I really enjoyed what this book contained. There was so really good plots and stories. The characters were interesting and really worked off each other. It was really well written. Why is it only three stars then? It needed more. Everything felt like it was a base of the story and I really wanted to delve into the characters more. If it had been longer this would have been a book I loved instead of just really liked.

I finished Far From Normal in a day, which means it's a compelling read, but I can't help but feeling that it needed a little more time in the oven. I wish I had about a hundred more pages of this book to work out some kinks and that's not something I usually say about contemporary YA books....

Maddie is a classic middle sibling. She's always getting compared to her naturally gifted older brother which can get really tiresome. I really related to Maddie - she had to work hard to be good at things and that's the case with most of us. To prove her parents wrong and get into her dream school UNC, she takes an internship at the sports marketing firm where her aunt works. This is her golden opportunity and she doesn't want to waste it. After an embarrassing run-in with a tall, accented stranger, Maddie is shaken up (in a good way) and even more shaken up when she finds out he's soccer superstar Gabe Fortunado. When her aunt finds out about their meet-cute, she assigns Maddie to help turn around his party-boy image. Maddie sees this as her way to stand out in a crowd of nameless interns and it doesn't hurt that she gets to spend time with a hot Italian soccer player. She just has to keep her wits about her and not get sucked in by his flirty banter and hard to look away from face...

This plot leaves a lot of room for fun moments and character development, but at the end of the day, it just fell a little short for me. Gabe received the most development out of everyone in the book, which is a bit odd considering Maddie is supposed to be our main character. Beyond that, the pacing of the story felt off. Maddie and Gabe definitely have a bit of insta-love going on considering the book takes place over a few weeks (as far as I can tell?). The ending felt very rushed and some of the events mentioned in the epilogue could have easily been part of the book and added a lot more to the character development.

It's also a little frustrating that by the end of the book, only Maddie gets redeemed, for lack of a better way to put it. Her aunt and mother still don't seem to believe in her, her nemesis at work gets a promotion, and Gabe might be off to another country. Not much is wrapped up in the bow that readers like to see in a YA book, but there aren't any loose ends for a sequel.

All in all, this is a cute, quick read. I liked the characters, I just wanted to get to know them a little more.

The ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Cute, easy read. I liked the peek it gives the reader into the world of sports adminstration and how sports stars/celebs have their lives curated by publicists.

How adorable is this book?! I loved how *normal* Maddie is and I fell in love with Gabe. He is a perfect mixture of vulnerable with hard edges. A perfect romcom for those that like a little soccer (futbol) in their lives.

Far from Normal by Becky Wallace is everything a good rom-com should be, full of humour, plot twists, and un-media-trained Italian soccer stars—what more could you ask for? Far from Normal brings a YA writing style to an almost new adult narrative as main character Maddie takes on Chicago and the internship of her dreams.

Wallace does a great job of setting the tone for Maddie’s big city adventure, describing the all the glitz, glamour, and not-so-glamorous mishaps that make Chicago so different to the small town—Normal—Maddie grew up in. Far from Normal’s setting is what sets it apart from other YA reads. Newly out of high school, Maddie steps an esteemed sports administration internship at her favourite aunt’s PR company. The unique trials and tribulations of life as a young intern are the perfect stage for Maddie to prove herself . . . and maybe meet somebody special along the way.

Through Far from Normal, Maddie is convinced of her own unextraordinary normalness, making her likeable and easy to relate to, even when the circumstances she finds herself in become quite extraordinary. Maddie’s relationship with Gabriel Fortunato, one of Chicago’s most handsome, famous, and reckless soccer stars, evolves naturally throughout the book. Wallace uses strong character development techniques to allow both Maddie and Gabe to grow, which makes for a compelling story. Some of Far from Normal’s characters aren’t quite what they seem. Expect a twist near the story’s end!

Far from Normal is about love, ambition, identity, and confidence. As Maddie’s internship progresses, along with her budding romance with Gabe, she discovers more about who she is and what she is capable of. I’d recommend Far from Normal to fans of Call It What You Want by Brigid Kemmerer and Tilly McGuire and the Royal Wedding Mess by Emma Grey.

**Review will be published September 22nd!**

UTTERLY ADORABLE.

I basically read this in one sitting because of how flippin’ precious it was. I was completely smitten with this book and am going to sing its praises in this review.

Originally concerned about the length (under 300 pages), I didn’t know what to expect for my first book by Wallace. BLOWN AWAY sounds about right now. I found this quick, fast-paced young adult rom-com exactly what I needed at the time and had me grinning and laughing throughout. Don’t let the length deter you, this is an absolute gem.

Madeline was a great main character. She was under some intense pressure from multiple forces in her life and at only 17! I liked the way she handled herself, but also still felt like a teenager. It was a great combination that made me feel for and understand Madeline’s motives.

Now the precious soccer player, Gabe? I am SO HERE FOR bad boys with a heart of gold. I’m easy to please when it comes to books with this nature. Gabe and Madeline’s relationship moved well and the pace was steady and absolutely sweet. I love the little dates they went on and the support they were both giving each other.

I love the Devil Wears Prada aspects and started to see them more after I finished it when I sat there unable to think about anything else. There’s plenty of allusions that are fun and quirky that make me think this should be a movie, and that I also need to re-watch TDWP.

AH. I am just in love with this book. Think its the perfect, sweet, YA rom-com you should definitely read if you’re even the tiny bit curious. I can’t wait to read more books from her!

Overall audience notes:

YA Contemporary Romance
Language: none
Romance: kisses
Violence: bike crash

This new YA summer book was a cute read. We follow Maddie during her internship in the city of Chicago. Her work includes helping Gabe, an Italian soccer player, with his public image after a few past mishaps. I enjoyed their banter and their chemistry, especially when they were alone and they could truly be themselves with each other. I must say that the last part of the book wasn't my favourite, especially because of how a character turned out to be.
Overall it was a quick and fun read, but I don't feel like it had any unique elements to really stand out from others books of the same genre.

Thank you to #NetGalley and Page Street Publishing for allowing me the opportunity to read a digital ARC of Far from Normal by Becky Wallace. This YA novel will be released in September 2020. All opinions are my own.

Maddie is tired of her boring life in Normal, Illinois and is sick of having to live in the shadow of her genius parents. No matter how hard she works, it just doesn't seem to be enough and her parents seem surprised whenever she accomplishes something. She dreams of getting into UNC and becoming a sports agent like her aunt, Emma. To do this, she will need an impressive application and letter of recommendation from Velocity, the firm her aunt works at, would go a long way in achieving her dreams. Maddie is determined to work hard at her internship and prove that this is the world she belongs in. Maddie's nickname, though, is "Calamaddie" for a reason. When she gets assigned to work with Gabriel Fortunato, a nineteen-year-old MLS star in need of an public image makeover, she begins to wonder if she's setting herself up for failure and embarrassment. The two start to grow closer as they work and Maddie realizes that there is more to Gabe than meets the eye. Will she be able to get the rest of the world to see him like she does? Can she prove to her aunt that she's cut out for this job?

This was a super fun and cute YA romance with a sporty vibe. Maddie is super relatable and I love her nickname. I can totally connect to having to work hard and be persistent in order to reach my goals. I can also connect with her knack for messing things up. The narrative voice is inviting and pulled me in immediately. I loved that there was also wit and sarcasm that came naturally throughout the story. Nothing seemed forced. This is a good ole'fashioned YA romance. Sure, the plot is a little predictable, but that didn't make me love it any less. It's a fun, flirty, and fast read.

A huge thanks to Netgalley for this ARC! All opinions are my own.

This was such a cute book. Something about it just really made me want to read it from the get-go, and I wasn't disappointed. It's got Devil Wears Prada vibes to it, and I absolutely loved that (plus, I liked Maddie better than I ever liked Andy). This was a much needed quick, fluffy contemporary read for me, and it was perfect.

Maddie spends her summer interning at her aunt Emma's sports marketing company, and ends up quite literally falling into a position where she's working alongside infamous soccer player Gabriel Fortunato in order to help him save some face with the media.

Maddie was a great character and I liked watching her really own up to things and take charge when she needed to, she was such a smart, charismatic person without even having to try. And then there was Gabe, who was equally amazing. I loved seeing him open up over the course of the book and seeing how everything played out for them.

Thank you Netgalley and Page Street Publishing for a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I devoured this and had to be torn away from reading it non-stop for "apparently" essential things like eating and sleeping. I love a good old fashioned romance and this is a perfect example of why... Yes, I know what's going to happen and how it's going to end just by looking at the front cover but I'm totally there for the ride.

Maddie has just started an internship at her aunt's sports publicity firm and literally lands at the feet of her first big assignment. Gabe is the classic misunderstood bad boy of football who, after missing a shot at the world cup spirals into one bad situation to the next. Maddie has been set the task of creating a glowing reputation for him via social media and so blooms a budding relationship. Of course there are ups and downs, it wouldn't be a romance with out the obligatory misunderstandings and disasters, but I enjoyed every second and am only sad that I've finished it so quickly.

It's the story of a new intern at a posh Chicago sports marketing agency, and a true tale of fish-out-of-water. Maddie is the typical YA protagonist of a normal, All-American, awkward girl but she's very driven to succeed and follow her passions, The book uses captivating language, that you really feel for Maddie's point of view and it's easy to get sucked in. Soon, intern Maddie is tasked with managing Italian bad boy soccer star Gabe's social media, a guy who she's already had an embarrassing (for her), yet flirty exchange with days prior. He's the bad boy and it's up to her to keep him on the straight and narrow path. As we go on, fellow intern Mara is the vindictive office nemesis, which I'm not a fan of this storyline because women need to champion other women. (How in the heck can we shatter glass ceilings if we are too busy fighting and being catty and petty for one seat at the preexisting table. No, we should be working together to make more space.) So, that characterization irked me. Overall, I couldn't stop reading this fun, slow-burn YA romance between a regular girl and a superstar yet misunderstood athlete. Then, once Gabe starts to open up because he honestly likes her, you can see his walls tumble down and his raw, real self emerges just like any ordinary crush, and that's the love interest I want to root for. It's a quick read that you get so wrapped up in that you cannot put it down! By the ending, the story is very raw and vulnerable for Maddie, who realizes she can blaze her own trail and not follow anyone else's.

I was hesitant to read based on the summary, but I took a chance on this book, which completely won me over with its authentic language, sweeping romance, and the vulnerable moment at the end where she's forged her own path ahead without knowing the end result.

God, it was such a good book, the perfect quick adult fiction to read in summer at the beach, if you loved The devil wears Prada, I highly recommend this book where you will discover our main character Maddie, who is a young woman, who want to have a chance to shine as much as her brother and starts an internship in a sports marketing firm, and then it's like calamity jane over and over again, Maddie is such a laughable character, I love her, and she's so clumsy that I was laughing out loud.

Perfect sweet novel if you want to escape for a few hours.

I found Far from Normal to be exactly the quick, charming YA contemporary I hoped it would be! If soccer is in any way part of the premise, that pretty much guarantees that I'll read it, and the love interest in this book is an Italian star currently playing in the MLS after famously missing a high-stakes PK and costing his country the last World Cup. There's very little actual soccer in this book, but the main character's internship and the romance were engaging enough on their own that I didn't mind that. I couldn't put this one down, and I flew through it in the matter of a couple hours. Definitely will be recommending to my fellow YA contemporary lovers!

“Sometimes I’m a dork. This is not new information, but it’s a thing I need to remind myself once in a while.”
This book was exactly what I expected it to be: sweet and light. This is what you call a summer novel. The plot feels like a cheesy yn fanfiction, but the writing is smooth and the characters are well-developed.
Honestly, Maddie surprised me. She isn’t the type of dedicated go-getter we’ve come to expect. She is insecure and clumsy, and isn’t really talented in anything. This is a sore point, as her brother Max is genius talented in everything. Still, Maddie is passionate and hardworking, and that makes her likable even if she is the clumsiest person on the face of the earth. While Gabe is given a well-rounded character, it isn’t really any more than what you would expect in a story like this. Still, it’s a classic trope that is executed well here.
The plot is also smooth; it had a lot more depth than I would have initially guessed. Make no mistake, it’s definitely still a light summer read. But the plot kept me hooked and the story never stalled. The characters don’t live in a rosy dream world, and they have multiple problems to juggle, from professional disappointments to family friction.
At the end of it all, Far From Normal was a cute summer novel that delivers on everything it promises. If this seems like it’s up your alley, you will not be disappointed!

SUPER CUTE YA ALERT!!!

Gobbled this one up in a day. Maddie gets an internship at her aunt's marketing firm and out of the gate, her first job is to help handle their lately mishap of an athlete....who happens to be the guy she embarrassed herself in front of the day before.

Believable tension, realistic coming of age issues, and great characters!

"My wedge heels skid as they hit the metal grating just inside the elevator, but I recover fast. No one says anything to me, which is exactly what I want because that means I'm blending in."

This is a fun romantic comedy with a fast past plot, relatable characters and an entertaining premise. It was a compelling and engaging read--well written and a great escape!

3.75/5 ⭐️

This was such a quick and fun read!

Let’s break it down:

The characters:
I really related to Maddie. She has an older brother she’s close with and a younger sibling and I loved seeing the family dynamics since they’re so similar to my own. I also really appreciated that Maddie was such a determined and hard working girl. She isn’t naturally gifted and has to work hard to be good at things and I think that added a lot to the story. Gabe was a sweet (and definitely swoonworthy) love interest that I wouldn’t have been able to resist either.

The plot:
“Far From Normal” is a YA contemporary so of course it’s a bit dramatic and cheesy but we don’t expect anything else from this genre and I thought the plot was entertaining and original. It was a super quick read and it definitely gripped me!

The setting:
A big part of the book is about Maddie’s internship at a sports marketing firm and I liked getting a look into this industry that I knew nothing about. I also really enjoyed learning more about all of the places Maddie visited in Chicago.

Some things I unfortunately didn’t love:
Maddie has a habit of rambling and I thought that her thoughts oftentimes strayed too far from the situation that was currently going on which made her sound a bit annoying at times. Some sentences also really kinda made me cringe because they were just unnecessary or TMI. The ending felt a bit rushed and I would’ve preferred if some scenes that were mentioned in the epilogue had been part of the actual plot instead of something the main character only thought about.

All in all:
It was an enjoyable YA contemporary that had its ups and down - I would recommend checking it out if you’re looking for a quick read with an entertaining plot!

This was a really sweet sport romance, and I love those story types. Even though I don’t like sports...😂 But I loved Far From Normal! The romance between Maddie and Gabe was super cute and endearing. I loved that he fell for her even though she couldn’t understand why he would. Their meet cute was kind of funny, kind of emabrassing.

This would make a super cute young adult movie. I also wish it had been longer! I would have loved for the romance to be fleshed our a little more. But I still adored this cute story, and now I need to check out Walaces’s other book Stealing Home. And you can bet I’ll be buying Far From Normal come September!

I received an eARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Squeals! More squeals! The most squeals! I utterly adored and entirely loved this book and I’m just starting on my overuse of adverbs.

Maddie is a normal girl from Normal, Illinois. She goes to Chicago for the summer to work as an intern at a PR company so that she can get a recommendation letter for college. Her summer starts with a crash thanks to her aunt’s dog and her slim bicycle skills. Luckily the accident results in an charmingly awkward meet cute with a handsome boy named Gabe. The sparks and soccer balls fly from there when she’s tasked by the PR firm to help improve his image. But someone is trying to sabotage her at work and she worries about getting her heart too involved with a client.

I honestly loved it so much that I went back and read my favorite parts, twice.

The voice is believable and relatable. The twists are fun, some expected and others you crash in to. The romance is sweet, but steam is coming off that Chinese food if you know what I mean (#wink). This is a book you’re going to want to buy so that you can reread it often. I can’t wait for my hardback to arrive in September.

I’ve never read a book so fast! I absolutely adore this book.

The pacing of this book is really great but at the end i felt like i needed more. I love the idea of the story so much, it was full of fluff and the characters actually have personalities! I felt so drawn toward Maddie because i could relate to her most of the time and Gabe? he is such a sweet guy!

This is definitely a perfect summer read!