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Jett Harper #1

Needing Normal: Freshman Year

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What do you do when you find out everything you know might be wrong?

Prove you’re right, of course.


And that’s exactly what Jett Harper plans to do.

As a freshman, she only has two goals: get good grades and prove she’s normal. That’s easy enough, right?

At least she thinks so, until she learns her biggest assignment is to understand love. Harder still? She must work within an assigned group, her Core5, and they couldn’t be more diverse. Will they make the grade?

As the Core5 tackles the school year head on, Jett also fights for the definitive answer to one other simple question: What is normal?

Hardcover

Published August 24, 2021

7 people are currently reading
1026 people want to read

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Emme Grange

3 books12 followers

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5 stars
12 (36%)
4 stars
7 (21%)
3 stars
11 (33%)
2 stars
2 (6%)
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1 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
Profile Image for Lisa Bentley.
1,340 reviews23 followers
January 11, 2022
I read a lot of YA fiction. I do this for two reasons. The first reason is that YA fiction is really, really good. It is far superior to the YA of my youth and it deals with topics that writers from my teen days would not have touched and for that I am thankful. The second reason is because I work with students and I strive to find books showing diversity of representation. I firmly believe that every child should be able to see themselves in fictional characters. To be able to look at a character and go “they are just like me.” It is for this second reason that I really rate Needing Normal by Emma Grange.

Our protagonist – Jett Harper – finds the world hard. She takes the things that people say literally and she struggles to find her tribe of people because of this. However, when she is assigned to do a group task in school Jett shows herself and others just how she can overcome the challenges and barriers she faces. What’s more is that it shows how a little kindness from others can go a long way.

Jett is a neurodiverse character and the way Grange has written her gives a clear insight into how the world is not shaped to fit every person and how the vulnerable can sometimes be left behind. Equally, she shows you how amazing a place the world can be when our expectations are altered.

Needing Normal is a book that needs to be in every school library. I know I will be getting a copy for my school.
Profile Image for Hershey.
311 reviews163 followers
September 16, 2021
Thank you NetGalley and for providing me a digital arc of this book.

Have to say, this book is one of a kind.

I expected to be disappointed because most the time the ‘I am the most smartest person in the who universe, worship me’ people always are the snob and rude people who are annoying and then end up hating the book because every second of the book I’m hating the main character. But, even in this book, the Main character, Jett, WAS like that but it didn’t ruin the book.

In short wors, this is worth reading. It’s totally awesome and cool even though the characters are not likable but you’ll enjoy the book, I’m tellin’ ya. A bit. This CAN get boring in the miidlle and make you feel like dnf-ing the book but its okay-ish by the end. The person I’m not cool with is Jett’s mother who pushes her and tries makes her into ‘cool’ and ‘normal’ and popular’ and something she is not! Eff off woman🔪

Overall, it was good though confusing at times. I only have two problems with this book:
~ Slow pace
~ Confusing plot

I kinda didn’t know what was happening in the middle of the story and also this is quite long. The length is always a problem but I’m glad I didn’t ‘hate’ it, I already have enough on my mind. It could have been more realistic though, I don’t think people like Jett live in this society.

Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.
Profile Image for Kayleigh | Welsh Book Fairy.
972 reviews151 followers
January 23, 2023
— 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 —

𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: Needing Normal
𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬: Book 1 of 2 of the Jett Harper series
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫(𝐬): Emme Grange
𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: Contemporary YA
𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝: 24th August 2021
𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 3/5

themes:
- emotional navigation
- acceptance
- autism diagnosis

"'What you're telling me is, happy and sad and everything else I feel all can be part of contentment? You're saying all the emotions are valid. 'Typical' is comparative, while 'normal' is personally subjective. Are you telling me normal doesn't matter?!?'
'No, I'm suggesting just the opposite,' Dr. M said. 'Typical doesn't matter. And 'normal' is whatever you experience and accept it to be.'”


Goodreads Synopsis:
What do you do when you find out everything you know might be wrong?
Prove you’re right, of course.
And that’s exactly what Jett Harper plans to do.
As a freshman, she only has two goals: get good grades and prove she’s normal. That’s easy enough, right?
At least she thinks so, until she learns her biggest assignment is to understand love. Harder still? She must work within an assigned group, her Core5, and they couldn’t be more diverse. Will they make the grade?
As the Core5 tackles the school year head on, Jett also fights for the definitive answer to one other simple question: What is normal?


Plot
The author uses the plot as a tool to sculpt the characters: challenging them and encouraging them to be the best version of their selves. Nothing exactly wild happens. There are no twists. The plot is a simple conveyer belt moving the characters along their development arcs.

Characters & Dynamics
This is the main focus of the story. Jett's journey to understand love in all its forms (emphasis on understanding instead of participation) in a monumental group task to achieve the highest grade is a journey of acceptance, emotional navigation, and good grades.

I am sorry to say that I did not like the dynamics between Jett and half of the Core5. There didn't seem to be a solid bonding moment other than one conversation at a table that didn't justify Core5's strong feelings towards Jett. Especially the protectiveness from Carlos and Andy. Jett and Sam's dynamics was a much more comfortable bloom. And the relationship between Jett and Ruby I enjoyed too as it seemed much more complex than the other dynamics.

I really enjoyed Jett's relationship with her parents and how she suffers from one understanding parent and one non-understanding parent. The juxtaposition was a familiar theme and served different perspectives on Jett's atypical characteristics.

Jett as a character was slightly frustrating. She is depicted as incredibly intelligent and I enjoyed that aspect of the book, however it felt like she had never gone to school before and did not understand basic social communication. Research has evidenced that at high school age many kids with autism have learnt to mask and mimic their peers and yet there was very little of that in Jett's story.

Writing
The writing was really engaging. I enjoyed EG's writing very much, I think it's an ambitious feat to write about a character who is incredibly intelligent and EG pulled it off beautifully. Needing Normal was very easy to read in one go.

World Building
The world of Presidio Prep was exactly as expected, I enjoyed the mechanisms of the school and how they interacted with Jett. Although how helpful the school counsellor is is bordering on contrived; far too good to be true. But absolutely crucial to the story.

Likes
- The diversity of the characters
- The writing
- Jett's relationships with her parents
- Presidio Prep

Dislikes
- Some of the character dynamics
- Jett, sometimes

Final Thoughts
This is an engaging read full of complex relationships that the main character attempts to navigate. The reader is bought along on that journey and is lead to an insightful story of acceptance.

🧚🏻‍♀️

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Profile Image for Al Pagnotta.
95 reviews1 follower
September 30, 2021
I honestly could not stand this book and it's portrayal of the character, she was incredibly stereotyped and painful to read and the story fell flat in so many areas, I made it around 70 pages in before having to stop for my own sanity
Profile Image for Mia.
296 reviews119 followers
July 16, 2023
Ok... so I am very upset to say that I dnf'd it at 50%. Whatever I was thinking before opening this book, it definitely wasn't what I got.

There are only 2 ways one could go after reading this book. One, they would understand what this was about, they would find Jett amusing, and continue reading. Other, they would not understand it, they would think it's a pain to read it and they wouldn't be generous with ratings. I am in the latter category.

Jett is unlikable. That was clear from page one, and when it's the case with a story, a reader reads on for the plot or the character development. 50%, I read, I couldn't identify the plot. It's annoying, what's more annoying is Jett herself. She's the kind of person who's too self centred, she keeps making assumptions about every one, thinks she's the smartest (can't stop mentioning her "researchs" and "hypothesis") but is really portrayed stupid in social terms. I can't understand her problem, and unlike the school therepist, I am not patient enough.

“20 page research with relevant links associated with how Carlos is mentally sick”

“Was she even a qualified teacher?”

“Manita, imaginary sister of Carlos.”

It was just too much.

To me, it was thoroughly boring. So little happened compared to the number of pages. More or less, I was always annoyed with Jett's questions. The book just got on my nerves, I couldn't bear one more word.
Profile Image for Molly.
27 reviews
July 12, 2021
"In what scenario did she get to avoid counseling offices and people assessing her well-being? In what scenario was Jett accepted as valuable, just as she was? That was the scenario she wanted."

Needing Normal follows Jett Harper, a 14-year-old girl who is starting freshman year at a new school and is grappling with the concept of "normal." She wishes strongly to fit in with her peers, but can't help but feel different from them. Furthermore, through a school project that puts her in a group with four of her peers, Jett must focus on the concept of love when she is unsure if she has ever experienced it before. Through the relationships built over the course of the year, Jett learns about life, love, and the fact that maybe normal is overrated, anyway.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this novel and living inside of Jett's head. Her voice was so strong and carried the novel nicely. Getting to see the way her brain worked was marvelous and I grew attached to her very quickly. I also enjoyed the cast of supporting characters and the bonds that they formed, and I can't wait to see them continue to develop as the series continues. The Core5 friends were all likable and nuanced. Jett's relationship with her father was heartwarming (I call my father Daddio as well, so I found this particularly endearing), as was her friendship with Ben and Yoda. Her complicated relationship with her mother was well-balanced, though I was surprised at how insensitive her mother was with her background and education in psychology.

The plot itself wasn't particularly eventful, but it didn't need to be. While I felt that the pacing was a bit confusing at times, I thought the overall flow of the book worked well. Needing Normal is a charming novel with a lot of heart, and I eagerly await the sequel.

Thank you to Netgalley and aTYPICAL AUTHOR press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Michelle E. Fauver.
45 reviews6 followers
August 8, 2021
I love how this book captures the confusion of the teenage years.
And how love and acceptance of others is a beautiful thing.
Jett works through her troubles and comes out showing that everyone deserves love.
Profile Image for Katy .
312 reviews21 followers
June 14, 2023
4 ⭐

Thanks to Netgalley for this book in exchange of an honest review.

All emotions are valid and worthy of being expressed.


Needing Normal is about a 14 year old girl —Jett Harper— who is starting freshman year in a new school and is trying to find what is to be normal. Because of her mother, that are constantly telling everyone that she is not normal, Jett is always trying her best to fit in and not to show any "anormal signs".

On the first day of school, the teacher assigned groups of 5 members to find what love means, so Jett and her Core5 will need to find out the answer together. At first she was uncomfortable with them, but as time passed, she will learn new things and they will become friends.

At first I found the book a little slow and too descriptive, but then I understood what was the intention of the author writing it like that. Jett is someone who thinks carefully before make a decision and is always trying her best to understand how everything works. I also found it interesting the way she sort out theories for her questions.

In addition, when I first read the synopsis, I wanted to read the book because —apart from the fact that I wanted to know more about Jett— of the meaning of love. In my opinion, love is a term that is complex to describe and everyone have a different explanation of the term; and that was exactly what the book wanted to show us. Additionally, the author also shows that there is no one who is anormal and that the correct word for that is atypical, but that does not mean that there is something wrong with that.

In general, Even though the plot was not something amazing, I really enjoyed the book and the way Jett's brain works. Also, I would like to know more about all the Core5 members.
Profile Image for Eunice R.
227 reviews5 followers
August 21, 2021
Jett Harper wants desperately to be "normal," to fit in among her peers at high school. What is the definition of 'normal' though, and for that matter, of love and how one experiences it? Will she be accepted and have true friendships in and outside class? How does it all sync? Jett wants to know. Go through the ropes of doubt, stress and turmoil with Jett as she ponders and puzzles these weighty matters out for herself and how she squares in with her "Core5" group. Afterall, doesn't everyone "need normal"? Teens will certainly enjoy this book.

~Eunice C., Reviewer/Blogger~

August 2021

Disclaimer: This is my honest opinion based on the review copy given by the publisher.

25 Book Reviews

Reviews Published

Profile Image for Erin M. Cooper.
458 reviews3 followers
September 5, 2021
Love is a project

It all started with Jett getting into a prestigious school, and having to do a paper about love for summer homework. She wrote a proper research paper, that she knew would get an A. The papers that were handed in were marked, while everyone received their papers back all Jett got back was a piece of paper with her name on it and scrawled on the paper "see me after class". The teacher gave her a failing grade, and resulted in Jett redoing the paper as more of a rant, then research.
The students were then split into groups of five so they could do there big project on, you named it love. As the year progressed, the Core5 learned the five languages of love, and did there presentation on that.
It was a cute book, I actually enjoyed it. I received the book for free through Goodreads Giveaways.
Profile Image for El.
202 reviews11 followers
November 30, 2021
This book is about was about a 14 year old girl, Jett Harper, as she starts freshman year at a new school. She has grown up being told that she isn’t normal so therefore puts a lot of pressure on herself to not show any ‘anormal’ signs.

I’ll be honest, I struggled a bit at the start because it was quite slow. But now I think this was done on purpose by the author to reflect how nothing is simple in Jett’s mind. And as someone with anxiety I can relate a lot to the constant overthinking of every tiny decision, so I think that’s quite a clever writing choice.

I gave it 3 stars because the plot isn’t anything extraordinary but I did still enjoy it! And thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for providing me with an eARC of this!
Profile Image for rohini.
161 reviews1 follower
October 8, 2021
I dnf'ed this title at 37%. It started of well with an intriguing plot and characters. However as I got more into it I realised that the character of Jett was very snobbish and unlikable. The protagonist was quite unbearable to read about and I couldn't sympathise for her.

The theme was great but the execution fell short. I lost interest in the plot as it seemed to go on about the same thing for a long time and it felt repetitive.

Other than that it felt like a nice quick read that discussed quite relieved and relatable middle grade themed but it just didn't work for me.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc.
Author 3 books5 followers
October 2, 2023
My take? Tess Harper is a STAR.

This story magnificently showcases an atypical POV. If you've ever felt boxed in by others' expectations, this read is for you! As Dr. Seuss wisely said, “Why fit in when you were born to stand out?”
85 reviews1 follower
November 23, 2023
A heart-warming story

I loved this engaging story of a young teenager learning who she is and how she fits into the world. The characters are interesting and endearing, and the view into the mind of a teen on the spectrum is fascinating.
Profile Image for Megan Dyson.
74 reviews2 followers
August 31, 2021
wow such a great read! I hope to read more by this author in the future. I really enjoyed the character build and I could really relate to Jett in my high-school years
17 reviews
September 19, 2021
This book was so sweet. Tho author did a an amazing job with this book. I loved the characters. I would totally recommend to anyone and everyone.
Profile Image for Mallory Kiersten.
2 reviews
September 13, 2021
I have so much love for Jett Harper. She is highly intelligent, calling out the things we consider to be social norms into question that many of us likely have never thought about. She might even be someone you identify with because you've questioned the structure of high school hierarchy in the same way.

Great read!
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews

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