Review: Faking Normal by Courtney C. Stevens

Summary from Goodreads:
Alexi Littrell hasn't told anyone what happened to her over the summer. Ashamed and embarrassed, she hides in her closet and compulsively scratches the back of her neck, trying to make the outside hurt more than the inside does.

When Bodee Lennox, the quiet and awkward boy next door, comes to live with the Littrells, Alexi discovers an unlikely friend in "the Kool-Aid Kid," who has secrets of his own. As they lean on each other for support, Alexi gives him the strength to deal with his past, and Bodee helps her find the courage to finally face the truth.

At the beginning of Faking Normal I was confused as Alexi, the narrator, seemed to have her thoughts all over the place. Alexi was hiding a secret and the way she was beginning the story was cryptic and hard to follow. Fortunately, once I got through the initial chapters, the writing started to flow a lot better. It was distressing to read about what Alexi was doing to herself all the while kept in the dark as to what made her this way.

I loved the friendship Alexi and Bodee developed throughout the novel. It was sweet and heartening to see them develop trust and support each other through their hard times.

The mysteries were well written. One mystery to be uncovered was who did something to Alexi and why she hurts herself. The other was more lighthearted; who was the 'Captain' who spoke to her heart through song lyrics on Alexi's school desk and made her days easier to get by.

There were some aspects of the book which were not quite believable (the way certain events and people panned out). Other than that, Faking Normal was a gripping read.