Far From Normal by Becky Wallace

“Sometimes I’m a dork. This is not new information, but it’s a thing I need to remind myself once in a while.”
Maddie McPherson is sick of Normal—both her hometown of Normal, Illinois and being the ‘normal’ sibling. But when she lands a summer internship with a sports marketing firm, she finally has a chance to crawl out of her genius brother’s shadow. Not to mention, a glowing letter of recommendation to secure her admission to her dream college.
But Maddie’s nickname is “CalaMaddie” for a reason, and when the company tasks her with repairing the image of teen soccer phenom Gabriel Fortunato, she wonders if she’s set herself up for embarrassment. Gabriel is a tabloid magnet, who’s best-known for flubbing Italy’s World Cup hopes. As Maddie works with him to develop “pleasant and friendly” content for social media, she also learns he’s thoughtful, multi-talented, and fiercely loyal—maybe even to a fault. Falling for a footballer is exactly how CalaMaddie would botch this internship, but with the firm pressuring her to get the job done, perhaps her heart is worth risking?

This book was exactly what I expected it to be: sweet and light. This is what you call a summer novel. The plot feels like a cheesy yn fanfiction, but the writing is smooth and the characters are well-developed.
Honestly, Maddie surprised me. She isn’t the type of dedicated go-getter that I was expecting. She is insecure and clumsy, and isn’t really talented in anything. (This is a sore point, as her brother Max is genius talented in everything.) Still, Maddie is passionate and hardworking, and that makes her likable even if she is the clumsiest person on the face of the earth. While Gabe is given a well-rounded character, it isn’t really any more than what you would expect in a story like this. Still, it’s a classic trope that is executed well here.
The plot is also smooth; it had a lot more depth than I would have initially guessed. Make no mistake, it’s definitely still a light summer read. But the plot kept me hooked and the story never stalled. The characters don’t live in a rosy dream world, and they have multiple problems to juggle, from professional disappointments to family friction.
At the end of it all, Far From Normal was a cute summer novel that delivers on everything it promises. If this seems like it’s up your alley, you will not be disappointed!