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."

Review: The Program

The Program
Author: Suzanne Young
Published: April 30, 2013
408 pages
3 Gold Stars

(summary from Goodreads)

Sloane knows better than to cry in front of anyone. With suicide now an international epidemic, one outburst could land her in The Program, the only proven course of treatment. Sloane’s parents have already lost one child; Sloane knows they’ll do anything to keep her alive. She also knows that everyone who’s been through The Program returns as a blank slate. Because their depression is gone—but so are their memories.

Under constant surveillance at home and at school, Sloane puts on a brave face and keeps her feelings buried as deep as she can. The only person Sloane can be herself with is James. He’s promised to keep them both safe and out of treatment, and Sloane knows their love is strong enough to withstand anything. But despite the promises they made to each other, it’s getting harder to hide the truth. They are both growing weaker. Depression is setting in. And The Program is coming for them.

Parts of this novel make complete sense and make me think that a suicide epidemic could be something we face in the future, but most of it seemed unrealistic. It is the complete opposite of Delirium, where teenagers are not allowed to be sad, or cry, or show any emotion that could lead to suicide. If they do, they will be sent to the Program, where their memories of things that depressed them will be washed away and they will be sent back into the world anew. This part made sense to me, the brainwashing and memory loss to have control over the teenagers in the city, but there was a lot that didn't.

Sloane's older brother committed suicide and her and her boyfriend, James, have been trying to heal without getting put into the Program. They protect each other and comfort each other in private, and right from the start, you knew they were doomed. When their other friend kills himself, the handlers pay much closer attention to them, and there may be no escaping the Program this time. 

I don't want to say much about the plot because to me it was unpredictable, at least until later on into the book. This is ultimately a love story trying to survive in a world where teenage love can lead to depression. Well, that's in any world, but in this world it's monitored. The emotions feel real and anyone who has lost someone to suicide would know how hard it is to put yourself back together after that happens. And it's not any better when they end up coming back without their memories of you and you're alone either way. The teens know better than to want to go to the Program because they know what happens to the returners, but the adults just see it as a way to cure their children and therefore they call the Program if they think their kids are suicidal. The premise is interesting but at the same time, there is such a fine line between suicide being a disease and this novel making light of a serious situation. Thankfully I've never had any feelings of suicide, nor do I know anyone who's killed themselves, so I can take this book as fiction and leave it at that, but I know those who have experienced this first hand may have different opinions. 

It's a unique dystopian that will stand out from the rest with a world we have not seen before, but I don't think it's strong enough to become a series, though what books aren't series now a days? Sloane and James are meant to be together and they prove that nothing can stop them, even the Program and I like that theme because true love is stronger than those who wish to tear it apart. Though I think this book would work better as a contemporary, focusing solely on their relationship. Having a more thought provoking plot and treating suicide like the mental health issue it is, would make a much bigger impact. It's too bad that the suicide comes off as more of a gimmicky plot to create a new dystopian world. I'm not sure if I'll be picking up anymore in this series, we'll see when the time comes. 

“...some things are better left in the past. And true things are destined to repeat themselves.”