#the art of being normal

[your-stranger-halfblood-things]

LGBTQ+ book recommendations:

. Felix Ever After - Kacen Callender

. The Art of Being Normal - Lisa Williamson

. Into the Light - Mark Oshiro

. Last Night at the Telegraph Club - Malinda Lo

. Ziggy, Stardust & Me - James Brandon

. Carry On - Rainbow Rowell

. Red, White & Royal Blue - Casey McQuiston

. The Song of Achilles - Madeline Miller

. Cemetery Boys - Aiden Thomas

. George - Alex Gino

. Rick - Alex Gino

. Camp QUILTBAG - Nicole Melleby and A.J. Sass

. The Taking of Jake Livingston - Ryan Douglass

. The Wicker King - Ancrum

[zaneiguesss]

In The Art Of Being Normal Kate saying to Leo "you're a girl" just seems really out of character. And not to mention to me the cis woman author writing out the word Tranny is just really untastfull to me. I understand why it was wrote in the context it was but still the fact she's cis and writing that is just off to me. Don't get me wrong it is a decently good book and it's got me intrigued it's just some things that are put and said are just weird.

[aromantisk-fagforening]

why the fuck did 27% of readers ok storygraph call this book "light-hearted", it's literally about two outcasts in an outcast group and discusses some deeply illegal against individuals stuff in addition to bullying (which idk if is illegal but it's bad at least). Like it has some humor sometimes, but for the most part it's about being a trans teen sucking so bad.

Let's just say one of the things could in Norway be punished with like 1-6 years in prison, though I'm not entirely sure which laws apply as I'm not educated in law personally. "light-hearted" my ass.

I think I've heard of milder things being categorized in the category that can lead to 6 years of prison, but I remember them getting a giant fine, so idk if those people got prison.

(the characters in the book seem to get little punishment but I think it just wasn't reported)

[jimcantswim]

havent read a book since highschool but i find myself now halfway through this one

[transmascotd]

transmasc character of the day: leo denton from the art of being normal

[transnickle]

The art of being normal by Lisa Williamson: review

I just finished reading The art of being normal by Lisa Williamson and I very much enjoyed this story about being young and trans. This is definitely a trans book for Young like teenage trans people and it being set in the UK some of the normal things went over my head or confused me but that's a me problem. The characters are very believable in all their weird ways.

4 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐

[potentialfirehazard]

reading this book rn and yeah even from the get go like the first 100 pgs i didn’t know if i wanted to keep reading. like it’s TOTALLY written by a cis person

where’s the empathy??? like did the author just not even try to think of what life actually would be like for these characters? like as real people they wouldn’t talk about their trans identity like that AT ALLLLL like bro ive been trans my whole life and never heard of no NATAL FEMALE TF

I was re-reading "That Art of Being Normal" again, after re-buying it because my first copy "mysteriously" disappeared.

And you can tell this book is written by a cis woman because when Leo comes out to Kate, instead of telling her "I'm trans" he fucking takes off his clothes until he's only in his binder. IN WINTER. Hello??

And then in the next chapter Kate tells him "You're a girl" twice, despite the fact she knows he's trans because she knows what a binder is.

And Leo fucking says "I prefer the term natal female, or biological female." No you fucking don't, no trans man wants to be called a natal female.

Excuse the No True Scotsman fallacy but shit, did a cis woman really have to write a trans man who wants to be called a natal female??

He never tells Kate "I'm a man." He just tells him "Yeah biologically I'm a female 🥰🥰 Please don't stop misgendering me uwu. Next chapter I'll tell you aaaall about my trauma rooted in transandrophobia."

And when he tries to tell this girl he likes that he's trans she's horrified and refuses to speak with him and cries like a fountain. Sorry, but goo-goo ga-ga you whiny cunt.

Because THEN, he gets outed to the whole school. By a cousin of his. Because this girl's friends want to figure out what's wrong with him, because he hurt their slimy excuse for a friend.

He comes to school and gets called tranny and misgendered and deadnamed, and can't do shit about it because he's already on thin ice with the faculty.

And at the end of the book when she apologies he tells her "No, I'M SORRY. I should have told you sooner." NO TF YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO. IT IS DANGEROUS. CIS AUTHORS, GET IT THROUGH YOUR HEADS THAT COMING OUT IS SCARY AND DANGEROUS.

[ruporas]

dragon meat, you, and me

[becauseyousmiledatme]

I'm at a hotel right now and I wish I brought my book with me I'm going insane bc I just wanna finish it. I'm reading The Art Of Being Normal right now and I have mixed feelings but I'll explain after I finish it. I'm SO CLOSE to getting it done. Ahhhhh I wish I had it

[doodledrawsthings]

@mindboogling and i have been brainrotting over the unnamed Solace family members for like two days straight, the implications make me severely ill please take them Boog designed the sibs, i designed the mama. they dont have names idk what they should be...

[cattnipt]

insert image of binghe character playlist by shen yuan with wolf in sheep's clothing in it

[snoffart]

ford² + other gravity falls doodles!

[aromantisk-fagforening]

This month, for the trans book challenge (reading 12 trans books in 2024), I'm reading the art of being normal by Lisa Williamson (a cis woman afaik). It is fiction & young adult. On Goodreads it has pretty positive reviews, 4 stars (or 3.93), but many trans people rated it poorly and cis people new to trans stuff rated it highly. (source: Goodreads, accessed 2 of January 2024)

One of the primary reasons I'm reading it is because they had it displayed at my local library. I've read one or two chapters now and I don't hate it. But I do think the dysphoria felt by the one thus far just called David (MTF) is unrealistically mild. (or if not unrealistic it's at least unrelatable to me)

I think the book is supposed to have two POV characters, which I tend to like. I've talked about hero's of Olympus before right? that's also multiple perspectives. So that could be nice.

[whoevenisoliver]

this is what I imagined the empty pool in the art of being normal to look like. glass windows and all.

“ I’m too busy sinking “ 

[shepscapades]

Contrary to popular belief etho and bdubs are not divorced and in this essay I will

[hinamie]

i'm exactly as normal about him as I thought I'd be