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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
tense
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
**3.5/5**
Biggest complaint - it needs a self-harming TW.
This book wasn't bad by any stretch of the word. I've been on a small YA kick lately and this was a good scratch to that itch. It was a quick read, and I enjoyed the mental illness representation. It was done well, in my opinion, as I suffer from all the things that Norah does.
I don't like how Luke tries to like downplay Norah's mental illness as if it's on the same 'weird' level as him liking applesauce and mayo sandwiches. And then it's never really acknowledged that he was shitty about it (real shitty) and was selfish and ignorant, then just stopped putting in effort because she was clearly overwhelmed. The whole romance dynamic was problematic.
Some parts just seemed...a bit...off. Unrealistic to a point as well. I liked the individual focus on Norah 90% of the time, but that entire growth felt linked to Luke, and that idea really bugs me in these YA novels that address disabilities. It shouldn't be romantic love that makes you 'change', you should grow because you want to.
Luke was also...interesting. I can grasp the concept that he probably wanted to give her space, but the fact/idea that he just stopped because she didn't respond bothered me a tiny bit. And that's because they're young like this shouldn't be that 'we're going to be together forever' kind of love, but that's how YA treats these relationships.
And Norah projecting her insecurities onto him just to get that negative validation her anxiety craves is very emotionally manipulative and isn't okay. Disability or not.
It also got a tad boring as it went on, and overall the book was quick but also slow. There was only one big moment that wasn't really given...I'm not sure. This book is a really 'surface book' in that lots of things aren't given lots of detail (Norah's dad gets a small explanation; how she came to have her disability, where the hell Luke came from).
It was good, but a typical YA book that's just eh for me. I'm sure a lot of other people will enjoy this, though!
Biggest complaint - it needs a self-harming TW.
This book wasn't bad by any stretch of the word. I've been on a small YA kick lately and this was a good scratch to that itch. It was a quick read, and I enjoyed the mental illness representation. It was done well, in my opinion, as I suffer from all the things that Norah does.
I don't like how Luke tries to like downplay Norah's mental illness as if it's on the same 'weird' level as him liking applesauce and mayo sandwiches. And then it's never really acknowledged that he was shitty about it (real shitty) and was selfish and ignorant, then just stopped putting in effort because she was clearly overwhelmed. The whole romance dynamic was problematic.
Some parts just seemed...a bit...off. Unrealistic to a point as well. I liked the individual focus on Norah 90% of the time, but that entire growth felt linked to Luke, and that idea really bugs me in these YA novels that address disabilities. It shouldn't be romantic love that makes you 'change', you should grow because you want to.
Luke was also...interesting. I can grasp the concept that he probably wanted to give her space, but the fact/idea that he just stopped because she didn't respond bothered me a tiny bit. And that's because they're young like this shouldn't be that 'we're going to be together forever' kind of love, but that's how YA treats these relationships.
And Norah projecting her insecurities onto him just to get that negative validation her anxiety craves is very emotionally manipulative and isn't okay. Disability or not.
It also got a tad boring as it went on, and overall the book was quick but also slow. There was only one big moment that wasn't really given...I'm not sure. This book is a really 'surface book' in that lots of things aren't given lots of detail (Norah's dad gets a small explanation; how she came to have her disability, where the hell Luke came from).
It was good, but a typical YA book that's just eh for me. I'm sure a lot of other people will enjoy this, though!
A wonderful alternative to Everything-Everything, this book features an actually housebound MC and her blooming romance with her next-door neighbour Luke. I picked this book up because it was recommended by bookavid so much that I couldn't help but feel hyped for it, but I still feared that it would feature a cured-by-love mindset, something which I've seen happening so often I lost count in stories featuring f.e. depression. Thankfully this didn't happen at all. The ending made me cry happy tears (and I was close to tears several times while reading) and I can't even imagine how powerful this book must be for people suffering from agoraphobia, disabilities or other mental illnesses that make it hard for them to leave the house.
The story features Norah, a girl with agoraphobia, anxiety, depression and OCD. Not long after her first panic attack caused her to faint and end up in the hospital, she has been living at home with her mother, has been home thought and only ever left the house to go to her therapist. This is a weekly struggle and Norah suffers a lot from it. One thing you don't ever forget during the novel is how real it feels because Gornall doesn't shy away from showing Norah's struggles. It's also clear throughout the book that Gornall knows what she's talking about, which makes it even more powerful. Norah struggles with her problems on every single page of the book and the books ending is simply wonderful and so, so hopeful. Something I wish I had been warned for was the self-harm. Norah self-harms by cutting herself a few times in the book and it caught me unexpectedly, so be careful. (She also self-harms by scratching her skin, which she refuses to see as self-harm, which felt really relatable to me because I did the same thing and also refused to see it as self-harm. I definitely love that it showed that there are more than one way people can self-harm)
While the romance didn't blow me away, it was still very sweet and Luke is a really sweet guy, who never overstepped Norah's boundaries or pushed her to do something she wasn't comfortable with, except once, for which he apologized and did research after to get better, which was lovely to read. (Also Norah was allowed to be pissed at him for a while for hurting her, which definitely made me enjoy their romance more than I would have otherwise) My favorite part is still that while Luke supported Norah in getting better, it is shown explicitly that it was her own strength that helped her in the end, which was wonderful to read.
Also, I really love Norah. I love how her life is narrated, her daily struggles, the terror of going outside, her OCD about getting sick and needing things to be in a correct order, her relationship with her mom. I love that it's just her everyday life and how her mental illnesses influence that and yet it never gets boring.
So if you're looking for a wonderful book about mental illness with a side-dash of romance, no love-cures-all twist (yessssss) and a simply wonderful ownvoices story about agoraphobia, OCD and depression, please read this book, because it is honestly so good.
The story features Norah, a girl with agoraphobia, anxiety, depression and OCD. Not long after her first panic attack caused her to faint and end up in the hospital, she has been living at home with her mother, has been home thought and only ever left the house to go to her therapist. This is a weekly struggle and Norah suffers a lot from it. One thing you don't ever forget during the novel is how real it feels because Gornall doesn't shy away from showing Norah's struggles. It's also clear throughout the book that Gornall knows what she's talking about, which makes it even more powerful. Norah struggles with her problems on every single page of the book and the books ending is simply wonderful and so, so hopeful. Something I wish I had been warned for was the self-harm. Norah self-harms by cutting herself a few times in the book and it caught me unexpectedly, so be careful. (She also self-harms by scratching her skin, which she refuses to see as self-harm, which felt really relatable to me because I did the same thing and also refused to see it as self-harm. I definitely love that it showed that there are more than one way people can self-harm)
While the romance didn't blow me away, it was still very sweet and Luke is a really sweet guy, who never overstepped Norah's boundaries or pushed her to do something she wasn't comfortable with, except once, for which he apologized and did research after to get better, which was lovely to read. (Also Norah was allowed to be pissed at him for a while for hurting her, which definitely made me enjoy their romance more than I would have otherwise) My favorite part is still that while Luke supported Norah in getting better, it is shown explicitly that it was her own strength that helped her in the end, which was wonderful to read.
Also, I really love Norah. I love how her life is narrated, her daily struggles, the terror of going outside, her OCD about getting sick and needing things to be in a correct order, her relationship with her mom. I love that it's just her everyday life and how her mental illnesses influence that and yet it never gets boring.
So if you're looking for a wonderful book about mental illness with a side-dash of romance, no love-cures-all twist (yessssss) and a simply wonderful ownvoices story about agoraphobia, OCD and depression, please read this book, because it is honestly so good.
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Loved this book. Great mental health rep, great characters, and very raw and realistic overall.
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Let’s begin with being honest first; I have bought this book solely because of its cover. It is absolutely gorgeous. Second, you must know that I have not read many books about mental illness or are specified in anyway in this subject.
This book is an own voices novel about a seventeen year old Norah with OCD and anxiety (trigger warnings for both of them and self-harm!). Her mental illness is so crimpling that it holds her back from the live she actually wants. Especially when a cute boy moves in next door.
Overall I enjoyed this book a lot. This is cute, it is fun and it is quick. There were a lot of things I enjoyed about this book. It is very easy to read. The writing style is quite simple which makes it such a quick read. The letters are relatively big just as the spaces between the lines.
The main aspect I loved from this book was the OCD and anxiety aspect. Since I cannot relate to Norah on this I found it really refreshing to read about it. In the beginning it was really hard for me to understand Norah’s feelings and thoughts because I have no experience myself with OCD or anxiety. I took a while for me to sympathise with her. Obviously I cannot say if this representation was accurate but it fits with my knowledge of both diseases. I also really appreciated that the recovery was not rushed over. Norah was not magically cured from her OCD and anxiety by the end of the book. I found this a more realistic approach to the recovery process. A mental illness is not suddenly over. It takes hard work and time to conquer it – or that is my personal opinion.
Next, I adored Luke. I think he was so sweet and considerate. He tried so hard to understand Norah’s illness. It is definitely refreshing to read about such a sweet boy instead of the typical bad boy who mistreats our female protagonist. I loved the relationship between him and Norah. I thought it was cute, sometimes awkward and sweet.
The story was definitely character driven. The whole story evolved around the relationship between Luke and Norah. It is the reason that the other characters – there weren’t many – are not as well developed. I do think that the mental illness is a big part of Norah’s character. She is funny and brave too but I felt the story mostly focused on her mental illness.
The reason why I enjoyed this book rather than loved was that everything felt a little simple. As I said earlier the writing style was so easy I had a hard time getting into the story and sympathise with Norah. Sure it made it a quick read but I probably would have enjoyed the story more if the writing had been more special. Also I it reminds me a lot of Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon. I have not read that book (yet) so I cannot say if they are really similar.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys cute, contemporary YA books about mental illness.
This book is an own voices novel about a seventeen year old Norah with OCD and anxiety (trigger warnings for both of them and self-harm!). Her mental illness is so crimpling that it holds her back from the live she actually wants. Especially when a cute boy moves in next door.
Overall I enjoyed this book a lot. This is cute, it is fun and it is quick. There were a lot of things I enjoyed about this book. It is very easy to read. The writing style is quite simple which makes it such a quick read. The letters are relatively big just as the spaces between the lines.
The main aspect I loved from this book was the OCD and anxiety aspect. Since I cannot relate to Norah on this I found it really refreshing to read about it. In the beginning it was really hard for me to understand Norah’s feelings and thoughts because I have no experience myself with OCD or anxiety. I took a while for me to sympathise with her. Obviously I cannot say if this representation was accurate but it fits with my knowledge of both diseases. I also really appreciated that the recovery was not rushed over. Norah was not magically cured from her OCD and anxiety by the end of the book. I found this a more realistic approach to the recovery process. A mental illness is not suddenly over. It takes hard work and time to conquer it – or that is my personal opinion.
Next, I adored Luke. I think he was so sweet and considerate. He tried so hard to understand Norah’s illness. It is definitely refreshing to read about such a sweet boy instead of the typical bad boy who mistreats our female protagonist. I loved the relationship between him and Norah. I thought it was cute, sometimes awkward and sweet.
The story was definitely character driven. The whole story evolved around the relationship between Luke and Norah. It is the reason that the other characters – there weren’t many – are not as well developed. I do think that the mental illness is a big part of Norah’s character. She is funny and brave too but I felt the story mostly focused on her mental illness.
The reason why I enjoyed this book rather than loved was that everything felt a little simple. As I said earlier the writing style was so easy I had a hard time getting into the story and sympathise with Norah. Sure it made it a quick read but I probably would have enjoyed the story more if the writing had been more special. Also I it reminds me a lot of Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon. I have not read that book (yet) so I cannot say if they are really similar.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys cute, contemporary YA books about mental illness.
Just really loved this one. Though I found Luke was a bit unrealistic at times and the ending was way to abrupt
Such a cute book. Norah is flawed and imperfect and I loved her quirkiness and sarcasm. It was interesting seeing a MC dealing with agoraphobia, OCD, and self-harm in a YA book. I applaud the author for using her own life experiences to write this book.