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The Simplicity of Being Normal
Sam has his life after graduation figured out. Until then he has to deal with being terrorized for expressing his gender identity. His pleas for help have been ignored by the principal and most of the staff, and his time is spent moving quickly between classrooms and anticipating the freedom that will come with leaving high school behind.
Teacher Todd Keegan, at first, wonders if Amanda is on drugs and if he’s underestimated her maturity. Between enabling his traumatized, dependent sister and hiding secrets of his own, Todd has no desire to waste time on a junkie teenager, but this one intrigues him. When Amanda shows up in his classroom, bleeding from a head wound, he decides to investigate further.
In order to survive senior year, Sam must convince Mr. Keegan that he’s not a junkie teenager and decide if, unlike his family and school staff, this teacher can be trusted with the truth and become his only ally.
Teacher Todd Keegan, at first, wonders if Amanda is on drugs and if he’s underestimated her maturity. Between enabling his traumatized, dependent sister and hiding secrets of his own, Todd has no desire to waste time on a junkie teenager, but this one intrigues him. When Amanda shows up in his classroom, bleeding from a head wound, he decides to investigate further.
In order to survive senior year, Sam must convince Mr. Keegan that he’s not a junkie teenager and decide if, unlike his family and school staff, this teacher can be trusted with the truth and become his only ally.
- GenresTransgender
214 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 8, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 12, 2017
**I received an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review**
One of the consistent things I can count on in James Stryker's books is an unsettling immersion into his characters. "The Simplicity of Being Normal" was no exception.
Sam's life has become nothing short of a brutal nightmare in high school, and it's no better at home. People he once considered friends have turned against him since he came out as transgendered. His psychologically disturbed and abusive mother refuses to accept who he is, using the name he was born with as an epithet.
The teacher he idolizes as the kind of man he wants to be is outed--literally--during a school trip to Washington DC. This starts a new understanding between Sam, his teacher Todd, and Todd's sister Julie, a fellow teacher who is a shattered trauma victim. Todd and Julie become Sam's friends and allies, but the small, ultra-conservative town they live in is no place for people who don't fit the mold.
The squalor Sam's family lives in is painful--not because they don't know any better or have no resources, but his mother and brother just don't care. Julie's PTSD was physically disturbing to me--I found my throat getting tight whenever her panic attacks happened. Todd's guilt and resentment for his sister's dependence upon him, whom he obviously loves, is utterly real.
Julie's transference of her dependency from Todd to Sam, and Sam's for her was what made me most uncomfortable for multiple reasons. It's a brutally honest depiction of an unhealthy relationship, so believable that it's difficult to watch unfold.
If there were any drawbacks to the book for it was in the irredeemable villains and their extremism of religion and co-dependency. Not one of them is changed in any way at the end of the book, which is real life, I suppose. This was a real, unfiltered view of humanity in all its painful trial and error. I will let other readers decide for themselves whether this book's ending is satisfying.
Definitely a must read.
One of the consistent things I can count on in James Stryker's books is an unsettling immersion into his characters. "The Simplicity of Being Normal" was no exception.
Sam's life has become nothing short of a brutal nightmare in high school, and it's no better at home. People he once considered friends have turned against him since he came out as transgendered. His psychologically disturbed and abusive mother refuses to accept who he is, using the name he was born with as an epithet.
The teacher he idolizes as the kind of man he wants to be is outed--literally--during a school trip to Washington DC. This starts a new understanding between Sam, his teacher Todd, and Todd's sister Julie, a fellow teacher who is a shattered trauma victim. Todd and Julie become Sam's friends and allies, but the small, ultra-conservative town they live in is no place for people who don't fit the mold.
The squalor Sam's family lives in is painful--not because they don't know any better or have no resources, but his mother and brother just don't care. Julie's PTSD was physically disturbing to me--I found my throat getting tight whenever her panic attacks happened. Todd's guilt and resentment for his sister's dependence upon him, whom he obviously loves, is utterly real.
Julie's transference of her dependency from Todd to Sam, and Sam's for her was what made me most uncomfortable for multiple reasons. It's a brutally honest depiction of an unhealthy relationship, so believable that it's difficult to watch unfold.
If there were any drawbacks to the book for it was in the irredeemable villains and their extremism of religion and co-dependency. Not one of them is changed in any way at the end of the book, which is real life, I suppose. This was a real, unfiltered view of humanity in all its painful trial and error. I will let other readers decide for themselves whether this book's ending is satisfying.
Definitely a must read.
April 24, 2017
The Simplicity of Being Normal drops the reader into the moment Sam/Amanda Porter becomes semi-conscious after students from his gym class repeatedly smashed his head into a wall. The concussion presents a bit of a quandary for Sam's favorite teacher, Mr. Keegan, after Sam stumbles into his classroom and lies about having a migraine when his symptoms are identical to cocaine use. See, Mr. Keegan doesn't care about whether his students are on drugs. He's paid to lecture students, and students are in his classroom to hear him talk. That is the beginning and end of the relationship his contract with the school requires. But, as a man once shoved into lockers because he likes dressing in women's clothes, he identifies with bullied souls and takes Sam under his wing.
Simplicity is a beautifully constructed prison of sorts where it's core characters--Sam, Todd, and Julia--are all trapped within their lives. They bond where the layers of torment overlap.
In addition to living with a female body, Sam has a toxic relationship with a mother who blames him for absolutely everything that goes wrong, and a brother who appears autistic but is in reality just an asshole.
Todd is a no-nonsense history teacher who doesn't give extra credit, doesn't take late work, doesn't kiss student ass, and doesn't blink at flunking seniors. His happiness comes from beating his face in make-up and bar hopping in full drag, which he could do at will in New Orleans and no one bat an eye. The only reason he's in Idaho is Julia, his sister, whom everyone thinks is his wife, who can't walk into their house until he's swept it for strange men. A town full of Mormons seemed a better place to get over her phobias than the Big Easy.
And Julia has her reasons for melting down in Todd is more than twenty-yards away, and they could befall anyone woman in America; it just happened to be her.
As astute as her brother is, it is Julia who observes the precise ways Sam is both her and her brother. He is a victim of circumstances beyond his control, vulnerable, and yet remains a caregiver to an obligation he's tied by blood to. She is also the one to see him for who he is...a man coming into his own, on his own terms. His response to adversity is inspiration to her as she accepts him into her life as a second "safe" male presence. In ways, he is the safer of the two for reasons she's never been able to admit to her brother.
The behavior from the Mormons Sam is in direct contact with is reprehensible, and it is likely to be dismissed as lies by Mormons and people who know them alike. I, myself, grew up in the church and I have dozens of wonderful LDS friends. But, as with any portrayal of Mormonism, it is important to take account geography and point of view. There are more Mormons in Idaho than Utah per capita by a double-digit margin, thus more opportunities to encounter bad behavior if you fall outside of the majority. Principal Smith's odds of a negligence case regarding Sam's abuse being heard by a Mormon judge were good, and the futures of the boys tormenting Sam would likely have been given more consideration than a "lesbian's" physical safety. (See: The Coat-Hanger Assault Case.)
Stryker's style is tight, and while this story contains triggering passages for abuse/rape victims, he manages to soften the blow with euphemism and comedy. One of my favorite passages of the story was when Todd revealed Julia's back story to the reader from the POV of a Jeopardy contestant. Horrible things transpired, and Todd gives the reader just enough detail to get the picture while letting Julia tell the story at her own time and on her own terms. There's nothing extra in this story. Stryker gives the reader only what they need to know to piece together three individuals whose broken pieces interlock.
Among its other virtues, The Simplicity of Being Normal provides a harrowing illustration of why the solutions cisgender people throw out in online conversations to accomodate transgender individuals in public don't begin to address concerns. Sam wasn't safe in the boys locker room, but he felt dirty in the girl's locker room. For him, the unisex restroom to change for gym class is a compromise. It's also in part responsible for the abuse that results in an injured wrist and a concussion. It draws the attention of the gym teacher, who would turn a blind eye to the behavior of other kids. And, if an adult doesn't see abuse, the principal is free to reply that kids get hurt in gym class. When finally confronted by an adult, the principal responds with the priesthood authority given to him by the Mormon church opposed to the responsibility entrusted to him by secular government...the boys tormenting Amanda are "good kids" working as instruments of God to help a sister find her way back to the path from which she strayed. The moral of this arc...without the intervention of adults who put the safety of students first, vulnerable children become prey before wolves. As a society, we have a responsibility to confront that, because not all children have advocates at home.
Simplicity is a beautifully constructed prison of sorts where it's core characters--Sam, Todd, and Julia--are all trapped within their lives. They bond where the layers of torment overlap.
In addition to living with a female body, Sam has a toxic relationship with a mother who blames him for absolutely everything that goes wrong, and a brother who appears autistic but is in reality just an asshole.
Todd is a no-nonsense history teacher who doesn't give extra credit, doesn't take late work, doesn't kiss student ass, and doesn't blink at flunking seniors. His happiness comes from beating his face in make-up and bar hopping in full drag, which he could do at will in New Orleans and no one bat an eye. The only reason he's in Idaho is Julia, his sister, whom everyone thinks is his wife, who can't walk into their house until he's swept it for strange men. A town full of Mormons seemed a better place to get over her phobias than the Big Easy.
And Julia has her reasons for melting down in Todd is more than twenty-yards away, and they could befall anyone woman in America; it just happened to be her.
As astute as her brother is, it is Julia who observes the precise ways Sam is both her and her brother. He is a victim of circumstances beyond his control, vulnerable, and yet remains a caregiver to an obligation he's tied by blood to. She is also the one to see him for who he is...a man coming into his own, on his own terms. His response to adversity is inspiration to her as she accepts him into her life as a second "safe" male presence. In ways, he is the safer of the two for reasons she's never been able to admit to her brother.
The behavior from the Mormons Sam is in direct contact with is reprehensible, and it is likely to be dismissed as lies by Mormons and people who know them alike. I, myself, grew up in the church and I have dozens of wonderful LDS friends. But, as with any portrayal of Mormonism, it is important to take account geography and point of view. There are more Mormons in Idaho than Utah per capita by a double-digit margin, thus more opportunities to encounter bad behavior if you fall outside of the majority. Principal Smith's odds of a negligence case regarding Sam's abuse being heard by a Mormon judge were good, and the futures of the boys tormenting Sam would likely have been given more consideration than a "lesbian's" physical safety. (See: The Coat-Hanger Assault Case.)
Stryker's style is tight, and while this story contains triggering passages for abuse/rape victims, he manages to soften the blow with euphemism and comedy. One of my favorite passages of the story was when Todd revealed Julia's back story to the reader from the POV of a Jeopardy contestant. Horrible things transpired, and Todd gives the reader just enough detail to get the picture while letting Julia tell the story at her own time and on her own terms. There's nothing extra in this story. Stryker gives the reader only what they need to know to piece together three individuals whose broken pieces interlock.
Among its other virtues, The Simplicity of Being Normal provides a harrowing illustration of why the solutions cisgender people throw out in online conversations to accomodate transgender individuals in public don't begin to address concerns. Sam wasn't safe in the boys locker room, but he felt dirty in the girl's locker room. For him, the unisex restroom to change for gym class is a compromise. It's also in part responsible for the abuse that results in an injured wrist and a concussion. It draws the attention of the gym teacher, who would turn a blind eye to the behavior of other kids. And, if an adult doesn't see abuse, the principal is free to reply that kids get hurt in gym class. When finally confronted by an adult, the principal responds with the priesthood authority given to him by the Mormon church opposed to the responsibility entrusted to him by secular government...the boys tormenting Amanda are "good kids" working as instruments of God to help a sister find her way back to the path from which she strayed. The moral of this arc...without the intervention of adults who put the safety of students first, vulnerable children become prey before wolves. As a society, we have a responsibility to confront that, because not all children have advocates at home.
April 20, 2017
I am in love with James Stryker’s characters.
Sam, Todd, and Julie are flawed, broken, struggling, and feel very much real to me. I was quickly drawn into their stories: they don’t want to be special; they don’t want to stand out. They seek a sense of normalcy not in conforming to societal averages, but rather by wanting to be true to themselves. I confess that I approached this story with some trepidation that I wouldn’t be able to understand their lives, but Stryker’s characters are relatable in their desire to lead a normal, unremarkable life.
While the main characters felt real and alive, others felt like caricatures: so abysmally bad and shallow that they don’t feel real. The flat horribleness of these characters is easy to accept when you remember that these are the impressions held by the very real-feeling protagonists. Their hypocrisy and conformity to societal expectations are the foundation for the struggle the main characters face in just wanting to be themselves.
The lifestyles - both of the protagonists and those around them - are utterly foreign to me: this is a story written in a world I’ve never had to walk. And yet I instantly found myself invested in Sam’s story. My pulse was racing by the third paragraph as I silently urged him on. With each step Sam took on his journey I found myself holding my breath, hoping it wouldn’t blow up in his face. I felt the frustration one feels when unable to help a friend. I approached each new chapter with a fear of what could go wrong, but also a guarded hope that they will make it one step closer to their own normal.
I read this book in a day, unwilling to put it down until I knew how everything turned out. I was not disappointed and read the final words with a sense of satisfaction that I had completed at least a part of the journey with Sam. I only wish the story continued so I wouldn’t have to say farewell to them so soon.
Sam, Todd, and Julie are flawed, broken, struggling, and feel very much real to me. I was quickly drawn into their stories: they don’t want to be special; they don’t want to stand out. They seek a sense of normalcy not in conforming to societal averages, but rather by wanting to be true to themselves. I confess that I approached this story with some trepidation that I wouldn’t be able to understand their lives, but Stryker’s characters are relatable in their desire to lead a normal, unremarkable life.
While the main characters felt real and alive, others felt like caricatures: so abysmally bad and shallow that they don’t feel real. The flat horribleness of these characters is easy to accept when you remember that these are the impressions held by the very real-feeling protagonists. Their hypocrisy and conformity to societal expectations are the foundation for the struggle the main characters face in just wanting to be themselves.
The lifestyles - both of the protagonists and those around them - are utterly foreign to me: this is a story written in a world I’ve never had to walk. And yet I instantly found myself invested in Sam’s story. My pulse was racing by the third paragraph as I silently urged him on. With each step Sam took on his journey I found myself holding my breath, hoping it wouldn’t blow up in his face. I felt the frustration one feels when unable to help a friend. I approached each new chapter with a fear of what could go wrong, but also a guarded hope that they will make it one step closer to their own normal.
I read this book in a day, unwilling to put it down until I knew how everything turned out. I was not disappointed and read the final words with a sense of satisfaction that I had completed at least a part of the journey with Sam. I only wish the story continued so I wouldn’t have to say farewell to them so soon.
April 29, 2017
Stayed up way past my bedtime to finish reading. What a unique, wonderful book. Me. Stryker's characterization is impeccable. As you're reading you get lost in the story and forget that it is a book and not someone's life. Your heart breaks for Sam, but you can help but cheer him on. If you are looking for a light hearted happy read, this is not the book for you. This is broken people facing real challenges, and living the best they can. But really, isn't that what we're all doing anyway? Needless to say I really enjoyed your book Mr. Stryker. Thank you for allowing me the privilege of reading an advanced copy😊
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July 9, 2017I have a blog and I just reviewed it on my blog:
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews