We Are Totally Normal

Written by Naomi Kanakia

Narrated by Sunil Malhotra

In this queer contemporary YA, perfect for fans of Becky Albertalli and This Is Kind of an Epic Love Story, Nandan’s perfect plan for junior year goes awry after he hooks up with a guy for the first time.

Nandan’s got a plan to make his junior year perfect, but hooking up with his friend Dave isn’t part of it—especially because Nandan has never been into guys.

Still, Nandan’s willing to give a relationship with him a shot. But the more his anxiety grows about what his sexuality means for himself, his friends, and his social life, the more he wonders whether he can just take it all back.

Is breaking up with Dave—the only person who’s ever really gotten him—worth feeling “normal” again?

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Mar 31, 2020
• ISBN: 9780062994851

Naomi Kanakia

Naomi Kanakia has written three young adult novels. She also has some forthcoming books for adults, and her essays, short stories, and poetry have appeared all over the place. She grew up in Washington, DC, and she currently lives in San Francisco with her wife and daughter.

Reviews for We Are Totally Normal

[Abhay Kumar · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

THIS book is kind of a conversation about high school social dynamics and clique-culture. love the questioning rep AND my heart just sings seeing these 2 asian guys on the cover (uuuhh this gorgeous cover).

the book is messy and there's a lot to be read bw the lines (as questioning goes) and there's not even a perfect resolution at the end and that's what makes it so real and perfect.

[anna gangstad · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

the characters was so shallow and had no personalities, but being nerdy and shy or cool. the story line was boring and the fact that dave’s “outing” was just swept under a rug made me so angry. not to mention the annoying narrator, couldn’t stan him

[Sasha Corr · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is not a cheesy YA romcom, so if you're looking for that, I think you'll be disappointed. In some ways this reads more like adult fiction, because it has the same slow exploration of human relationships that you tend to find there. If you're not drawn in by the characters, this story will feel slow and meandering, but I, for one, was very engaged by the careful way this story depicts being young and lonely and confused and trying to make sense of the world and you place in it. It's a book that feels soft and nostalgic and just hits the right beats of trying very hard to find love and never having experienced it before.

[Eric Lynch · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Awesome book, with great lgbt representation. I really enjoyed it.

[Corine · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Ok... so I’m 22 and I understand that I’m not the target demographic but holy $h*t this book was awful. Most of the characters were shallow. The MC, Nandan, was terrible to his love interest, Dave. Being ‘outed’ was treated like it was no big deal. As a bi sexual person, I completely understand what it’s like to question your sexuality and to have to deal internalized homophobia but this book was such a poor representation of that. I fully understand that everyone’s queer experiences are different but idk this book left a poor impression on me.

[Sosan · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I like that the characters were flawed. I feel like lots of YA books have a shiny glossy version of teens but this book doesn't make them too idealized. But I hated the narrator. When he's excited or emotional is just over the top too much.

[louis_martinez_33 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It was quirky but entertaining. While it talks about popularity and being a teenager, I wonder if any of this relates to real teen life.

[Linda · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I was transported back to high school! The personalities were so real, the drama that is inconsequential yet are for identity forming. Also, Nandaan and Dave are just so adorable! Love their love.

The only point I would say is not great are the excited female voices, the weird fake high pitch did not do the characters justice.