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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book is ok the beginning is just a bit slow but once Luke is introduced the pace is pretty fast. The characters are such a big aspect of the story and there is some self discovery but to me it was just ok. I loved the new perspective I got from Norah and how it showed a light to that mindset. This book a more of an insight to mental health than it is to a romance plot book
*4 STARS*
This was so enjoyable!!! I loved so much about this book!!! But mainly that I had such a good time reading it. It was fast paced. I loved Norah's relationship with her mother. I do have a couple issues with the book though. I feel like the ending was very abrupt. It was just boom! Her house was broken into, 2 pages and a half in the hospital, 2 pages and a half in recovery, the end. I just wanted a bit more. I really wished we had gotten a bit more information on Norah's father. It also would have been really nice to get a couple chapters from the other characters POV (ie. Norah's mother, her therapist, Luke).But other than that I really did like this.
This was so enjoyable!!! I loved so much about this book!!! But mainly that I had such a good time reading it. It was fast paced. I loved Norah's relationship with her mother. I do have a couple issues with the book though. I feel like the ending was very abrupt. It was just boom! Her house was broken into, 2 pages and a half in the hospital, 2 pages and a half in recovery, the end. I just wanted a bit more. I really wished we had gotten a bit more information on Norah's father. It also would have been really nice to get a couple chapters from the other characters POV (ie. Norah's mother, her therapist, Luke).But other than that I really did like this.
emotional
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Genre: Contemporary + Young Adult
"Under Rose-Tainted Skies" is a young adult novel that follows the story of a young girl named Norah who is 17 years old and has agoraphobia, which is a form of anxiety disease that causes the sufferer to be scared of leaving their home. Because Norah's illness is so severe, she hasn't attended school in years, and she relies on both her mother and a therapist for assistance in coping with her symptoms.
In spite of all of her difficulties, Norah is able to find peace and comfort in her love of music and literature. Reading and writing are her primary hobbies. When a new family moves in next door, Norah gets pulled toward Luke, and the two of them eventually form a profound bond. The more these two get to know each other, the harder it gets for Norah as her anxiety gets out of control and she starts having panic attacks. Their relationship suffers until Luke gets to know Norah’s struggles.
I think the author has successfully depicted the mental health issues in this book. I feel this sensitive portrayal will resonate with many readers. I also appreciate the realistic depiction of the support and kind of therapy the main protagonist was getting from her therapist. All this, along with the focus on themes of self-discovery, family support, and friendship, makes the reading worthwhile. However, to me, this felt like a story that I had already read several times. It is a good one, but not something new. The plot of a girl who can’t leave the house and falls for the new neighbor kid seems to be something I have read a lot about already. One example that comes to mind is “Everything Everything”. I’m not sure which novel is older, but I have already read this story. I was fine with the ending as it felt more realistic, but some readers may not be OK with the unresolved conclusion. Overall, this book has a decent story with an excellent depiction of mental health.
3.5 out of 5 stars
I really enjoyed this book! It taught me a lot about agoraphobia- Norah was a phenomenal main character. The family dynamic in it was 10/10. I feel like in so many YA books the family relationships are kind of lacking so I was really glad that Norah and her mum had such a strong bond in this one.
The rep for mental illness was so great! It's an ownvoices book. One of the most powerful things was that Norah was struggling on every page and as a reader I could always feel the impact of her OCD and anxiety. I also really loved Luke as a character and think it's amazing that this book doesn't introduce him as a love interest who can magically cure her or any bullshit like that. He is very understanding of her struggles and it was sweet to see them be all cute.
Overall a really good book. I think it was a little too dialogue heavy for my liking and a little too short. The ending was really sudden as well which was a bit of a shame. Still definitely recommend.
I really enjoyed this book! It taught me a lot about agoraphobia- Norah was a phenomenal main character. The family dynamic in it was 10/10. I feel like in so many YA books the family relationships are kind of lacking so I was really glad that Norah and her mum had such a strong bond in this one.
The rep for mental illness was so great! It's an ownvoices book. One of the most powerful things was that Norah was struggling on every page and as a reader I could always feel the impact of her OCD and anxiety. I also really loved Luke as a character and think it's amazing that this book doesn't introduce him as a love interest who can magically cure her or any bullshit like that. He is very understanding of her struggles and it was sweet to see them be all cute.
Overall a really good book. I think it was a little too dialogue heavy for my liking and a little too short. The ending was really sudden as well which was a bit of a shame. Still definitely recommend.
A well written story about a teen with anxiety and OCD. Overall I liked it and enjoyed the story and characters. The end felt too rushed and extreme compared to the rest of the book. Some topics were hard to read and maybe hard for younger readers. Wish I could read more by the author but very sad to see she passed away from cancer last year.
This book broke my heart.
Not in an ‘it’s devastating and everyone dies’ kind of way, but because it felt so real. I felt like Norah was a friend of mine, and it broke my heart to read about her struggling with her agoraphobia and OCD.
One of the things I loved the most was the fact that Luke doesn’t fix Norah. It’s never even suggested that he can. I think that is incredibly important. I am one of those people who whole-heartedly believes you should never rely on a single person to fix all your problems. Unless it’s like your healthcare professional, but even then. The point is, a romantic relationship isn’t going to suddenly cure you of everything—maybe it’ll help, maybe it won’t but it’s not the be and end all. I think the book did a really good job of showing that.
Not in an ‘it’s devastating and everyone dies’ kind of way, but because it felt so real. I felt like Norah was a friend of mine, and it broke my heart to read about her struggling with her agoraphobia and OCD.
One of the things I loved the most was the fact that Luke doesn’t fix Norah. It’s never even suggested that he can. I think that is incredibly important. I am one of those people who whole-heartedly believes you should never rely on a single person to fix all your problems. Unless it’s like your healthcare professional, but even then. The point is, a romantic relationship isn’t going to suddenly cure you of everything—maybe it’ll help, maybe it won’t but it’s not the be and end all. I think the book did a really good job of showing that.
I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed this book. It seemed like a very accurate portrayal of agoraphobia. I grew to love the main character despite her difficulties challenging her irrational thoughts and maintaining healthy relationships with the people in the life. The author showed growth in the main character which I always enjoy.
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It went places I didn't expect
It was really nice to see a realistic depiction of mental health, particularly co-existing agoraphobia, anxiety and OCD. 5 stars because I really can’t think of anything I didn’t like. I loved the characters and their journey and seeing mental health from a first person POV and it being written so well was impressive and it felt very accurate.