Hey guys! It is that time again, book review time. I finished this
yesterday, and it was such a good book, so here is the review! Just something
that may interest you, I went to pick up my laptop with one hand and felt
my wrist nearly break. Yay :D.
I gave this book a 5 stars on Goodreads which is: 'Alexia Stylianou'
(If you’re looking at this and thinking it’s a lot and you are going to
click off, I say: it’s really good and worth the read so read it)
The main character, Audrey, has social anxiety, and she hasn't left her
house in months. When you first start reading the book, you immediately like
her, well I did at least. We learn that something has happened to her in her
school, that she was badly bullied, so badly that three students were expelled
and Audrey went into hospital and then therapy and not leaving the house or
taking her black sun glasses off. You never really find out what happened, but
you know it’s bad from the start, and leaves you wondering what happened.
As well as herself, the book follows her family. The book itself starts
with her mother threatening to throw her older brother Frank’s computer out of
the window. I found this hilarious, but horrifying at the same time. Audrey
goes on to say that her mother is a bit eccentric and that her mother follows
the Daily Mail like the Bible, and that her mum thinks that computers are going
to be the end of the world. Which is a shame because Frank is an avid gamer,
playing the game ‘Land of Conquerors’, which is shortened to ‘LOC’. Her brother
is the typical ‘teenage boy’, he loves gaming, he’s moody and messy, but you
can tell he really loves Audrey and wants her to get better.
Whenever something goes wrong, or Frank or Audrey are in trouble, the
mother always calls for the dad, who is not the ‘alpha’ male in the family, but
has to constantly back up his wife, even when he doesn’t know what she going on
about. Audrey has a little brother Felix, who she sees as innocent, and
***SPOILER*** he is the only one she (Audrey) shows her eyes too ***SPOILER***.
I love Felix so much and if I had a little brother I’d want him to be like
Felix.
The depiction of family is very realistic and I loved that. There was
times when everyone was arguing, or if not arguing, they were angry with each
other. Despite that, the family loved each other and just wanted the best for
each other (even if it was for their own gain *cough* Frank *cough*). Some
families are shown to never argue or disagree, and even if for some that is the
case, most of the time it’s not, especially if there is more than 2/3 children
– there will be arguing.
Linus. Ah, Linus. When Linus is first introduced, he is coming over to
play ‘LOC’ with Frank. When Linus and Audrey first start talking (second
encounter) it’s through notes and I find that so cute. Linus tries to be
understanding, but there are times where he becomes frustrated with Audrey,
because what is simple and easy for him, is difficult for her. I loved their
relationship in the book, especially as Kinsella didn’t use Linus’ character to
make Audrey better.
Reading the book, you can really tell that Kinsella did her research
into social anxiety, because when I was reading, I didn’t flinch at anything as
I have with other books I’ve read about a mental illness. Audrey went to her
appointments with Dr Sarah, who she really liked, and shows what it’s really
like to be in therapy (from what I’ve been through). In other books I’ve read,
it’s always the boy helping the girl get better, making her ‘happy’, and I
hated that, and I was really scared that was going to happen in this one, and I
am so relieved that Linus was not used a character to make her anxiety go away
– which realistically would not have happened. Instead he is there helping her
– along with her family and Dr Sarah.
I really loved this book, it dealt with a heavy subject, but made it
light hearted. The humour was brilliant – just like my humour and it was one of
the best books I’ve read in a while.
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