Cute book that has a well written story in its pages. Loved how it unfolded for the reader and how the story progressed.

Has anyone watched Red Band Society?!? (I'm still jaded there was only one season of it, I loved it!) Anyways this reminded me so much of the friend group and the hospital setting. I adored the friend group and how the banded together, I could have probably done without the romance until the very end but that's just a small pet peeve because I wanted more of the friendship bonding. I enjoyed the idea of her mom running a blog about her life and I completely understand the feeling unheard with doctors (it's horrible no matter your age!).

Thank you to St. Martins Press, Wednesday books and Netgalley for e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This is hard to review because I really thought I was going to like this going into it. The premise sounded fascinating but the execution didn’t deliver-at least for me. The FMC was unlikelable and bitter and flat out rude, and I know that she was written that way as a result of being sick for so long but it just made it hard to root for her because she was just mean to everyone. It’s hard to cheer for someone who is mean, sick or not. She compartmentalizes her life-her hospital life and acquaintances and her school life and acquaintances and she doesn’t let the two cross because she feels like they wouldn’t understand each other. But who is she to decide that. Maybe that’s the YA viewpoint and I’m too old to get it. But that bugged me. And she would never try to explain her illness to anyone. Just “you wouldn’t get it” Again, I get that she’s been through a lot, but if you keep people out you can’t expect them to hang around. Idk. I just didn’t get the point of her being so jaded. Somewhat yes, but so blatantly was unnecessary. There was no chemistry in the romance either.
Maybe I’m just not the audience for this but it was a miss for me.
Thanks to St. Martins Press and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

I think this book should be read by any and all teenagers who feel like they are not enough, because I want them to know that they are enough, just the way they are. I could see this being very popular at my library so I will definitely recommend it be purchased for circulation purposes!

The premise of this novel is lovely. I loved the balance of heartfelt moments and real emotions from a child who has been through years of medical issues. I appreciated that Ellie's medical issues weren't simply tied up with a neat bow and the medical community was still very much a part of her story. I also appreciated that Ellie was an imperfect character who didn't fit the "sick kid" stereotype with constant optimism and gratitude. The story itself was a little meh for me, but this novel was perfect with characters who felt real and their relationships were authentic.

Ellie Haycock Is Totally normal was a very important, insightful, and honest YA debut about life, relationships, feeling heard, and letting people in. It was a story about standing up for yourself, trusting yourself, and being your own biggest advocate. The friendships in this story will pull at your heartstrings, and truly showed the importance of community. Ellie was very stubborn and frustrating at times, but the character growth felt very natural, even still. The ending felt very rushed and the major conflicts throughout the story were resolved within a few pages, but it was an overall enjoyable read!

Ellie is a unique individual who just wants to be treated "normal", or, like everyone else. It's a sadly sweet look at the parts of her life - that at school which is her reason for being (now that she attends a school she actually likes, has friends AND a best-friend turned boyfriend). But, Ellie's life is anything but standard issue.

Ellie grapples with her unique health issues and is resentful of the times she has to go for extended treatments at a residence a few hours from home. She is extremely stubborn about trying to keep the pieces of her life separate. We, as humans, tend to take our frustrations out on those we love, and Ellie is no exception. She appreciates and resents equally her father's separation while she is in the treatment center, and se resents her mother being close at hand so often - and, she resents her mother's blog about Ellie's health journey.

Ellie is young yet old for her years all at once. Despite all she knows, she still has a lot to learn - as teenagers so often do, about life in general. I appreciate her strength and also see how she is her own worst enemy at times in her judgement of others who are just doing their own best right along side her. I am glad for the chance to read this book, and also to experience, through Ellie's eyes, how it must be to be living with devastating illness when one just wants life to be "normal".

I wanted to like this, but Ellie is just such a brat through 95% of this book. She made a little redemption basically in the epilogue but not nearly enough for her to be less unlikeable to me. I think I’m just too old for YA, clearly - I’m not here for the teenage angst. Bonus points for a cute cover, though.

I think this book will be well-enjoyed by its target market. Being a middle-aged woman, I am NOT the target market for a YA novel. That said, I do find some YA books to be incredible, and the synopsis of this one sounded exactly like the type of YA book I would enjoy.

Unfortunately for me, something was lacking. It felt as if I were dropped right into the middle of Ellie Haycock's life without much of a backstory or explanation of her condition. I don't know if it truly wasn't explained well or if my mind wandered while I was reading the part that should've explained it, but I sure didn't have a memory of it and was left feeling a bit confused at several points throughout the book.

I also found certain parts of the plot to be really predictable and maybe too neatly tied up in the end. Not that I want to see the characters suffer, but I just wanted it to feel more realistic and authentic than it did (at least for me). I also thought a lot of the relationships felt somewhat shallow and surface level. I didn't feel a deep emotional connection between the characters, nor did I personally feel any kind of emotional connection to the characters.

I do think my opinion will be in the minority here. It's not a bad book by any means, and I do appreciate that it's shining a light on a condition I had never heard of before. But overall, the book just wasn't for me. I wouldn't say I disliked it, but I also can't really say that I liked it, so for me, this one is 2.5 stars (rounded up since there's no option to select half stars on this review).

Thank you to NetGalley for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

I wanted to like this but there was not one character I liked in this. Ellie and her mom were very hard to root for and I understand that, but it made for a rough read.

DNF @ 40%

I was looking forward to this one since I'm always on the lookout for more books about characters with disabilities and chronic illnesses, but unfortunately this one is a miss for me. While I enjoy the themes, I'm not finding the main character likeable at all. I understand where she's coming from and that she will likely change as the book progresses, but coupled with the slow pacing, I'm not interested enough to continue reading.

Ellie Haycock is Totally Normal is an emotional and beautiful coming of age YA novel. All of the characters felt three dimensional and I had to remind myself several times that they weren’t real people
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I loved how much time we spent with Ellie’s hospital friends. They were so supportive in the story and written extremely well. Since they were all seeking treatment for different things and came to the Home at different ages, their interactions provided a lot of wisdom and empathy as they interacted with each other.

The romance took a back seat to Ellie’s character growth, and I think that was the right choice for this story. This story is very much Ellie’s and I loved watching her discover that it’s ok to lean on others.

This book made me very thankful for the dependable friends in my own life, because genuine friendship through good days and really bad ones is such a blessing.

Thank you to Wednesday Books for the eARC. All thoughts are my own.

In solidarity with the SMP Boycott I will be withholding my review for this title (which I was given prior to the boycott) until SMP acts on the following:

1. Address and denounce the Islamophobic and racist remarks from their employee.
2. Offer tangible steps for how they are going to mitigate the harm this employee caused.
3. Address how, moving forward, they will support and protect their Muslim, Arab, and Palestinian influencers, authors and readers, in addition to supporting their BIPOC influencers, authors, and readers.

This is not a reflection of the author personally, nor is it a call to boycott buying this particular book.

I loved this book for so many reasons. As someone who’s lived with a lifelong illness, and also as the mother of a teenager with a chronic illness, this book hit a lot of targets for me. Seeing the experiences written down on paper in such a caring and elegant way is one of the things I truly loved about this story. The way Ellie dealt with things and the way she thought and felt were so relatable. This was a great read.

Ellie Haycock is Totally Normal is the story of a girl with chronic medical issues. Ellie absolutely refuses to let those challenges define her and she makes this work by dividing her life into hospital friends and non-hospital friends. When Ellie is forced to see a new doctor, she must think about the possibility of another surgery. With the help of her hospital friends, can she allow herself to trust a new doctor again?

I really enjoyed Gretchen Schreiber's debut. It is clear that she is a new author to watch in YA. Ellie’s voice is so realistic and relatable. I completely understand why she separated her life into hospital and non-hospital friends. I’m very glad that she found true friends and eventually ditched the friend who didn’t understand her. Ellie Haycock Is Totally Normal portrays what it is like to be chronically ill and the complex relationship between patients and healthcare providers. This is really important discourse and was done very thoughtfully. Readers who enjoy lovable ensemble casts, determined heroines, and disability rep will love Ellie Haycock Is Totally Normal. I’m excited to see what Schreiber writes next!

Thank you to Gretchen Schreiber, Wednesday Books, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For publisher: My review will be posted on Goodreads, Instagram, Storygraph, Amazon, Barnes & Noble etc.

This book had me a bit split. I thought it was a great representation of a main character with a disability. It felt like a window into the lives of many who grow up in and out of hospitals. It showcased a perspective that is rarely seen. However, Ellie as a character was a bit insufferable. Her communication skills were horrific. The majority of problems thought out the book were because of poor communication. There’s a point of “not letting people in” but then also blatantly ignoring texts and avoiding friends. Avoiding confrontation is not a result of her medical issues. That was really frustrating to me but it seems towards the end she figured it out.

Title: Ellie Haycock is Totally Normal
Author: Gretchen Schreiber
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

“The Breakfast Club meets Five Feet Apart in this big-hearted novel from debut author Gretchen Schreiber.”

I requested this book thinking I was going to get a lot of the same feelings reading it as I did “The Fault in Our Stars”. This book definitely gives those vibes and deals with a lot of important topics, especially in the area of friendship and the idea of “found family”. While I have never been through anything Ellie has gone through, some of Ellie’s stubbornness and cynicism were a lot to take. I think I may have related to Ellie’s mother the most, since I am a mother, and have no idea how I would handle watching someone I love go through all of that.

This is 100% a YA novel, but I knew that going in so I was expecting younger conversations and dialogue.

If you’re in the market for a coming of age story that’s a quick read and will make you feel all the feelings, add this to your list! Thank you so much to

A special thank you to SMP and Wednesday books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book is like a cozy hug reminding us to own our stories and cherish real friendships. But oh boy, Ellie can be really stubborn! I wished she'd see the sunshine in her life instead of being her own challenge. The ending felt like she did a quick change, though. Still a cute read! 📖💕

Ellie spends a good majority of her life in hospitals because of a disability caused by health issues. This story is full of teenage drama between family and friends as Ellie learns about friendship and love. At times it gets heavy with lots of things to process and ponder. Be aware that there is some swearing that might be uncomfortable for some readers. I enjoyed experiencing a different point of view on life. I also found it interesting that the story was based on the author’s own experience. I think this added authenticity to the characters and their feelings. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Natalie Naudus which was wonderful to listen to because of the different voices for each character. My favorite was Caitlin.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I really thought this book sounded great. I am someone who gets very anxious about medical things so I did not really like this one because it stressed me out a lot. BUt the story would be good for younger readers