Finding Audrey – by Sophie Kinsella

Original Cover

My own copy

The blurb:

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Shopaholic series comes a terrific blend of comedy, romance, and psychological recovery in a contemporary YA novel sure to inspire and entertain.

An anxiety disorder disrupts fourteen-year-old Audrey’s daily life. She has been making slow but steady progress with Dr. Sarah, but when Audrey meets Linus, her brother’s gaming teammate, she is energized. She connects with him. Audrey can talk through her fears with Linus in a way she’s never been able to do with anyone before. As their friendship deepens and her recovery gains momentum, a sweet romantic connection develops, one that helps not just Audrey but also her entire family.

My Opinion:

*Book provided by the publisher on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

I haven’t read a YA book in a while and when I heard that Sophia Kinsella was publishing one, I was really curious and excited. I love Sophie’s books and couldn’t wait to find out what she’d do with a different genre.

The story follows Audrey and her family. Audrey is suffering from a social anxiety disorder, she hasn’t been to school for a long time, always wears her dark glasses and hates being around people. She is seeing Dr. Sarah and that really helps her.

Audrey’s family is great. There is little Felix, he’s so much fun. Her mum Anne is really protective and strict. Whenever the kid’s do something they are not supposed to, she calls for her husband Chris. He seems like a nice guy and it’s fun seeing them as a family. Last bit not least, there is Frank. Frank loves computer games, it’s all he does. He even brings it to the level of getting banned from the computer. His friend Linus comes over quite often. Audrey likes him and they click instantly. I felt really happy for Audrey, she finally started opening up to someone outside of the family. I loved how their relationship developed, how he slowly cracked her shell. Small gestures, like notes, little touches and the challenges he has for her, so much fun to read about and filled with magic and sparks.

When Audrey decides to meet a girl, who has been mean to her, Linus disagrees with her. Linus was right and when he doesn’t text her back, Audrey just leaves… They start looking for her… Misunderstandings, worry, anger and fear make this novel something really special.

I enjoyed the little scenes, where Audrey films her family. It gives great insight to their lives and their relationships. Frank is a great brother.

The characters are all a great bunch and Audrey is a wonderful main character. Sophie’s writing makes you feel like being there with the character, as part of their life. It also allows the reader to get into Audrey’s head and really understand her feelings. I didn’t know anything about anxiety or social anxiety and this book made me understand people suffering from it. Audrey is a lovely and wonderful girl, who shows a lot of emotions and strength.

This book contains humour, the bond of a family and a lot of heart-warming scenes and moments. I really hope Sophie will write more YA books, because this one is fab! I couldn’t put it down!!!

Rating: 5/5

My possible cast:

Audrey: Emma Fuhrmann

Linus: Will Shadley

Sophie on Twitter: @KinsellaSophie Website: http://www.sophiekinsella.co.uk Goodreads - Amazon UK