Not Not Normal, by Peter E. Fenton

[Ulysses]

Not Not Normal
BY Peter E. Fenton
Published by James Lorimer & Co., 2024
Five stars

My gateway to contemporary gay romance was through young adult (YA) novels. You’d think this particular facet of storytelling would get old, fast. Yet it doesn’t. Not for me.

Peter Fenton’s “Not Not Normal” adheres to the rules, and yet not quite. Jordan Shepherd is the high-anxiety nerd in his eleventh-grade class in Toronto. He’s OCD, something that has only been exacerbated by the death of his mother. His father is gentle and loving, but still somewhat withdrawn. Jordan’s best friend Emma (reminding me of Pippi Longstocking) is his biggest supporter and his harshest critic.

Into Jordan’s very controlled life crashes Nathan, a fearless young man who can’t tolerate injustice. His parents are both alive, but divorced—which he seems to think is his fault. Nathan immediately joins Jordan’s after-school book club and clearly is drawn to him—much to Jordan’s chagrin and joy.

Although there are bullies in this book, it’s not about bullying. Coming out is important, but not remotely the point. As simple as it seems, the book is really about kids helping each other through the pitfalls of being teenagers. About giving up control; about learning how to support and help your friends; about coming to terms with who you are without shame or fear.

It seems so obvious and undramatic—and yet it sparked tears for me repeatedly, as Fenton’s story touched on things that took me back half a century to my own eleventh grade experience. He writes all of these young people vividly and authentically. He gives them quiet heroes and doesn’t waste too much time on the bullies—who, after all, are not important.

I am always surprised and gratified when another YA book moves me and makes me happy. Each one is a new experience, and in the hands of a writer as gifted as Fenton, a rewarding one.