Official Review: Normal Family by Don Trowden

Rachaelamb1 · Post by **Rachaelamb1** » 10 Mar 2016, 05:06

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Normal Family" by Don Trowden.]

3 out of 4 stars

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In Normal Family by Don Trowden, 10-year-old Henry tells a coming-of-age story over the course of four holidays spent with his dysfunctional family. Through these holidays, we get a clear understanding of what Henry's life is like on a daily basis; and it isn't pretty. His older brother and sister bully him, his mom and dad don't love each other, and his grandpa is a proud, loud, and bossy alcoholic. Henry is the only one who acts like a normal and decent human being. Each holiday carries its own set of problems and throughout the book we see characters grow and change as they go through tragic circumstances. Sorry I can not say too much for fear of spoilers!

The author did a tremendous job depicting the life and concerns of a 10-year-old boy. For instance, at Easter time Henry has a lot of horrible things going on in his life, but still, like any child, his main concern is finding as many Easter eggs as he can. He really is a relatable and realistic character. I often felt very sorry for him being stuck in that family. The story, while written with humor, is sad. I think if you took out the humor, the book would be downright depressing so I must commend the author on creating a sad story that is enjoyable to read.

I am amazed at how well the author portrayed his characters. They are each unique and interesting although many of them are not likable. While I disliked some people immediately, by the end of the book I found myself actually liking them as I found out more about them.

Initially, I was expecting the book to be more humorous (something like “Christmas with the Cranks”). I thought the family gatherings would be large, with boisterous and crazy aunts and uncles. It is actually a small family consisting only of Henry's immediate family and his grandparents. I was a little surprised by this at first and found myself wishing for a few more people. However, about mid-way there are some more characters introduced.

The ending confused me a little. When I finished the last page, I kept trying to scroll because I didn't feel like it was over yet. There are a few loose ends left untied. I do not know if this was done on purpose to leave room for a second book or if it was simply overlooked.

My rating for Normal Family is 3 out of 4 stars. The book is well written. I did not notice any grammatical errors. I enjoyed reading it and I think anyone who enjoys a good coming-of-age book would like it as well. I would not recommend it to young readers as there are adult themes and some language.

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Normal Family
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kidcabe55 · Post by **kidcabe55** » 10 Mar 2016, 15:51

Thanks for your thoughtful review. This novel is also available in trade paperback through the Espresso Book Machine for anyone preferring print to ebook. Many leading indie bookstores have these machines and will mail a copy if you ask. Just Google them. Thanks, again.

kimmyschemy06 · Post by **kimmyschemy06** » 10 Mar 2016, 22:35

Sounds like a very interesting book. Considering that every family has a problem, this story seems to show us that it could be worse. This makes me feel thankful for the family I have

Great job on the review.

Rachaelamb1 · Post by **Rachaelamb1** » 11 Mar 2016, 02:19

kidcabe55 wrote:Thanks for your thoughtful review. This novel is also available in trade paperback through the Espresso Book Machine for anyone preferring print to ebook. Many leading indie bookstores have these machines and will mail a copy if you ask. Just Google them. Thanks, again.

Thank you for letting us know. While I do most of my reading on eBook, I definitely prefer paper books!

-- 11 Mar 2016, 02:20 --

kimmyschemy06 wrote:Sounds like a very interesting book. Considering that every family has a problem, this story seems to show us that it could be worse. This makes me feel thankful for the family I have Great job on the review.

Haha yes it will make you grateful for your family. Thanks!

Post by **bookowlie** » 12 Mar 2016, 07:54

Nice, insightful review! The story looks like something I might like. I am going to take a look at the sample on Amazon. Congrats to the author on receiving a positive review.

weiwei · Post by **weiwei** » 12 Mar 2016, 23:23

Good job on the review! Sounds like an interesting character-driven story!

Rachaelamb1 · Post by **Rachaelamb1** » 13 Mar 2016, 04:19

bookowlie wrote:Nice, insightful review! The story looks like something I might like. I am going to take a look at the sample on Amazon. Congrats to the author on receiving a positive review.

Thank you, if you end up reading it let me know how you like it!

-- 13 Mar 2016, 04:21 --

weiwei wrote:Good job on the review! Sounds like an interesting character-driven story!

Yes it is! I always love it when author's write great characters.

LivreAmour217 · Post by **LivreAmour217** » 14 Mar 2016, 13:39

Great review! As another post stated, reading a story like this can only make you more appreciative of your own family!

Rachaelamb1 · Post by **Rachaelamb1** » 14 Mar 2016, 21:29

Very much so

CrescentMoon · Post by **CrescentMoon** » 20 Mar 2016, 17:51

This sounds really interesting. I don't usually read books like this but I do like character-driven stories and this sounds like that. Nice review!

bluemel4 · Post by **bluemel4** » 20 Mar 2016, 18:01

Great review. I am impressed with the authors use of humor that made a potentially sad book compelling. I love character driven stories.

Rachaelamb1 · Post by **Rachaelamb1** » 22 Mar 2016, 21:45

CrescentMoon wrote:This sounds really interesting. I don't usually read books like this but I do like character-driven stories and this sounds like that. Nice review!

Thanks, I also like character-driven stories

-- 22 Mar 2016, 21:46 --

bluemel4 wrote:Great review. I am impressed with the authors use of humor that made a potentially sad book compelling. I love character driven stories.

Humor does lighten up the book a lot!