How to Be Normal

An undercurrent of hope powers a fraught plot that probes subjects surrounding domestic coercive control in Crawford’s gritty debut. Having been homeschooled by her mother for the majority of her life, Australian 17-year-old Astrid experiences her first day of public school six months before graduation after her controlling father loses his job, forcing her mother to return to work. Though Astrid is excited, she’s also embarrassed by her lack of experience socializing with people her age. While adjusting to high school life, she soon befriends a classmate who shares her passion for music and develops a crush on a free-spirited peer. But Astrid’s instinct to lie about her excessively strict home life keeps them at a distance. Her idle musings about living a “normal, boring” life seem poised to become reality when she discovers her mother’s covert plot to free them both from Astrid’s father’s acerbic personality and unchecked anger. Immediate-feeling first-person narration from Astrid perceptively details her profound feelings of alienation from her peers and tightly wound wariness at home, especially as the climax ramps up with thriller-like intensity. Astrid is white; supporting characters are racially diverse. Resources conclude. Ages 13–up. (Apr.)