Am I Normal Yet? by Holly Bourne – review

‘This book gave me a real insight into OCD’

I hadn’t picked up a book in about two months – probably because I didn’t want to get labelled as ‘nerdy’ – but I gave in when I went into Waterstones. I blame the ‘buy one get one half-price’ stickers. Anyway, the title Am I Normal Yet? really struck me, as the concept of being ‘normal’ and trying to fit in is something most kids go through at some stage in their lives. I think the author has discreetly sneaked in some morals here, and I think that Evie’s therapist, Sarah, is like the author’s voice telling kids that there is no normal and that they’re chasing a ghost.

Evie suffers from OCD and anxiety, and the way the author portrays her conditions is amazing – she honestly deserves some sort of award. Holly Bourne is really sensitive towards her character’s mental health, yet at the same time, Evie comes across as having a real hatred of her condition. She longs to be ‘normal’, doesn’t want to attract any sort of attention, and craves ‘normal’ things such as a boyfriend and going to college. After her former best friend, Jane, grows distant, Evie believes it’s because she ‘went crazy’ and refrains from telling anyone about her mental health. Instead, she suffers a relapse in silence.

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