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A Different Kind of Normal
“My mother told me all about the witches in our family. She heard the stories from her mother, who heard them from her mother, and so on, all the way back to the mid-1800’s, in London, where the twins, Henrietta and Elizabeth, started The Curse.
Henrietta and Elizabeth were inseparable from the time they reached across their mother’s bosom for the other’s hand. Their mother was considered to be the best witch of them all, whatever that silly statement means, and she taught the twins. They practiced their spells in the forest behind the fountains and statues on the manicured estate their mother’s wealthy, titled family owned.
Together Henrietta and Elizabeth had eight children who would later prove to be both saints and raucous sinners, especially the girls, as is often the case in witch families, or so I’m told…”
Jaden Bruxelle is a nurse. She does not believe in ancestral witches or curses or magical spells. She does believe in her nephew, Tate, who lives with her. Tate was born with an oversized head. Academically gifted, he endures taunts and teasing, but rises above it with kindness, jokes, and a brilliant intellect.
Jaden also believes in her mother, Rowan, a blunt speaking internationally famous soap opera star, and her brother, Caden, a single father with four children, three of them triplets, who will only wear Halloween outfits.
But as magic spins in and out of the herbs in her greenhouse, Jaden finally acknowledges The Curse as she smells the scent of death.
A Different Kind of Normal is filled with love, laughter, and inexplicable, mysterious enchantments.
Henrietta and Elizabeth were inseparable from the time they reached across their mother’s bosom for the other’s hand. Their mother was considered to be the best witch of them all, whatever that silly statement means, and she taught the twins. They practiced their spells in the forest behind the fountains and statues on the manicured estate their mother’s wealthy, titled family owned.
Together Henrietta and Elizabeth had eight children who would later prove to be both saints and raucous sinners, especially the girls, as is often the case in witch families, or so I’m told…”
Jaden Bruxelle is a nurse. She does not believe in ancestral witches or curses or magical spells. She does believe in her nephew, Tate, who lives with her. Tate was born with an oversized head. Academically gifted, he endures taunts and teasing, but rises above it with kindness, jokes, and a brilliant intellect.
Jaden also believes in her mother, Rowan, a blunt speaking internationally famous soap opera star, and her brother, Caden, a single father with four children, three of them triplets, who will only wear Halloween outfits.
But as magic spins in and out of the herbs in her greenhouse, Jaden finally acknowledges The Curse as she smells the scent of death.
A Different Kind of Normal is filled with love, laughter, and inexplicable, mysterious enchantments.
392 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2012
358 people are currently reading
2759 people want to read
About the author
Cathy Lamb
24 books1,598 followersCathy Lamb was born in Newport Beach, California. As a child, she mastered the art of skateboarding, catching butterflies in bottles, and riding her bike with no hands. When she was 10, her parents moved her, two sisters, a brother, and two poorly behaved dogs to Oregon before she could fulfill her lifelong dream of becoming a surfer bum.
She then embarked on her notable academic career where she earned good grades now and then, spent a great deal of time daydreaming, ran wild with a number of friends, and landed on the newspaper staff in high school. When she saw her byline above an article about people making out in the hallways of the high school, she knew she had found her true calling.
After two years of partying at the University of Oregon, she settled down for the next three years and earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education, and became a fourth grade teacher. It was difficult for her to become proper and conservative but she threw out her red cowboy boots and persevered. She had no choice. She had to eat, and health insurance is expensive.
She met her husband on a blind date. A mutual friend who was an undercover vice cop busting drug dealers set them up. It was love at third sight.
Teaching children about the Oregon Trail and multiplication facts amused her until she became so gigantically pregnant with twins she looked like a small cow and could barely walk. With a three year old at home, she decided it was time to make a graceful exit and waddle on out. She left school one day and never went back. She likes to think her students missed her.
When Cathy was no longer smothered in diapers and pacifiers, she took a turn onto the hazardous road of freelance writing and wrote almost 200 articles on homes, home décor, people and fashion for a local newspaper. As she is not fashionable and can hardly stand to shop, it was an eye opener for her to find that some women actually do obsess about what to wear. She also learned it would probably be more relaxing to slam a hammer against one’s forehead than engage in a large and costly home remodeling project.
Cathy suffers from, “I Would Rather Play Than Work Disease” which prevents her from getting much work done unless she has a threatening deadline. She likes to hang with family and friends, walk, eat chocolate, camp, travel, and is slightly obsessive about the types of books she reads. She also likes to be left alone a lot so she can hear all the odd characters in her head talk to each other and then transfer that oddness to paper. The characters usually don’t start to talk until 10:00 at night, however, so she is often up ‘til 2:00 in the morning with them. That is her excuse for being cranky.
She adores her children and husband, except when he refuses to take his dirty shoes off and walks on the carpet. She will ski because her children insist, but she secretly doesn’t like it at all. Too cold and she falls all the time.
She is currently working on her next book and isn’t sleeping much.
She then embarked on her notable academic career where she earned good grades now and then, spent a great deal of time daydreaming, ran wild with a number of friends, and landed on the newspaper staff in high school. When she saw her byline above an article about people making out in the hallways of the high school, she knew she had found her true calling.
After two years of partying at the University of Oregon, she settled down for the next three years and earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education, and became a fourth grade teacher. It was difficult for her to become proper and conservative but she threw out her red cowboy boots and persevered. She had no choice. She had to eat, and health insurance is expensive.
She met her husband on a blind date. A mutual friend who was an undercover vice cop busting drug dealers set them up. It was love at third sight.
Teaching children about the Oregon Trail and multiplication facts amused her until she became so gigantically pregnant with twins she looked like a small cow and could barely walk. With a three year old at home, she decided it was time to make a graceful exit and waddle on out. She left school one day and never went back. She likes to think her students missed her.
When Cathy was no longer smothered in diapers and pacifiers, she took a turn onto the hazardous road of freelance writing and wrote almost 200 articles on homes, home décor, people and fashion for a local newspaper. As she is not fashionable and can hardly stand to shop, it was an eye opener for her to find that some women actually do obsess about what to wear. She also learned it would probably be more relaxing to slam a hammer against one’s forehead than engage in a large and costly home remodeling project.
Cathy suffers from, “I Would Rather Play Than Work Disease” which prevents her from getting much work done unless she has a threatening deadline. She likes to hang with family and friends, walk, eat chocolate, camp, travel, and is slightly obsessive about the types of books she reads. She also likes to be left alone a lot so she can hear all the odd characters in her head talk to each other and then transfer that oddness to paper. The characters usually don’t start to talk until 10:00 at night, however, so she is often up ‘til 2:00 in the morning with them. That is her excuse for being cranky.
She adores her children and husband, except when he refuses to take his dirty shoes off and walks on the carpet. She will ski because her children insist, but she secretly doesn’t like it at all. Too cold and she falls all the time.
She is currently working on her next book and isn’t sleeping much.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 283 reviews
November 3, 2012
I have read other Cathy Lamb books and really enjoyed them.
I was sorely disappointed with this one. The whole story was just too hokey and unbelievable. The constant sexual innuendos, their behaviors, the characters just didn't seem believable. Even the behavior and goings on of their ancestors was too over the top. The only one who I thought was "real" was the drug addicted Brooke. She was the only character that I think I could have found in real life.
I know it is supposed to be a feel good story, but I wasn't buying it. Fiction books are made up stories, but at least for me, their has to be some semblance of reality.
I don't know as I could be quite the martyr that Jaden was. Caden's behavior at the basketball games? Really? A cheerleader? I thought they had cheerleaders at high school basketball games. The comments made by the students and others in the gym during the game were most certainly inappropriate and in this day and age, would NOT be tolerated, and they would have been ousted from the game. Even the comments and behaviors made by Tate's family were inappropriate.
And Jaden? Whoa. I know that as parents we can all be protective of our children, but Jaden had her bear claws out and attacked. Not adult behavior for sure.
The only reason I finished this book is that I thought it would get better. It didn't. I will certainly not recommend this book to others.
I was sorely disappointed with this one. The whole story was just too hokey and unbelievable. The constant sexual innuendos, their behaviors, the characters just didn't seem believable. Even the behavior and goings on of their ancestors was too over the top. The only one who I thought was "real" was the drug addicted Brooke. She was the only character that I think I could have found in real life.
I know it is supposed to be a feel good story, but I wasn't buying it. Fiction books are made up stories, but at least for me, their has to be some semblance of reality.
I don't know as I could be quite the martyr that Jaden was. Caden's behavior at the basketball games? Really? A cheerleader? I thought they had cheerleaders at high school basketball games. The comments made by the students and others in the gym during the game were most certainly inappropriate and in this day and age, would NOT be tolerated, and they would have been ousted from the game. Even the comments and behaviors made by Tate's family were inappropriate.
And Jaden? Whoa. I know that as parents we can all be protective of our children, but Jaden had her bear claws out and attacked. Not adult behavior for sure.
The only reason I finished this book is that I thought it would get better. It didn't. I will certainly not recommend this book to others.
December 5, 2012
There are page-turners, and then there are page-flippers. Page-flippers are books that inspire you to flip through them, looking for the next part that's relevant to the plot. I actually enjoyed this book quite a bit after I decided to skim it; it has a strong cast of main characters, some fun plot points, and some genuinely moving exchanges. It also has about 200 pages of fluff and repetition. Had this book been only 200 pages, I probably would have laughed, cried, and bought it for all my friends. As it is, it got a lot of eyerolls and a quick return to the library. The plot involves bullied kids, disabled orphans, brave/funny/brilliant disfigured kids, sad drug addicts, dying nice old people, and a self-sacrificing earth mother, so I'm going to come off as totally heartless by criticizing this thing, but I'm going to anyway!
The rundown: Jaden is the single mother of a disfigured, genius highschool boy, who was abandoned by Jaden's drug-addict sister when he was 2 hours old. His dream is to play basketball. Jaden is scared he'll get 1) mocked and 2) injured or possibly killed; any rough action MIGHT dislodge the shunt in his brain. The argument between them over whether or not he can join the team is repeated so often you could make it a drinking game. The first few times it was moving; boy with dreams, mom with valid concerns. After a while, I wanted them both to just shut up about the dratted basketball team, and I LIKE basketball.
The son, Tate, has a blog about his disfigurement that, naturally becomes a big hit. We are told repeatedly how brilliant this budding chemist/neuroscientist is, but his blog reads like the writings of a bright 8 year-old rather than a genius 16 year-old. I've read blogs by my high school and college students, and they were more informative than these entries. They were not believable based on his precocious, mature character, and the blog was the first thing I started skimming.
Jaden works as a hospice nurse, and repeated scenes with a new cast of patients every few chapters are done to death, pun intended and regretted not a whit. Again, at first these scenes were exciting. Her reflections on the various ways sick patients and their families face the inevitable death, and a complication with one obnoxious adult son decides to make trouble, intrigued me. After a while, though, I felt like I was rereading the same scene.
There are some humorous, zany scenes with her nieces and nephews that just didn't quite work for me. There is a lot of basketball. Did you get wish there were more Quidditch scenes in Harry Potter? You will love this book! Do you like reading scenes when a kid gets bullied, and then some other guy who would normally be on the bully's side, but is now disgusted by his cruelty is all "HEY STOP BEING A JERK, I'M ASHAMED OF YOU!" and then the bullied kids get dragged out of the room, and then that happens about 10 more times? You will like this book too!
The best part of the book was Jaden's history of magic and her relationship with her mother and drug addict sister; witchcraft supposedly runs in her family, though she doesn't believe it. We get some terrific stories about her ancestors. Jaden herself gets premonitions when she works with herbs, and for most of the book, she keeps smelling death, which naturally freaks her out even more regarding her son's safety.
The worst part, for me, was the love interest angle and the ensuing dialogue. Can I just say that I really don't like love scenes in which 1) a man declares his love 2) the woman declares her love 3) the woman argues that she is not lovable (I'm so temperamental, etc) and 4) the man argues that yes, she is (I love your passion)! Kiss first, fish for compliments later, sez I.
By the way, did people in 19th century Great Britain have witch burnings? I thought they didn't. Could cruel slaveowners from South Carolina easily track women down in early Oregon settlements? I thought that might be difficult, given the absence of easy travel and communication. This book indicates I may have been wrong, though. It really made me think.
The rundown: Jaden is the single mother of a disfigured, genius highschool boy, who was abandoned by Jaden's drug-addict sister when he was 2 hours old. His dream is to play basketball. Jaden is scared he'll get 1) mocked and 2) injured or possibly killed; any rough action MIGHT dislodge the shunt in his brain. The argument between them over whether or not he can join the team is repeated so often you could make it a drinking game. The first few times it was moving; boy with dreams, mom with valid concerns. After a while, I wanted them both to just shut up about the dratted basketball team, and I LIKE basketball.
The son, Tate, has a blog about his disfigurement that, naturally becomes a big hit. We are told repeatedly how brilliant this budding chemist/neuroscientist is, but his blog reads like the writings of a bright 8 year-old rather than a genius 16 year-old. I've read blogs by my high school and college students, and they were more informative than these entries. They were not believable based on his precocious, mature character, and the blog was the first thing I started skimming.
Jaden works as a hospice nurse, and repeated scenes with a new cast of patients every few chapters are done to death, pun intended and regretted not a whit. Again, at first these scenes were exciting. Her reflections on the various ways sick patients and their families face the inevitable death, and a complication with one obnoxious adult son decides to make trouble, intrigued me. After a while, though, I felt like I was rereading the same scene.
There are some humorous, zany scenes with her nieces and nephews that just didn't quite work for me. There is a lot of basketball. Did you get wish there were more Quidditch scenes in Harry Potter? You will love this book! Do you like reading scenes when a kid gets bullied, and then some other guy who would normally be on the bully's side, but is now disgusted by his cruelty is all "HEY STOP BEING A JERK, I'M ASHAMED OF YOU!" and then the bullied kids get dragged out of the room, and then that happens about 10 more times? You will like this book too!
The best part of the book was Jaden's history of magic and her relationship with her mother and drug addict sister; witchcraft supposedly runs in her family, though she doesn't believe it. We get some terrific stories about her ancestors. Jaden herself gets premonitions when she works with herbs, and for most of the book, she keeps smelling death, which naturally freaks her out even more regarding her son's safety.
The worst part, for me, was the love interest angle and the ensuing dialogue. Can I just say that I really don't like love scenes in which 1) a man declares his love 2) the woman declares her love 3) the woman argues that she is not lovable (I'm so temperamental, etc) and 4) the man argues that yes, she is (I love your passion)! Kiss first, fish for compliments later, sez I.
By the way, did people in 19th century Great Britain have witch burnings? I thought they didn't. Could cruel slaveowners from South Carolina easily track women down in early Oregon settlements? I thought that might be difficult, given the absence of easy travel and communication. This book indicates I may have been wrong, though. It really made me think.
August 1, 2012
I can sum this book up in one word: Beautiful! In true Cathy Lamb fashion, readers are brought a story that will make you laugh out loud, and is absolutely certain to bring forth tears of empathy and grief. It's what Cathy Lamb does best, and it's probably why she truly is my favorite author.
Lamb's newest novel tells the story of 17-year old Tate. Born to a strung-out and drug-addicted mother (Brooke), and adopted at birth by his 19-year old aunt (Jaden), Tate's life will be anything but easy. Likely due to his biological mother's drug abuse and lack of any prenatal attention, Tate is born with a very enlarged head and lopsided eyes which make him appear freakish to strangers. To his family - his Boss Mom (adopted mom, Jaden), his Nana Bird (grandmother), and his uncle and cousins - Tate is beautiful. He's brilliant and funny, and he teaches his family that love and laughter heal tears.
When Tate begs to go out for the basketball team, Jaden's overprotective and hovering tendencies begin to smother her enthusiastic son. Can Jaden put aside her fears and allow Tate to behave like a normal kid? Can she step back and allow him to handle, in his own way, the teasing of strangers without pounding them to a pulp with her bare hands?
A Different Kind of Normal is what fans of Lamb have come to expect: a story of love and family, beautifully written with strong characters, some sadness, and a whole lot of humor. She simply never let's us down!
Finally getting to read a new Cathy Lamb book is like being on a diet for a whole year; eating only fresh fruits and vegetables, but yearning for that warm chocolate lava dessert at your favorite restaurant. You finally decide to treat yourself, so you feel the need to eat it slowly and savor every single bite because you know - when you're done - you'll have to go right back to those ho-hum fruits and veggies you've been existing on for the last year.
I've finished my "dessert." I wish I could say I ate it slowly and savored every single bite, but the truth is that I shoveled it in with a serving spoon in each hand. It's going to be a long year while I wait to see what Cathy Lamb has in store for us next.
Lamb's newest novel tells the story of 17-year old Tate. Born to a strung-out and drug-addicted mother (Brooke), and adopted at birth by his 19-year old aunt (Jaden), Tate's life will be anything but easy. Likely due to his biological mother's drug abuse and lack of any prenatal attention, Tate is born with a very enlarged head and lopsided eyes which make him appear freakish to strangers. To his family - his Boss Mom (adopted mom, Jaden), his Nana Bird (grandmother), and his uncle and cousins - Tate is beautiful. He's brilliant and funny, and he teaches his family that love and laughter heal tears.
When Tate begs to go out for the basketball team, Jaden's overprotective and hovering tendencies begin to smother her enthusiastic son. Can Jaden put aside her fears and allow Tate to behave like a normal kid? Can she step back and allow him to handle, in his own way, the teasing of strangers without pounding them to a pulp with her bare hands?
A Different Kind of Normal is what fans of Lamb have come to expect: a story of love and family, beautifully written with strong characters, some sadness, and a whole lot of humor. She simply never let's us down!
Finally getting to read a new Cathy Lamb book is like being on a diet for a whole year; eating only fresh fruits and vegetables, but yearning for that warm chocolate lava dessert at your favorite restaurant. You finally decide to treat yourself, so you feel the need to eat it slowly and savor every single bite because you know - when you're done - you'll have to go right back to those ho-hum fruits and veggies you've been existing on for the last year.
I've finished my "dessert." I wish I could say I ate it slowly and savored every single bite, but the truth is that I shoveled it in with a serving spoon in each hand. It's going to be a long year while I wait to see what Cathy Lamb has in store for us next.
August 14, 2012
I really did not like this book. I found that she picked way too many themes to touch on. This made all her characters seem completely unrealistic to me. She did drug abuse, orphanges in India, death and dying, medlical malpractice, special needs child, single dads and I think that is it. Too much subject matter not enough depth. Everything ended well and as expected and the I felt all the characters except the main character to be one dimensional. Reading this book was like watching a play that was "over acted". However, her dialogue skills were good and the writing quality was also good.
August 3, 2012
I never write reviews but I didn't want readers to miss out on other Cathy Lamb books because of this one. I enjoyed it as a quirky fiction book with lots of heart but it is nowhere near her other books. Her other books are relatable. They are about women I know or sometimes me. She talks of experiences with raw emotion and lots of humor. I wish I knew these people! I lent out The Last Time I Was Me and never got it back. I think I'll buy it again on my Kindle because it was that good.
The characters in this book have a lot of "character". I can honestly say I've never met anyone like them in my small town. I almost gave up in the beginning because they were just a little too weird. I'm glad I stuck with it. I laughed, I cried, I saved notes on my Kindle- it was an enjoyable escape. (just not as good as her others)
September 5, 2017
I love Cathy Lamb's books--they make me laugh, touch me, and I always find the characters appealing. This book took me a lot longer than usual to get into. There seemed to be so many completely quirky characters (more than normal) that jumped around a lot and some of the dialogue between them was distracting and driving me crazy. Still about a third of the way in it all started to come together and I ended up really enjoying it. Jaden, tough, no-nonsense and mama-bear protective over her son Tate--born with an enlarged and disfigured head, was a great heroine that was easy to root for. Tate, I just wanted to hug and protect. The book is full of food which I love--all dishes creatively named by Tate, and magic. All in all, a satisfying and fun read that touched my heart as Cathy Lamb's books do.
August 26, 2012
I enjoy this author however, I think I may be outgrowing her writing style. She always has the one over the top female character who insists on loudly claiming her body parts, and her female characters cannot seem to hold a conversation with the men they are attracted too. The male characters are either terrible or wonderful there is no in between. She always has that one male character that was once a football player who is depicted as manly but overly sensitive.
July 22, 2012
A Different Kind of Normal – A Heart Felt Story!
I loved this book. It really hit home. One of the main characters in this book was born with a big head. The medical term for this is called Hydrocephalus. I have a relative that was born with this same condition. This made the book come alive for me because of that fact.
Tate Bruxelle, was born with a big head. His real mother, Brooke, abandoned him after birth. She simply walked away from the hospital leaving Tate there. Jaden Bruxelle, the sister of Brooke, at nineteen years of age took Tate to raise as her own; giving him the care he would have never gotten if Brooke had stuck around. Tate called Jaden, Boss Mom . Jaden and Brooke’s mother Rowan Bruxelle, a Hollywood movie star, also played an important part in Tate’s life. Tate called Rowan, Nana Bird. Tate also had a name for his big head, General Noggin.
There are many other supporting characters in this book that are just as loveable as the main characters. You will come to love them as I did.
I experienced many emotions while reading this book. Laughter, oh my goodness there is so many laugh out loud moments in this book. There is anger, because some people are just plain mean. There are moments of great sadness and loss. Most importantly there is love and plenty of it.
The family in this book is a very supporting family. The love just flows. The caring is outstanding. This book shows how a true family lives and even though it is fictional, you get good goose bump moments from it. I really loved that about this book. A family sticking together through thick or thin is what it is all about.
I took away from this book that compassion is very important. Letting go of hurts is very important. Forgiveness is very important. Don’t spend your life hating what you can’t change but loving what you can.
The author Cathy Lamb is a new author to me. This is the first book I have read of hers. It won’t be the last. She has a way with words describing each and every scene as if you were right there in it. She knows how to bring out compassion, support, caring, forgiveness, and love in her main characters. To sum it up, I just can’t say enough about this book.
I wish to thank Kensington Publishers for providing me with an ARC copy of this book to read and review. The opinions expressed are mine alone.
I loved this book. It really hit home. One of the main characters in this book was born with a big head. The medical term for this is called Hydrocephalus. I have a relative that was born with this same condition. This made the book come alive for me because of that fact.
Tate Bruxelle, was born with a big head. His real mother, Brooke, abandoned him after birth. She simply walked away from the hospital leaving Tate there. Jaden Bruxelle, the sister of Brooke, at nineteen years of age took Tate to raise as her own; giving him the care he would have never gotten if Brooke had stuck around. Tate called Jaden, Boss Mom . Jaden and Brooke’s mother Rowan Bruxelle, a Hollywood movie star, also played an important part in Tate’s life. Tate called Rowan, Nana Bird. Tate also had a name for his big head, General Noggin.
There are many other supporting characters in this book that are just as loveable as the main characters. You will come to love them as I did.
I experienced many emotions while reading this book. Laughter, oh my goodness there is so many laugh out loud moments in this book. There is anger, because some people are just plain mean. There are moments of great sadness and loss. Most importantly there is love and plenty of it.
The family in this book is a very supporting family. The love just flows. The caring is outstanding. This book shows how a true family lives and even though it is fictional, you get good goose bump moments from it. I really loved that about this book. A family sticking together through thick or thin is what it is all about.
I took away from this book that compassion is very important. Letting go of hurts is very important. Forgiveness is very important. Don’t spend your life hating what you can’t change but loving what you can.
The author Cathy Lamb is a new author to me. This is the first book I have read of hers. It won’t be the last. She has a way with words describing each and every scene as if you were right there in it. She knows how to bring out compassion, support, caring, forgiveness, and love in her main characters. To sum it up, I just can’t say enough about this book.
I wish to thank Kensington Publishers for providing me with an ARC copy of this book to read and review. The opinions expressed are mine alone.
July 28, 2014
Jaden is a hospice nurse. She is mother to Tate, a teenager with Hydrocephalus. Her family is quite a cast of characters from her soap opera actress mother, to her drug addicted sister, to her single dad wrestler turned florist brother, and her nieces and nephew.
Jaden struggles for that delicate balance between encouraging normalcy and protecting her physically fragile son.And she frequently comes out on the over-protective end. Tate has a large misshapen head. And of course this sets him up for ridicule from his classmates.
Tate while not immune to the taunts, barbs and sometimes physical assaults by his peers,has a sunny disposition and has learned to deflect some of the teasing with humor.But as a teenager he longs for acceptance and just wants to be "normal". One of the guys. And he wants to play basketball.But convincing Boss Mom as he calls her, is not going to be easy.
While Jaden takes center stage with her conflicting feelings about her family background,her emotionally draining job,her sister who can't seem to stay clean, and her love for Tate's neurosurgeon,this is really Tate's story.
And it is a difficult,mind bending journey for him as he finds his way through the mine field that is high school. I loved this young man,with his humor and grace, and his occasional outbursts of frustration and temper.
I understood Jaden in her attempts to protect him from harm. And more than anything I understood her rage at those who made his life more difficult through ignorance and cruelty.
The book was tragic, humorous and at times waaay over the top. But I liked it.
Jaden struggles for that delicate balance between encouraging normalcy and protecting her physically fragile son.And she frequently comes out on the over-protective end. Tate has a large misshapen head. And of course this sets him up for ridicule from his classmates.
Tate while not immune to the taunts, barbs and sometimes physical assaults by his peers,has a sunny disposition and has learned to deflect some of the teasing with humor.But as a teenager he longs for acceptance and just wants to be "normal". One of the guys. And he wants to play basketball.But convincing Boss Mom as he calls her, is not going to be easy.
While Jaden takes center stage with her conflicting feelings about her family background,her emotionally draining job,her sister who can't seem to stay clean, and her love for Tate's neurosurgeon,this is really Tate's story.
And it is a difficult,mind bending journey for him as he finds his way through the mine field that is high school. I loved this young man,with his humor and grace, and his occasional outbursts of frustration and temper.
I understood Jaden in her attempts to protect him from harm. And more than anything I understood her rage at those who made his life more difficult through ignorance and cruelty.
The book was tragic, humorous and at times waaay over the top. But I liked it.
December 17, 2019
So much of this story was just....weird. And unnecessary. There was the constant sexual comments being made by the kids in the story that didn't tie in to the story and really didn't even make sense. There was the 3 year old triplets who only dress in costumes (different ones every day), the soap opera star mom, the florist & single dad who used to be a professional wrestler, the adopted girl from India with a fake leg, the drug addict sister, the kid with a physical deformity that was (of course) amazingly smart, the most talented basketball player ever, a fantastic writer, and hilarious (I thought the 'funny' parts of this book were just weird and disjointed, but the intent of the author was that he was hilarious). Finally we have the sister of the drug addict who adopted Tate, the boy with the physical deformity. She's a hospice nurse, who has amazing patience with her dying patients and their families, but flies into a rage at her house at random times, the final time destroying her entire greenhouse and throwing chairs while talking to doctors. I mean....usually there's ONE quirky character, but in this book EVERY character was and honestly, it was draining and their dialog was non-coherent. The basic plot of this story was fine--it was everything else that ruined this book. Anyway--I read this because my mom had found a box of books for 50 cents. After this, I'm afraid to read anything else from that box!
March 20, 2015
Why do editors give well-known authors a "pass"? This book was in dire need of editing, and would have done well as a much shorter book, say 200-250 pages or so. Jaden is a strong character as a caring, involved, hospice nurse. She is raising her drug-addicted sister's child, who suffered brain and head birth defects due to his mother's drug use when she was pregnant.
The premise is strong, however, the book bounces all over the place. Ancestors who were witches, a mother who is a soap opera star, a "hot" doctor, the three-year-old triplets who are living by their own rules - this book has it all. Unfortunately, it just does not gel into a cohesive story. For a truly good Cathy Lamb book, read "Julia's Chocolates."
The premise is strong, however, the book bounces all over the place. Ancestors who were witches, a mother who is a soap opera star, a "hot" doctor, the three-year-old triplets who are living by their own rules - this book has it all. Unfortunately, it just does not gel into a cohesive story. For a truly good Cathy Lamb book, read "Julia's Chocolates."
October 22, 2015
I liked a lot of things about this story, but ultimately found it impossible to get past the extremely strange and unrealistic dialogue. The premise is good, the author's writing ability is fine as long as she is simply delivering the narrative...but the things the characters say are so odd and unlike anything real people ever say. For example, Anyway, the comparison between the characters' speech patterns and how every real person I've ever known has talked is so glaring, I ended up skimming to the end just to see what happened.
June 22, 2016
About mid-way though this book I was going to give it a rating of 3 stars, then it turned to 4 stars and by the end, it was definitely a 5! I couldn't put it down, even as I waited in Great Clips for my boys to get their hair cuts.......tears streaming down my face. (Yes, I did get a few looks from the patrons:). A very touching story. Loved it!
May 15, 2019
Even though I only gave this book 3 stars I have to say that I laughed and cried myself through it all. This quirky family who faces tragedy w love and constant humor was so endearing, and this teen who could’ve been angry and bitter about his life and how he was treated by too many, was saved by intelligence and humor certainly, but mostly by love, unconditional and complete. And, for a mom like me who’s lost my only child I had to love a happy ending!
March 21, 2019
Appealing characters, a good underdog story, and except for run-on sentences, better grammar than I've seen in other books by this author. (But you still need a better editor, Cathy.)
September 23, 2023
This is a feel good book. The characters are over the top. There were a few moments of "let's get on with it". I like the message of love life and be loving.
November 4, 2017
I’m surprised by the poor reviews. I loved this book. It was fun, quirky and just a good story. Don’t put too much thought into it - if you’re looking for literature read Wuthering Heights or something. This book should just be read for pleasure.
July 9, 2012
A Different Kind of Normal by Cathy Lamb
Love reading about magical mystical powers and what regular herbs can do not only in spells but healing humans.
Centuries earlier the twin sisters had some fights: the powers that be set a spell on the sisters and it showed up down the family tree with one male child, Tate being deformed at birth: a huge head, eye not where it should be etc, making him appear to be a monster. His mother won't allow him to play sports as he's a teen now due to his medical conditions.
He starts a blog and tells of his life and he gets many followers and he enjoys getting to love their comments. It's his way of dealing with not being accepted into the public.
His real mother Brooke was into drugs also and had left him with her sister: Jaden who is raising him now and been more to a mother to him than anyone.
There are other deformities of other relatives as well as the years have gone by.
Tate and his mom do spend time with Ethan, Tates doctor. They've been to the beach. Also Tate can take care of himself, not only did he ace the PSAT's, he is big and when others make fun of him he beats them up til they are his friends.
She still won't let him play basketball and he keeps trying to convince her. She's a hospice nurse and tries to make others passing more peaceful and no pain.
Jade and Tate live with her mother, Nana Bird and she's a soap opera actress that does love scenes. They watch on the weekends together. He's made the team and Jade is excited for him and scared cuz of his medical conditions.
Tate's real mom is back on the scene, recovered and rehabbed.
Death smells, high school dances, college, lawsuits, and death and how they all cope makes this a super down deep read.
Love reading about magical mystical powers and what regular herbs can do not only in spells but healing humans.
Centuries earlier the twin sisters had some fights: the powers that be set a spell on the sisters and it showed up down the family tree with one male child, Tate being deformed at birth: a huge head, eye not where it should be etc, making him appear to be a monster. His mother won't allow him to play sports as he's a teen now due to his medical conditions.
He starts a blog and tells of his life and he gets many followers and he enjoys getting to love their comments. It's his way of dealing with not being accepted into the public.
His real mother Brooke was into drugs also and had left him with her sister: Jaden who is raising him now and been more to a mother to him than anyone.
There are other deformities of other relatives as well as the years have gone by.
Tate and his mom do spend time with Ethan, Tates doctor. They've been to the beach. Also Tate can take care of himself, not only did he ace the PSAT's, he is big and when others make fun of him he beats them up til they are his friends.
She still won't let him play basketball and he keeps trying to convince her. She's a hospice nurse and tries to make others passing more peaceful and no pain.
Jade and Tate live with her mother, Nana Bird and she's a soap opera actress that does love scenes. They watch on the weekends together. He's made the team and Jade is excited for him and scared cuz of his medical conditions.
Tate's real mom is back on the scene, recovered and rehabbed.
Death smells, high school dances, college, lawsuits, and death and how they all cope makes this a super down deep read.
September 6, 2012
All I can say is that this is a different kind of novel. Lamb creates characters that are so real you want to sit down and chat with them yourself. The story is about Jaden, a hospice nurse who took over raising her abandoned nephew when she was only 19. Her drug addicted sister left her physically challenged newborn at the hospital leaving Jaden to do the only thing she knew to do; to love that child with all heart and to fight for his survival, raising him as her own. Tate, the abandoned child is now 17 and knows all the things people say about him and his over-sized head, uneven eyes,and.. odd-looking ears. But Jaden and her quirky family know Tate for his astounding intelligence, his strong determination to be "normal", and most of all, his heart full of love and understanding.
There is so much to say about this book that I could not put down, but the book is about love and the sacrifices one makes because of that love. It is about the strongest kind of love a family can have for each other. The book is earthy, so if you are offended with some descriptive vocabulary and terms, just be aware that they are sprinkled throughout the book. Also keep in mind that Jaden may or may not come from a long line of witches who used spells along with herbs and spices to heal and to remedy situations that, shall we say, just need "fixing". I just loved this book.
There is so much to say about this book that I could not put down, but the book is about love and the sacrifices one makes because of that love. It is about the strongest kind of love a family can have for each other. The book is earthy, so if you are offended with some descriptive vocabulary and terms, just be aware that they are sprinkled throughout the book. Also keep in mind that Jaden may or may not come from a long line of witches who used spells along with herbs and spices to heal and to remedy situations that, shall we say, just need "fixing". I just loved this book.
September 4, 2012
4 1/2 stars. I REALLY liked this book. I actually kind of loved it, but did get a tiny little bit tired of Jaden's refusal to let Tate play basketball. It's understandable that that was the best way to demonstrate her worry and concern for him, but it did become somewhat belabored. To her credit, Cathy Lamb made Tate's rebuttals honest, funny, and at times, heartbreaking, so even thought it was a bit of a flaw for me, it was most definitely not a dealbreaker.
I don't do book synopses in my reviews so suffice it to say that that little issue aside, this book was a HUGE home run for me. I loved the characters, most especially Tate, but found every one of them touching and endearing. And who couldn't relate, in some way, to this wonderful story of parenting, love, growing up, letting go, and coming together?
I laughed out loud (Tate!!) and cried -- a lot. Most of all, I was delighted to spend a few very special days with the entire Bruxelle family.
I don't do book synopses in my reviews so suffice it to say that that little issue aside, this book was a HUGE home run for me. I loved the characters, most especially Tate, but found every one of them touching and endearing. And who couldn't relate, in some way, to this wonderful story of parenting, love, growing up, letting go, and coming together?
I laughed out loud (Tate!!) and cried -- a lot. Most of all, I was delighted to spend a few very special days with the entire Bruxelle family.
January 26, 2014
This book had an interesting plot, but seemed very self-conscious in writing style and kind of annoyed me. I thought, "Even I could do better than that." I'm not quite sure how to articulate what I mean; just that some of the writing or content choices seemed too precious or over-the-top (triplets named Harvey and Heloise and Hazel? Really?), and with so many over-the-top elements that the story was ultimately not believable enough to feel right.
I saw a few other reviews that said the story touched on too many themes and I would agree (drug abuse, witchcraft, single parenthood, discrimination against people with deformities, international adoption, triplets, blog-writing, adolescence....the list goes on and on....). A few others noted this is the weakest of Cathy Lamb's books. I had never read one before and had just picked it up randomly at the library...it doesn't make me want to pick up another. Anyway. There you have it.
I saw a few other reviews that said the story touched on too many themes and I would agree (drug abuse, witchcraft, single parenthood, discrimination against people with deformities, international adoption, triplets, blog-writing, adolescence....the list goes on and on....). A few others noted this is the weakest of Cathy Lamb's books. I had never read one before and had just picked it up randomly at the library...it doesn't make me want to pick up another. Anyway. There you have it.
February 28, 2021
I'd give a 5/5 for character development if I could. But the dialogue is just so cringey. The protagonist's judgment of drug addicts as lower than scum coupled with the bizarre encouragement of beating the hell out of anyone who causes you grief (even in front of your young children) is just uncomfortable. The fact that the 17 year old won't swear, but will talk in such a weird tone where everything is about lust or sex. The fact that we somehow go from him being a complete social pariah to the most popular kid in school, despite a very uncomfortable sense of humor. And the light tone that suddenly slams you with a near-death is again just so jarring. Maybe I'm just a cynic but the whole books makes me incredibly uncomfortable.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 13, 2012
This was unlike any book I've read before. It was very heartwarming with some humor and just a little bit of magic thrown in for good measure. This book had a great mix of characters and everyone of them seeped into your heart. I really couldn't clasify this book into any particular genre, it's just an excellent story about a slightly abnormal family. This was the first book I have ever read by Ms. Lamb but I will definately try another one.
August 9, 2012
This story engaged me on several fronts: the strongest story line was about how it felt to not be normal and I really thought that Cathy Lamb did an excellent job of letting me as a reader see it through the eyes of the teenager born with a deformity and through the eyes of his mother. I also was moved by the impact that the drug addicted daughter had on her family.
March 15, 2017
This was a light read and mildly entertaining. There were some descriptions I zoned out during. The main problem I had with the book was the humor of the main character's teenage son. His jokes always seemed oddly juvenile for his age and I felt uncomfortable reading them and how everyone couldn't stop laughing. I enjoyed the plot for the most part, however. I did find it a bit slow-moving.
July 14, 2014
Cathy Lamb, you have done it again. You've made me laugh out loud and weep in public; you've given me visions and inspiration and a racing heart; characters I care for deeply. I don't know how you do it, but please, don't ever stop.
September 10, 2012
I loved this book, it didn't strike me right away, but I ended up enjoying it. So glad to read about a strong woman, gives me hope there are a few men out there who like us. It also made me miss my crazy family.
September 2, 2013
This was a perfect summer book. The characters were wonderful. Tate is the most kind, gentle of giants. He is beautiful. There are so many wonderful, life affirming messages in this story. It was a great way to end my summer reading.
August 2, 2015
This book had me all over the map. I really didn't like it when I started out. This book grew on me as did the characters but at times I felt the dialogue between them was off. At any rate I still cried, laughed and felt moved at times with their struggles . 3.5
March 18, 2018
I couldn't get into this one -made it through about 100 pages - then gave up! made me sorry, 'cause the description of it sounds like my kind of book - but couldn't find my way . ... maybe another time?
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