Rating: 5 stars
Buy Link: Amazon | iBooks | Amazon UK
Length: Novel
Gustavo Tiberius enjoys his well-ordered, routinely regimented life. He has a few people he tolerates and a pet ferret called Harry S. Truman. And if he’s lonely, if he misses his father, then he certainly isn’t going to talk about it. That isn’t Gus’ way and he isn’t particularly fond of interaction with people anyway. And then he meets Casey. A stoned hipster who doesn’t seem to care about Gus’ sharp edges or anti-social behaviors. No, Casey thinks Gus is awesome and Gus isn’t really sure how to handle that. The last person who thought Gus was awesome was Pastor Tommy, Gus’ father, and he’s gone now.
But Casey is like a whirlwind Gus can’t escape and, if he’s being honest, he doesn’t particularly want to. Casey isn’t “normal” either and while he adores Gus, he’s rather afraid Gus won’t be able to accept Casey for himself. So, somewhere between the awkward dates, awesome hugs, and Harry S. Truman’s squeaks, Gus and Casey will have to decide if being normal is more important than simply being.
So I’m not how this book slipped past my radar and when I saw we’d only done an audio review, I knew that How to Be A Normal Person would be a perfect fit for our Diverse Books Week of the 2018 Reading Challenge. I’ll never meet T.J. Klune because whenever faced with the opportunity to meet people I admire, I hide behind potted plants and squee in terror rather than act like a human being. But if I did meet Klune I’d want to know how he does it. How does he write book after book that so perfectly captures humor and grief and all those emotions that make up the human experience? Because he does it so damn well and yet I’m always taken by surprise by the depth and breadth of emotion he is capable capturing from one moment to the next. How To Be A Normal Person is no exception.
Gus is full of sass and sharp barbs and it’s obvious that he’s existing but not really living. The death of his father destroyed him in some ways and he’s been lonely since Pastor Tommy’s passing, but he isn’t the type to embrace first and ask questions later. It’s a combination that makes him a wonderfully engaging character and one that I desperately wanted to find a happily ever after. Casey seems like an ordinary stoner, drifting through life, loose and kind and a bit vapid. But Casey is a well of hidden depths and aside from his surprisingly successful career as a writer, he is also asexual. Asexuality is an often misunderstood or, worse, dismissed addition to the LGBTQ spectrum and while Casey has accepted himself, the rest of the world has been slower to adapt. He’s afraid that he won’t be enough for Gus or that Gus won’t be able to accept him long term. It’s such an isolating sensation that my heart broke for Gus and yet I suspect it’s something we’ve all felt at one time or another. And finding commonality in the human experience is something that Klune excels at.
How To Be A Normal Person is another amazing work by T.J. Klune. He’s one of those authors that can make you laugh out loud and then has you sobbing like an idiot by the next page. There’s sweetness and love and most importantly, acceptance in this book, and we all need and deserve that, even when don’t realize it. Plus any book with a ferret is bound to be awesome. Consider this one highly recommended.
This review is part of our Reading Challenge Month for Diverse Books Week! Leave a relevant comment below and you will be entered to win one of our amazing diverse books prize packs. Commenters will also be entered to win our amazing grand prize sponsored by Dreamspinner Press (a Kindle Fire filled with Dreamspun Desires/Beyond books, plus a 3-month subscription!). You can get more information on our Challenge Month here, and more details on Diverse Books Week here, including a list of all the books in this week’s prize.
I’m reading this one for my Diverse Book too! I’m only a few chapters in, but I’m really enjoying it so far. I’m glad to hear that I picked a good one. 😀
I bought this book 3 years ago and still haven’t read it but I know this will be an awesome book because Tj Klune is an awesome writer. Nice to hear that you liked the book so much!
This book has been in my TBR for a long time now… I know I am going to love it, because TJ Klune never disappoints. Thank you for the review, Sue
I’d been staying away because I couldn’t tell if it was one of TJ’s more “rip your heart out” stories or not…I’m very intrigued, though!
Nope, this is definitely one of the comedic ones. I mean, there are poignant moments (as with all of his humorous stories) but it is not a soul sucker like some of his other stories.
(not that soul suckers are bad mind you! TJ does them so well. But different kind of mood)
I read this nearly 3 years ago and found it endearing, exciting, endless, exhausting, exhilarating
I find TJ Klune’s books massively all over the place but they do have a knack of creeping up on you, sucking you in, so that in the end you go wow – might not fully understand all the nuances but then something hits you just right.
I have this one. I’ll have to bump it up my TBR!
Unfortunately, Klune and I are not compatible, so I don’t see myself reading this one anytime soon. HOWEVER, I love that a popular author like T.J. Klune brings asexuality character in his stories because yes, it’s often misunderstood and dismissed. I hope this book brings at least more awareness to other MM readers about asexuality.
Omg, I don’t like to meet people whose work I admire either, but I gonna need something bigger than a potted plant so I can hide too. This author is an autobuy for me.
I have this book waiting in my shelf to pick it. I don’t know why. But I will have to read it since book 2 is coming out next year.
Yes! I am excited for it! I think TJ is working on it now.
This is the first book I read with an asexual character, terrific story. I’m a great fan of TJ’s writing, he can me ugly cry like no other author. Can’t wait for the sequel.
I have 3 or 4 of TJ’s books and have read lots of good reviews but never got motivated to read them. I have this one and I’m moving it to the top of my TBR mountain. Great review. 🙂
My reads of T.J. Klune’s books seem to be either hit or miss. This book though sounds quite appealing, so thanks for the review. I have no idea how I’d act when meeting a person I admire; I might have to join you behind that potted plant, Sue.
I really enjoyed this book. It made laugh and inspired other feels. I was happy to see Gustavo’s name was mentioned in The Queen & the Homo Jock King (even if it had nothing to do with the story). I found Gus to be very relatable.
yes, that was a funny name drop!
I’ve seen a lot of recs for this one, but I haven’t read it yet. One of things I remember seeing around the time How to Be came out was all these readers whose first exposure to asexuality in the book was a eye-opening about their own sexuality. That’s the power of books and one of the great things that can come from reading diverse books.
This will be a “new to me” author and a first in the asexuality area. I’ve never been disappointed by a JJ recommendation so I can’t wait to jump into this one.
I really enjoy books that have some humor in it and it sounds like this one does. Thank you for your review.
This will be my first book with an asexual character. I am excited to read a humorous story and to learn more about asexuality. Thank you so much for the review!
I know so many people love TJ but I’ve stopped reading his books because of the “soul sucking” and the “heart ripping”. But if its humorous…its so hard to resist a book with such a high reader rating.
i am very intrigued by this book, Thanks for the review as it made me add it to my TBR.