybrit
