Feb 03, 2017cloverdaleteenbookreviewproject rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
This book was amazing. Once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down and finished it within hours. I give the book a 5/5 stars and I'll be buying a copy the moment it comes out. Norah was an extremely unique and different character, one that I've never read a story with a character like. It was enlightening to read a book based on mental illnesses, as I believe it's important to understand and respect the situation of many people in the world, and it was amazingly written. Although there were a few editing errors, the book is beautiful and the cover fits the novel perfectly, it was actually the factor that drew me to the book in the first place! The plot started with Norah heading off to a therapist appointment, ridden with panic attacks and nearly unable to leave her house. That morning she met Luke, a friendly and cute boy who moved in next door. Their budding romance unfolds throughout the book, ending abruptly in a messy mistake that sends Norah into a downfall of regret. They're brought back together when Norah's house is robbed and she somehow manages to escape, finding safe refuge in Luke once again. The characters are wonderful and easily relatable, Norah's situation is brutally real. The story includes a humorous theme that sends an addictive feeling throughout the chapters that leave you entertained and wanting to read more. Louise Gornall did an amazing job with this novel and I hope to read it again one day.
(Reviewed for the CloverdaleTeenBookReviewProject by Aubree)
_______________________________________________________________________________________'
Norah, 17, suffers from agoraphobia and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), making her unable to step outside of her house, she has accepted her life within the walls of her house. She relies on social media and her house to feel a sense of security. A new boy, Luke, moves next doors and due to a series of events they become friends as their friendship dives deeper. Soon, Norah starts to question herself as thinks she isn't good enough for Luke due to her messed up brain. Norah not only continues to fight with her illness but with her relationship with Luke as well.
I really enjoyed this book for all the points it covered and for the representation of mental illness, though I did face one small issue. The only problem I faced with this book was loss of connection between the two characters at the end.
This own voice book has astonished me, for the author, Louise Gornall, has managed to engage the reader with the limited worldview of Norah, a girl who cannot step outside, and a limited amount of characters within this book. This story was very well written and things were not sugar-coated, it was very realistic. I also really liked the acknowledgement of mental illness and the awareness it spreads. Despite mental illness being the foremost characteristic of the protagonist, I really appreciated that Norah was beyond her illness.
Overall, I really admired this book, for it sheds light on important issues now-a-days such as mental illness and self acceptance.
(Reviewed for the CloverdaleTeenBookReviewProject by J.R.)
Comment
Under Rose-tainted Skies