»𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂, 𝘆𝗼𝘂‘𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜‘𝘃𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗻.« ❤️🩹
Eine sehr brutale, schmerzhafte und gleichzeitig heilende Geschichte über physische und psychische (se*uelle) Gewalt. Der Schreibstil ist zum Teil sehr graphisch, also checkt unbedingt die Triggerwarnung!
Rory ist ein sehr spezieller Charakter, der mich oft an meine Grenzen gebracht hat. Sie hat schwere Traumata erlitten und versucht an einer neuen Schule ihr altes Leben hinter sich zu lassen. Wir springen hier in Vergangenheit und Gegenwart, und es wird immer klarer, was ihr alles zugestoßen ist. Oft wollte ich sie einfach nur in den Armen, andere Male habe ich einfach nur gehofft, dass sie diese Selbstzweifel ablegen kann. Ihren Vater übrigens gleich mit! Manchmal dachte ich echt, dass der Typ nur da ist, um Rage Bait zu betreiben. OMG ich war so sauer. 😩
Sam hingegen war einfach ein Goldschatz — genau der, den Rory nach all dem gebraucht hat. Umso enttäuschender fand ich das Ende, als sie aus dem Nichts alles gegen die Wand gefahren hat. Für mich hätte die Story abgeschlossen sein können, aber ich werde Band 2 trotzdem lesen, um sicherzugehen, dass Rory ihr Glück findet. 🙂↕️ Auch wenn ich die Story zeitweise sehr repetitiv fand, hat sie mich doch nicht losgelassen! ❤️🩹
𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙞𝙩:
— 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘣𝘦𝘸ä𝘭𝘵𝘪𝘨𝘶𝘯𝘨 ❤️🩹
— 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴 👩🏼❤️💋👨🏽
— 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘯 𝘨𝘪𝘳𝘭 𝘹 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘺 🔒
— 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘭 𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 🏫
‘Normal’ by Danielle Pearl was anything but normal. It completely blew me away. It was inspiring and heartbreaking. It was nothing like I expected, but what it delivered was all I hoped for and more. I believe that every female, teen or adult, should read this book. This is the type of story that will stay with you days after you have finished reading. It is a story of one girl’s desire to get her life back to normal. It will break your heart into tiny pieces.
Now and again, I come across characters that are inspiring and make my reading experience worthwhile. Rory is one such character. She is relatable and it helped that I got the story from her POV. Seeing the story through her eyes helped me to understand her emotional turmoil. I admired her strength in conquering her demons. She may not have seen it, but it was there. I could not fathom all she had been through, but one thing I knew is that she was a survivor. Her desire to get her life back to normal was a perfect demonstration of her survival skills. The pain, the grief and struggles she faced daily were heart-wrenching, but watching her overcome them one day at a time was inspiring. I know there are persons who would be quick to judge her, thinking that she made poor choices, and as a result placed herself in her current position. In addition, some may believe that because she lived in the electronic age, she should not have made those choices, but I consider that as sheer rubbish. I have realised that it is easy for persons who have never been in the situation to pass judgement, but until they are in the position, they will never truly understand. Yeah, her actions may seem frustrating, but who are we to judge?
The highlight of this story was that Rory did not have to fight her battles on her own. Rory had trust issues when it came to the opposite sex, so meeting Sam and becoming his friend was a life altering experience. I appreciated how he treated her. At no time did he judge her. He was patient and gentle with her, even when her behaviour bordered on erratic. He was just what she needed. Thanks to him, she was taking charge of her life and finally living again. He showed her what it meant to enjoy life and helped her acknowledge that she was a survivor.
‘Normal’ is a well-written story that took me on an emotional journey, which I may not recover from anytime soon. There were times I found myself putting the book down so that I could absorb the events, as they were intense and overwhelming. The story was well- developed, captivating and the pace fitting. It moved between the past and the present, thus providing readers with insight into Rory’s life and the events that led to her current state. There was some repetition, which was due in part, to how the story was presented.
My advice to you is, read this book. However, do not expect a sweet and fluffy story. It is definitely not a story for the faint of heart. It touches on sensitive issues of abuse and assault so if this is a trigger, then this is not for you. However, if these issues do not bother you, and you take my advice be ready for an intense and emotional journey.
<img src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Yo9bANdDasw/VJ2G5Xzny0I/AAAAAAAABF4/05K0oELYItkym2WuN_VJ_gyE7XBCPGFBgCPcB/s1600I received this book from the author via Quirky Blind Date. My review is voluntary and no other compensation was given. All opinions expressed are my own
