How to Be Normal (Ange Crawford, Walker)

Ange Crawford’s debut novel, How to Be Normal, is a visceral and compelling read. It centres on Astrid, who is returning to high school after five years of homeschooling. She is desperate to navigate this new world unnoticed – she doesn’t want to be the weird, homeschooled girl and doesn’t want any attention drawn to her home life and all the rules surrounding it. However, as Astrid’s world grows with new people and new opportunities, she begins to dream of a new way of living – a new kind of normal. From the very first page, How to Be Normal is permeated with anxiety. Crawford accurately and delicately portrays the hypervigilance and self-policing used to enact safety when living with family violence. This tension of the ever-present threat at home is artfully balanced against the blossoming of Astrid’s friendships and sense of self, and Crawford centres hope, resilience and connection. How to Be Normal features a rich array of characters, with queerness integrated throughout. Diversity of sexuality, gender identity and gender expression are presented matter-of-factly, making for a pleasant normalisation of LGBTQIA+ representation. With the author’s sensitivity and skill in pacing and characterisation, it is clear why How to Be Normal won the inaugural (2023) Walker Books Manuscript Prize. How to Be Normal is best suited to readers aged 14+ and fans of contemporary YA that is both gritty and wholesome, such as the works of Helena Fox and Vikki Wakefield.

Books+Publishing reviewer: Jordi Kerr is a freelance reviewer and youth literature advocate, and a support worker for the LGBTIQA+ community. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

Books+Publishing pre-publication reviews are supported by the Copyright Agency Cultural Fund.

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