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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
What an amazing book. Since I share some of her idiosyncrasies, I found it very easy to relate to the main character. The writing is funny and brisk and I highly recommend this read!
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Self harm
This was an ok read. It portrayed the feelings of anxiety well.
"'How can I expect people to emphasize with a sickness they can't see?" Tears sting my eyes.
"You don't expect anything. You talk, you teach."'
This book was an exhausting read, but for a good reason and it does an excellent job at starting a conversation regarding the stigma of mental illness and putting the reader in the mind of the sufferer.
The story takes you into the mind of Norah, who suffers from a form of OCD and agoraphobia, which causes her to overthink mundane details and irrationally fear outrageously slim chance outcomes. She knows in her head that these things are silly and she wants nothing more than to be a normal person, but her mind just refuses to cooperate with her. Then comes along Luke, who just moved in next door and develops a relationship with Norah that sends her on an emotional rollercoaster at times because she so badly wants him to have as much as a normal life as possible, even if it doesn't include her, but she's also never been this close to someone other than her mother in four years since she became sick.
Luke's character demonstrates exceptionally well how one should treat someone's mental illness. His character is cautious and compassionate and it's because of his unconditional understanding of Norah, that she deems him safe in the end.
Under Rose-Tainted Skies is a fantastic story regarding the issue of mental health and it was such a light read, that I was able to breeze through it in a day.
"You don't expect anything. You talk, you teach."'
This book was an exhausting read, but for a good reason and it does an excellent job at starting a conversation regarding the stigma of mental illness and putting the reader in the mind of the sufferer.
The story takes you into the mind of Norah, who suffers from a form of OCD and agoraphobia, which causes her to overthink mundane details and irrationally fear outrageously slim chance outcomes. She knows in her head that these things are silly and she wants nothing more than to be a normal person, but her mind just refuses to cooperate with her. Then comes along Luke, who just moved in next door and develops a relationship with Norah that sends her on an emotional rollercoaster at times because she so badly wants him to have as much as a normal life as possible, even if it doesn't include her, but she's also never been this close to someone other than her mother in four years since she became sick.
Luke's character demonstrates exceptionally well how one should treat someone's mental illness. His character is cautious and compassionate and it's because of his unconditional understanding of Norah, that she deems him safe in the end.
Under Rose-Tainted Skies is a fantastic story regarding the issue of mental health and it was such a light read, that I was able to breeze through it in a day.
could have been 4 stars if the ending wasn’t so rushed.. i thought the rest of the book was very slow and then towards the end it all went really quick. i loved this a lot but gave a very unrealistic point of view sometimes. i wasn’t expecting to like this book, but in the end i did like it, just could’ve been better :)
Meh. The plot was kinda all over... mom in the hospital, cute boy, and the other thing I don't want to spoil. I know kid readers will love this, but it sure wasn't my favorite.
informative
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I adored this book and was really able to relate to Norah and her thought process as it is really similar to mine in a lot of ways. I know what it’s like to not be able to leave your house and being so terrified of what people will think when they find out the truth about your mental health. Having dealt with a lot of the same diagnoses as Norah in the past (and partially in the present), this was a really emotional read for me because it sent me back to those dark days and made me realize how serious my situation actually was and what it must have looked like to the outside. I found myself at times thinking that Norah was just too paranoid, that she was insane but then I remembered that that used to be me and that really hit me hard. It made me take a step back and really relive all of those feelings. My eyes were also opened to how hard things must have been with on my family (specifically my mom) when I got ‘sick’ and that was also really tough to think about. I also loved that it was specifically addressed that she was not and could not be ‘cured’ by a relationship with a cute guy. I think that is a really unfortunate thing that is often romanticized in YA and I think that needs to change.
TW(self harm):
The one critique I have for this book is that it is missing a major trigger warning for self harm. It isn’t mentioned as something Norah is dealing with in the synopsis and although it isn’t a big part of the book there are a few scenes that I know will be triggering to some people. However I do think that one of the best quotes and movements of the book as it is so relatable and I think if you are able to, this is an important moment of the book that you shouldn’t skip.
TW(self harm):
The one critique I have for this book is that it is missing a major trigger warning for self harm. It isn’t mentioned as something Norah is dealing with in the synopsis and although it isn’t a big part of the book there are a few scenes that I know will be triggering to some people. However I do think that one of the best quotes and movements of the book as it is so relatable and I think if you are able to, this is an important moment of the book that you shouldn’t skip.
TW: agoraphobia, OCD, self harm, depression
Woah. This book was so enjoyable. I adored Norah, and wanted so badly for her to overcome all of her fears and struggles.
More importantly, I saw myself in Norah. I saw my thought process’ and fears reflected in her. To have someone write a character that so closely resembled aspects of my struggle with anxiety was so refreshing and comforting. I appreciate this so much it’s unreal.
**Note that I cannot speak on representation for agoraphobia, OCD, or depression, however aspects of her disorders resonated heavily with my own struggles.**
Watching Norah and her fears develop and change throughout the plot was so interesting to me... and wildly entertaining. The ending was so gut wrenching as well- my heart was beating so fast. I felt so connected to Norah and her struggles.
I also loved the relationship aspect. Luke was not the end all to be all to Norah’s mental health, or her overcoming her fears. Instead, he was a loving and supporting partner who was there for Norah when she needed him, but was not the solution to Norah’s mental health. Norah had to overcome her fears on her own, and I think that was such an important idea to push.
All in all, a great YA and mental health read that I thoroughly enjoyed and connected with.
Woah. This book was so enjoyable. I adored Norah, and wanted so badly for her to overcome all of her fears and struggles.
More importantly, I saw myself in Norah. I saw my thought process’ and fears reflected in her. To have someone write a character that so closely resembled aspects of my struggle with anxiety was so refreshing and comforting. I appreciate this so much it’s unreal.
**Note that I cannot speak on representation for agoraphobia, OCD, or depression, however aspects of her disorders resonated heavily with my own struggles.**
Watching Norah and her fears develop and change throughout the plot was so interesting to me... and wildly entertaining. The ending was so gut wrenching as well- my heart was beating so fast. I felt so connected to Norah and her struggles.
I also loved the relationship aspect. Luke was not the end all to be all to Norah’s mental health, or her overcoming her fears. Instead, he was a loving and supporting partner who was there for Norah when she needed him, but was not the solution to Norah’s mental health. Norah had to overcome her fears on her own, and I think that was such an important idea to push.
All in all, a great YA and mental health read that I thoroughly enjoyed and connected with.
I wasn’t crazy about this at first. But, halfway through, I realized how invested I was in Norah’s story. This was pretty heartbreaking.