Louise Gornall

Will teenaged Norah, who is struggling with agoraphobia and OCD, accept that she could be the right one for sweet, funny Luke?

Under rose-tainted skies

Lacy W

trigger warning: self harm 

Do you know how hard it was to write a review about a book that is basically your life? It was very hard in case you were wondering. I just want to sob and blubber like a mess because of how perfect this book was. How do I even begin to compose words about something that has been a part of my life since I could retain memories? It was like Louise Gornall took my brain and put it on paper. 

I knew going into this book, that it would be a tough read. It's all about Norah, who suffers from agoraphobia (fear of leaving her home and spaces deemed safe), OCD, anxiety, self harm and depression. My heart bled for this girl. She was doing the best she could despite everything. I felt nothing but compassion for her and was in total awe of her bravery to get up everyday and live the best life she could. 

This book has touched my heart, soul, mind, body, whatever, in so many ways. And it felt this way because I knew exactly what Norah was going through. I have generalized anxiety disorder with panic attacks and OCD tendencies. Every single thought Norah had, I've had too. And that hit me, hard. 

Even though this book was rough in terms of subject, I still found myself laughing. Norah is delightfully sarcastic and witty. The banter and special relationship she has with her mom is amazing. And I really loved that this wasn't a love cures book. She wanted to get better for her and for the people around her, even Lucas. 

Speaking of Lucas, he was so amazing. If only there were more people like him in the world, it would be a lot better of a place. He tried his very best to help Norah and even researched her illnesses in the attempt to understand her. He asked questions and respected boundaries with her. That is a sign of a good guy right there. 

Overall, this book has a special place right up there with Harry Potter, in my heart. I'm sorry that this wasn't quite a review and more of me being a mess but I think that everybody needs to read this book so they can all understand or at least begin to understand what it is like to have anxiety and panic attacks.

Sven Test

This review was originally posted on Latte Nights Reviews.

Nora suffers from Agoraphobia and OCD. These disorders have slowly been building up over the years. Now, she has to be home-schooled and ONLY goes out to see her doctor. Even then, she gets anxiety attacks when she has to walk the short distance from her house to the car. Norah's only friend is her mom, who's been a great supporter from day one. Suddenly, a family is moving next door and Norah is intrigued by the boy with muscles, carrying boxes to the house. Luke is just as intrigued and leaves her notes at her house. They begin to form a friendship but Norah feels she'll be a burden to Luke. Will she fight these disorders and learn how to live with them, or will she ruin her chances of having a friend, maybe something more?

I really liked how the friendship/relationship developed. You could tell they were attracted to each other, but it was always so innocent, seeing as Norah's disorders prevent her from wanting human touch. I do think it was developed quite quickly, but since the focus of the story was Norah and her afflictions, it never bothered me. It was so nice to see Luke's patience with Norah. He never pushed or asked more of Norah. He was content just being by her side, watching movies or talking. It made me adore him even more.

I love the mother/daughter relationship. Norah and her mom are so tight! Her mom is so understanding and loving towards her daughter and not once did she complain of the lifestyle she has to live. She really wants best for Norah and supports her a lot. I loved that the mom was so constant throughout the story, which made it easy to believe the bond between them.

Norah's story was a little heart-breaking. I mean, she's in her teens and dealing with two disorders that are so life-changing. Sometimes, I could relate to Norah's anxieties and it made me feel so much empathy for her. Agoraphobia is something so real and difficult to live with. I had never read a YA book that talked about this disorder, so it was quite eye-opening. Even though I majored in Psychology and discussed this disorder as well as OCD, it's different to read how it could be in real life, especially from an author who's experienced it.

Overall, Under Rose-Tainted Skies is a raw, enlightening story on disorders that are so life-changing and aren't talked about often. Norah's anxieties felt real and I could feel the author telling me her story through Norah.

I received an ARC from the publisher for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.This review was originally posted on Latte Nights Reviews.

Officially one of my favorite contemporary books yet. Beautifully written. I loved the main character, I felt her every struggle with what might seem like the smallest issue for some but huge and breaking point for her. Mental health awareness is so important. Not many describe it well. The author describes in first person what it’s like for someone that is diagnosed with OCD and Agoraphobia. Heartbreaking story but definitely an eye opener. There are triggers of self harm and depression. The story wraps up in a realistic way, which I loved.

Alexa Auerbach 

Absolutely amazing. Wish I could give it more than 5 stars.

Alexa Jade

Agoraphobia confines Norah to the house she shares with her mother. For her, the outside is sky glimpsed through glass, or a gauntlet to run between home and car. But a chance encounter on the doorstep changes everything: Luke, her new neighbour. Norah is determined to be the girl she thinks Luke deserves: a 'normal' girl, her skies unfiltered by the lens of mental illness. Instead, her love and bravery opens a window to unexpected truths ...

Eleanor Luhar

I picked this book up at my local library because I liked the cover. Then I read the quote on the front and knew I'd love it.
Agoraphobia is a horrific disorder. I've not found a single book about it before this one. While I myself don't suffer from it, I do have anxiety and can relate to the main character, Norah, in so many ways.
The first thing I'm going to say about this is that it doesn't overly romanticise the illness, which is so important. Yes, there are maybe a few aspects that aren't incredibly accurate, but that's always going to happen with works of fiction. Overall, I think this is a fantastic representation of Norah's illnesses and how her life has been flipped upside down since her becoming ill.
I would have liked this to be less romantically-focused, though. Don't get me wrong, the romance was lovely and I felt so happy for Norah. But I am a bit fed up of stories that portray romantic relationships as the 'cure' for mental illnesses.
As I mentioned above, I believe this depicts Norah's behaviours and thoughts fantastically. I really related to her in a lot of ways, such as regarding her anxiety and panic attacks. Plus, her beliefs and emotions regarding her illness were very relatable; the guilt and shame of being a burden on others.
It was incredibly heart-warming to see Norah finally begin to make progress towards the end of the book. It was slow - which is how it is in real life. There is no magic, instant cure. It takes time and effort and a lot of pain.
I thoroughly enjoyed this. If it was less romantic, I may have given it a full 5 stars. As it is, I'm giving it 4.5 stars, and would definitely recommend it to others.

Logan Dittbrenner

I really enjoyed this book. It was easy to relate to. I really connected with the main characters. It did a good job of showing how anxiety can take over your life. Towards the end of the book Norah was making a lot of progress with her agoraphobia. I found this book to be cute and it really gave me the feels. I also like how the mom was really supportive and helped her daughter with whatever she needed.

Ella Bouic

Great insight as to what it's like to have agoraphobia and love the story line with a little twist at the end however I would have liked the ending to be elaborated more and certain parts to be longer but overall a lovely quick read

Mayra Melo

Alex Hill 

I was going to give this book a 3.5 out of 5 stars but the last two chapters completely changed it for me. They were beautifully written. This did feel a little slow for me which lessened my enjoyment a little bit.

Under Rose-Tainted Skies

Sophie Elaina 

Wow, this book was wonderful! It's the most authentic feeling book I've read in a long time. The mental health representation in this is honestly fabulous and I can't recommend it enough. 

“I'm being forced to challenge ideas that have kept me safe for so long. There's an entire library of information in my head, and suddenly I can't decide if any of it is worth reading.” 

The main protagonist Norah constantly deals with agoraphobia, OCD AND anxiety. Seeing the way her mind goes over things and how she thinks things through was really eye opening. It was also brilliant to see a romance that isn't hinted as a cure for Norah. Mental Illness wasn't romanticised and I am so very happy about that. The idea that a mental illness can suddenly be 'fixed' by a romantic relationship is ridiculous and it was great to see something much more real. That said Luke was a great love interest for Norah and it was truly amazing to see their relationship develop over the course of the book. 

“Sometimes things are going to happen and the only way out is through.” 

Lastly I just want to mention that their are themes of self-harm at a couple of points in the book and I feel like a trigger warning is necessary since it isn't mentioned in the books synopsis; its not a constant thing throughout however it is there. Overall I feel like this book was very well written and is well worth the read!

See my full review on my blog/website: https://sophieelaina.wixsite.com/blog...

Emily

Well that was one heck of a journey. I'm not gonna lie, at the start of this book I was scared that I was going to be disappointed. I read a quote from it online that I loved and so I picked it up from my library immediately afterwards. 

However, once I started this book I didn't really like the voice of the narrator. Honestly, I found her to be a bit annoying. But then it hit me that maybe I was just reading her wrong. Maybe I was seeing myself in Norah so much that I was getting annoyed with how much she reminded me of myself. 

That's when I started the audiobook of this book, and it made everything amazing. The narrator Phoebe Strole does an amazing job at voicing Norah exactly how she was written to be. My "mind voice" just didn't get Norah, and so when I tried to read her dialogue it sounded weird in my head. But the audiobook fixed all of that for me and I began to truly love my experience with this book.

I could relate to so many feelings that Norah expressed, and it felt good to see someone else besides me do all of the crazy things paranoia leads me to do. 

I also loved Luke so much. (view spoiler)[At first I was wary of him, just like Norah was, and I didn't know if I could trust him to care for Norah in the ways that she needed. I didn't know if he could handle the commitment that she knows she is. I'm so glad that he could and hope that people like him actually do exist in the world. If not, that's what books are for right? haha  (hide spoiler)]

 It's like my mind and my brain are two separate things, working against each other. 

That is one feeling that I never realized could properly be put into words, and yet, there it is. Thank you Louise Gornall for discovering that sentence and sharing it with those of us who needed it.

Lily D

4.5

Trigger warnings: self harm. Be aware of that going in to it.

I loved this book.

This follows Norah who has a mental illness, Agoraphobia, in which she's too afraid to leave her house. A new boy then moves next door and she wants to be friends with him.

This book was an eye opener. I loved learning more about Norah's mental illness and I loved learning about Norah as a character. This is an own voices story. So i loved learning about the authors experience with Agoraphobia. 

The characters were everything. Luke was such a thoughtful person and I loved how he didn't treat Norah as though she was a freak.

Norah was just interesting and i loved her. 

I just loved this book.

Reading Rush Book #3 - Read A Book The Color Of Your Birthstone.

Trigger warnings: Self Harm. Be aware of that going into it.

Tiffany Engler

Holy moly. This book was just... wow. I'm really mad at myself for taking so long to pick it up. And before I go on with my review, I'm going to slap a trigger warning for this book for self harm and really detailed anxiety attacks.

Norah. She's the most beautiful character I've read about all year. I love her and I feel like I need to give her a million air hugs. She suffers from OCD, anxiety, and agoraphobia. She's a brave girl who is just scared of the world. 

Luke really compliments Norah. He tries so hard to be with her without touching her and doing things to make her feel uncomfortable. He's how everyone should be. He's truly a great human being. I was terrified that he was going to end up being a butt hole or something. 

All of the characters in this book were wonderfully written. There was not one character I didn't like. This book in it's entirety is just freaking amazing.

There were some parts I had problems with reading. The self harm scenes really did it for me. It triggered too many memories and almost made me put this book down. I'm so glad I fought through it and finished it!

This book is powerful. Anyone who doesn't suffer from any form of anxiety or depression should read this. It has the power to change how people view those who have these illnesses. It will definitely shed new light for those who think that people with anxiety can just "get over it".

Five out of five stars. Hell, one million stars. This book jumped to my favorites list. It will be on my top shelf with all my other favorites.

Kaele Perkins 

This was a tough subject. One that I’ve never dealt with in my life or anyone I know, so I can’t say how accurate this is. But I know that mental illness is extremely different depending on the person. It was a beautiful story, in which I was rooting for our main character the entire time. Loved the ending. She was able to make progress on her own. It wasn’t a perfect ending, and she still had setbacks, but she was moving forward.

Nadia Leontescu

WOW! I very much enjoyed this book, and it was really a rollercoaster. It is so so so cute and tragic at the same time. It's so easy to connect with the characters, and I SO DID NOT expect the end! MMM so good :)

Wren Hardwick

Overall, I really liked this story. 
I thought it was more realistic than other mental-illness based books that I have read.



Like:
001. That Norah, our main girl, knows that she is being irrational but also knows she has to do it that way or the world will implode.. irrationally. 
002. She calls herself crazy because, again, she knows that what she is doing is not necessary but at the same time it is necessary and she has to do it. Mental illness is weird. 
003. Luke, our main dude, reacts the same way we would when Norah has an episode: wide-eyed, cautious and just wanting to help her get through whatever she is doing. 
004. I really appreciated the fact that the boy didn't "cure" the girl. That's my main enjoyment of this whole book. Too many books have people being "cured" by getting in a relationship. That's not how life works. 
005. I also really appreciated that it was more focused on her being able to do baby steps when she had companionship beyond her mother and her therapist. She can cope with the two women who have dedicated themselves to helping her, but she can slowly rewire herself the more helps she gets. That's important. As someone who deals with 
  my own
 type(s) of mental illness, it is so important to have a handful of people to keep you afloat. 
006. The narrator, Pheobe Strole, did a phenomenal job.
007. The relationship between Norah and her mother was what touched my heart the most. I think it's because it reminded me of my relationship with my mother and I wanted to drive five hours to go give my mom a hug.

Didn't Like:
001. The writing was a little young for my taste, but it was still enjoyable. I think I would have rated it lower actually reading it; but Pheobe Strole did such a great job that it didn't bother me as much as it usually would have.

And the ending? My goodness, you do not expect something that insane to happen with such a happy-looking book. You don't expect your jaw to drop (yes, mine did physically drop) and go "is this really happening or is she imagining the absolute worst scenario?" It was happening. I died. 



Also, a little P.S. here: You can't say things like "that's now how mental illness works" because all mental illnesses are different. Even if I had voices talking inside my head and you had voices talking inside your head, our likeness ends there. How I get better and how I deal is going to be different from how you get better and how you deal. Individuality people. It's a thing. Which is why you can't rationalize someone's anxiety just because you also deal with anxiety.

Lisa van der Heijden 

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.

Laura

So, the cover of this book is really pretty. I'd be tempted to call this a cover buy, but I read it on an e-reader and those don't count in my opinion. Also, I did like the synopsis on the back of the book. 

But honestly, I feel like the cover and the inside flap are total teases. When you look at it or open it up, it seems to promise the kind of beautiful, deep prose and plot that evokes an almost Challenger Deep vibe, a dark and personal exploration of mental illness. Instead, this novel is more along the same lines as Everything, Everything, being a cute and fluffy romantic contemporary. This isn't necessarily a negative thing, but it's just like going to a fine art gallery expecting a collection of Edward Hopper paintings and instead getting nothing but Thomas Kinkade.

I feel like this book is to Everything, Everything what All the Bright Places was to The Fault in Our Stars. Of course by saying that I feel the need to preface by saying I didn't hate Everything, Everything. I mean, I didn't love it the way many people seem to, but it was okay and pretty harmless. I think at the end of the day I'd rather have Everything, Everything knock-offs flooding the shelves than The Fault in Our Stars knock-offs. But seriously, Gornall could have tried to make it a little less obvious, couldn't she?

The chick in this book is an agoraphobe (that still PC?) (Ah, who the hell cares?). This is initially what drew me into the novel, because I don't know any agoraphobes personally and the only fictional characters I can name who are are that old lady from Love, Stargirl and Harold from Twin Peaks, who was only in like three episodes but solidified my opinion that Donna is a bitch. Anyway, so besides those two characters, I was curious to see agoraphobia from the eyes of someone who struggled with it. So anyway, she can't leave her house. You know who else can't leave her house? Madeline from Everything, Everything! Okay fine, I'll give Gornall a point there, since the whole point of the book is that she's afraid to leave the house and not forced like Madeline. But then, a cute boy moves in! One who is real trendy and has nice hair and eyes and of course is, in the words of Mary Poppins, practically perfect. I hate male characters like that almost as much as male characters that are the exact opposite. No boy is that attractive and understanding and deep and whatever as Luke and by extension Olly since Luke is basically him expect alternative. Both also have daddy issues, which means that Olly's dad hits him and Luke's dad "disappears". Also, both girls are exceptionally close with their mothers, have the burning desire to become architects (though there is no evidence whatsoever on Norah's part that she actually has an interest in architecture), and have dream places to go to. In Norah's case it's France, which makes me wonder what draws her to France. There's a reason for Madeline to want to go to Hawaii, a very good reason actually, but why France? 


Continue reading this review on my blog here: https://bookwormbasics.blogspot.com/2...

Kate

Read my full review for 'Under Rose-Tainted Skies' on my blog here... 
http://girlreading.co.uk/bookreviews/...

*spoiler alert, I loved it*

I adored this completely and utterly. This is possibly one of my favourite books I've read so far this year, everything about it was wonderful. I will have a full review up as soon as I can get my head around and put into words, somewhat coherently, just how much I loved this. I highly recommend it!

Genesis (@whisperingchapters)

This review was originally posted on Latte Nights Reviews.

Nora suffers from Agoraphobia and OCD. These disorders have slowly been building up over the years. Now, she has to be home-schooled and ONLY goes out to see her doctor. Even then, she gets anxiety attacks when she has to walk the short distance from her house to the car. Norah's only friend is her mom, who's been a great supporter from day one. Suddenly, a family is moving next door and Norah is intrigued by the boy with muscles, carrying boxes to the house. Luke is just as intrigued and leaves her notes at her house. They begin to form a friendship but Norah feels she'll be a burden to Luke. Will she fight these disorders and learn how to live with them, or will she ruin her chances of having a friend, maybe something more?

I really liked how the friendship/relationship developed. You could tell they were attracted to each other, but it was always so innocent, seeing as Norah's disorders prevent her from wanting human touch. I do think it was developed quite quickly, but since the focus of the story was Norah and her afflictions, it never bothered me. It was so nice to see Luke's patience with Norah. He never pushed or asked more of Norah. He was content just being by her side, watching movies or talking. It made me adore him even more.

I love the mother/daughter relationship. Norah and her mom are so tight! Her mom is so understanding and loving towards her daughter and not once did she complain of the lifestyle she has to live. She really wants best for Norah and supports her a lot. I loved that the mom was so constant throughout the story, which made it easy to believe the bond between them.

Norah's story was a little heart-breaking. I mean, she's in her teens and dealing with two disorders that are so life-changing. Sometimes, I could relate to Norah's anxieties and it made me feel so much empathy for her. Agoraphobia is something so real and difficult to live with. I had never read a YA book that talked about this disorder, so it was quite eye-opening. Even though I majored in Psychology and discussed this disorder as well as OCD, it's different to read how it could be in real life, especially from an author who's experienced it.

Overall, 
  Under Rose-Tainted Skies
 is a raw, enlightening story on disorders that are so life-changing and aren't talked about often. Norah's anxieties felt real and I could feel the author telling me her story through Norah.

I received an ARC from the publisher for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.This review was originally posted on Latte Nights Reviews.