What books are similar to Faking Normal?

The 10 closest matches to Faking Normal by Courtney C. Stevens on ReadingList include Girl, Stolen, Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul, Someone Like You, I am the Weapon, and I Hunt Killers. Each is scored on shared themes (secrets, secrecy, and teenagers), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 9–12), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.

Are books like Faking Normal reading-level appropriate?

Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 9–12), so the picks stay grade-appropriate. See how ReadingList judges text difficulty on the /standard methodology page.

How does ReadingList choose similar books?

Matches are ranked by shared themes, shared award and reading-program lists (two books picked for the same state award were chosen by the same committees for the same readers), same genre, comparable Lexile and grade band, and publication decade — computed from cited public curriculum data, not editorial opinion or AI-generated summaries.

Books like Faking Normal

If you liked Faking Normal, read Girl, Stolen, Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul, or Someone Like You — the closest matches in our database, matched on shared themes and reading level.

Closest match: Girl, Stolen by April Henry — shares teenagers

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Looking for books like Faking Normal by Courtney C. Stevens (Realistic Fiction · grades 9–12)? It’s most often read for its themes of secrets, secrecy, and teenagers. The 10 titles below are the closest matches in the ReadingList database — each scored on shared themes, shared award lists, genre, and reading level, and each linked to the curricula, states, and grades where it’s assigned, with primary sources.

These are reading-level matches, not just topical ones — so the picks stay grade-appropriate for a grades 9–12 reader. See how we judge text difficulty on our methodology page.

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Why each is a match

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Girl, Stolengrades 9–12: Shares themes of teenagers, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soulgrades 9–12: Shares themes of teenagers, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
Someone Like Yougrades 9–12: Shares themes of friendship, fiction, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
I am the Weapongrades 9–12: Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
I Hunt Killersgrades 9–12: Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
Paul, Big, and Smallgrades 9–12: Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
Roomgrades 9–12: Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
The Sun is Also a Stargrades 9–12: Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
Five Survivegrades 9–12: Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →
I Must Betray Yougrades 9–12: Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and overlapping grades (9–12). Amazon → books like this →

Books like Faking Normal for younger readers (K–2)

Closest matches whose grade range overlaps K–2— same scoring, different audience.

Amos & Boris by William Steig · grades 2–3 — Shares themes of friendship, fiction and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Beware of Boys by Tony Blundell · grades K–3 — Shares themes of friendship, fiction and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Poppleton in Winter by Cynthia Rylant · grades 2–3 — Shares themes of friendship, fiction and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Chalk by Bill Thomson · grades K–2 — Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2010s).
Cookiesaurus Rex by Amy Fellner Dominy · grades K–0 — Both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list, same genre (Realistic Fiction), and the same era (2010s).

Books like Faking Normal for elementary readers (grades 3–5)

Closest matches whose grade range overlaps 3–5— same scoring, different audience.

The Candymakers by Wendy Mass · grades 3–5 — Shares themes of secrets and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
The Lost Library by Rebecca Stead & Wendy Mass · grades 4–8 — Shares themes of secrets and both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list.
Amos & Boris by William Steig · grades 2–3 — Shares themes of friendship, fiction and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Beware of Boys by Tony Blundell · grades K–3 — Shares themes of friendship, fiction and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
My Friend the Vampire by Angela Sommer-Bodenburg · grades 3–5 — Shares themes of friendship, fiction and same genre (Realistic Fiction).

Books like Faking Normal for middle school (grades 6–8)

Closest matches whose grade range overlaps 6–8— same scoring, different audience.

The Lost Library by Rebecca Stead & Wendy Mass · grades 4–8 — Shares themes of secrets and both on the Kentucky Bluegrass Award list.
Heart of a Champion by Carl Deuker · grades 6–8 — Shares themes of friendship, fiction and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
The Hot and Cold Summer by Johanna Hurwitz · grades 3–6 — Shares themes of friendship, fiction and same genre (Realistic Fiction).
Sunny Side Up by Jennifer L. Holm · grades 3–6 — Shares themes of secrets.
The Jigsaw Jungle by Kristin Levine · grades 6–8 — Shares themes of secrets.

Common questions

What books are similar to Faking Normal?: The 10 closest matches to Faking Normal by Courtney C. Stevens on ReadingList include Girl, Stolen, Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul, Someone Like You, I am the Weapon, and I Hunt Killers. Each is scored on shared themes (secrets, secrecy, and teenagers), shared award lists, genre, and reading level (grades 9–12), and links to the curricula, states, and grades where it is assigned in US schools, with primary sources.
Are books like Faking Normal reading-level appropriate?: Yes — every match is a reading-level match, not just a topical one, scored on Lexile and grade band (grades 9–12), so the picks stay grade-appropriate. See how ReadingList judges text difficulty on the /standard methodology page.
How does ReadingList choose similar books?: Matches are ranked by shared themes, shared award and reading-program lists (two books picked for the same state award were chosen by the same committees for the same readers), same genre, comparable Lexile and grade band, and publication decade — computed from cited public curriculum data, not editorial opinion or AI-generated summaries.

Book data last updated 2026-09-05. Matches are computed from each book’s cited attributes — see the methodology.

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