ARC Review: Far From Normal

Author: Becky Wallace

Genre: YA Contemporary

Release Date: 09.22.20

Publisher: Page Street Kids

Source: ARC from Publisher

My Rating: 4/5 stars

Synopsis: ” Maddie McPherson is sick of Normal—both her hometown of Normal, Illinois and being the ‘normal’ sibling. But when she lands a summer internship with a sports marketing firm, she finally has a chance to crawl out of her genius brother’s shadow. Not to mention, a glowing letter of recommendation could secure her admission to her dream college.

But Maddie’s nickname is “CalaMaddie” for a reason, and when the company tasks her with repairing the image of teen soccer phenom Gabriel Fortunato, she wonders if she’s set herself up for embarrassment. Gabriel is a tabloid magnet, who’s best-known for flubbing Italy’s World Cup hopes. As Maddie works with him to develop “pleasant and friendly” content for social media, she also learns he’s thoughtful, multi-talented, and fiercely loyal—maybe even to a fault. Falling for a footballer is exactly how CalaMaddie would botch this internship, but with the firm pressuring her to get the job done, perhaps her heart is worth risking?”

This book was exactly what I needed right now. Far From Normal was sweet, light, and such a quick read. I’ve been struggling with reading lately and this book was like a whirlwind that I couldn’t put down! The book was adorable and perfectly fluffy. It featured an enjoyable narrator, cute dog, and lots of fun flirting. This story is absolutely ideal if you want something short, sweet, and guaranteed to make you smile!

The only thing that kept this book from a perfect 5/5 star rating for me was the ending. It felt like the climax and ending were a little smooshed together which made it rushed. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, the ending and climax fit the story well, but this made my emotional connection to the story waver a bit.

Overall this book was a fun read. I would highly recommend Far From Normal to fans of YA contemporary or anyone looking for a reading slump cure! This story would be the perfect fluffy adventure to get the slump monster away.

Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are all my own.