Summary
The Extraordinary Ordinary is a psychological fiction novel by Natalie Rodriguez based on the independent movie of the same title. The story revolves around three college students: Erica, Bianca, and Alex. It starts off when Erica, a photography student, moves across the country from New York to South California, hoping for a new start. She has been dealing with trauma from her past experience and wants to put all that behind. In California, she meets Bianca and Alex, and becomes friends with them. When she learns that they also have a painful history of their own, she finds courage in dealing with her anxiety and depression. Together, Erica, Bianca, and Alex become each other’s support in their journey to recovery.
Review
Since I have watched the movie of the same title, it’s easier for me to picture Erica, Bianca, Alex, and the rest of the characters in the story, so this book felt a little more comfortable, despite the gravity of the topics. Always, when it comes to anxiety and depression issues, there’s always something pricking my heart because it is so broad and complex. It stems from different factors, and the intensity varies from one person to another. But the bottom line is, it’s possible to conquer it, provided that there’s a right group of people that can support you. This book shows exactly that. One of the hardest things is to be vulnerable in front of anyone, so for most people, it is easier for them to suppress their feelings and deal with it alone, rather than open up to anyone. But the truth is, everyone needs help and that’s normal. And it doesn’t make anyone less of a person when you seek help.
Although the story is normally almost exactly the same between movies and book adaptations or vice versa, books always hit differently than movies and that’s how I also feel about this one. It’s deeper and multifaceted. The movie is mostly focused on Erica, while this book tells the story through the eyes of Erica, Bianca, and Alex, so I get to understand them more on a deeper level. Same with the other characters.
Overall, I’m giving this book 5 out of 5 stars. It was beautifully written and the characters’ emotions resonated not only through this story, but also through music and photography. It’s amazing how a person’s emotions can resonate in different possible means where one of them is art. I highly recommend this to all readers. Regardless of your preferred genre, I’m sure everyone has a past or present issue that needs to be consoled.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09XBYHGQV/ref
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