I loved this book! Thank you for the ARC. Unfortunately, I didn’t realize that I wasn’t leaving reviews on netgalley and was solely sharing on Instagram. My apologies. Huge fan of this author! I actually received the tangible copy. Trying to clean up my netgally account.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This was enjoyable, light and easy.Would reccomend

Sara’s multiple diagnoses at a young age have defined the way she moves through her world: largely solitary, both in friendships and in school. Sara is obsessed with being normal, but a chance meeting with Erin, who has trichotillomania, pushes her to do all the things she didn’t think were possible, like sleepovers and movies and gossiping, everything that would have usually paralyzed her. Though Sara and Erin couldn’t be more opposite, in the end, they both prove to be each others’ saviour. This book does not need to be read before OCDaniel, and in fact I feel like I enjoyed OCDaniel more having read it after this book.

This is a perfect novel for representation of anxiety and panic attacks. As someone who suffers from both conditions, it was super relatable and shone a light on these issues. Truly appreciated the rawness of this book and I highly recommend to anyone who struggles.

Sara is a teenager who wants, more than anything, to be normal. She has a long checklist of things to achieve in order to get there. The thing is, Sara has never been normal, and no matter how hard she tries, never will be. When she was seven she did her best to behave while on a dress shopping expedition with her mother, but when she tried to tell her mother she had had enough, no one listened to her and she had a breakdown.

She is an only child who lives with both her parents. Her mother has become more accepting and supporting of Sara since the dress incident. She is very close to her father, but he is volatile and drinks to excess. I couldn't help but wonder if he didn't have his own mental health issues.

Sara is gifted academically, but has multiple mental health diagnoses. She calls these her games. They include: False Alarms (panic attacks), the Lead Ball (depressive symptoms) and The Danger Game (schizophrenic episodes.) She can't handle being integrated into a regular classroom so she has her own teacher's aid. Sometimes the two of them have lunch with the rest of the school. Unfortunately, many of the students at the school call her names - Psycho Sara being the most enduring.

Sara sees a therapist, Dr Ring, once a week. At the park one afternoon she meets James, a boy her age who she first met at Dr Ring's office. James is dealing with anxiety following the death of his older brother. Sara is able to help and reassure him that he will get better. He is so ashamed of having these issues that he doesn't want to be around her when other people might see them.

Dr Ring convinces Sara to join a weekly group therapy session. At the group Sara meets Erin who becomes her first real friend. It's her friendship with Erin that saves Sara and helps her give up on her goal of being normal, and accept and love who she is. In turn, when Sara discovers why Erin has bruises all the time, she does what is necessary to save her, no matter the cost.

There are a number of plot lines in this prequel to OCDaniel, Wesley King's first book about a teen with mental health issues. Yet for me, this book is primarily about character. Sara is someone I took into my heart from the first page. She is so authentic it's obvious this is an own voices title. In spite of all her challenges, Sara is courageous and strong. She's generous and smart. She's a kid you never want to give up on. Even though she's a fictional character, I found myself wondering how she will get on as she gets older.

This is a book about the power of friendship. It's about learning to love and accept yourself for who you are. These are important lessons for all of us. Hopefully this book will be a mirror for people like Sara with mental health issues and a window for others so that we can also learn to accept each other just as we are.

The word "normal" carries so much weight and baggage. For those who struggle with mental health, the word can be painful. In this prequel to the amazing "OCDaniel" (2017), Wesley King explores the background of character Sara Malvern from the first book. Sara is struggling with her mental health, and her own expectations of trying to be "normal." She sets rules for herself to follow, to try and be "normal" and then when she is unable to, she flounders ever more. Her therapist suggests she join a group therapy session where she meets Erin, who challenges everything Sara thought about herself. What is the definition of "normal"? Maybe Sara can redefine what "normal" means to her.

Thank you to Netgalley, Wesley King, and Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman for an advanced copy of this story in exchange for an honest review!!

There are not enough books about mental health out there. Period. It is on the rise, it’s almost hard to find someone who does not have mental health issues, and yet, fiction novels surrounding it are only just starting to increase. THIS is a book about mental health.

Sara hopes to one day be “normal.” She has mental health issues and only talks to a select few people in her life. People don’t know her, but they judge her based on what they think they know and what they have witnessed but don’t understand. When Sara meets Erin in a group therapy session, her entire life changes. Erin is outgoing, not afraid to speak up about her mental health, and embraces her differences, not believing in “normal.”

I have a hard time articulating how I feel about this story because I feel it is so important and anything I say won’t explain well enough. This book explores the desire to be normal, how mental illness effects people in different ways, and the stigma surrounding it. Please please read this book.

THIS WAS A PHENOMENAL READ - JUST WOW!

It hits on the most sensitive subjects head on - and gives people a perspective like no other. I can't wait to pick up OCDaniel as I learned this was a prequel to it.

Thank you so much Simon & Schuster Canada & NetGalley for my complimentary eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

“I had spent all that time wishing I could magically get better, when maybe I just had to make things better for myself.”

If you loved Wonder, you’ll absolutely adore this novel!

This is a story of a girl living with anxiety disorder and depression. Because of this she feels she is not normal, doesn’t have any friends, and takes her classes alone with a special education teacher. Her biggest goal is to be “normal” and even has a list of rules she believes must follow in order to achieve it. Narrated by Sara, the story feels a lot more personal. We get to read about her struggles, her dreams, how her anxiety attacks affect her everyday life, and how much she grows when she meets a friend in group therapy.
I loved how the author wrote about the importance of having a real friend is to thrive when dealing with mental illness or issues, and what it means to be one. Also making it clear that it’s better to have one real friend than a thousand fake ones, and most of all, to love oneself. As this is a middle-grade novel, I loved how the sub-themes as sensitive as they are, were touched for the young readers to reflect on what is important.

Triggers for themes like child abuse, alcoholism, and bullying.

This is a YA novel however like other YA novels it focuses on very tough situations but the writing is much easier and flows well, and the characters are much more interesting. After I started reading this book I realized it was a prequel to another book, which normally makes the characters hard to get into however that was not the case with this one. I fell in love with the writing and the characters straight away. Our main character Sarah suffers from multiple different disorders from OCD to panic attacks to social anxiety and they all make life very challenging
for her. What was interesting however was that the book was told through her point of view. It made for a very interesting read. I really enjoyed the character because she had to go through a lot of struggles both with her peers at school as well as with her self and her diagnoses. It was sad to see all of the weight that was on her shoulders however it made it very realistic. This was so different than anything else I've ever read before however that is part of what made it so enjoyable.It deals with very serious subjects, and mental health issues, and I think that this is a must read for all teens because you can't always tell what someone is going through on the inside. Very nice book and I can't wait to read the first one.

I loved this book! I am grateful to have had the chance to read a review through NetGalley. Admittedly, I was huge fan of Wesley King's OCDaniel. I shared it widely in my class, school and district and several students and teachers I know have been talking about this book's arrival for about a year (even through a title change). It was everything we have been waiting for and more. If you haven't read OCDaniel, of course I recommend it, but I think you could enjoy this book without reading it.

This book is the backstory of one of the characters in OCDaniel, so it is a prequel. Both books contain multiple characters that deal with mental illness and readers will see and experience a little of that with them. Wesley King uses some of his own experiences growing up and dealing with mental health issues to show young people dealing with issues that they are not alone, and they should ask for help. Sara and the Search for Normal has this in common with OCDaniel but in this book there is a lot more about dealing with one's inner voice, and understanding and accepting yourself.

I had high expectations for this one, but I feel like a lot of the questions I (and my students) had about Sara were answered here and there are other parts of the plot where Sara has to show bravery and courage that are amazing as well. This is a great book for those that enjoyed OCDaniel, or have enjoyed other books in which young characters deal with mental health. It works as a stand alone but even better as a companion to OCDaniel. Highly recommended, it will bring up a lot of discussion of very serious and important issues.