A new gay teen romance
A story for anyone who feels like nobody else understands them
What is normal anyway?
Jordan is pretty sure he’s not normal. It’s not that he’s gay. It’s other things, like the fact that he tends to stick to himself. He’s also the president of the book club (which isn’t exactly popular) and at the worst possible times, he has scary panic attacks.
As Jordan prepares to enter Grade Eleven, his best friend Emma tries to convince him that this is going to be his year of change, but Jordan isn’t so sure. He doesn’t want change, he wants to be in control.
Jordan’s world is turned upside down when he meets Nathan who has a strong disregard for the rules and doesn’t seem to be afraid of anything. And when Nathan starts to show interest in Jordan as more than a friend, things start to get … out of control.
Will Jordan find the strength to let go, or will he push away his chance to find love?
Not Not Normal is a book for anyone who feels like nobody else understands them.
It’s a story about overcoming grief, dealing with anxiety, and the power of love when someone accepts you for who you are and gives you the strength to become the person you’ve always wanted to be.
Selected Reviews
“… Fenton’s story touched on things that took me back half a century to my own eleventh grade experience. He writes all of these young people vividly and authentically. He gives them quiet heroes and doesn’t waste too much time on the bullies—who, after all, are not important.
I am always surprised and gratified when another YA book moves me and makes me happy. Each one is a new experience, and in the hands of a writer as gifted as Fenton, a rewarding one.“
Ulysses Grant Dietz – Author of Desmond
“Not Not Normal is a wonderful book about friendship, love, high school and the insecurities that come along with those things. Who among us hasn’t felt outside the realm of “normal” because of our sexuality, our looks, our likes and dislikes, our eccentricities, or how we look at life.
Peter E. Fenton masterfully shows us through Jordan and his circle of friends the lessons you need to learn to get to self-acceptance.“
— Colin Mochrie, actor
“I’ve been having trouble articulating in just a few words how much I loved the book!
“Not Not Normal” is a sweet, compassionate, and often very funny, depiction of a sudden and empowering first love.“
—Lisa Lambert, songwriter and lyricist
“Peter E. Fenton’s story, Not Not Normal, is a heartwarming and positive tale about Jordan, an adolescent struggling with the recent passing of his mother and the altered life that he now lives with his father. Jordan is also dealing with anxiety and some OCD symptoms. Jordan likes things neat, tidy, organized and under control. When Nathan shows up at the high shool, he brings chaos into Jordan’s curated and controlled environment. But he also brings confidence and the willingness to stand up for things that Jordan holds dear.“Peter E. Fenton’s story, Not Not Normal, is a heartwarming and positive tale about Jordan, an adolescent struggling with the recent passing of his mother and the altered life that he now lives with his father. Jordan is also dealing with anxiety and some OCD symptoms. Jordan likes things neat, tidy, organized and under control. When Nathan shows up at the high shool, he brings chaos into Jordan’s curated and controlled environment. But he also brings confidence and the willingness to stand up for things that Jordan holds dear.
Having experienced many panic attacks myself, I found Peter’s descriptions of Jordan’s panic attacks to be very well done. And I loved the way he showed Jordan’s initial unease at Nathan’s carefree attitude, and the way he had to learn to relax a bit and take things as they came, in order to make room for his affection for the confident boy.
A lovely story about two young men finding hope and romance amidst the disorder and disruption of a chaotic and sometimes hostile world.“
— Alison Lister, author of No Limit On Love and Summer with Sunil
“Jordan, Nathan, and the X-Libris gang will make you laugh, cry, and remember that growing up means having the courage to face your fears and follow your heart.“
—-Allyson Bradley, secondary school educator
Peter E. Fenton 