Finding Audrey Hardcover – 4 Jun. 2015

The Mental Health Book Club Podcast enjoyed this book, Becky gave it 3* and Sydney gave it 4*.This is a heart-warming novel aimed at young adults. It deals with the stigma and symptoms of mental illness in a teenage world. Audrey is a lovely character who will make you laugh and cry in her story of mental illness. Her new friend Linus stumbles into her life and together they try to solve her issues with romance and friendship.The book has an amazing way of showing the way in which mental health affects the wider family without victimising anyone. Audrey comes across as a fighter and a survivor, her character has a depth and intelligence that can be lost when writing a character who is dealing with mental illness.This book is a bright and inspiring story which should be in every secondary school library. It is a great way for young adults to gain an understanding of what it is like to have a mental illness and that people are not alone.

What a clever, engaging book. Poor Audrey is trying to be as invisible and detatched from life as possible at the start, and we piece together what brought her to this unhappy place gradually, from Audrey's diary and notes of visits with her psychiatrist. Her family is a bit nutty but in a comfortable way, it's just not comfortable for her right now. The gradual process of Audrey getting drawn back into the realities of life as a teenage girl with a lot of potential are fun and full of surprises, there are poignant moments as well as slapstick silliness. The teenage love angle is very sweet and touching. I lent this book straight to my niece, who is 17, and I cant wait to compare notes as to what she thought of this - it is nothing like the shopaholic series, but I am sure plenty of Sophie Kinsella fans will make the crossover & really enjoy this book too, although I think it is aimed at the YA market. If you liked The Rosie Project of My mad Fat Diary, I think you will enjoy this.

4.5 stars!"Life is all about climbing up, slipping down, and picking yourself up again. And it doesn't matter if you slip down. As long as you're kind of heading more or less upwards. That's all you can hope for."I loved this book! And I was so happy to get back into the world of Sophie Kinsella. When I first began this, I was wary that her sense of humour wouldn't be able to translate into a YA novel with a teenage character, but I was wrong. This was just as funny as some of her adult novels, and for that I am really pleased.Audrey was a great character, and I found her struggles with anxiety believable and real. I don't personally think her symptoms would class as severe, but at the same time, everybody can feel and experience differently.I loved how this novel was also centred around family; parents and siblings and the bonds and fights they all share. Her parents were hilarious, and the relationship she shared with her brother Frank reminded me a lot of myself and my brother. And Felix was too cute!I found the romance between Audrey and Linus cute and sweet, and exactly as a teenage romance should be. However I did see it as a tad insta-lovey, but it was still very cute. I think is a theme with YA novels - especially when the characters are younger. I don't think a 14 year old really knows what it is to be in love, truly and wholly, and a few years later will experience something even better. But it was still cute, and that's a minor personal issue.A few reviews have stated that her anxiety was "cured" too quickly, and whilst I agree she made a large amount of progress in a short period of time, she also then relapsed again. Like a jagged graph, which I feel is much more realistic.I wish we had found out what really happened at school to cause her to spiral into her current mental state, however I guess the author didn't feel it was entirely necessary to the story.Overall I really enjoyed this book, and I would rate it about a 4.5 stars!(Review originally posted on Goodreads)

When I heard that Sophie was doing a YA book, I knew I had to read it right away. I was lucky enough to get an ARC copy to review. I have loved Sophie books, since I read The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic when I was 15 and when I found out this book was about a girl with anxiety I knew I could relate to this book.Audrey is battling with and anxiety disorder after it was alluded that she was bullied in school. Audrey is kind, hopeful and sweet. She doesn’t like to make eye contact with anyone, even her own family. I loved her family, they’re definitely different from any other family I have read in books before.This book documents the recovery process of a teenage girl bullied enough to develop mental health problems (not a teenage romance although she does fall for her brother’s friend Linus and it’s adorable) it’s more about family and how they grow out of the hardships. That recovery not being only for Audrey but for her family as well. We all have set backs, which I know all too well. It’s about getting back up again and being brave to take the next step.Extreme case of social anxiety disorder, for those of you who understand this , you will sympathize with our young narrative. I know I did, I’ve been suffering from anxiety, depression for the last 10 years. I could relate to Audrey’s social anxiety (being around people I don’t know, answering the door and phone, even leaving the house and feeling like everyone is staring at you.) I get it when she feels like she’s never going to get better, I have had those very same feelings.I love Sophie’s books, have never been disappointed with any of her books, and I wasn’t with this one. It made me smile, laugh and I teared up a few times as well. I simply loved and adored this book. I though Sophie was brave to take on the topic of mental health, for her first YA novel. But it was well researched and beautifully written. I hope everyone else falls in love with this book like I did.I hope to see more YA from Sophie in the future.