robgirlbooks: PTSD Meets Contemporary NA Romance! robgirlbooks' Review of Something Like Normal by Trish Doller

Monday, February 25, 2013

PTSD Meets Contemporary NA Romance! robgirlbooks' Review of Something Like Normal by Trish Doller

Something Like Normal
by Trish Doller
224 pages
Published by Bloomsbury USA Childrens 6/19/2012
Borrowed from the library
4.5 STARS

Told from the POV of Travis Stephenson, Something Like Normal takes you through the irreverent, comical, terrifying, and honest homecoming of a kid who enlisted in the military, got sent to war, lost people he loved, then had to return to his old life. Nightmares and ghosts plague both his sleeping and waking worlds. His dad is the biggest SOB on the planet. His brother is the second biggest. His mom is lonely. His ex-girlfriend has fake boobs that make him completely stupid! And then he runs into Harper Gray. In no way, shape, or form does a punk like Travis deserve a girl like Harper, but she's the only one he wants to be around, the only one he feels alive with. He's also the only one she'd never date because he ruined her life.

I love this book. Travis' voice is so authentically male I had to recheck the name of the author to see if the book was written by man. Nope, Trish Doller is that good. I love the rough-start relationship between Travis and Harper. I love how he interacts with his mom. The book tugged at my heartstrings one moment and made me growl the next. Sometimes I cheered Harper and Travis on, others I wished I could clobber the boy for being such an idiot. The only reason Something Like Normal didn't get 5 stars is because I wanted more romance details. Doller did the slow build superbly, but then what? I like more at the end. Just one more chapter, hell one more page. Give me details, woman!

My vote is pick up your copy, dive in, and enjoy.

(Note: If you're squeamish about swearing or casual-but safe-sex, check out the "Look Inside" feature on Amazon to see if this floats your boat or sinks it)

Bonus! I just read on Trish Doller's blog, her next book Where the Stars Still Shine is set to be released September 24, 2013!!! Yay. You can learn a little more about it on her blog,
Trish Writes Books.

8 comments:

Ninja GirlFebruary 25, 2013 at 8:59 PM
For real, I've got to take a look at this one. It sounds great, and I really love it when an author can write male POV believably.
Ninja Girl
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UnknownFebruary 25, 2013 at 10:44 PM
Great review, Robyn. I haven't read a romance novel in a long time. But this one sounds good. Just added it to my TBR list. I hope to enjoy it as much as you did.

Happy Reading!
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KristinFebruary 26, 2013 at 12:54 AM
I really enjoyed this book and I definitely agree with how authentic Travis's voice was, I believed every word and definitely think that a 20 something year old guy acts just like he did. Awesome Review!

Kristin @ Young Adult Book Haven
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KateFebruary 26, 2013 at 1:26 PM
Hi! You followed my blog from Goodreads and now I'm returning the favor. I love your blog! Thanks!
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Little bit about Robyn Jones

I laugh when people fall down. It's a glitch in my programming, but even my mom has suffered this quirk. I have a BA in Studio Art from the University of Puget Sound. My boys make me laugh every day. I steal pens; I try real hard not to. I collect those free bookmarks at the checkout counter at libraries. I've had more stitches than anyone I know. I love stories, writing them, reading them, watching them. You can email me at robgirlbooks@gmail.com or write a comment on a post or on my Goodreads page, just click my picture to go there.

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"Mom, you said shit." "I know, John." "You said shit, Mom." "Stop saying shit, John." "You stop saying shit."
"Mom, what do you want for Christmas?" "I want two happy boys." "You already have two happy boys." John 3/12/13
"Mama, I want to stay with you forever." John 3/2/13
I keep my perfume out of reach so the four year old won't mess with it. One day, he climbed the closet shelves, grabbed the bottle and sprayed away. After tagging everything from his hands to his penis (did I mention he was naked?) he shouted, "God dang it!" "John, little boys do not say God dang it. Try drat." "God drat!"
"Why did the chicken cross the road?" "Why?" "Because there was poop on the ground." 4yr old John (2/18/13)
"Mom, you're not a superhero. You're just a human." 10 yr old Will (2/11/13)
"When I'm at daddy's, sometimes I think about hugging you, mom." 4yr old John (2/8/13)
"We can do this the easy way, or the hard way. I'll do it the easy way, mom. You do it the hard way." 2/6/13 4yr old John
"I sleep, eat, and watch TV like Garfield." 4yr old John
John snatched his older brother's Lego Star Wars shorts out of the laundry and quickly put them on. "These are mine." "No, John." "But they look good on me."
"John, what was you favorite part of school today?" "When you came to visit me in class."
In an attempt to redirect the morning car-bickering routine, I transformed into one of those newly-minted teachers, you know, the enthusiastic cheerleader smiling kind. "Who knows the number one car rule?" I toss out there in a chipper voice. "I do. I do!" bounces around the car as excited hands wave back and forth. "Okay John, what's the number one car rule?" "No, pooping in the car."
Will's teacher asked him, "What do you want to do when you grow up?" "Help my mom."
Just to set up this next quote, I'm not the best interpreter of 4yr old speak. "Mom, Will's clothes disappeared." Since Will wasn't naked I looked back at John. "What does that mean?" "Disappeared means Will's clothes are gone!" he says with his hands making a vanishing act gesture.
"Mom, what rhymes with duck?" 4yr old John
Recently, John found a handful of Pez dispensers. Since he doesn't like the candy, he plays with them like action figures. "Mom, you play Woody, I'll play Garfield and Thor." I dutifully play Woody from Toy Story. "I'm Sheriff Woody. Reach for the sky." "I'm Garfield. I'm a talking cat. I'm Thor. I'm a superhero. Hey, let's look up." (because that is all a pez dispenser can do)
"Will, stop bossing John around." "I'm helping you boss John around." my 10 yr old
"Mom, I wanted weapons for Christmas. Santa is on the naughty list." my 4yr old
"Hot dogs are made of dead animals, Mom...I love dead animals!" my 4yr old
"When I say I don't like you, I love you." my 4yr old
"I've had a rough day." me "Like a Viking?" my 10 yr old
Seven days before Christmas it snows. "Merry Christmas, Mom," ten year old Will says with his arm around me.
"We have to take care of each other, Mom." my son Will
"The baddest guy in Mexico beat me." 4 year old John
"If you think my name is Cinderella, you just don't get it." my son John
"Mom, I love your Buddha belly." my son John