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 Faking Normal is one of those rare books that's life-changing; reading Courtney C. Stevens'd debut left a huge impact on me and I'm definitely not the same person that I was when I started this novel. Faking Normal is a book that deals with such a taboo topic, but at the same time, it's more than that. Don't pass off Faking Normal as just another contemporary "issues" book! This is an essential book about finding the courage to deal with the past and piecing ourselves about together after a traumatic experience. 
 I'm not a huge fan of contemporary literature by any means, but Faking Normal is a book that I can't praise enough. This is a novel that isn't just a "good read"; Faking Normal deals with so many issues that are so commonplace in society and yet, the media refuses to acknowledge these universal struggles. The issues that Stevens deals with aren't going away any time soon and these issues need to be addressed in a proper fashion. Courtney C. Stevens's novel will change lives, it will help those who are victimized find the courage to speak up and show these victims that they are not alone in this world. 
 Even those who aren't victims of society will still be able to find solace in Faking Normal because it deals with real issues that average people deal with on a daily basis. Have you ever been a bystander? Have you ever been in a situation where you were too scared to speak up and let your voice be heard? Faking Normal is a honest and brutal depiction of a girl trying to open up to the world about being raped, but it is truly so much more. Faking Normal is a must-read for older-teens and adults everywhere because there is just so much wisdom and so many important life lessons that readers should take to heart. 
 Alexi and Bodee both suffer from a troubled past, but the thing is that Courtney C. Stevens doesn't want readers to pity them--she wants readers to understand what's like to be uncomfortable in your skin. Alexi and Bodee are both real, genuine characters who readers will root for from start to finish. I easily empathized with both characters and I desperately yearned for the duo to overcome their troubled pasts and find the strength to open up to the world. 
 Alexi and Bodee aren't the conventional, stereotypical characters that are usually found in YA novels, these two characters are completely and utterly special. I personally believe that so many YA books misrepresent teenagers and what being a teenager is actually like. Most YA books focus on a teenage archetype and the Alexis and the Bodees in this world aren't given the proper representation in books. There are so many Alexis and Bodees in this world, teenagers who don't fit into what's supposedly considered "normal" for teenagers and they need to have a voice, they can't just be ignored. We truly need more characters like Bodee and Alexi in YA and I really appreciate Stevens's ingenuity in including diverse main characters. I loved Bodee's introverted, awkward teenage persona and I truly believe his character is one of the most accurate depictions of what being a teenager is actually like. 
 Faking Normal benefits from an extremely strong plot and Courtney C. Stevens's excellent prose. I loved watching Bodee and Alexi slowly form a relationship and find strength in each other. Their relationship was extremely well-done and I truly believe that they are an absolutely perfect couple. The mystery components of Faking Normal are well-paced and these sections had so many twists that shocked me. As I said countless times before, Faking Normal shines brightest when it delivers an emotional, heartbreaking tale. Stevens writes with so much passion that it's so easy to get caught up in the cavalcade of emotions and to turn into a sobbing mess. When I reached the ending of Faking Normal, I couldn't stop crying and even as I type up this review, I feel tears pin-pricking my eyes. 
 Faking Normal is easily one of the best novels I've ever read and I guarantee that this book will still hold a permanent home on my bookshelf twenty years from now. I will definitely be re-reading Faking Normal in the future, this time I'll be more emotionally prepared and I'll have two boxes of tissues on hand.