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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
I really did love this book. It hit me right in the feels. It does have TW for self harm.
I loved the main characters, because they were so likeable, and how the OCD and agoraphobia was explained and shown throughout the story, was incredible. I would of liked more from the ending, but even with that, I still gave it 5/5, because it still was so good and I loved it from the first chapter. I would recommend to anyone, as long as you are okay with self harm. It opened my eyes up more to mental health and I am hoping it does for others too.
I loved the main characters, because they were so likeable, and how the OCD and agoraphobia was explained and shown throughout the story, was incredible. I would of liked more from the ending, but even with that, I still gave it 5/5, because it still was so good and I loved it from the first chapter. I would recommend to anyone, as long as you are okay with self harm. It opened my eyes up more to mental health and I am hoping it does for others too.
Trigger warnings for; (deep breath) Anxiety, agoraphobia, OCD, self harm, home invasion, body image issues, depression (probably not an exhaustive list)
There were parts of this book that really resonated with my own mental health journey but unfortunately the story just wasn't there for me. I feel like the main character was only defined by her mental illness and I personally feel that no matter how bad it is, there is always so much more to a person than their illness. I couldn't connect with Norah and her story didn't feel like it was fleshed out enough. While this is a great study of mental illness, I feel like the characters and plot suffered for it and it dragged quite a bit.
There were parts of this book that really resonated with my own mental health journey but unfortunately the story just wasn't there for me. I feel like the main character was only defined by her mental illness and I personally feel that no matter how bad it is, there is always so much more to a person than their illness. I couldn't connect with Norah and her story didn't feel like it was fleshed out enough. While this is a great study of mental illness, I feel like the characters and plot suffered for it and it dragged quite a bit.
Thank you to NetGalley and Clarion Books for providing an ARC for an honest review.
Right off the bat, I loved how realistic Norah's story was. Many novels fail to truly depict mental-illness and I am so glad to have finally read one that allowed a better perspective into the mind of an agoraphobic teenager who also has OCD.
This book is truly unlike any I have ever read. I loved Norah and her will to push through, even when she thought something was too far off for her to reach, she longed for the idea and took small steps towards it. I loved the relationship between her and Luke as well. I cannot tell you how relieved I am that this wasn't "girl meets boy, boy cures girl" kind of story, I would have just stop this one completely.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and love the relationships that were written. Norah had just about the best support system that there is and this book gave me so much hope, for Norah and for myself. So very glad I stumbled upon this title.
Right off the bat, I loved how realistic Norah's story was. Many novels fail to truly depict mental-illness and I am so glad to have finally read one that allowed a better perspective into the mind of an agoraphobic teenager who also has OCD.
This book is truly unlike any I have ever read. I loved Norah and her will to push through, even when she thought something was too far off for her to reach, she longed for the idea and took small steps towards it. I loved the relationship between her and Luke as well. I cannot tell you how relieved I am that this wasn't "girl meets boy, boy cures girl" kind of story, I would have just stop this one completely.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and love the relationships that were written. Norah had just about the best support system that there is and this book gave me so much hope, for Norah and for myself. So very glad I stumbled upon this title.
i enjoyed reading this book a lot! it's just unfortunate that i read it during a slump that i fell into because of my own mental health issues.
i really felt as though louise gornall's depiction of agoraphobia spoke to my own anxiety. i was able to relate to norah in what she felt and (to some extent) what she was going through. i really liked how her illness didn't define her as a character— but it was still a part of her. a large part of her. i also loved how patient luke was, and how he wanted to understand that part of her rather than just feeling sorry for her or trying to change or fix her.
under rose-tainted skies was realistic because norah's romance didn't just magically heal her mental illness— that just doesn't happen in real life. but instead, it just showed her taking baby steps on her way to recovery. so realistic and so important.
i really felt as though louise gornall's depiction of agoraphobia spoke to my own anxiety. i was able to relate to norah in what she felt and (to some extent) what she was going through. i really liked how her illness didn't define her as a character— but it was still a part of her. a large part of her. i also loved how patient luke was, and how he wanted to understand that part of her rather than just feeling sorry for her or trying to change or fix her.
under rose-tainted skies was realistic because norah's romance didn't just magically heal her mental illness— that just doesn't happen in real life. but instead, it just showed her taking baby steps on her way to recovery. so realistic and so important.
Easy, cute read. I was curious about this book because a random goodreads person recommended this as an alternative to All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven (which I DNF and ardently abhor). I concur. Read this instead. I appreciate the own voices rep - it felt like a realistic portrayal, not overly romanticized. The ending was a bit rushed and didn't make a lot of sense in line with the rest of the story, which is why I knocked off a star. But I did appreciate how Norah wasn't magically cured at the end of the book. It's a hopeful but realistic ending.
TW: OCD, agoraphobia, self-harm.
TW: OCD, agoraphobia, self-harm.
Hit on an important topic about mental health. It felt a bit like her relationship was a cure-all, but also I liked how she was still struggling at the end.
This book was bad. I didn't like how every single page was about Norah's mental illness, the author made no attempt at distancing the character from her illness because, despite what this author may believe, people are more than their diagnoses. So constantly reading about Norah's struggle was disappointing and annoying.
For people to say this is an accurate portrayal is shocking. I don't know if it's because I have a first-hand account, living with someone who has three of the four illnesses Norah has, but I don't see how this can be a true representation, in my eyes anyway. Now, I know that everyone's mental health is different and no two people's are the same, but I still felt like the author read a few text posts on how mental illness feels, and then wrote this book. I don't think she should have made the whole book revolve around Norah's illness, we should have been given days when she's better because we mentally ill people do have some good days.
Something I struggled to understand is the food problem. Norah was, agreed panicking, able to walk to her car, which she said was (something like) fifty yards away. Yet, she was unable to quickly run and grab her food, that was in front of her door? It was a cheap shot to introduce Luke and made Norah seem incapable despite showing us earlier on that she can go outside for small amounts of time. I mean, at one point she even placed her foot on the doorstep without panicking so I don't understand how, with no food, unless she got them from outside, she wouldn't have been to quickly grab it instead of making a big fuss with the broom.
My sister has agoraphobia, anxiety and depression, so I watch daily how these affect her life. Yet, I felt like the author was only focused on the agoraphobic bit. It didn't seem to show much anxiety or depression throughout the book, I think there were two panic attacks, and considering the fear that Norah seemed to be feeling, I felt like it should have maybe a lot more anxious feelings. I, myself, have anxiety, and although I'm not prone to anxiety attacks unless, in super populated places, I still feel like I'd have more panic attacks than her.
Adding the OCD on top of all her other diagnoses, also felt like the author wanted to tick as many boxes as she possibly could, which is a cheap shot. A small pet peeve of mine was the letters Luke kept sticking in Norah's letterbox. This was published in 2017, I don't know a single teenager who'd pass a message on through pen and paper. It felt stupid, and that the author thought to make Luke do that was quirky but it just made me roll my eyes.
Another pet peeve was all the stalking that Norah gets up to. Now I get it. My sister gets periods of time when she sits and stares out the window longing to go outside however she doesn't run to the window every time someone makes a sound, it's an overreaction, that made me sigh.
Norah was so depressed, and I get it depression, over the thought of Luke rejecting her, but it was so stupid. Firstly, she knew him for a week at tops lmfao. And secondly realistically, no teenage boy would want a mentally ill girlfriend or vice versa, yet she's acting like it's the end of the world. It's not, and it's stupid that the author made her this clingy. It was frustrating.
Also, the ending was rushed, like this review. It was chopping, and like she had a deadline and wasn't sure how to end it. I disliked this book so bloody much. If you want to read it, I'd advise you not. I personally prefer [b:Turtles All the Way Down|35504431|Turtles All the Way Down|John Green|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1503002776s/35504431.jpg|21576687] by [a:John Green|1406384|John Green|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1353452301p2/1406384.jpg] which deals with OCD a lot better, and I'm not even a fan of his. Go read that instead. Leave this book in the trash where it belongs.
For people to say this is an accurate portrayal is shocking. I don't know if it's because I have a first-hand account, living with someone who has three of the four illnesses Norah has, but I don't see how this can be a true representation, in my eyes anyway. Now, I know that everyone's mental health is different and no two people's are the same, but I still felt like the author read a few text posts on how mental illness feels, and then wrote this book. I don't think she should have made the whole book revolve around Norah's illness, we should have been given days when she's better because we mentally ill people do have some good days.
Something I struggled to understand is the food problem. Norah was, agreed panicking, able to walk to her car, which she said was (something like) fifty yards away. Yet, she was unable to quickly run and grab her food, that was in front of her door? It was a cheap shot to introduce Luke and made Norah seem incapable despite showing us earlier on that she can go outside for small amounts of time. I mean, at one point she even placed her foot on the doorstep without panicking so I don't understand how, with no food, unless she got them from outside, she wouldn't have been to quickly grab it instead of making a big fuss with the broom.
My sister has agoraphobia, anxiety and depression, so I watch daily how these affect her life. Yet, I felt like the author was only focused on the agoraphobic bit. It didn't seem to show much anxiety or depression throughout the book, I think there were two panic attacks, and considering the fear that Norah seemed to be feeling, I felt like it should have maybe a lot more anxious feelings. I, myself, have anxiety, and although I'm not prone to anxiety attacks unless, in super populated places, I still feel like I'd have more panic attacks than her.
Adding the OCD on top of all her other diagnoses, also felt like the author wanted to tick as many boxes as she possibly could, which is a cheap shot. A small pet peeve of mine was the letters Luke kept sticking in Norah's letterbox. This was published in 2017, I don't know a single teenager who'd pass a message on through pen and paper. It felt stupid, and that the author thought to make Luke do that was quirky but it just made me roll my eyes.
Another pet peeve was all the stalking that Norah gets up to. Now I get it. My sister gets periods of time when she sits and stares out the window longing to go outside however she doesn't run to the window every time someone makes a sound, it's an overreaction, that made me sigh.
Norah was so depressed, and I get it depression, over the thought of Luke rejecting her, but it was so stupid. Firstly, she knew him for a week at tops lmfao. And secondly realistically, no teenage boy would want a mentally ill girlfriend or vice versa, yet she's acting like it's the end of the world. It's not, and it's stupid that the author made her this clingy. It was frustrating.
Also, the ending was rushed, like this review. It was chopping, and like she had a deadline and wasn't sure how to end it. I disliked this book so bloody much. If you want to read it, I'd advise you not. I personally prefer [b:Turtles All the Way Down|35504431|Turtles All the Way Down|John Green|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1503002776s/35504431.jpg|21576687] by [a:John Green|1406384|John Green|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1353452301p2/1406384.jpg] which deals with OCD a lot better, and I'm not even a fan of his. Go read that instead. Leave this book in the trash where it belongs.
OMFG!!! YESS!!! I'll write something up when I'm more coherent.
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I read this as soon as I was approved on Netgalley months ago, fell in love, squealed over it, and got buried in other stuffs. *sigh* The lack of spoons is killin’ me.
I first heard about this book through Twitter. I quickly followed the [author] and love how she brightens up my TL. If you can’t read this book, for whatever reason, following her is still a great idea, IMHO.
Trigger Warning: Self-harm, Panic Attacks, Violence,
I don't have agoraphobia, just an aversion to people as an introvert and a lack of ability to go out due to depression that up until a year ago was untreated. My lowest point was a stretch of 4 years where I could hardly get out of bed, let alone work and function.
This however is nothing like what Nora is going through. Equating experiences
Agoraphobia is wildly different and is vividly described. The abundance of metaphors and detailed style might be a turnoff for some.
The Mental Health Rep: Brilliant. Accurate.
As a former cutter, those scenes were on point and shows a side not many see or show. Love the positive therapy portrayal and the therapist being so understanding, helpful, and accommodating, It’s an ongoing process. No miracle or savior. Just her working her ass off, taking care of herself, and slowly progressing.
Love how the internet and social media were incorporated.
The Romance:
She isn't saved by a guy or "fixed". She makes strides and progress on her own. She has a supportive mother and a therapist. She is medication resistant for common, understandable reasons.
To be honest, the romance could be removed and she'd still improve. The ending would be the same. It wouldn't be as sweet and swoony and adorable, but including that doesn't lessen her accomplishments. It doesn't make her less impressive for having a support system. It'd horrendous having to do it on your own and the odds of success drastically reduced.
I am glad it was included because it shows how important talking, and consent is. It shows how it should be done: depending on someone’s boundaries. Nora is touch averse, but a romantic and has dreams. However, if you’re looking for touch-averse representation beware because Norah constantly puts herself down as a “freak” and wanting to be “normal”.
////
I read this as soon as I was approved on Netgalley months ago, fell in love, squealed over it, and got buried in other stuffs. *sigh* The lack of spoons is killin’ me.
I first heard about this book through Twitter. I quickly followed the [author] and love how she brightens up my TL. If you can’t read this book, for whatever reason, following her is still a great idea, IMHO.
Trigger Warning: Self-harm, Panic Attacks, Violence,
I don't have agoraphobia, just an aversion to people as an introvert and a lack of ability to go out due to depression that up until a year ago was untreated. My lowest point was a stretch of 4 years where I could hardly get out of bed, let alone work and function.
This however is nothing like what Nora is going through. Equating experiences
Agoraphobia is wildly different and is vividly described. The abundance of metaphors and detailed style might be a turnoff for some.
The Mental Health Rep: Brilliant. Accurate.
As a former cutter, those scenes were on point and shows a side not many see or show. Love the positive therapy portrayal and the therapist being so understanding, helpful, and accommodating, It’s an ongoing process. No miracle or savior. Just her working her ass off, taking care of herself, and slowly progressing.
Love how the internet and social media were incorporated.
The Romance:
She isn't saved by a guy or "fixed". She makes strides and progress on her own. She has a supportive mother and a therapist. She is medication resistant for common, understandable reasons.
To be honest, the romance could be removed and she'd still improve. The ending would be the same. It wouldn't be as sweet and swoony and adorable, but including that doesn't lessen her accomplishments. It doesn't make her less impressive for having a support system. It'd horrendous having to do it on your own and the odds of success drastically reduced.
I am glad it was included because it shows how important talking, and consent is. It shows how it should be done: depending on someone’s boundaries. Nora is touch averse, but a romantic and has dreams. However, if you’re looking for touch-averse representation beware because Norah constantly puts herself down as a “freak” and wanting to be “normal”.
reflective
slow-paced
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Incredible- 4.5 rounded up to 5. The writing was beautiful. So clever and thoughtful.
Norah is the most relatable character I have ever read about in my entire life. While my problems are a fraction of the severity of hers, I saw myself in her through every page.
I was so afraid this book would have the disgusting ‘all my issues can be fixed by a boy’ ending but I was shocked at how creative and brilliant the plot was.
Without spoilers, the reason I gave 4.5 stars was because of one specific part which is the main plot point in the book. I felt as though this part definitely should have been longer and more explained. I would have liked to see more of the aftermath of the situation.
Other than that, absolutely fantastic and I would recommend it to anyone, though be aware it may be triggering for people with similar mental health issues.
Norah is the most relatable character I have ever read about in my entire life. While my problems are a fraction of the severity of hers, I saw myself in her through every page.
I was so afraid this book would have the disgusting ‘all my issues can be fixed by a boy’ ending but I was shocked at how creative and brilliant the plot was.
Without spoilers, the reason I gave 4.5 stars was because of one specific part which is the main plot point in the book. I felt as though this part definitely should have been longer and more explained. I would have liked to see more of the aftermath of the situation.
Other than that, absolutely fantastic and I would recommend it to anyone, though be aware it may be triggering for people with similar mental health issues.