How to be Normal

Winner of the inaugural Walker Books Manuscript Prize. With themes including coercive control, coming of age, and finding yourself, this debut authentically deals with timely issues with insight, sympathy, and well-crafted humour.

Astrid is about to start her last year at high school. And her first.

When her dad loses his job, Astrid’s homeschooling comes to an end. Until now, she has lived within the confines of a tightly controlled, contracted world where there's no room for anything except following her father’s rules and pretending that everything is normal.

As Astrid and her mum tentatively expand their world, they struggle to break free of their ingrained wariness and self-doubt. But with hope, new friends, and the strength of a promise, Astrid has a chance to find out what she wants, who she loves, and who she really is.

Winner of the inaugural Walker Books Manuscript Prize, How to be Normal is a brilliantly written YA debut that deftly explores timely issues with insight, humour, and pathos.