by Sophie Kinsella

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for a chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review!

Publish Date : 4th June 2015

Title: Finding Audrey
Author: Sophie Kinsella
Published by: Penguin Random House UK Children’s
Book: Standalone
Genre: YA/ Contemporary
Found: Netgalley
Rating: 4 Voodoos

This was a sweet and light-hearted story about a girl suffering from an anxiety disorder. When I started Finding Audrey I was worried that it would be weighed down with heavy and uncomfortably depressing details about her disorder and its affects but was happily surprised to find it a very humorous story that, while including some details of her disorder, focused mainly on her recovery process and her rather hilarious and crazy family. I can see that some people are going to have the opposite view of this to me and feel that it has made a mockery of a rather serious disorder, but I personally found it thought provoking and mildly informative whilst entertaining. I have actually found myself googling SAD and GAD because of it, which I would never have done otherwise.

I loved Audrey as a character. I liked how we got to watch her slowly progress in her recovery. She was sweet and troubled and I felt strongly connected to her. Linus was a little odd but I did like how he managed to slowly gain her trust with ‘Pocket Paper’ notes.

Her family were hilarious! I have not laughed so much at a book in ages! I was constantly reading bits out to my husband. I can easily say that Mum was my favourite character in this book. She was friggin’ insane! But I loved her for it. I got the impression that her issue with Frank was less to do with him and his addiction and more to do with Audrey and her inability to help her. She seemed to have the ridiculous obsession with curing Frank of his computer game ‘addiction’ as though in some way by fixing one child she would have fixed all of their family issues.

I liked that there were so many things that I could relate to. Like, Dad (Chris) reminding me so much of my dad with his ‘What your mother said’ reaction to everything and Audrey’s way of always blaming herself for things when they were clearly not her fault at all.

If you want a serious book about Anxiety Disorders this probably isn’t for you. But if you want a book which takes a look at anxiety disorders whilst keeping it light and entertaining then give this a try. Thoroughly enjoyable.