Faking Normal by Courtney Stevens

 

Realistic Fiction is one of my favorite genres, and Faking Normal  by Courtney Stevens does not disappoint in any way. Something terrible happened to Alexi over the summer, but she can't tell anyone. Instead she hides her emotional pain and the physical pain she is inflicting on herself from everyone. Something terrible also happened to Bodee, the quiet boy who lives next door. His dad killed his mom. Everyone knows. When Alexi's parents allow Bodee come live with them, Alexi finds out that Bodee might be the person to help her finally face what happened and start to heal. 

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

In this memoir, Jeannette Walls recounts the years growing up with her dysfunctional parents and her three siblings. She, along with her older sister, younger brother, and baby sister have to grow up rather quickly as they survive the lifestyle of their chaotic, free-spirited, irresponsible parents. Walls calls these memories "adventures" as they bounced around from location to location, lacking a stable education, money, a functional home, and all the necessities of what is considered a healthy upbringing. I was bothered many times while reading this book because as a parent I always want to protect my children, but in this memoir, Rex and Rose Mary Walls do very little to serve as proper parental role models. However, the ending shows there was love in the family and her parents did care about their children, but just had a different way of showing it. 

#6 Mrs. Staples