If you loved

Books like Faking normal

A raw and tender journey of two traumatized teenagers who become each other's safe harbor in the aftermath of unspeakable pain. These 12 books are the closest matches in mood, pace and themes, with what each one shares with Faking normal.

melancholic
intimate
tender
hopeful

01
The Art of Being Normal
Lisa Williamson
A tender, big-hearted exploration of friendship, secrets, and the terrifying thrill of finally showing the world who you really are.
Shares:
- tender
- hopeful
- earnest
- empathetic
02
The body in the woods
April Henry
A tense, fast-paced procedural that blends chilling woods-bound suspense with the warmth of an unlikely found family.
Shares:
- earnest
03
Breathing underwater
Alex Flinn
A raw, confessional descent into the mind of a teenage boy forced to confront the ugly truth of his own violent actions.
Shares:
- raw
04
Scars
Cheryl A. Rainfield
A raw, unflinching exploration of trauma and the painful, necessary journey toward reclaiming one's own body and mind.
Shares:
- hopeful
- earnest
- raw
- vulnerable
05
Highly illogical behavior
John Corey Whaley
An intimate, anxiety-laced exploration of a complicated friendship built on a secret motive.
Shares:
- intimate
- hopeful
- earnest
- empathetic
06
Alexis Gets Frosted Cupcake Diaries
Coco Simon
A sweet, relatable slice of middle school life where friendship and frosting are the best remedies for hallway drama.
Shares:
- earnest
- empathetic
07
Lost in the sun
Lisa Graff
A tender, character-driven journey through the heavy fog of guilt into the bright warmth of self-forgiveness and unexpected friendship.
Shares:
- tender
- hopeful
- earnest
- empathetic
08
Greetings from witness protection!
Jake Burt
A clever, high-stakes caper wrapped around a tender story of a guarded kid finally finding a place to call home.
Shares:
- earnest
09
Anything but typical
Nora Raleigh Baskin
A tender, deeply internal exploration of a boy finding his voice online while navigating the anxieties of a world that struggles to understand him.
Shares:
- tender
- hopeful
- earnest
- empathetic
10
There's someone inside your house
Stephanie Perkins
A dread-soaked high school slasher where escalating terror forces dark secrets into the light.
Feels:
- dread-soaked
- tense
- claustrophobic
11
Unspeakable
Michelle K. Pickett
A tense, emotionally raw exploration of the suffocating weight of a perfect facade and the terrifying vulnerability of letting someone in.
Shares:
- earnest
- vulnerable
- the burden of secrets
12
Symptoms of Being Human
Jeff Garvin
A tense, big-hearted exploration of identity, anxiety, and the terrifying leap from internet anonymity to real-world vulnerability.
Shares:
- hopeful
- earnest
- empathetic
- vulnerable

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