An anxiety disorder disrupts 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.(via Goodreads)
Because I've been so out of the loop, I had no idea that Sophie Kinsella was releasing her very first young adult novel. So when Finding Audrey arrived at work, I was pleasantly surprised and it wasn't long before I decided to purchase it.
The theme of the book immediately intrigued me. It explores issues regarding fourteen-year-old Audrey's mental health following a major bullying incident at school, and how she progresses in the months following.
I admire Kinsella for taking on such an important subject, and having dealt with anxiety issues throughout my life, I felt that the often misunderstood subject was well respected, and the writing accurate and insightful. I even took down several page numbers for future reference!
But with that being said, I've always had a bit of a love/hate relationship with Kinsella's novels. While I seem to buy every one she releases, I find some of her characters rather annoying. And unfortunately, the characters in Finding Audrey weren't really an exception. Though I could identify with Audrey, I didn't feel as connected to her as I would have liked. Her mother also reminded me of a more typical Kinsella character – high strung and a little bit silly. But as the novel moved on, I warmed up to her.
Altogether, Finding Audrey is a thoughtful and inspiring novel that teens and adults alike can relate to. While it wasn't perfect, I would definitely recommend it to anyone who has experienced anxiety or has ever felt like an outsider. I certainly wish this book was around when I was a teenager.
Rating: 3.5 / 5
