Finding Audrey

Oh, my heart! I loved this book so, so much - way more than I thought I would. Bottom line: this is my favorite portrayal of a mental illness in a book, possibly ever, and reminds me why I love Kinsella's writing. I've read some negative reviews about Finding Audrey that feel the book is making light of anxiety, but I really disagree. Audrey's condition is never explained away, and Kinsella isn't condescending toward her MC at all. Instead, Kinsella uses her classic humor to bring levity to what could have been a serious (possibly dull) story. As someone who's struggled with major bouts of anxiety, I appreciated the humor. It reminded me that anxiety doesn't have to be a weight that hangs over you forever - there's still fun and friendship to be had amidst your struggles. What this book offered was hope, rather than wallowing in the mire of Audrey's illness. I also appreciated the honest inclusion of Audrey's irrational feelings. If you've experienced severe anxiety or depression, you can relate to her constant questioning of... - Is this ever going to end? Am I stuck like this forever? - Why can't I just be normal? - Is everyone watching me, thinking I'm a total psycho? - Am I a horrible human being who doesn't deserve life, because, obviously, I can't seem to handle it? - Would everyone be happier and less stressed if I wasn't around? Should I feel guilty about that? I also felt like the depiction of Audrey's "lizard brain" was so accurate, I felt like Kinsella had read my mind. I'll admit I teared up a few times reading Audrey's irrational (but very real) anxieties, as well as her conversations with her therapist, because it was almost like reliving parts of my own life. In terms of the romance, I'd also challenge readers who think the message is "love fixes all illnesses" to take a second look. Linus doesn't "fix" Audrey. Yes, he encourages her, helps her along the journey - but so does her therapist and her family. Linus represents those people in our lives who support us through struggles, who encourage us to keep going, and who aren't put off by our bouts of eccentricity. I loved him, and while I think it's highly unlikely a teenage boy would be this sensitive, I'm sure there are some out there somewhere. (Hah!) This brings me to the other aspect of the book that I've seen people dislike: the mother. Oh my gosh, she was my favorite character. She had me laughing constantly. I also liked that we got to see some of her own struggles and how Audrey begins to realize just how much her mother has sacrificed for her. The honest portray of Audrey's family added so much to the book, and I thought every character was convincing and interesting. I even liked Frank and his video game addiction. Basically, I'd recommend this book for anyone who's struggling with anxiety. It's not a textbook about mental illness, but it's not supposed to be - it's a novel. And it's a novel that offers a picture of hope and recovery, with some great laughs along the way.

A Kinsella book never fails to amuse me. Like all the rest, this latest one is totally enjoyable. Had I not been conscious of my sleeping time because I was still recovering from a jetlag, I would have finished this in one sitting. Believe me, this is not the book to pick up and fall asleep in. Audrey is suffering from an anxiety disorder and is not able to get out of the house (except for appointments with her therapist); not able to communicate with people other than her family and therapist; has to keep herself small even within the confines of her own home. She's got a hilarious but perfectly normal family. As with other Kinsella books, this is LOL funny (I already mentioned this is not a sleeping-in book). Kinsella's writing style is such that the pages are transformed into a sitcom TV screen. I only have one issue and that's why the missing fifth star: I thought there was going to be a big reveal of what happened to Audrey, but nada... Anyway, this is one fun and fast read.

This YA book was so unique in that it's very focused on Audrey's family. Truly, the majority of the action takes place inside Audrey's house with her parents and her two brothers. Audrey was the victim of some sort of bullying incident at school that is never fully explained. As a result, she's spending the rest of the year at home. She has extreme social anxiety, she wears dark glasses all the time, and she doesn't interact with anyone outside of her family or therapy. Until... Linus, her brother's best friend, starts spending a lot of time at their house because he is playing on an LOC (think World of Warcraft) team with her brother, Frank. Linus and Audrey develop a friendship through notes and challenges, and their love story is super adorable and sweet. I really loved that part of the story, but there wasn't enough of it. The first half of the book and much of the second half focus on Audrey's brother and her mother and their struggle over video games. The mother is kind of unbearable. I wanted to reach into my car sound system and strangle her! She is very unreasonable. She's been convinced by the Daily Mail that video games are warping Frank's mind or something...even though he's a terrific student and a very nice young man. Because those portions of the story were unenjoyable, I had to give this book a lower rating. There is some good humor in the story, and Audrey's youngest brother Felix (age 4) was super cute. But overall I was expecting more based on the reviews and recommendations I'd gotten about this book. [...]

'Finding Audrey' von Sophie Kinsella war eines meiner Buch-Highlights in diesem bisherigen Jahr und seither hab ich es vielen meiner Freunde empfohlen und an einem Geburtstag sogar verschenkt, da ich denke, dass es tatsächlich für jeden etwas ist. Finding Audrey beschäftigt sich mit Mobbing, Anxiety - wie jemandes mentaler Zustand einen selbst und seine Familie einschränken kann. Es geht darum das Audrey und ihre Familie versuchen mit ihrem Zustand umzugehen und sie zu unterstützen und gemeinsam zu heilen und besser zu werden, während sie auch mit ganz alltäglichen Dingen zu kämpfen haben. Und nach diesem Motto fühlt man auf der einen Seite mit Audrey mit, man spürt ihr Leiden und ihre Angst, aber auf der nächsten Seite lacht man auch schon wieder laut los und so lange, bis einem schon fast die Tränen kommen. Finding Audrey war witzig und charmant, mit chaotischen aber lebensechten Figuren, aber auch traurig, ernst und hat einen nachdenken lassen. Man hat vielleicht sogar etwas in Audrey in einem selbst entdeckt. Das Buch war leicht und schnell zu lesen, ohne das jegliche Langweile aufkam. Da Audrey aufgrund einer Therapieübung auch mit einer Kamera ihre Umgebung und Familie filmt, bestehen manche Seiten auch aus Transkripten von diesem Videomaterial, welches das ganze nochmal auflockert und interessant zu lesen macht. Sophie Kinsellas humorvolle und dennoch sehr herznahe Geschichten sind nichts Neues für mich, aber Finding Audrey ist kurz vor Twenties Girl nun mein Favorit von ihr. Ich würde es jedem, der alle Gefühle in einem Buch fühlen will, empfehlen und am Besten raten, hineinzutauchen ohne groß zu wissen worum es geht.

Good book and good quality

Excelente livro, enredo muito interessante, prende o leitor desde o início. Um dos melhores livros que minha filha (15 anos) já leu até hoje.

Se lo recomiendo a todo el mundo, sobre todo a los jóvenes. Es realista y divertido. ¡Para leer por las noches está genial!

this is one of my fav. books It made me laugh out loud like no other book ever has