Scan barcode
bronski's review against another edition
4.0
Well, someone finally did it and I'm glad it was Kinsella. If you can overlook the teenage narrative and the timeline being a matter of weeks rather than years, it's a fantastic description of what life is like with an anxiety disorder. In the last decade this state of mind seems to be spreading like wildfire and not necessarily attached to a traumatizing experience or event (which sounds more like PTSD). The vague references to Audrey's experience with bullying I found distracting and possibly detrimental to the story as the anxiety disorder doesn't always have a "trigger event." Rarely are the reasons so straight forward and the subject could easily be a book in itself. I'm glad she chose not to describe the trauma. For the sake of exposure, it's a detail I'm happy to overlook. Kinsella nailed the feelings of what often looks and feels like unreasonable panic and the lack of understanding from the sufferer as well as those who desperately try to understand. You can't unless you've been there as well. My only other minor critique is how casually the aftermath of going off her medication went. Although it might have made the story darker, it's a serious medication and the character wouldn't likely have been able to get away with it with only minor withdrawal symptoms. That said, the character goes from agoraphobic to "almost better" in a matter of weeks so it might be explained away in that sense.
The role of Linus is rather perfect as he doesn't act as a cure, simply a strong support and an example of the good it does to unwaveringly stand by someone with anxiety even if they don't understand why you can't just go hang out or take a phone call or other mundane, every day tasks. Linus grasps the concept of challenging Audrey without overstepping and learns with her.
Targeted towards middle school aged teenagers, perhaps through Kinsella's voice this topic will be more understood and accepted among youth. It's a book I wish were around when I was experiencing it for the first time in high school. It's a desperately lonely and seemingly never ending journey (some of us work for years to overcome the hurdles Audrey did) and this book offered a comforting message that those with anxiety are not alone and there is hope, no matter how "crazy" one may feel.
The role of Linus is rather perfect as he doesn't act as a cure, simply a strong support and an example of the good it does to unwaveringly stand by someone with anxiety even if they don't understand why you can't just go hang out or take a phone call or other mundane, every day tasks. Linus grasps the concept of challenging Audrey without overstepping and learns with her.
Targeted towards middle school aged teenagers, perhaps through Kinsella's voice this topic will be more understood and accepted among youth. It's a book I wish were around when I was experiencing it for the first time in high school. It's a desperately lonely and seemingly never ending journey (some of us work for years to overcome the hurdles Audrey did) and this book offered a comforting message that those with anxiety are not alone and there is hope, no matter how "crazy" one may feel.
notoriouskog's review against another edition
5.0
A great novel about a girl struggling with something so many people experience, but so few talk about!
ches's review against another edition
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
carlisajc's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 Stars
Finding Audrey is a book I knew I’d have a hard time reviewing. But here we go anyways.
I really enjoyed Kinsella’s take on mental illness…Okay, that sentence sounded bad. I like how she presented it in a way that someone without anxiety can understand. I didn’t realize until I finished this book how little I actually knew about severe anxiety and mental illness. How it takes over yourself. It’s more than just making yourself smile until your happy. It’s your chemical make-up, how you react to crises in your life. Kinsella presents this topic in a light way, though. This is not a book that’s going to make you feel sad and depressed about how hard it must be. It’s a book that will show you how hard it is but also show you that there is hope. There’s that light at the end of the tunnel. Though someone suffering from anxiety may feel like there’s not, they can move forward and progress, despite perhaps having some bumpy setbacks on the way.
Along those lines, Kinsella teaches that it’s okay not to always be on a straight path upwards in your progression. In fact, it’s necessary. It’s impossible to keep moving forward, forward, forward, with no glances back, without eventually falling further than ever. Minor setbacks are okay and they happen. You just need to learn from them and then stand up, brush yourself off, and get moving again. And this is a moral that anyone, suffering from a mental illness or not, can understand.
What drove me crazy, though, are the parents. They’re the reason it’s hard for me to rate this book. I hated them. The mom drove me up the wall. They just are the stereotypical YA parents. The mom is supremely overprotective and rage-y while the dad is laidback and doesn’t really notice when things are going on. And while Audrey was struggling, her brother was also struggling and no one seemed to notice. And that never got addressed satisfactorily.
But overall, this book is good and I think it’s important that youth read it. It’s not too heavy but it teaches us about the people around us. How their minds work. How we should react to people suffering from mental illnesses. One quote struck me in this way:
"‘But you thought I was a bipolar homicidal maniac.’
‘I don’t even know what bipolar means,’ admits Natalie. ‘I mean, it’s just one of those words.’"
“Just one of those words.” How true is that? If you don’t have the illness or are not affected by it in someway, it’s just one of those words you don’t really understand and don’t take the time to try to understand. We need to stand up and be sympathetic. Don’t assume things. Ask questions, take the time to learn. That message is powerful.
Finding Audrey is a book I knew I’d have a hard time reviewing. But here we go anyways.
I really enjoyed Kinsella’s take on mental illness…Okay, that sentence sounded bad. I like how she presented it in a way that someone without anxiety can understand. I didn’t realize until I finished this book how little I actually knew about severe anxiety and mental illness. How it takes over yourself. It’s more than just making yourself smile until your happy. It’s your chemical make-up, how you react to crises in your life. Kinsella presents this topic in a light way, though. This is not a book that’s going to make you feel sad and depressed about how hard it must be. It’s a book that will show you how hard it is but also show you that there is hope. There’s that light at the end of the tunnel. Though someone suffering from anxiety may feel like there’s not, they can move forward and progress, despite perhaps having some bumpy setbacks on the way.
Along those lines, Kinsella teaches that it’s okay not to always be on a straight path upwards in your progression. In fact, it’s necessary. It’s impossible to keep moving forward, forward, forward, with no glances back, without eventually falling further than ever. Minor setbacks are okay and they happen. You just need to learn from them and then stand up, brush yourself off, and get moving again. And this is a moral that anyone, suffering from a mental illness or not, can understand.
What drove me crazy, though, are the parents. They’re the reason it’s hard for me to rate this book. I hated them. The mom drove me up the wall. They just are the stereotypical YA parents. The mom is supremely overprotective and rage-y while the dad is laidback and doesn’t really notice when things are going on. And while Audrey was struggling, her brother was also struggling and no one seemed to notice. And that never got addressed satisfactorily.
But overall, this book is good and I think it’s important that youth read it. It’s not too heavy but it teaches us about the people around us. How their minds work. How we should react to people suffering from mental illnesses. One quote struck me in this way:
"‘But you thought I was a bipolar homicidal maniac.’
‘I don’t even know what bipolar means,’ admits Natalie. ‘I mean, it’s just one of those words.’"
“Just one of those words.” How true is that? If you don’t have the illness or are not affected by it in someway, it’s just one of those words you don’t really understand and don’t take the time to try to understand. We need to stand up and be sympathetic. Don’t assume things. Ask questions, take the time to learn. That message is powerful.
guillevaldata's review against another edition
2.0
Termine este libro en un día. Wow.
Hace mucho que no leía así y me encanta 💗
Con respecto al libro... Le faltó muchas cosas, o capaz fue que había mal desarrollo de la historia.
Todo pasó muy rápido.
Siento que si hubiera leído este libro con 13 me hubiese encantando! Pero, tengo 19 🤷🏻♀️
Btw, lo más interesante fue sin duda la parodia del LoL JAJAJA
Hace mucho que no leía así y me encanta 💗
Con respecto al libro... Le faltó muchas cosas, o capaz fue que había mal desarrollo de la historia.
Todo pasó muy rápido.
Siento que si hubiera leído este libro con 13 me hubiese encantando! Pero, tengo 19 🤷🏻♀️
Btw, lo más interesante fue sin duda la parodia del LoL JAJAJA
eesh25's review against another edition
3.0
Finding Audrey is a coming-of-age story about a fourteen-year-old girl named, you guessed it, Audrey. She suffers from severe anxiety because of something that happened in school. And even though it's been many months, she's still learning. She wears sun-glasses all the time, even indoors, because she has difficulty making eye contact. But she's starting school again in a few month and she needs to be able to go outside and talk to people. Her family is trying to help, as is her therapist and her older brother's cute friend, Linus.
The topic of anxiety is a pretty serious one. Most people suffer from it to some degree. Audrey's case is very severe. We're never told what happened, exactly, in school. But from what I can guess, it was bullying. Is that enough of an explanation? No, it isn't. There are so many kinds of bullying and we don't know what happened to Audrey. What was the final straw? We don't know. And that bothers me.
You see, despite the theme being a serious one, this is a very light read. I think the author wanted to make sure the book was enjoyable, so she didn't go too into depth about the "bad" stuff. And she also introduced some sub-plots that were supposed to be entertaining and gave us some over-the-top characters. The place where she went wrong was that she couldn't accomplish a light tone and juggle the main plot as well as the sub-plots. And the over-the-top nature of Audrey's mom, instead of being funny, was very annoying. Her crusade about screens being evil, and taking away her son's computer, it was frustrating. Not to mention, it's another important issue.
There's a scene in which Frank, Audrey's bother, says that parents shouldn't patronize their teenager, after he got sick of his mom acting like she was always right and that "kids these days" didn't know shit. It was about parents thinking that anything that's on the internet isn't important. Just a waste of time.
I was really interested in reading about that, as well as Audrey's learning to live with her anxiety. Unfortunately, the author may have gotten to focused on not making the book too serious, and all the important things kinda got lost in there somewhere. All the problems just got solved in their own. Audrey's experience, instead of being relatable or emotional, seemed too textbook. Like someone looked up "thoughts people with an anxiety disorder have" and that was it. There were some lines here and there that made you think that maybe the book was going somewhere right, but then it would immediately be replaced by a joke.
This is a very readable novel. Yes, I had problems with the writing. I felt that it sounded (especially in the beginning) too much like a person rambling about their day rather than an actual novel. But there were funny moments and sweet moments. The interactions between Audrey and Linus were very cute and I appreciate the effort in writing a lighthearted novel about a serious topic. But it was just too light. If you read it, don't expect much insight into... well, anything.
The topic of anxiety is a pretty serious one. Most people suffer from it to some degree. Audrey's case is very severe. We're never told what happened, exactly, in school. But from what I can guess, it was bullying. Is that enough of an explanation? No, it isn't. There are so many kinds of bullying and we don't know what happened to Audrey. What was the final straw? We don't know. And that bothers me.
You see, despite the theme being a serious one, this is a very light read. I think the author wanted to make sure the book was enjoyable, so she didn't go too into depth about the "bad" stuff. And she also introduced some sub-plots that were supposed to be entertaining and gave us some over-the-top characters. The place where she went wrong was that she couldn't accomplish a light tone and juggle the main plot as well as the sub-plots. And the over-the-top nature of Audrey's mom, instead of being funny, was very annoying. Her crusade about screens being evil, and taking away her son's computer, it was frustrating. Not to mention, it's another important issue.
There's a scene in which Frank, Audrey's bother, says that parents shouldn't patronize their teenager, after he got sick of his mom acting like she was always right and that "kids these days" didn't know shit. It was about parents thinking that anything that's on the internet isn't important. Just a waste of time.
I was really interested in reading about that, as well as Audrey's learning to live with her anxiety. Unfortunately, the author may have gotten to focused on not making the book too serious, and all the important things kinda got lost in there somewhere. All the problems just got solved in their own. Audrey's experience, instead of being relatable or emotional, seemed too textbook. Like someone looked up "thoughts people with an anxiety disorder have" and that was it. There were some lines here and there that made you think that maybe the book was going somewhere right, but then it would immediately be replaced by a joke.
This is a very readable novel. Yes, I had problems with the writing. I felt that it sounded (especially in the beginning) too much like a person rambling about their day rather than an actual novel. But there were funny moments and sweet moments. The interactions between Audrey and Linus were very cute and I appreciate the effort in writing a lighthearted novel about a serious topic. But it was just too light. If you read it, don't expect much insight into... well, anything.
faeriesparks's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
After enjoying quite a few of Sophie Kinsella's adult books I was really looking forward to reading Finding Audrey. And I did like it but there were also some things that didn't sit right with me.
Audrey's recovery seemed to easy and quick to me. And too connected to Linus. Considering there was a huge triggering event at school (which we never really find out about?) and Audrey was severely hindered in her everyday life, her problems were resolved so easily.
Nonetheless I did connect with a lot of things that were said throughout the book and I really appreciated that.
After enjoying quite a few of Sophie Kinsella's adult books I was really looking forward to reading Finding Audrey. And I did like it but there were also some things that didn't sit right with me.
Audrey's recovery seemed to easy and quick to me. And too connected to Linus. Considering there was a huge triggering event at school (which we never really find out about?) and Audrey was severely hindered in her everyday life, her problems were resolved so easily.
Nonetheless I did connect with a lot of things that were said throughout the book and I really appreciated that.
kathydavie's review against another edition
5.0
A standalone fictional novel for young readers about a fourteen-year-old girl struggling to overcome an anxiety disorder triggered by bullying at her school.
In 2015, Finding Audrey was nominated for the Goodreads Choice Award for Young Adult Fiction.
My Take
I know I can only give this a "5" on the websites, but it is definitely a "7"! And that's saying something because I swore I'd never read Kinsella again after enduring several of her Shopaholic stories!
It's Audrey's story and very definitely first-person point-of-view, and while the story is triggered by bullying, we don't actually learn what they did, which makes me nuts.
The way Audrey describes herself is curious and makes me wonder if her paranoia about everyone looking at her, obsessing about what people are thinking about her, is part of the problem that led into how badly the bullying affected her. Maybe that's another class that kids need, one that encourages self-confidence as well as considering that other people have events and turmoils going on in their own lives that may affect how they react to you.
For all the seriousness of Audrey's condition, you can't help LYAO throughout the story. It's a typical teen's view of her clueless parents and her siblings. With a character arc that is perfectly achieved.
The example Linus uses of his crazy Gran for Audrey was too sweet, and too true. As for Audrey's explanation of how to deal with the lizard brain with Felix as the comparison…brilliant.
More ROFL with the replies we all wanted to make to our parents' questions. Omigod *more laughing*
And…for all my laughing at her Mum, I have to give props to Audrey's parents for being so very supportive.
Now, that damned Amerson infuriates me with her dismissal of the bullying. Too typical of almost all schools who ignore it because the teachers/admins aren't paying attention, the bully's parents wield too much power, or the teachers don't care. If government wants to throw money at something, they should be throwing it at stopping the bullying. Teach the kids better ways to deal with issues. Find out who is bullying those kids, to turn them into bullies…because that's all they know. We need to stop the cycle!
And keep in mind that life is that jagged graph. Up a bit. Down a bit. All life long.
The Story
The progress Audrey is making in her daily life — ever since that anxiety disorder slammed into her — is making her crazy. It's too slow. And too much. All at once.
It takes meeting Linus to encourage Audrey to try more than she's comfortable with, as she connects with him, his patience, his concern.
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.
Audrey Turner is a fourteen-year-old girl traumatized by events at her school. Frank is her older, computer-obsessed brother with a passion for Land of Conquerors (LOC). Felix is the too-totally cheerful four-year-old. Mum, Anne, is the frustrated one who rules the household and has left her job as a freelance brand consultant. Dad, Chris, is an accountant and much more easygoing.
Linus is a schoolfriend of Frank's. And totally cute. Nick and Rameen are part of Frank's LOC team; Matt will become an okay fourth. Aidan is Felix's friend, but he has chicken pops. Natalie Dexter had been Audrey's best friend — the one who froze. A bipolar homicidal maniac? Seriously?
Arjun is a friend of Mum's from her Pilates class who does freelance computer work. Alison is in Mum's book group and doesn't even have TV at home. Hmmm, I wonder what the Daily Mail says about that?? Mike is a friend of Dad's with whom he plays squash. Allan is another of Dad's friends. Paul Taylor has good deals.
Dr. Sarah McVeigh is Audrey's therapist at St. John's hospital who could take some lessons from Linus. I did like Dr. Sarah's idea about doing a video.
Heath Academy is the new school Audrey will start in the fall. Stokeland Girls' School is her former school. Miss Amerson was the head teacher. Freya Hill, Izzy Lawton, and Tasha Collins were expelled. The remaining "gang" include a changed Katie, Chloe, and Ruby. Miss Moore is the deputy head who left. Izzy's parents are amazingly unconscious of their daughter's behavior.
Ade is a chef at the Fox and Hound whose grandfather, Derek Gould, has just moved into an old folks' home, Avonlea. Rob McDuggan and their son, Ollie, are neighbors. Sinead is a policewoman.
The Cover and Title
The cover is a soft green turquoise banded by unevenly edged grayed-out colonial blue horizontal stripes. It's a cartoon-like Audrey with her long brown hair and sunglasses poking up at the top of the yellow title with her hands appearing below it. The author's name is large and at the top in yellow with an info blurb about Kinsella's popular Shopaholic series.
The title is the battle this girl is going through, for Finding Audrey will take a great deal of struggle and support.
In 2015, Finding Audrey was nominated for the Goodreads Choice Award for Young Adult Fiction.
My Take
I know I can only give this a "5" on the websites, but it is definitely a "7"! And that's saying something because I swore I'd never read Kinsella again after enduring several of her Shopaholic stories!
It's Audrey's story and very definitely first-person point-of-view, and while the story is triggered by bullying, we don't actually learn what they did, which makes me nuts.
The way Audrey describes herself is curious and makes me wonder if her paranoia about everyone looking at her, obsessing about what people are thinking about her, is part of the problem that led into how badly the bullying affected her. Maybe that's another class that kids need, one that encourages self-confidence as well as considering that other people have events and turmoils going on in their own lives that may affect how they react to you.
For all the seriousness of Audrey's condition, you can't help LYAO throughout the story. It's a typical teen's view of her clueless parents and her siblings. With a character arc that is perfectly achieved.
I do adore Felix:Then there's Audrey's take on her Mum with her Daily Mail obsession, her freak-out about Frank's online gameplaying, not listening to her kids, and Mum's constant contradictions on "what she always used to do" ROFLMAO. We also experience Audrey's slow realization of what her mother has given up. What her family has endured. Frank. Oh, man, Frank is the stereotype of teens and boys. Totally unobservant when it really counts, lol. Linus, now. He's an absolute doll. Incredibly patient and willing to both wait and push at Audrey.
"He greets most life events with disbelieving joy. A lorry in the street! Ketchup! An extra-long chip! Mum throwing a computer out the window is just another one on the list of daily miracles."
The example Linus uses of his crazy Gran for Audrey was too sweet, and too true. As for Audrey's explanation of how to deal with the lizard brain with Felix as the comparison…brilliant.
More ROFL with the replies we all wanted to make to our parents' questions. Omigod *more laughing*
And…for all my laughing at her Mum, I have to give props to Audrey's parents for being so very supportive.
Now, that damned Amerson infuriates me with her dismissal of the bullying. Too typical of almost all schools who ignore it because the teachers/admins aren't paying attention, the bully's parents wield too much power, or the teachers don't care. If government wants to throw money at something, they should be throwing it at stopping the bullying. Teach the kids better ways to deal with issues. Find out who is bullying those kids, to turn them into bullies…because that's all they know. We need to stop the cycle!
And keep in mind that life is that jagged graph. Up a bit. Down a bit. All life long.
The Story
The progress Audrey is making in her daily life — ever since that anxiety disorder slammed into her — is making her crazy. It's too slow. And too much. All at once.
It takes meeting Linus to encourage Audrey to try more than she's comfortable with, as she connects with him, his patience, his concern.
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.
"You'll be in the dark for as long as it takes and then you'll come out."The Characters
Audrey Turner is a fourteen-year-old girl traumatized by events at her school. Frank is her older, computer-obsessed brother with a passion for Land of Conquerors (LOC). Felix is the too-totally cheerful four-year-old. Mum, Anne, is the frustrated one who rules the household and has left her job as a freelance brand consultant. Dad, Chris, is an accountant and much more easygoing.
Linus is a schoolfriend of Frank's. And totally cute. Nick and Rameen are part of Frank's LOC team; Matt will become an okay fourth. Aidan is Felix's friend, but he has chicken pops. Natalie Dexter had been Audrey's best friend — the one who froze. A bipolar homicidal maniac? Seriously?
Arjun is a friend of Mum's from her Pilates class who does freelance computer work. Alison is in Mum's book group and doesn't even have TV at home. Hmmm, I wonder what the Daily Mail says about that?? Mike is a friend of Dad's with whom he plays squash. Allan is another of Dad's friends. Paul Taylor has good deals.
Dr. Sarah McVeigh is Audrey's therapist at St. John's hospital who could take some lessons from Linus. I did like Dr. Sarah's idea about doing a video.
Heath Academy is the new school Audrey will start in the fall. Stokeland Girls' School is her former school. Miss Amerson was the head teacher. Freya Hill, Izzy Lawton, and Tasha Collins were expelled. The remaining "gang" include a changed Katie, Chloe, and Ruby. Miss Moore is the deputy head who left. Izzy's parents are amazingly unconscious of their daughter's behavior.
Ade is a chef at the Fox and Hound whose grandfather, Derek Gould, has just moved into an old folks' home, Avonlea. Rob McDuggan and their son, Ollie, are neighbors. Sinead is a policewoman.
The Cover and Title
The cover is a soft green turquoise banded by unevenly edged grayed-out colonial blue horizontal stripes. It's a cartoon-like Audrey with her long brown hair and sunglasses poking up at the top of the yellow title with her hands appearing below it. The author's name is large and at the top in yellow with an info blurb about Kinsella's popular Shopaholic series.
The title is the battle this girl is going through, for Finding Audrey will take a great deal of struggle and support.