We Are Totally Normal
In this queer contemporary YA, perfect for fans of Becky Albertalli and This Is Kind of an Epic Love Story, Nandan's perfect plan for junior year goes awry after he hooks up with a guy for the first time.
Nandan's got a plan to make his junior year perfect, but hooking up with his friend Dave isn't part of it--especially because Nandan has never been into guys.
Still, Nandan's willing to give a relationship with him a shot. But the more his anxiety grows about what his sexuality means for himself, his friends, and his social life, the more he wonders whether he can just take it all back.
Is breaking up with Dave--the only person who's ever really gotten him--worth feeling "normal" again?
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Naomi Kanakia has written three young adult novels. She also has some forthcoming books for adults, and her essays, short stories, and poetry have appeared all over the place. She grew up in Washington, DC, and she currently lives in San Francisco with her wife and daughter.
"A brilliant coming-of-age story. Every teen needs this book."--Julian Winters, award-winning author of Running With Lions
"An endearing, messy, and honest exploration of identity that reminds us that discovering who we aren't is as important as discovering who we are."--Shaun David Hutchinson, author of We Are the Ants and Brave Face
"Incisive, funny, and gloriously messy."--Kelly Loy Gilbert, author of Picture Us in the Light
"A perfect story about the complications of sexuality and identity. I adored this book from beginning to end."--Mason Deaver, author of I Wish You All the Best
"A fresh and rare exploration of sexuality, identity, friendship, and love."--Dahlia Adler, author of Under the Lights
Told through the eyes of one of the most endearing and real characters I've ever met, We Are Totally Normal is validating, entertaining, and filled with love.--Kacen Callender, Stonewall award-winning author of This Is Kind of an Epic Love Story
This story could be what a reader out there needs.--Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA)
A touching novel about all the confusions and intensities of high school, from sexuality to peer pressure... The novel deftly negotiates the complexities of teenage friendships and relationships with insight and compassion.--Teen Vogue
We Are Totally Normal downplays its literary sensibility with lighthearted humor and smart, bantering dialog. This book is a great choice for readers interested in LGBTQ+ and QPOC romance and post-Millennial coming-of-age stories.--them.us
This is not a typical coming-out narrative.... The most interesting parts of the book deal with Nandan's conflicted feelings about masculinity and gendered friendships, as he struggles to understand the power dynamics among his male friends and longs for close platonic friendships with girls.--School Library Journal
An engrossing and palpable story that is in no rush to have all the answers, and that's totally normal. --Sara Farizan, award-winning author of Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel
One of my favorite things about how much queer YA we get these years is that we're finally allowed to have the messy stuff, the representation that isn't the neatest and most pristine and clear cut.... Is Nandan bisexual? Is he in it to be more interesting? Is he always going to be "different" now, even more than before? So many questions and no great answers, but exploring the complexity of it all is the beauty of this book.--LGBTQ Reads
With its fast, dialogue-driven pacing, humor, and finger on the youthful pulse, this book will find an eager audience in queer and questioning teens, especially those of color.--Booklist
[We Are Totally Normal's] strength lies in the normalization of negotiating the complex social structure of teenage friendships and relationships.--Kirkus Reviews
Raw, intimate, and unflinchingly honest, We Are Totally Normal fully embraces the messiness and unpredictability of the human heart. --Laurie Elizabeth Flynn, author of Firsts, Last Girl Lied To, and All Eyes on Her
