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3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
This was a very honest and raw look at OCD and panic/anxiety. It's hard to read in some spots, but it's worth it. Longer review to come!
I was really enjoying this book. Then I got to the climax and... the ending was not what I would've wanted for this protagonist and for this type of story. I'm not familiar with this mental illness so I don't completely understand why the author went this route. I can assume it's because she wanted to show the main character as strong and capable of doing the impossible/what her mental illness tells her is impossible. Here's my take on it though: This is YA. This is YA about mental illness. This is YA about mental illness that ends with trauma being the catalyst for change. There's a lot wrong with that IMHO. Instead of making the ending and the main girl's strength and growth and "overcoming" be the result of a terrifying crime that's more likely to give her PTSD on top of her other issues, the author could've chose to make the main girl's strength and growth and "overcoming" be the result of her own decisions and her own actions. Not something spurred by fear or horror. The main girl, honestly, deserved a better climax. Gornall has written a lovely, believable, likeable MC that suffers through a trauma at the end of the book, on top of a 100 other smaller traumas, for honestly... no good reason other than to make the book dramatic. I can only give 3 stars for that.
An amazing book that deals with some mental health issues. Norah is funny, brave and an extremely relatable character. I loved that the author didn't gloss over anything or try to make it seem easier than it really is.
Whether you're familiar with mental illness issues like agoraphobia, anxiety, OCD and depression or not, Louise Garnall makes a descriptive novel full of compassion that shows another complex side of mental illness that isn't talked about very frequently.
Whether you're familiar with mental illness issues like agoraphobia, anxiety, OCD and depression or not, Louise Garnall makes a descriptive novel full of compassion that shows another complex side of mental illness that isn't talked about very frequently.
“See, anxiety doesn’t just stop. You can have nice moments, minutes where it shrinks, but it doesn’t leave. It lurks in the background like a shadow, like that important assignment you have to do but keep putting off or the dull ache that follows a three-day migraine. The best you can hope for is to contain it, make it as small as possible so it stops being intrusive.
Am I coping? Yes, but it’s taking a monumental amount of effort to keep the dynamite inside my stomach from exploding.” (rtc)☁️ buddy read with kat
Seems like mental illness is the new hot subject for Young Adult. Some books do it better than others In [book:Running Lean|16238084] we are given insight into the life of a teenager dealing with fitting in, body image and growing up. The author gave us an emotional story about eating disorders which had us feeling the pain of her family and friends who were helpless to get her to stop hurting herself. [book:Everything, Everything|18692431] the main character suffers from bubble boy disease( allergic to the world) In this novel Norah suffers from OCD, anixety and social disorders that make her a prisoner in her home. I try not to compare books but with these two novels it felt like the publishers gave them a list of subject matter and they both pick the same concept. Once again the mother is faded to the background, a boy arrives and where medical intervention failed gets the girl back in the real world.
I'm not a huge fan of YA romance or similar genres, but the difference in this story was what the main character, Norah, suffers from. OCD and agoraphobia at the very least, anxiety and panic attacks as well. I know people who suffer with these conditions and how frustrating it can be for them since they don't "look" sick, but their own mind and body seems to fight against them having a normal life. I have experienced anxiety and panic attacks as I've gotten older and I understand that frustration of not being able to talk yourself down or convince yourself that you are ridiculous for feeling the way you do.
I like the main character, and I think the representation of mental illness is done well. Did not see the ending coming at all. My only hesitation is I wish it wasn’t a love story... it isn’t as problematic as it could be but I still have hesitations.
I do not get why we need a boy to solve mental health issues. Norah stars forgetting things and changing because of a boy she meets. Romance seemed like the cure and it was instant. I wish this book focused more on Norah and her growing based on work she has put in and not because of some guy.
This book only took me a day to read because I enjoyed it that much. Such an eye-opener to what it’s like to suffer from agoraphobia. Would very much recommend!
