There are five towns in the U.S. named “Normal” and seventeen-year-old Gemma Leonardo plans on visiting every one of them. Right after she escapes Children’s Hospital in Harrisburg, where she’s being treated for anorexia. Enter Lucas Polizzi, a high school wrestler with bulimia and, more importantly to Gemma, a getaway car. Sick of being told they’re sick, Gemma and Lucas team up for a themed road trip to “the Normals” on one condition—they can’t mention food, ever. But as each passing mile puts their lives at greater risk, they soon realize it is their growing love and friendship, not a place on a map, that will put put them on the path to recovery.
Praise for Finding Normal
“A riveting tale of two not-so-‘normal’ teens (and a baby raccoon) who are on the lam and heading across the country toward self-discovery, self-acceptance and each other. Funny, edgy and touching, Finding Normal is a can’t-miss read.”
—Val Emmich, New York Times bestselling author of Dear Evan Hansen: The Novel
“If only getting where you wanted to be in life could be as easy as pointing to a spot on the map and following an already-laid-out course. But Lucas and Gemma teach us that such a journey is important, to a great extent, because each one of us has to chart the path ourselves. Doktorski’s voice is equal parts funny and real, and as a reader, you’ll be more than glad to be along on her characters’ life-changing ride.”
—Holly Schindler, award-winning author of A Blue So Dark
“On a road trip to Finding Normal, Gemma and Lucas build a deep friendship that leads them someplace neither of them ever could have imagined.”
—J. Albert Mann, award-winning author of The Degenerates