Fascinating book about individuals with different sexualities and attraction. Some chapters can be triggering because the author interviews individuals who engage in consensual incest and zoophilia. Overall a well researched book about individuals who face sexual stigmatization.

*Thanks to St. Martin's Press & NetGalley for this Ebook in exchange for my honest review

I wasn't sure what to expect going into Finding Normal. Would I, a relatively left leaning and accepting young millennial actually find anything taboo in it? And I definitely did! Even within the first section, which is much "tamer" than the second, there was still a chapter on a topic that I did find somewhat taboo and that made me seriously question and examine some of my opinions.
Tsoulis-Reay approaches these topics with a level of sensitivity and openness, setting out not to affirm or denounce, just to learn and to understand from the individuals being interviewed. In my view, this approach makes the book, as it encourages the reader to think about the topic and come to their own opinions. At the same time, the author's presence is felt so heavily in this book, in a way that I wish more nonfiction would embrace. She openly acknowledges her own biases and experiences, instead of pretending they don't exist and. don't impact her reporting. What's more, she's reflective and critical of the impact that her work has, especially when the wider effect is not what she was intending.
A really interesting and thought provoking book, and such an interesting topic!

This book was fascinating and braved and I really loved it. I think it will be an important book for emergent adults who are deconstructing what "normal" means to them and how they look at themselves and the world around them.

While I am more reserved and wouldn't verbally suggest this book to readers unless I know their comfort levels, I do see myself putting this book on reading suggestion emails and marketing materials! I will definitely suggest it to friends!

This was really informative and I wish this was the type of required reading we had in Health class my freshman year. In a world that is slowly (oh so slowly) becoming more comfortable talking about our bodies, our health, and our mental awareness, Finding Normal and similar resources are the perfect way to encourage open and honest conversation. Dispelling taboos and providing historical context, Tsoulis-Reay has created a wonderful sounding board for readers to find answers to some of their most personal questions, while sharing studies on intimate human experiences.

When I saw this title I knew I had to request it . As I have grown older I have realized I have a passion for both the taboo and sexual awareness. What I didnt expect was the level of detail that this author took and the passion they clearly have for their writing. I found the book informative and thought provocking. While it did pull me in, I do have to admit that the format of the book threw me for a loop. It seemed like the chapers were a bit to long and the seperation of the book into two parts was a little strange. My overall rating hovers at a 3.75 but since there is no way to rate this title this way I am increasing my starts to 4. I would read from this author again if given the chance since they did such a wonderful job at keeping my attention.

Unfortunately due to file issues, I was unavailable to read this or download it. Would love another opportunity. Please email me!

What I think the author did well was really listen to a few people and help share their stories in a thoughtful way, but the biggest problem for me with this book was that it didn't hold together. The premise didn't come through. The the shift to Part II that had the content warning felt oddly abrupt - like a separate book. And the ending was abrupt. It was more like separate essays hanging out together. Or two books held together.

Also, I really feel like the second half of the book should have been its own book. I'm trying think of why, and I'm not there yet. That second part felt very, very different to me, perhaps the taboo element. It left me uncomfortable searching for author to articulate why they book together they way they did. Perhaps this is my own baggage. Maybe becoming normal felt too adjacent to the transgressing part. Those are two different books.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC for an exchange for an honest review.

This book was informative and interesting. Loved it.

**WARNING** explorations of fringe sexual proclivities may be triggering.

This book explores rarely-explored sexual orientations. The chapter on Asexuality was especially informative, as was the chapter on grown adoptees having sexual and romantic attractions to the birth parents who abandoned them when they were babies or toddlers. A disturbing chapter on people who feel they are in relationship with animals folllows. Very well researched, and the author took a lot of risks locating those willing to talk about their unconventional feelings and lives.