How to frown like a normal person ;-)

I have a definite preference when it comes to M/M romance and or M/M paranormal fantasy and this story is definitely abnormal for me as a choice, but am so very glad that I did take the chance and brought it into my library.

I, as a rule, do not write reviews as I feel everybody has their own set of filters or ground rules that shape their own criteria of what constitutes a "good story".

So maybe if I give a little background someone of a similar disposition will find this helpful...

I did a tour of duty for 8 years and then got out of the Army. I never regretted either joining or leaving when I did, proud of my service and got an Honorable Discharge and all that...

My childhood was split between Alaska and Washington and consisted of fun, hard work, hunting, fishing; surrounded by first a fishing environment and then a farming one, both environments promoted a definite ideal of accepted sexuality and/or masculinity....

Given all that, I found myself smiling, laughing, mourning and quietly rooting and cheering on Gustavo and Casey.

The idea of building a friendship and relationship where the focal point is just that -- the friendship and relationship -- and where the carnal physicality is not the core or predominant element as a romance story is probably a tough story to sell, but TJ Klune does a wonderful job in this story with Gus and Casey....

All that to say, give this book a try, you may find yourself quietly but delightfully surprised.....

Also,

Need to give Derrick McClain his due as well, I think this is the first time I've had the pleasure of one of his performances, for what it is worth I will start to watch for his name on other titles, I thoroughly enjoyed his interpretation and performance as a story teller.

pj

31 people found this helpful

ALL THE STARS FOR THIS. ALL OF THEM.

Any additional comments?

Oh, Derrick McClain, you hit a home run with this one.

He brought Gustavo Tiberius to life, made Casey Richards so much more than just an asexual stoner hipster, and I loved what he did to make Lottie and We Three Queens so real.

ALL THE STARS FOR THIS. ALL OF THEM.

This. This was...awesome and fantastic and wonderful and heartwarming and touching and sad and funny and just...I want to fangirl all over this so hard. But in a totally not gross way.

Gustavo Tiberius is not normal. After his father, Pastor Tommy dies, Gus settles into a his daily routine. It's very much a wash, rinse, repeat kind of life until the day he and his ferret, Harry S. Truman, walk into Lottie's Lattes and he meets Casey Richards, a stoner hipster who turns his world upside down.

Gus is immediately both repelled and fascinated by Casey...but more time spent with Casey makes Gus want something he's never really thought to want before: he decides he wants to be "normal" so he can be with Casey. What follows is both touching and hilarious as Gus sets about trying to be the best normal person he can be with some interesting results.

This story about a man who accepts everyone, even if he's snarky about it, gave me so many feels. I got a total heart boner. Seriously, this story good touched me all over my heart.

There are three things I expect from a TJ Klune story: 1. To laugh. Oh, how I laughed. I laughed a lot. 2. To have wookie-cry-face at some point. Yep, that happened too. The laughs and the feels in this are more muted than in other TJ stories, but no less magnificent. And 3. To learn something. Which I did. I learned a little more about acceptance, asexuality, and being true to yourself.

I CANNOT RECOMMEND THIS ENOUGH. Buy this book. Now. Go. Seriously. Go get this book right now!

35 people found this helpful

A rating overall...

My Review:
Overall: 4.5
Performance: 5.0
Story: 4.5

This story was epic in just how fun and funny it was. I can't imagine reading it could be near as much fun as listening to it, because the narrator was amazing. His inflections for Gus and Casey were absolute perfection. Through his voices, he managed Gus's disdain, Casey's stoned cluelessness, and the We Three Queens astounded and confounded comments perfectly. I LOVED listening to this book.

And, wow, I don't honestly know what else I can say about this book. I can pretty much guarantee that it's like nothing you have ever read before (TJ Klune's brain is a bizarre, but fabulous place). There are moments when it's twisted. There are moments when it's sweet. And there are moments when it's heartbreaking...Gus's remembered moments with his father slayed me. I can't imagine what an incredible man he was to raise Gus to be completely okay with being this VERY off-the-wall character.

And yeah, Gus has his moments of self-doubt...thus the online "Normal" lessons.
Oh. My. God.
The things that came up in the narration of these lessons literally kept me laughing out loud and rolling with laughter.

It's a fabulous, feel good book about two men who learn to love one another despite and because of their differences. I'm so glad that I listened to it. I HIGHLY recommend it!!

9 people found this helpful

Truly Great

TJ Klune's How To Be A Normal Person is almost as good as rainbow colored cotton candy at a gay pride parade. Wait a minute I don't like cotton candy. Make that almost as good as rainbow colored pizza. Hmmm. Wait. Forget that stuff. It's a book that is funtastic and sure to be one of your all-time favorite Audible audiobooks.

5 people found this helpful

All the laughs

Would you listen to How to Be a Normal Person again? Why?

Oh yeah. For a good laugh, without the cheap silly jokes.

What did you like best about this story?

you feel inside the story. Able to imagine the places the characters are in.

What does Derrick McClain bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

The narrator. he made the story come alive.

Who was the most memorable character of How to Be a Normal Person and why?

the MC. He is weird, in a 'is he serious?' way. He is like one of these aliens who land on earth, and need to learn how to live with humans like a human :)

Any additional comments?

fun book. You laugh, and though sometimes feel sorry for the MC, its not really heartbreaking. Maybe black comedy?

5 people found this helpful

Wanna make yourself happier? Listen to this one!

What did you love best about How to Be a Normal Person?

The character "Gus" and how the narrator absolutely brought him to life!

What other book might you compare How to Be a Normal Person to and why?

I have never read another book like this. It seemed like a quirky premise for a rom-com, and boy was it a refreshing read!

What does Derrick McClain bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He brings all the characters to life, but in particular, Gus, Casey, and the customer service rep. at the monopolizing phone & cable company. : )

Who was the most memorable character of How to Be a Normal Person and why?

Gustavo Tiberius, because he is so socially awkward and so decisively contrary to nearly everything in the world! He is one very unique and somewhat sheltered guy that the book revolves around.

Any additional comments?

This book is a work of art! It has got to be the funniest, most enjoyable book I have ever listened to! I don’t know how many times I just laughed out loud at that quirky character, Gus, and I could just picture Casey, the "asexual stoner hipster” that Gus fell in love with. I will definitely be recommending it to friends for a feel-good, fun read! This one will be worth reading and re-reading, as well! Before I was half way through, I had already bought 3 more of Klune's books, and I am really, really looking forward to it!

4 people found this helpful

Good book

It's a good book but I didn't feel it was a romance. I felt that it was like a dudelit (chic lit but guys). I felt like Gus' self development was the major thrust of the story with his and Casey's relationship a secondary plot. I wonder if I felt that way because of the lack of physical aspect of romance or it that was the goal of the author. I did enjoy the book but won't classify it as romance.

3 people found this helpful

Beautiful

This has everything I love in an audiobook. Made me laugh out loud, smile, cry, and feel just about every other emotion. Well written and wonderfully read. I’ve listened to this book more times than I can remember.

2 people found this helpful

My favorite TJ Klune book

Who was your favorite character and why?

Gus is the ultimate grumpy hero!

Gus was so great to read about. He’s quiet, a little strange, and very snarky. He also has one of the kindest hearts, he is one of the most accepting characters I’ve ever read about. He loves his life (as boring as it might be) and his routine, but one day everything gets turned upside down when he meets Casey. Gus is what made this a five star read, I LOVED HIM SO MUCH. *cries*

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I listened to it over a few days!

Any additional comments?

What first caught my attention about How To Be a Normal Person was that the love interest is asexual (this is so rare!). Casey is an asexual stoner hipster. When he moves to Gus’ hometown of Abby, Oregon, and starts working at his favorite coffee shop, he instantly knows that he and Gus will be best friends (though this idea horrifies Gus).

It did take some time for me to get used to the way Casey talked at first. Everything about him was so exaggerated when we first meet, but he compliments Gus in the best possible way! His outgoing personality and sense of humor is the perfect contrast to Gus’ introvert ways. Their romance was so cute to read about.

If you like any of the following things, you should give this a try:

-character driven stories
-snarky humor & characters
-slow burn romance (it’s all very cute!)
-well-developed main & secondary characters
-amazing dialogue & banter

The humor of this book was a lot more subtle than Klune’s other works (basically the opposite of The Lightning-Struck Heart). It’s low-key and well-timed and it’s impossible to read without smiling. All the characters are fantastic: Gus, Casey, the We Three Queens… There’s not really a lot happening in the ways of plot, the characters are what makes the story so interesting.

This book made my heart happy. It’s about self-acceptance and accepting others, it’s about love, family, and friends. Its most basic message is: it’s okay to be yourself, you’re exactly who you’re supposed to be. Ahh, this is just a beautiful book

2 people found this helpful

Super.

This book was amazing, start to finish. I couldn't put it down (or, turn it off). The humor and sarcasm made me laugh out loud on multiple occasions, and the realness of the characters made them so relatable. The narration was on point and gave an extra "pizzazz" to the whole thing. I highly recommend it, as you will learn valuable life lessons without even realizing it. Will definitely be reading more of TJ Klune's books.

6 people found this helpful