Review: Finding Audrey

Finding Audrey
Author: Sophie Kinsella
Published: June 9th, 2015
Hardcover, 288 pages
4 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Shopaholic series comes a terrific blend of comedy, romance, and psychological recovery in a contemporary YA novel sure to inspire and entertain.

An anxiety disorder disrupted fourteen-year-old Audrey's daily life. She has been making slow but steady progress with Dr. Sarah, but when Audrey meets Linus, her brother's gaming teammate, she is energized. She connects with him. Audrey can talk through her fears with Linus in a way she's never been able to do with anyone before. As their friendship deepens and her recovery gains momentum, a sweet romantic connection develops, one that helps not just Audrey but also her entire family.

When you hear the name Sophie Kinsella, you automatically think of super-cute stories with interesting heroines and a nice happily ever after. For the the first time, Sophie has written a book for young adults and though it is quite different from her adult series, it still reads in Sophie fashion. Audrey is a great heroine for young girls. After being bullied by girls in her class, she has developed an anxiety disorder, one that makes her shy away from being around people and hiding behind a dark pair of sunglasses. She finds help in the most unexpected form, her brother's friend Linus, who doesn't treat her differently and who she finds easy to talk to. He helps her find herself again, and in turn, she helps her family deal with everything that she's put on them.

This is a light read with a hint of something deeper. It highlights what happens to someone after they are bullied and it doesn't sugar coat it, but it is written in a way that isn't too harsh for a young girl to deal with. Audrey finds it hard to leave the house and even just small interactions with people outside her family are difficult for her. I think a book like this could really ring true with young girls in a way that will hopefully help them if they feel at all like Audrey does. The family dynamic in this was great. I ind that sometimes parents are absent in YA novels, so I was glad to see Audrey's family play a big part in this one. At the beginning of the book, her mom is shown in a way that makes us think she's a little nuts and maybe overreacts to things, but I think any parent who's been going through this particular situation would act strangely and she was actually pretty funny to read about. Audrey's brother Frank was the kind of older brother most girls have. He enjoyed his video games and their relationship was great. He spent most of his time trying to protect Audrey, even from his best friend.

While the family played a big part in helping Audrey through her illness, so did Linus. The romance between these two was the cutest thing ever. Linus is super understanding of Audrey's anxiety, so he takes it slow by texting her instead of talking to her and being quiet when she didn't want any noise. It developed slowly throughout the book, but fast enough for me to be excited for the two of them. He was just what Audrey needed to get over her anxiety and he pushed her just the right amount to make her do something about it. Audrey was strong enough to succeed on her own, but I was glad to have Linus there on her side, cheering her on from the sidelines and getting her out of the house even if just for a little while.

This had the whimsical feel of all other Kinsella books with the innocence of children. It would be a good book for the younger YA crowd, as Audrey is only fourteen, but it was still fun to read as an adult, so it could certainly be recommended to just about anyone. Perfect for anyone who wants to read something with a tough subject that's written in a fun way. It will make you laugh, cry and maybe even want to pick out a new pair of sunglasses. But don't hide behind them ladies, let the world see you, hear you, and live your life.

"To put you out of your misery, here's the full diagnosis. Social Anxiety Disorder, General Anxiety Disorder and Depressive Episodes. Episodes. Like depression is a sitcom with a fun punchline."

The List Gets Longer

So I picked up some new books this weekend. I've been looking forward to two of them for awhile now, and have only just discovered the others. All four are getting priority over the ones I already own (I know, my list is never going to go down if I just keep buying new books) Anyway, here are my next To-Reads:

Hidden (Firelight #3)
Sophie Jordan

Firelight is one of my favourite series and I've been waiting for the final instalment for a year. I finally picked it up (couldn't find it in any store) so this is getting read asap!

In Honor
Jessi Kirby

I read the Goodreads description for this book so long ago and I finally found it in a store. It looks like it will be heartbreaking and beautiful and I can't wait to find out. I'm a huge fan of road trip stories, so I have a feeling I'll like this a lot.

Saving June
Hannah Harrington

After reading Speechless, I knew I had to read Harrington's debut novel. The premise sounds haunting and once again it's a road trip story, so that adds to the beauty of the novel. Both this and In Honor deal with death, so I know I may not be able to read them right after one another, but we'll see. I hope they are both as powerful as I think they will be.

Speak
Laurie Halse Anderson

Now, I've read a lot of reviews for Speechless and most every one of them compares it to this book. So I think I need to read this one. It came first, it deals with bullying and mean girls, and I've enjoyed every other book I've read with this concept. One of my favourite authors, Courtney Summers, writes amazing books about bullying and mean girls, so I want to see what else is out there dealing with those issues.






There's no doubt this list will be longer before I even finish these four books, but I just wanted to give you a taste of what I'm reading now. Has anyone read any of these? Thoughts and opinions are always welcome!

50! Speechless

Book #50!: Speechless
Author: Hannah Harrington
Published: August 28, 2012
288 Pages
5 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

Everyone knows that Chelsea Knot can't keep a secret

Until now. Because the last secret she shared turned her into a social outcast—and nearly got someone killed.

Now Chelsea has taken a vow of silence—to learn to keep her mouth shut, and to stop hurting anyone else. And if she thinks keeping secrets is hard, not speaking up when she's ignored, ridiculed and even attacked is worse.

But there's strength in silence, and in the new friends who are, shockingly, coming her way—people she never noticed before; a boy she might even fall for. If only her new friends can forgive what she's done. If only she can forgive herself.

I can't imagine not talking for a month, let alone a day, but Chelsea Knot does it because she knows it's what she has to do. Her mouth has gotten her into a lot of trouble and I'm sure we can all relate to that. We hear gossip and we feel the need to spread it, to tell anyone that will listen. Chelsea is best friends with Queen Bee Kristen Courteau and she knows gossip is what's keeping her glued to her side. We do and say things we may regret to get where we want to be. Popularity is important, especially in high school, and I'm sure if I had the chance to be the most popular girl in school's right hand girl, I would have done whatever it takes. Unfortunately for Chelsea, that meant blurting out a terrible secret that nearly got someone killed. So Chelsea does what she knows is right - she tells her parents about what happened. This ostracizes her from her classmates, puts in Kristen's line of bullying, and goes straight to the bottom of the food chain - all without saying a word.

Chelsea keeps her mouth shut after realizing that everyone at school thinks she's a rat. She knows it's safer to keep her mouth closed than to hurt anyone else. Alone and scared, slurs being written on her locker and  cruel emails being sent out, Chelsea decides that if she can just get through the rest of high school, she'll be okay. She doesn't plan on telling anyone about the bullying since it all started because she told someone about it. She kills herself everyday for what happened and she doesn't think she deserves forgiveness. But when Asha decides she's going to be nice to Chelsea anyway and invites her to hang out at the diner she works out, Chelsea sees a whole other side of high school.

I don't want to give away too much of the plot because it's flawless. I like that the description is sparse and that all we really know is that she's taken a vow of silence. Chelsea is your average popular girl, ready to do whatever it takes to stay on top. But when she's dropped, we get to know the real her. We hate her at first, but throughout the course of the novel, you realize who she really is and that she is a nice person, she's just made some mistakes. Her new group of friends, Asha, Sam and the rest of the group that works at the diner treat her like an equal and she learns a lot about herself that she didn't realize. Asha is adorable, she's a lot like I was in high school, keeps to herself and her friends ad people think she's weird. Sam is, well Sam is perfect. He is the type of guy I dated in high school: artsy, lanky, caring and thoughtful. Chelsea is blessed with a new chance and it's up to her not to mess it up.

I probably gave away too much but I can't help it. This book was written wonderfully and it plays out like high school would. I'm glad the bullying was subtle because it's more realistic that way. A lot of bullying happens that adults can't see. Emotional bullying and name calling may not seem like a big deal, but it hurts everyone involved in it. Harrington addresses it properly, showing the victims in both lights. Chelsea is the victim but she also has to face that victims that she was responsible for getting harmed. It's not your average mean girl turned good girl story. Chelsea knows what she did was wrong and she is trying to change that. Harrington captured high school life to a tee and I hope reading this book will help victims of bullying to speak up and not keep it inside. Gossip is one thing, but bullying is a completely other planet.

“Hate is... It's too easy. Love. Love takes courage.”  

46. Confessions Of An Angry Girl

Book #46: Confessions Of An Angry Girl
Author: Louise Rozett
Published: August 28, 2012
272 Pages
4 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

Rose Zarelli, self-proclaimed word geek and angry girl, has someconfessions to make…

1. I'm livid all the time. Why? My dad died. My mom barely talks. My brother abandoned us. I think I'm allowed to be irate,don't you?

2. I make people furious regularly. Want an example? I kissed Jamie Forta, a badass guy who might be dating a cheerleader. She is nowenraged and out for blood. Mine.

3. High school might as well be Mars. My best friend has been replaced by an alien, and I see red all the time. (Mars is red and "seeing red" means being angry—get it?)

Here are some other vocab words that describe my life: Inadequate. Insufferable. Intolerable.

(Don't know what they mean? Look them up yourself.)

(Sorry. That was rude.)

High school sucks, right? This book gives you the very average, very likely high school freshman. Enter Rose Zarelli, a girl who is thrown to the wolves like the rest of us were the first day of high school I for one got lucky, my older brother was already at my school when I started so everyone left me alone (he was kind of goth and kind of scary, so they didn't touch me) but Rose is not so lucky. Her older brother Peter has left for college so she has no protection against the evilness that is high school cheerleaders. She's not invisible either (which can be a very good thing in high school) because her dad passed away over the summer so everyone in town knows her face now. As if her life doesn't suck enough already, her best friend has turned into a pretty girl and joins the cheerleading squad. Needless to say, Rose is one angry girl.

For the first half of the book, I didn't really feel her anger. I understood her pain and I wanted things to go her way because she's already been through so much, but then the anger comes out and it's perfect. See Rose has caught the attentions of a senior who just happens to be dating one of those aforementioned cheerleaders. This doesn't sit so well with them and Regina (yes, this is officially a mean girl name) decides to make her know it pisses her off. Like I said earlier, I was never bullied by cheerleaders but I wasn't popular either. Regina is mean, no question about it, and Rose has good reason to be angry at the whole situation. 

Bullying seems to be a trend in young adult right now and there's no better time for it. The actions done through others reflects what our society has become and I'm glad authors are making note of it. Bullies need to be stopped and if writing about it in a novel will make those who are getting bullied come forward, then maybe we can stop it. Rose doesn't come forward because she knows the effects that will have on her life. The fear is what makes the bullies continue. Unfortunately there are mean girls in real life, everywhere, and Rozett writes this one too well. 

I'm on the fence about Jamie still, as I was finding it hard to see what all the fuss was about. But the other minor characters fit into the story well. Peter is trying to move away from high school and his messed up family, but Rose finds it difficult to let him. Tracy is just trying to fit into high school and Rose doesn't seem to understand why. Robert is just annoying, but so very high school boy that I must give props to Rozett for creating such a puppy dog. Regina is, well, Regina is down right cruel. Boy am I glad I've never come across anyone like her, especially in high school. There is talk about sex galore, which surprises me because I was certainly not thinking about sec when I was fifteen. But I'm sure times are different, I mean it has been 12 years. The thing I liked most about this book were the chapter headings. Rose is a self proclaimed word nerd, so each chapter starts with a word and its definition and Rose's minor note as to how it relates to the chapter. This gave me more insight into Rose's head than most of the book did. I didn't feel her grief or her pressure to fit in as well as I could have. But I did enjoy her sarcastic humour and the trials and tribulations of trying to make it through freshmen year. We all know how hard it is to get through any part of high school. So I can't wait to read about her adventures in the sequel, Confessions Of An Almost Girlfriend (see also: sophomore year)

“Bad things happen whether you're scared or not, so you might as well not bother being scared. It's a waste of time.”