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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
This book. How do I describe it? It was amazing. Wonderful. Poignant. Everything I did not know I needed but now realise that I did need.
I can't talk about the representation of mental illness in this book, having no prior experiences, but I really enjoyed the author's writing style and her way of conveying feelings.
I have a whole lot of stuff I want to think about, so maybe I'll finish writing this review soon, but heck, this book was beautiful.
I can't talk about the representation of mental illness in this book, having no prior experiences, but I really enjoyed the author's writing style and her way of conveying feelings.
I have a whole lot of stuff I want to think about, so maybe I'll finish writing this review soon, but heck, this book was beautiful.
I am going to be part of that 1% who did not like this book.
Everything started off well as we get to know Norah who suffers from OCD, agoraphobia, panic attacks, and self-harm (although she’s in denial over it). It takes more than enough energy to leave her house to venture to her psychologist which almost always causes her to suffer a panic attack. At first the story captured my attention since I wanted to know if Norah was ever going to find a way to cope with her mental illnesses and be brave enough to leave the house without panicking. The thing is, this story would have been beautiful except for one major mistake.
Enter Luke, the hot boy next door. Norah stalks him from the windows, with Luke catching on to her lack of spying skills, and eventually they begin talking through the front door of Norah’s house. A few times they speak somewhat face to face with the door open. And instead of a novel featuring a girl with mental illnesses who learns how to cope and step forward in life, we get the typical broken heroine who obsesses over a charming guy who ends up rescuing her.
Honestly, Norah should not be living in a house with her mother. She needs to be in a hospital and under supervision twenty-four seven because she’s that unstable and a danger to herself. Many times was she left home alone (for extended periods) and stressful things would result in which Norah would panic and resolve to self-harm as a coping method. She would refuse to bathe and eat for days and would wallow on the couch in self-pity. As a person with a mental illness, I understand the difficulties in everyday life, but with Norah’s situation, she clearly needs around the clock supervision.
I did not like nor will condone how Norah turned into a lovestruck puppy over Luke. She set him up on a pedestal and assumed that after vaguely talking for two weeks that he was the one for her and would always know her limits since she refuses to let anyone touch her besides her mom. Of course, Luke accidentally kisses her and Norah freaks out, dismissing him because he is just like everybody else in the world who doesn’t understand or respect her. She becomes depressed and basically stays confined to her bed for weeks as she pines over Luke. He sends her multiple letters of apology, but none are good enough for her. She plays the victim since she sees no wrong in her actions and blames everything that happens to her on other people when in reality it is her.
I am disappointed with Under Rose-Tainted Skies. Instead of a powerful story about a girl coping with her mental illnesses, we get another story featuring a dependent girl who makes a guy the reason she breathes every day. Just imagine when Luke and Norah breakup. Norah will spiral out of control and self-harm to the point of hospitalization.
The message of this story is an unhealthy one. No one should base their happiness and self-worth on another person, and this novel does the opposite of it.
I received an ARC of Under Rose-Tainted Skies from NetGalley in exchange for a review.
Everything started off well as we get to know Norah who suffers from OCD, agoraphobia, panic attacks, and self-harm (although she’s in denial over it). It takes more than enough energy to leave her house to venture to her psychologist which almost always causes her to suffer a panic attack. At first the story captured my attention since I wanted to know if Norah was ever going to find a way to cope with her mental illnesses and be brave enough to leave the house without panicking. The thing is, this story would have been beautiful except for one major mistake.
Enter Luke, the hot boy next door. Norah stalks him from the windows, with Luke catching on to her lack of spying skills, and eventually they begin talking through the front door of Norah’s house. A few times they speak somewhat face to face with the door open. And instead of a novel featuring a girl with mental illnesses who learns how to cope and step forward in life, we get the typical broken heroine who obsesses over a charming guy who ends up rescuing her.
Honestly, Norah should not be living in a house with her mother. She needs to be in a hospital and under supervision twenty-four seven because she’s that unstable and a danger to herself. Many times was she left home alone (for extended periods) and stressful things would result in which Norah would panic and resolve to self-harm as a coping method. She would refuse to bathe and eat for days and would wallow on the couch in self-pity. As a person with a mental illness, I understand the difficulties in everyday life, but with Norah’s situation, she clearly needs around the clock supervision.
I did not like nor will condone how Norah turned into a lovestruck puppy over Luke. She set him up on a pedestal and assumed that after vaguely talking for two weeks that he was the one for her and would always know her limits since she refuses to let anyone touch her besides her mom. Of course, Luke accidentally kisses her and Norah freaks out, dismissing him because he is just like everybody else in the world who doesn’t understand or respect her. She becomes depressed and basically stays confined to her bed for weeks as she pines over Luke. He sends her multiple letters of apology, but none are good enough for her. She plays the victim since she sees no wrong in her actions and blames everything that happens to her on other people when in reality it is her.
I am disappointed with Under Rose-Tainted Skies. Instead of a powerful story about a girl coping with her mental illnesses, we get another story featuring a dependent girl who makes a guy the reason she breathes every day. Just imagine when Luke and Norah breakup. Norah will spiral out of control and self-harm to the point of hospitalization.
The message of this story is an unhealthy one. No one should base their happiness and self-worth on another person, and this novel does the opposite of it.
I received an ARC of Under Rose-Tainted Skies from NetGalley in exchange for a review.
This book is perfect. I loved the portrayal of an anxiety disorder. I loved her explanation of panic attacks. I love how her dark sense of humour about her mental illness. like so much. she gets bitchier when she is having a bad day and i love it. I
They - the geeks that deal in brain stuff - call what I have an invisible illness, but I often wonder if they’re really looking. Beyond the science stuff. It doesn’t bleed or swell, itch or crack, but I see it, right there on my face. It’s like decay, this icky green colour, as if my life were being filmed through a grey filter. I lack light, am an entire surface area that the sun can’t touch.
What a revelatory and charming read. Like most people, I have heard of agoraphobia but never really understood what this really means in concrete terms. Gornall presents us a version of this mental illness in all its reality, its debilitating aspects, and resulting consequences. Through Norah, we see the horror of being held hostage by your own brain, dealing with anxiety attacks, OCD, self-harming, and depression in a frank and sincere manner. I loved that Norah fights her illness and tries not to let it define her. She is a great character and her narration pulled me into her life, her experience. This is enhanced through the language. Gornall writes in what seems a very easy and approachable style, but it is also one that gives form to the 'unsubstantial' in a beautiful and meaningful fashion.
The thought is like a fungus, a black mould rotting my brain. I ache. My teeth itch.
I curl inwards and my heart tries to thump out the same beat twice.
I’m breathing like a claustrophobic trapped in a closet. my breath warm, splashing against the door and bouncing back in my face. My tongue twitches. Words suddenly have substance. They’re rising up my windpipe, thick, like a rolling rock in my throat.
It’s weird the release I get from dragging the tiny metal arm across my skin. It’s like slamming on brakes for an emergency stop; my head will go dead the second I feel the blade bite into me. All the buzzing receptors in my brain will forget the panic and concentrate on registering the hurt, the blood. It’s drastic, a last resort. […] This is not about dying. This is about trying to get back some control.
The author also gives us a charming story, full of love, understanding, and most important of all, hope. Norah's relationship with her mother is beautiful to witness. I must admit I was a little worried about Luke and what he represents. There is an expectation that people suffering mental illnesses could just snap out of it, but this is very far from reality. I was therefore fearing that Gornall might have used Luke as a magic bullet. Thankfully this does not happen, and the author presents the nascent romance in a positive but realistic fashion. Some people might think that some aspects are too positive but personally I prefer to believe that there are still good people out there.
Mental illness is still an uncomfortable subject in this day and age, tied with misunderstanding and shame. Somehow things that are not visible always seem scarier. Maybe this is due not just to their ‘invisibility’ and 'intangibility' but also to the fact that they often cannot be healed with pills and require other kind of treatments. I don’t know. What I do know is that speaking about it can only but help.
What a revelatory and charming read. Like most people, I have heard of agoraphobia but never really understood what this really means in concrete terms. Gornall presents us a version of this mental illness in all its reality, its debilitating aspects, and resulting consequences. Through Norah, we see the horror of being held hostage by your own brain, dealing with anxiety attacks, OCD, self-harming, and depression in a frank and sincere manner. I loved that Norah fights her illness and tries not to let it define her. She is a great character and her narration pulled me into her life, her experience. This is enhanced through the language. Gornall writes in what seems a very easy and approachable style, but it is also one that gives form to the 'unsubstantial' in a beautiful and meaningful fashion.
The thought is like a fungus, a black mould rotting my brain. I ache. My teeth itch.
I curl inwards and my heart tries to thump out the same beat twice.
I’m breathing like a claustrophobic trapped in a closet. my breath warm, splashing against the door and bouncing back in my face. My tongue twitches. Words suddenly have substance. They’re rising up my windpipe, thick, like a rolling rock in my throat.
It’s weird the release I get from dragging the tiny metal arm across my skin. It’s like slamming on brakes for an emergency stop; my head will go dead the second I feel the blade bite into me. All the buzzing receptors in my brain will forget the panic and concentrate on registering the hurt, the blood. It’s drastic, a last resort. […] This is not about dying. This is about trying to get back some control.
The author also gives us a charming story, full of love, understanding, and most important of all, hope. Norah's relationship with her mother is beautiful to witness. I must admit I was a little worried about Luke and what he represents. There is an expectation that people suffering mental illnesses could just snap out of it, but this is very far from reality. I was therefore fearing that Gornall might have used Luke as a magic bullet. Thankfully this does not happen, and the author presents the nascent romance in a positive but realistic fashion. Some people might think that some aspects are too positive but personally I prefer to believe that there are still good people out there.
Mental illness is still an uncomfortable subject in this day and age, tied with misunderstanding and shame. Somehow things that are not visible always seem scarier. Maybe this is due not just to their ‘invisibility’ and 'intangibility' but also to the fact that they often cannot be healed with pills and require other kind of treatments. I don’t know. What I do know is that speaking about it can only but help.
I really enjoyed this book. It certainly made me think back to being a teenager and recognise so many of Norah's behaviours in myself then or my friends.
challenging
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I absolutely LOVED this book. It’s mildly triggering if you have anxiety, but the story lighthearted enough that it balances out.
It’s not perfect. The ending is a little on the romantic side (duh!) but I think it’s a perfect way to start learning about OCD and agoraphobia. Being neurodivergent or having a mental illness can be really hard to explain. Norah is a lovable MC and her thought process feels very real. It’s organic and you feel exactly what she does (hence the triggering).
I’m also really happy the ending is not about being cured. She gets better, yes, but she is not “cured” by the end. And, while Luke is the catalyst for getting better, the author makes it clear it’s Norah’s journey.
I’m so glad these kinds of books exist nowadays.
It’s not perfect. The ending is a little on the romantic side (duh!) but I think it’s a perfect way to start learning about OCD and agoraphobia. Being neurodivergent or having a mental illness can be really hard to explain. Norah is a lovable MC and her thought process feels very real. It’s organic and you feel exactly what she does (hence the triggering).
I’m also really happy the ending is not about being cured. She gets better, yes, but she is not “cured” by the end. And, while Luke is the catalyst for getting better, the author makes it clear it’s Norah’s journey.
I’m so glad these kinds of books exist nowadays.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Death, Medical content
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased opinion.
Seventeen-year-old Norah suffers from anxiety, OCD, and agoraphobia. As a result, she has been home-schooled for the past four years and only leaves her house for her therapy appointments – even that is traumatic for her. Her only social interactions for the past 4 years have been only her mother, the company that brings food to the house, and following her old classmates’ lives on social media. However, when Luke moves in next door, that changes. Luke sees Norah for who she is beyond her mental health problems. As Luke and Norah grow closer, Norah struggles between being glad he’s in her life because she really likes him and feeling he deserves better than the relationship she can offer him.
Since the author deals with the same problems as her main character, this is a very real look into the life of someone dealing with agoraphobia and OCD. This was a very engaging read, and I found Norah to be a highly relatable character, even to someone who doesn’t have the same challenges she does. (However, the odd number of steps thing hit close to home; I am pretty sure staircases with an odd number of steps were created only to make our lives worse.) I loved how Luke was willing to meet Norah where she was and work to understand where she was coming from. The ending felt like a new beginning; I would love to know what happens to Norah over the next year or few years of her life.
Seventeen-year-old Norah suffers from anxiety, OCD, and agoraphobia. As a result, she has been home-schooled for the past four years and only leaves her house for her therapy appointments – even that is traumatic for her. Her only social interactions for the past 4 years have been only her mother, the company that brings food to the house, and following her old classmates’ lives on social media. However, when Luke moves in next door, that changes. Luke sees Norah for who she is beyond her mental health problems. As Luke and Norah grow closer, Norah struggles between being glad he’s in her life because she really likes him and feeling he deserves better than the relationship she can offer him.
Since the author deals with the same problems as her main character, this is a very real look into the life of someone dealing with agoraphobia and OCD. This was a very engaging read, and I found Norah to be a highly relatable character, even to someone who doesn’t have the same challenges she does. (However, the odd number of steps thing hit close to home; I am pretty sure staircases with an odd number of steps were created only to make our lives worse.) I loved how Luke was willing to meet Norah where she was and work to understand where she was coming from. The ending felt like a new beginning; I would love to know what happens to Norah over the next year or few years of her life.
“You’re brave, did you know that?"
He must have me mistaken for someone else. "You have all these fears, your body endures all this pain and heartache, but you keep going. I think that’s really brave."
This book really touched me. I don't suffer from agoraphobia or OCD, but I do have anxiety, and I could really relate to a lot of the feelings that Norah went through. Most people in my life don't fully understand what it's like, and I have had people in my life tell me to 'just get over it'. I adore Norah's story, and think that everyone should give it a read, to see how difficult it can be to be at war with your own mind.
He must have me mistaken for someone else. "You have all these fears, your body endures all this pain and heartache, but you keep going. I think that’s really brave."
This book really touched me. I don't suffer from agoraphobia or OCD, but I do have anxiety, and I could really relate to a lot of the feelings that Norah went through. Most people in my life don't fully understand what it's like, and I have had people in my life tell me to 'just get over it'. I adore Norah's story, and think that everyone should give it a read, to see how difficult it can be to be at war with your own mind.