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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Having recently read a different YA romance where the female lead can't touch the boy she likes for a paranormal-plot-contrivance reason, it was almost refreshing to read about one who can't do it for completely believable mental-health reasons. While Norah's issues and mine only overlap slightly, I enjoyed the honest, detailed, no-candy-coating portrayal of her illness, because I am constantly lamenting characters in both YA and adult fiction who have "anxiety" that only shows up when the plot requires it and never affects their lives otherwise.
That was not the case here. Norah's illness runs her life and coping with it is a full-time reality.
So that's the positive. The negatives are mostly about the somewhat scattershot plotting, the rushed ending, and the underdevelopment of Luke.
I don't agree with the argument that some reviewers have made that this is a "love fixes mental illness" story, because Luke was clearly supportive of Norah's needs (or intended to be despite a few mistakes) for the entire time. Also, Norah isn't "fixed" at the end, she's making efforts to improve, and that's not the same thing. But I did wonder throughout the story why Luke was so supportive, and I don't think "because he's a decent person" is enough to account for it, even if it's true; and the reveal that he thought Norah was waving/flirting with him at first and she's a pretty girl also didn't really convince me. There are hints here and there that he's struggling with his own unnamed issues (the knee-bouncing and agitation looked to me like a few visible signs of either generalized anxiety or ADHD) but since it's never explored I can't be sure.
Don't get me wrong, I want there to be decent, friendly, supportive teenage boys IRL and in media; I want everyone to be supportive and understanding of invisible illnesses, ideally. But Luke puts a lot of effort into getting to know Norah despite the difficulties standing in his way, and the narrative makes a point several times that another girl is actively pursuing him (even if she's a harpy he doesn't care for) so clearly he's attractive enough that he could get a girlfriend with relatively little trouble even if it isn't the harpy. So why is Luke attracted to Norah? I don't think the book does a good enough job developing him to answer that question, and I wish it had, because the answer I'm left with is "because this is a romance and somebody needs to be the love interest."
That was not the case here. Norah's illness runs her life and coping with it is a full-time reality.
So that's the positive. The negatives are mostly about the somewhat scattershot plotting, the rushed ending, and the underdevelopment of Luke.
I don't agree with the argument that some reviewers have made that this is a "love fixes mental illness" story, because Luke was clearly supportive of Norah's needs (or intended to be despite a few mistakes) for the entire time. Also, Norah isn't "fixed" at the end, she's making efforts to improve, and that's not the same thing. But I did wonder throughout the story why Luke was so supportive, and I don't think "because he's a decent person" is enough to account for it, even if it's true; and the reveal that he thought Norah was waving/flirting with him at first and she's a pretty girl also didn't really convince me. There are hints here and there that he's struggling with his own unnamed issues (the knee-bouncing and agitation looked to me like a few visible signs of either generalized anxiety or ADHD) but since it's never explored I can't be sure.
Don't get me wrong, I want there to be decent, friendly, supportive teenage boys IRL and in media; I want everyone to be supportive and understanding of invisible illnesses, ideally. But Luke puts a lot of effort into getting to know Norah despite the difficulties standing in his way, and the narrative makes a point several times that another girl is actively pursuing him (even if she's a harpy he doesn't care for) so clearly he's attractive enough that he could get a girlfriend with relatively little trouble even if it isn't the harpy. So why is Luke attracted to Norah? I don't think the book does a good enough job developing him to answer that question, and I wish it had, because the answer I'm left with is "because this is a romance and somebody needs to be the love interest."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Self harm
Moderate: Car accident
Under Rose-Tainted Skies just didn't work for me. The writing was fine and even enjoyable to read. Relationships don't fix mental illness. Sure, there's the argument that Norah wasn't magically better at the end, but come on. It's obvious that the changes we see in Norah are linked to Luke. That combined with the strange and abrupt ending just killed this book for me.
I recently bought this book and read it, after reading it i then purchased it for my sister’s birthday present, because i was so excited to share this with someone else.
This was a brilliantly written book about a young girl with agoraphobia and anxiety.
I haven’t read much about mental illness but this really opened my eye as to how much i should be reading more.
The main character was lovable even through everything she has deal with she still fights to do things that put her out of her comfort zone.
One thing i really did enjoy was the romance because love didn’t change the fact that she was ill, it didn’t change the fact that she had to take the last stair twice. The only thing it changed was her feelings and how she could take small steps to help herself.
If you like mental illness portrayed for exactly what is and characters that don’t try to change each other completely than you should pick this book up.
This was a brilliantly written book about a young girl with agoraphobia and anxiety.
I haven’t read much about mental illness but this really opened my eye as to how much i should be reading more.
The main character was lovable even through everything she has deal with she still fights to do things that put her out of her comfort zone.
One thing i really did enjoy was the romance because love didn’t change the fact that she was ill, it didn’t change the fact that she had to take the last stair twice. The only thing it changed was her feelings and how she could take small steps to help herself.
If you like mental illness portrayed for exactly what is and characters that don’t try to change each other completely than you should pick this book up.
I really enjoyed this! I loved that Norah's mental health was not the entire plot and showed that whilst it is a big part of her, she is not her illness! My only fault with the book is that the ending felt slightly rushed to me.
Powerful. Painful. Humorous. Emotional. (Dang it goodreads i’ve written a long review but it got erased why)
Omg I finally have finished my first book of 2017. It took me long enough. Thankfully, I loved it. Hopefully my reading and blog slump will be cured now
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I received an eARC from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. Review can be found on *Milky Way of Books*
Although this beauty will not be released until 2017, I really wanted to write this review. The story follows Norah, who has OCD and agoraphobia; it means that she fears everything in the world. When accidentally, because of the groceries, she meets Luke, the cute boy next door, Norah will slowly try to understand better both her life and her growing feelings for Luke.
Mental illness is always a delicate subject in YA. Some believe that it is shown way too raw, others tend to disregard the fact that there are people in the planet who try to live everyday struggling at the same time. Norah is a character like that; living in the house not even daring to get outside, she has her mother and her doctor as her only people she can talk to. She is home-schooled and she is constantly trying to battle with her mind.
When Luke comes into the picture, Norah is flooded with images and possible scenes which through her POV were funny, but brutally honest (her research on kissing had me laugh hard). Also, Luke is not Norah's white knight, he too struggles with his family. His mother is a flight attendant and his father tends to have wanderlust. He is honest and funny and understanding.
The story is short but is filled with lessons about mental illness and how a teen is both struggling with her own body and her every day life. While the ending is not the kind that solves everything in the blink of an eye, Norah becomes a character who hopes for a better future and Luke is her supporter both with his love and understanding.
It was a great read and it's reccomended both for its sweet cover and the inspiring story. ;)
Although this beauty will not be released until 2017, I really wanted to write this review. The story follows Norah, who has OCD and agoraphobia; it means that she fears everything in the world. When accidentally, because of the groceries, she meets Luke, the cute boy next door, Norah will slowly try to understand better both her life and her growing feelings for Luke.
Mental illness is always a delicate subject in YA. Some believe that it is shown way too raw, others tend to disregard the fact that there are people in the planet who try to live everyday struggling at the same time. Norah is a character like that; living in the house not even daring to get outside, she has her mother and her doctor as her only people she can talk to. She is home-schooled and she is constantly trying to battle with her mind.
When Luke comes into the picture, Norah is flooded with images and possible scenes which through her POV were funny, but brutally honest (her research on kissing had me laugh hard). Also, Luke is not Norah's white knight, he too struggles with his family. His mother is a flight attendant and his father tends to have wanderlust. He is honest and funny and understanding.
The story is short but is filled with lessons about mental illness and how a teen is both struggling with her own body and her every day life. While the ending is not the kind that solves everything in the blink of an eye, Norah becomes a character who hopes for a better future and Luke is her supporter both with his love and understanding.
It was a great read and it's reccomended both for its sweet cover and the inspiring story. ;)
Finally- a book where a character has mental health issues, but they’re clearly not her whole life or personality even if they take up most of her time. Also- finding love doesn’t fix someone! Thank goodness.
4.5/5. Wonderfully powerful ownvoices story about dealing with anxiety and agoraphobia. Nora's voice swept me in from page 1 until the end and I truly cared about her well-being.