Something Like Normal by Trish Doller

When Travis returns home from a stint in Afghanistan, his parents are splitting up, his brother’s stolen his girlfriend and his car, and he’s haunted by nightmares of his best friend’s death. 

It’s not until Travis runs into Harper, a girl he’s had a rocky relationship with since middle school, that life actually starts looking up. And as he and Harper see more of each other, he begins to pick his way through the minefield of family problems and post-traumatic stress to the possibility of a life that might resemble normal again. Travis’s dry sense of humor, and incredible sense of honor, make him an irresistible and eminently lovable hero. 

Taken from Goodreads.

Published by Bloomsbury ANZ

Released 1 August 2012

Pages: 214

Source: From Publisher

Rating: Five out of Five

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“I don't know if my life will ever be completely normal again, but something like normal is a good start.” 

There are so many good emotions when I think about this book, I honestly have a hard time writing a review for it. Funny, that seems to be happening a lot with books I've been reading lately. Too many OMG FEELINGS moments and I don't know how to respond.

I'm never one for books from a guy's POV. Especially if it's in first person. I often find myself bored early on, and unable to really relate at all to the characters or at least feel anything for the narrator. But this is one book that changed that for me.

Right from the get go, I kinda fell in love with Travis. Before he goes to Afghanistan, he's the kind of guy you'd avoid because he's a bit of a dick, even though you are secretly charmed by his good looks and "I'm so much better than you" attitude. But what really got me about Travis is how the war has emotionally stripped him raw. Not that he's turned into a big softie, but he has a hard time dealing with his friend's death, and on top of that he comes back home to face a range of problems from his parents going through a rocky patch to his ex girlfriend hooking up with his younger brother (who also stole his car and is completely wrecking it - I feel your pain Trav!). Throughout the whole book I just wanted to get in it (yes, I just said I wanted to climb into the book) and give him a great big hug.

Unfortunately for me, I can't really climb into books, but luckily for Travis he had Harper to fall back on to. Harper was another great female lead, and I immediately warmed to her. Even though she's been wrongfully labelled throughout school, she doesn't let that stop her. She brushes it all off - she's the kind of girl who knows who she is as a person, and doesn't let meaningless gossip interfere with her life. She's feisty and snarky, and can hold her own against the guys. I like that.

I guess what I loved most about Something Like Normal was how it didn't sugarcoat the idea of war and what it can do to people, especially the younger generation. Travis is severely affected by what he's experienced and he's only nineteen and due back for at least one more tour. You can't even think of what it's like until you know yourself, and I can see Something Like Normal being a good book for people - especially those in service - to read and understand that no matter what you are going through, you are never alone.

This is a book that will take your breath away and leave you wanting more. It's shorter than I thought it would be, but with a voice like Travis', as you go along page by page, you'll be taken along on a heartwarming journey that you'll never want to finish. Add this book to your must read shelf, you'll definitely not be sorry you did. In fact, I know you'll be pleasantly surprised.