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Under Rose-Tainted Skies
At seventeen, Norah has accepted that the four walls of her house delineate her life. She knows that fearing everything from inland tsunamis to odd numbers is irrational, but her mind insists the world outside is too big, too dangerous. So she stays safe inside, watching others’ lives through her windows and social media feed.
But when Luke arrives on her doorstep, he doesn’t see a girl defined by medical terms and mental health. Instead, he sees a girl who is funny, smart, and brave. And Norah likes what he sees.
Their friendship turns deeper, but Norah knows Luke deserves a normal girl. One who can walk beneath the open sky. One who is unafraid of kissing. One who isn’t so screwed up. Can she let him go for his own good—or can Norah learn to see herself through Luke’s eyes?
But when Luke arrives on her doorstep, he doesn’t see a girl defined by medical terms and mental health. Instead, he sees a girl who is funny, smart, and brave. And Norah likes what he sees.
Their friendship turns deeper, but Norah knows Luke deserves a normal girl. One who can walk beneath the open sky. One who is unafraid of kissing. One who isn’t so screwed up. Can she let him go for his own good—or can Norah learn to see herself through Luke’s eyes?
330 pages, Hardcover
First published July 7, 2016
About the author
Louise Gornall
2 books464 followersLouise Gornall was a young adult author, mental health mouth, lover of cheese, collector of book boyfriends, film nerd, book bird, identical twin, and rumoured pink Power Ranger.
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July 4, 2018This book was great! It has a focus on anxiety, ocd, & agoraphobia. I feel like this book did a good job of exploring each of these topics and helping us the readers understand what a day to day life dealing with those things is like. I loved the mother daughter relationship that's showcased here. I feel like we don't often see good mother daughter relationships depicted in books and it was refreshing to read about. I wasn't a massive fan of the romance, but honestly what's new.
July 18, 2017
This was so well written and such an overall just beautiful story. You could really feel the authenticity as while this is fictional, the author herself has struggled with agoraphobia, OCD, anxiety, and self harm. However I will say I was not thrilled by the ending as I found it to be a bit rushed and too unexpected.
March 5, 2017
5/5 STARS I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS BOOK. I have been devouring YA mental health novels lately so when I heard about a new release that dealt with agoraphobia, OCD AND anxiety, I could not wait to read it. It took me less than 2 days to read and I loved every single thing about it. I think I'm going to post a video review as well because I just loved it too much.
The #1 thing I loved about this book is the mental health rep. If you are interested in reading more books dealing with individuals suffering from mental disorders this is a MUST READ. I will probably recommend it until the end of my days because I cannot stress enough how wonderful this book was. It's accurate. It's realistic. It's raw. It's authentic. It's educational. It's everything you want in a fictitious work of mental health, I promise you.
This is the first book I've read dealing with agoraphobia, but with my knowledge from my psychology major, it seemed fairly accurate! Personally, I saw a lot of my own habits in Norah, which was lovely considering I feel no book has ever completely portrayed what it's like to compulsively tear at your cheeks and cuticles like I do. I also loved how Norah's illnesses were prominent on every. single. page. It affected her at every moment of the day, which can truly be what living with an invisible illness is like, so that really hit home for me. Something I really adored about this book was how realistic the comorbidity of Norah's disorders were portrayed. You could simultaneously see how each illness affected her individually as well as how they all bounce off of each other. I do want to just place a trigger warning for self-harm on this book since it's not addressed in the synopsis. It's not a hugely present theme throughout the novel, but there are a few scenes I think you should be aware of! Overall, it was executed BEAUTIFULLY and I could not be happier with this mental health rep. Knowing it is an own voices novel where the author implemented their own experiences is also such a comfort.
I also want to touch on the romance. If you were expecting a novel where the boy saves the girl from her mental illness, you'll be pretty let down by this novel because Norah is a BADASS at fighting her own inner demons. Luke is a wonderful love interest because he is understanding, supportive, encouraging, and adaptive. He is perfect for Norah but he is not a magical romantic cure for her disorders. It was SOO wonderful to see a romance that was able to flourish without "fixing" the person who is struggling. Luke compliments Norah in all the best ways, but this is Norah's journey through overcoming her fears and gaining control over what she believes has always controlled her.
I love love love love loved this book. It's absolutely one of my favorite reads of 2017 so far (I promise, this will still be true in December. I loved it THAT much.) This book is up extremely high on my recommendations list and I sincerely implore you all to read it.
The #1 thing I loved about this book is the mental health rep. If you are interested in reading more books dealing with individuals suffering from mental disorders this is a MUST READ. I will probably recommend it until the end of my days because I cannot stress enough how wonderful this book was. It's accurate. It's realistic. It's raw. It's authentic. It's educational. It's everything you want in a fictitious work of mental health, I promise you.
This is the first book I've read dealing with agoraphobia, but with my knowledge from my psychology major, it seemed fairly accurate! Personally, I saw a lot of my own habits in Norah, which was lovely considering I feel no book has ever completely portrayed what it's like to compulsively tear at your cheeks and cuticles like I do. I also loved how Norah's illnesses were prominent on every. single. page. It affected her at every moment of the day, which can truly be what living with an invisible illness is like, so that really hit home for me. Something I really adored about this book was how realistic the comorbidity of Norah's disorders were portrayed. You could simultaneously see how each illness affected her individually as well as how they all bounce off of each other. I do want to just place a trigger warning for self-harm on this book since it's not addressed in the synopsis. It's not a hugely present theme throughout the novel, but there are a few scenes I think you should be aware of! Overall, it was executed BEAUTIFULLY and I could not be happier with this mental health rep. Knowing it is an own voices novel where the author implemented their own experiences is also such a comfort.
I also want to touch on the romance. If you were expecting a novel where the boy saves the girl from her mental illness, you'll be pretty let down by this novel because Norah is a BADASS at fighting her own inner demons. Luke is a wonderful love interest because he is understanding, supportive, encouraging, and adaptive. He is perfect for Norah but he is not a magical romantic cure for her disorders. It was SOO wonderful to see a romance that was able to flourish without "fixing" the person who is struggling. Luke compliments Norah in all the best ways, but this is Norah's journey through overcoming her fears and gaining control over what she believes has always controlled her.
I love love love love loved this book. It's absolutely one of my favorite reads of 2017 so far (I promise, this will still be true in December. I loved it THAT much.) This book is up extremely high on my recommendations list and I sincerely implore you all to read it.
January 5, 2016
Hey guys,
My name is Louise and I'm the author of Rose. Thank you for giving Norah's story a shot. I really hope you enjoy reading it, as much as I enjoyed writing it.
My name is Louise and I'm the author of Rose. Thank you for giving Norah's story a shot. I really hope you enjoy reading it, as much as I enjoyed writing it.
September 5, 2017
Full review posted:
From the moment I picked up this book, I KNEW it was going to be so epic that I would exit myself from real life
so basically, this book has GREAT MENTAL HEALTH REP and it’s ADORABLE but also really IMPORTANT and INFORMATIVE
let’s run a list of all the great things contained in this v short book
- Norah is the snarky kind of relatable
- Her over encompassing anxiety is described in such an accurate way
- Her crippling mental illness expresses itself in physical ways and honestly im so proud that the author took the time to explain that
- It deals with panic attacks so accurately I wanted to cry
- LOVE DOES NOT HEAL ALL
- There is NO magic kiss that cures Norah and thank bloody goodness for that
- LUKE IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THING IN THE WORLD
- This kid is so bloody cute I wanna wrap him in bubble wrap and feed him rose petals bc he’s that precious
- Hes so kind and compassionate and adorable oh my GOSHHHHH
- The book is super short you could finish it in an hour no joke
- The cover is so beautiful
- Norah’s relationship with her mom = goals
- Norah’s relationship with her therapist = grade A
- Family issues were handled REALLY well too
- And the ending spiked me up like I thought it was gonna slowly descend BUT HELL NAH IT GOT EVEN MORE EXHILARTING
- I love this book so much
- Its surprisingly funny too, you don’t expect it, but it is
Perfection is a feeling; you’ll know it if you’ve ever questioned the competency of your penmanship before writing on the first page of a new notebook.
4.5 stars!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
here's a little backstory sharing my struggles with obtaining this book. . .
soooooooooo back in fricken early MAY of 2017, i saw a little section on my local libraries website that was like "IF YOU WANT A BOOK, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SUGGEST HERE" and i was like yaaaasssssss, Y'ALL DONT KNOW WHAT YOURE GETTING YOURSELF INTO, ASKING ME FOR SUGGESTIONS AND ISH
so, Under Rose Tainted Skies has been on my immediate TBR since forever and it couldnt find it in my library so i was like let me suggest this one bc why the heck not
and so, me being theinnocent unexperienced little human i am, thought it would take maybe a week or two, at worst 3 weeks for them to purchase the book and have it on the shelf, ready for me to pick up
YEAH WELL
OBVIOUSLY
FRICKEN
NOT
ALMOST 4 FRICKEN MONTHS LATER
AND HERE WE FINALLY ARE
i was fricken losing hope man, so this book better bE WORTH ALL THE PAIN AND SUFFERING I WENT TO GET IT IN HARDCOVER
if you actually read all this, i applaud your determination, here have a cookie for your good work 🍪 ily
that is all
From the moment I picked up this book, I KNEW it was going to be so epic that I would exit myself from real life
so basically, this book has GREAT MENTAL HEALTH REP and it’s ADORABLE but also really IMPORTANT and INFORMATIVE
let’s run a list of all the great things contained in this v short book
- Norah is the snarky kind of relatable
- Her over encompassing anxiety is described in such an accurate way
- Her crippling mental illness expresses itself in physical ways and honestly im so proud that the author took the time to explain that
- It deals with panic attacks so accurately I wanted to cry
- LOVE DOES NOT HEAL ALL
- There is NO magic kiss that cures Norah and thank bloody goodness for that
- LUKE IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THING IN THE WORLD
- This kid is so bloody cute I wanna wrap him in bubble wrap and feed him rose petals bc he’s that precious
- Hes so kind and compassionate and adorable oh my GOSHHHHH
- The book is super short you could finish it in an hour no joke
- The cover is so beautiful
- Norah’s relationship with her mom = goals
- Norah’s relationship with her therapist = grade A
- Family issues were handled REALLY well too
- And the ending spiked me up like I thought it was gonna slowly descend BUT HELL NAH IT GOT EVEN MORE EXHILARTING
- I love this book so much
- Its surprisingly funny too, you don’t expect it, but it is
Perfection is a feeling; you’ll know it if you’ve ever questioned the competency of your penmanship before writing on the first page of a new notebook.
4.5 stars!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
here's a little backstory sharing my struggles with obtaining this book. . .
soooooooooo back in fricken early MAY of 2017, i saw a little section on my local libraries website that was like "IF YOU WANT A BOOK, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SUGGEST HERE" and i was like yaaaasssssss, Y'ALL DONT KNOW WHAT YOURE GETTING YOURSELF INTO, ASKING ME FOR SUGGESTIONS AND ISH
so, Under Rose Tainted Skies has been on my immediate TBR since forever and it couldnt find it in my library so i was like let me suggest this one bc why the heck not
and so, me being the
YEAH WELL
OBVIOUSLY
FRICKEN
NOT
ALMOST 4 FRICKEN MONTHS LATER
AND HERE WE FINALLY ARE
i was fricken losing hope man, so this book better bE WORTH ALL THE PAIN AND SUFFERING I WENT TO GET IT IN HARDCOVER
that is all
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October 24, 2023
The clouds in her sky are always rose-colored, which I know is a beautiful way to be. Alas, I have a mind that muddies everything. My skies aren’t so pretty; more tainted with fear than tinted with whimsy.
Apologies in advance for being a little too personal.
TW: depression, anxiety, self-harm
YA contemporary with mental health representation that doesn’t include unsupportive, evil parents and therapists + a cute teenage romance that doesn’t become the sole cure for the MC’s struggles?
I was supposed to read this in 2018. I was supposed to buddy read it, actually, and every time I’d stumble across this book (again), I’d see my friend’s review (that she never actually wrote) claiming me as the buddy reader.
Sadly I didn’t actually buddy read but can’t say I regret it entirely, except for the fact that my friend and I never had the best experiences with our buddy reads so this would have served as a redemption.
Still, this was a lovely contemporary depicting the reality of a teenager living with agoraphobia and OCD. Not only did the author write her voice as if she was writing about herself, as seen in her author’s note, but the portrayal of Norah’s anxiety and OCD is raw and convincing. I’d describe the writing as spiraling, just like Norah’s brain. It can feel messy and clustered, but it felt accurate to show Norah’s voice realistically and like a narrator telling us her story. It felt appropriate for how Norah is, instead of making it soft and gentle. It has its peaceful moments, but the writing is rapid for the most part. The writing may feel disjointed for some, but it felt accurate to me.
It stalks me incessantly. 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.
Even though there’s a relationship taking place, it doesn’t overpass Norah’s struggles. We see her stepping out of her comfort zone, but she never changes just because the cute boy next door wants to talk to her. I appreciated how the author kept Norah’s mental health as a big part of her. Instead of showing all the downsides of it, we’re witnessed to a few scenes that are more light-hearted. Still, Norah’s agoraphobia and OCD doesn’t form her but instead are a part of her. While these things will always be subjective and analyzed differently by everyone, I found myself nodding my head a lot of times. The anxiety portrayal was intense. Vivid and full of enough detail, as well as encompassing, but never venturing into unnecessary, gritty details. There are depictions and explanations of self-harm, which I, unfortunately, also found relatable and incredibly accurate. I especially appreciate the discussion on how differently people self-harm. I would cut myself with different sharp tools as my form of it; I had a friend who would burn his skin as a form of self-harm; I learned of others who would bruise themselves. I think people often think self-harm is only one way.
When I first started cutting in middle school, I became aware of sharp tools being used for it. I believe that’s why I never tried other methods and stuck to one. I remember my first time quite vividly, in middle school, with those annoying playground wood chips. They were the sharpest thing I could find in the moment, and the feeling of wanting to let go was so strong. I remember scratching myself with one, hard enough to hurt but not hard enough to bleed. I didn’t know how to cut, how to make a dent in my skin, how to pierce it completely. They didn’t show this on my google searches. It was just scarring and it helped take the pain away. Then I moved to more risky objects, starting with scissors. They didn’t do the job, they didn’t provide enough release, they didn’t make a difference. So I broke a shot glass we had, which I also remember doing. It finally made a dent, it finally hurt enough that it felt good. The hurt was piercing enough, like a paper cut. Yet somehow, the glass didn’t slice quickly enough, and I didn’t have the patience to cut harder. I just wanted to cut and slice myself. So I moved to my biggest enemy: a blade. Specifically, a Hart Heavy Duty Utility Knife Blade. We still have these kinds of blades, and we use it in the kitchen to scrape off the excess burns when we spill shit on the oven. It brings back bad memories, but it’s not like I can get rid of it. I remember when I saw it for the first time, in the kitchen, in the drawer with all the spices, and the decision to pick it up was done so quick. Deep down I knew this one would hurt, but it gave me what I wanted. It provided that release I gaslighted myself into believing I needed. I’d tell myself the pain was welcoming because it took away the actual pain, the pain I was running away from. In reality, it just hurt my body. It made me forget my mental health that I focused on the fact that I had blood oozing from my left arm. It got to the point where I cut the words “Help me” on it. Sometimes I think about the scars and how they disappeared. I think about how I “didn’t cut deep enough.”
Throughout my years, I learned different ways individuals hurt themselves, willingly. When I think of self-harm now, I think of how it means just that; that you’re harming yourself, no matter how or what way. We see this with Norah, and how she uses the same tool, and she cuts the same scars. We see how different mental illnesses crash here, with her OCD not allowing her to make another scar because she needs an even number, so she cuts a scar that was fading. Her depression counterattacks, making the feeling much stronger. It was eye opening seeing this, interesting even, because of how little I thought about how these unhealthy coping mechanisms were handled. Personally, I appreciated the detail given to this. Norah’s story is not one worth detailing less because it isn’t an easy one to tell. The graphics felt necessary and never overindulgent. She has similar ways of thinking, where she doesn’t think it’s self-harm because it’s an itch that she’s taking care of. I never thought this way, actually, but it reminded me of how I would convince myself it took away the problem. In reality, it created a second problem.
It’s weird, the release I get from dragging the tiny metal arm across my skin. It’s like slamming on brakes for an emergency stop; my head will go dead the second I feel the blade bite into me. All the buzzing receptors in my brain will forget the panic and concentrate on registering the hurt, the blood. It’s drastic, a last resort. But so easy. Like breathing, blinking. One beat in time. One quick slice, where nobody can see, and it all stops. This is not about dying. This is about trying to get back some control.
And despite Norah’s lack of incentive, her next-door neighbor, Luke, becomes a friend she learns to find hope through. Their friendship is heartfelt, sweet as teens can be, but never overly expressive. Luke’s patience and determination to get to know Norah is incredibly sweet; Norah’s lack of communication at first and hesitancy never makes him back away for the sake of it. They make a formal routine of watching cheesy horror movies and eating ice cream; Luke learns what Norah likes and doesn’t like; Norah begins having this urge to look presentable for him. It’s all innocent, full of first without being too visual. Norah’s support system between her mother and her therapist, Dr. Reeves, is also hopeful. Bonus points to the two of them for never faulting Norah. Also, I liked that this focused on Norah’s story, on her healing, and not on the usually, stereotypes we hear of mental health. Even though there were some highlighting-worthy quotes that mentioned society’s ignorance towards it, it never became overly expressive. Luke never looked at Norah differently for how she is; her mother never blamed her for what she couldn’t do; Dr. Reeves was incredibly kind and patient with Norah, always showing sympathy but also being good at her job. There isn’t any negativity painted on mental health and mental illness. Even with the brutal reality of it, the focus always remains on Norah.
He straightens his shoulders. “But I am with you, and I love hanging out here with you. I love talking to you, and eating ice cream with you. I love watching cheesy horror movies and staring at the stars with you. J’adore that I can now speak eight whole words of French,” he says, all smug. “Pretty soon I’ll be fluent.” I crack a smile, can’t help it. “I’d rather hang out with you than go to any concert or party.”
If you’re looking for mental health representation that isn’t overdone, an adorable teenage romance that is both sweet but not OTT, as well as one that takes over the message of the story, and a realistic contemporary featuring a 17-year-old, I highly recommend this.
Apologies in advance for being a little too personal.
TW: depression, anxiety, self-harm
YA contemporary with mental health representation that doesn’t include unsupportive, evil parents and therapists + a cute teenage romance that doesn’t become the sole cure for the MC’s struggles?
I was supposed to read this in 2018. I was supposed to buddy read it, actually, and every time I’d stumble across this book (again), I’d see my friend’s review (that she never actually wrote) claiming me as the buddy reader.
Sadly I didn’t actually buddy read but can’t say I regret it entirely, except for the fact that my friend and I never had the best experiences with our buddy reads so this would have served as a redemption.
Still, this was a lovely contemporary depicting the reality of a teenager living with agoraphobia and OCD. Not only did the author write her voice as if she was writing about herself, as seen in her author’s note, but the portrayal of Norah’s anxiety and OCD is raw and convincing. I’d describe the writing as spiraling, just like Norah’s brain. It can feel messy and clustered, but it felt accurate to show Norah’s voice realistically and like a narrator telling us her story. It felt appropriate for how Norah is, instead of making it soft and gentle. It has its peaceful moments, but the writing is rapid for the most part. The writing may feel disjointed for some, but it felt accurate to me.
It stalks me incessantly. 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.
Even though there’s a relationship taking place, it doesn’t overpass Norah’s struggles. We see her stepping out of her comfort zone, but she never changes just because the cute boy next door wants to talk to her. I appreciated how the author kept Norah’s mental health as a big part of her. Instead of showing all the downsides of it, we’re witnessed to a few scenes that are more light-hearted. Still, Norah’s agoraphobia and OCD doesn’t form her but instead are a part of her. While these things will always be subjective and analyzed differently by everyone, I found myself nodding my head a lot of times. The anxiety portrayal was intense. Vivid and full of enough detail, as well as encompassing, but never venturing into unnecessary, gritty details. There are depictions and explanations of self-harm, which I, unfortunately, also found relatable and incredibly accurate. I especially appreciate the discussion on how differently people self-harm. I would cut myself with different sharp tools as my form of it; I had a friend who would burn his skin as a form of self-harm; I learned of others who would bruise themselves. I think people often think self-harm is only one way.
When I first started cutting in middle school, I became aware of sharp tools being used for it. I believe that’s why I never tried other methods and stuck to one. I remember my first time quite vividly, in middle school, with those annoying playground wood chips. They were the sharpest thing I could find in the moment, and the feeling of wanting to let go was so strong. I remember scratching myself with one, hard enough to hurt but not hard enough to bleed. I didn’t know how to cut, how to make a dent in my skin, how to pierce it completely. They didn’t show this on my google searches. It was just scarring and it helped take the pain away. Then I moved to more risky objects, starting with scissors. They didn’t do the job, they didn’t provide enough release, they didn’t make a difference. So I broke a shot glass we had, which I also remember doing. It finally made a dent, it finally hurt enough that it felt good. The hurt was piercing enough, like a paper cut. Yet somehow, the glass didn’t slice quickly enough, and I didn’t have the patience to cut harder. I just wanted to cut and slice myself. So I moved to my biggest enemy: a blade. Specifically, a Hart Heavy Duty Utility Knife Blade. We still have these kinds of blades, and we use it in the kitchen to scrape off the excess burns when we spill shit on the oven. It brings back bad memories, but it’s not like I can get rid of it. I remember when I saw it for the first time, in the kitchen, in the drawer with all the spices, and the decision to pick it up was done so quick. Deep down I knew this one would hurt, but it gave me what I wanted. It provided that release I gaslighted myself into believing I needed. I’d tell myself the pain was welcoming because it took away the actual pain, the pain I was running away from. In reality, it just hurt my body. It made me forget my mental health that I focused on the fact that I had blood oozing from my left arm. It got to the point where I cut the words “Help me” on it. Sometimes I think about the scars and how they disappeared. I think about how I “didn’t cut deep enough.”
Throughout my years, I learned different ways individuals hurt themselves, willingly. When I think of self-harm now, I think of how it means just that; that you’re harming yourself, no matter how or what way. We see this with Norah, and how she uses the same tool, and she cuts the same scars. We see how different mental illnesses crash here, with her OCD not allowing her to make another scar because she needs an even number, so she cuts a scar that was fading. Her depression counterattacks, making the feeling much stronger. It was eye opening seeing this, interesting even, because of how little I thought about how these unhealthy coping mechanisms were handled. Personally, I appreciated the detail given to this. Norah’s story is not one worth detailing less because it isn’t an easy one to tell. The graphics felt necessary and never overindulgent. She has similar ways of thinking, where she doesn’t think it’s self-harm because it’s an itch that she’s taking care of. I never thought this way, actually, but it reminded me of how I would convince myself it took away the problem. In reality, it created a second problem.
It’s weird, the release I get from dragging the tiny metal arm across my skin. It’s like slamming on brakes for an emergency stop; my head will go dead the second I feel the blade bite into me. All the buzzing receptors in my brain will forget the panic and concentrate on registering the hurt, the blood. It’s drastic, a last resort. But so easy. Like breathing, blinking. One beat in time. One quick slice, where nobody can see, and it all stops. This is not about dying. This is about trying to get back some control.
And despite Norah’s lack of incentive, her next-door neighbor, Luke, becomes a friend she learns to find hope through. Their friendship is heartfelt, sweet as teens can be, but never overly expressive. Luke’s patience and determination to get to know Norah is incredibly sweet; Norah’s lack of communication at first and hesitancy never makes him back away for the sake of it. They make a formal routine of watching cheesy horror movies and eating ice cream; Luke learns what Norah likes and doesn’t like; Norah begins having this urge to look presentable for him. It’s all innocent, full of first without being too visual. Norah’s support system between her mother and her therapist, Dr. Reeves, is also hopeful. Bonus points to the two of them for never faulting Norah. Also, I liked that this focused on Norah’s story, on her healing, and not on the usually, stereotypes we hear of mental health. Even though there were some highlighting-worthy quotes that mentioned society’s ignorance towards it, it never became overly expressive. Luke never looked at Norah differently for how she is; her mother never blamed her for what she couldn’t do; Dr. Reeves was incredibly kind and patient with Norah, always showing sympathy but also being good at her job. There isn’t any negativity painted on mental health and mental illness. Even with the brutal reality of it, the focus always remains on Norah.
He straightens his shoulders. “But I am with you, and I love hanging out here with you. I love talking to you, and eating ice cream with you. I love watching cheesy horror movies and staring at the stars with you. J’adore that I can now speak eight whole words of French,” he says, all smug. “Pretty soon I’ll be fluent.” I crack a smile, can’t help it. “I’d rather hang out with you than go to any concert or party.”
If you’re looking for mental health representation that isn’t overdone, an adorable teenage romance that is both sweet but not OTT, as well as one that takes over the message of the story, and a realistic contemporary featuring a 17-year-old, I highly recommend this.
August 2, 2018
“Sometimes things are going to happen and the only way out is through.”
This was my first YA romance read in quite awhile, but a number of things compelled me to pick it up:
• An agoraphobic obsessive-compulsive main character written by an own voices author.
• A wonderful mother/daughter dynamic.
• A main character named Norah!! (I'm still obsessed with Skam... but thanks to that, this show brought another positive thing into my life.)
And I continued reading when I quickly came to realize that the writing style was the exact kind I love i.e. perfectly captures those specific as hell feelings.
Just to give you a few excerpts:
“But before I hit the stairs, that tiny corner, no longer in line with the other five books, is consuming me. Like that song you heard but can’t quite remember the name of. Or that actor you’ve seen in another film but can’t for the life of you recall which one.”
I love that the author took the time to capture and explain what Norah is feeling in such a downright way.
Also this:
“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.”
What I wasn't anticipating going into this read was the feeling of relating to Norah on such a deep level. It was like seeing myself through someone else’s eyes; it's petrifying. And so I kept thinking of this quote that fits perfectly:
“We read to know we're not alone.”
― William Nicholson, Shadowlands
This review contains *spoilers*.
Initially I wanted to include in here all those moment that made me scream, “ME TOO.” But there are simply too many... (I literally kept a list of things we had in common, but gave up in the end because I kept adding on and on.) So I'll instead settle on featuring this next exchange between Norah and her superb therapist, Dr Reeves:
“I was hanging around on The Hub, that social media site I was telling you about.’ She nods, and I bite down hard on my bottom lip. ‘And all these people started pinning notes to their profiles about this tragedy in Seto.’ She knows I’m talking about the earthquake in Japan. I can tell because for a split second, grief clouds her eyes. She’s seen the reports, read the first-hand accounts, mourned over the thousands of pictures that have been published.
‘So I started reading . . .’
Her mouth turns down into a frown. ‘I thought we talked about not doing that.’
‘We did. And I was working on it.”
I have the same issue with reading tragic news because I somehow convince myself that if I leave the house, it'll happen to me... Also the reason why I never picked up Everyday Sexism again.
Also, this valuable moment changed a lot for me:
“‘Effect and outcome.’
‘Exactly. We can assume the best, but we can’t choose how people perceive us. We can, however, choose how those views affect us.”
Circling back to Norah, I really appreciated how she had such a great supporting team made out of her mother and Dr Reeves. Almost all my favourite moments were when one of the two were in scene.
“A knock at the door makes both Mom and me jump. A wave of pink wine rip-curls right out of her glass and splashes on her shirt. She uses her fingertips to wipe it away.
‘Are you expecting someone?’ I ask.
‘You mean besides Brad Pitt?’
‘Then it’s probably him.’
‘How’s my hair?’ Mom laughs as she climbs off the couch and heads for the door. She makes a ceremony of opening it and revealing our mystery visitor. ‘Ah. Norah, I think this Brad Pitt is for you.”
As you can see, I loved the beginning. My interest only wavered a bit when the focus shifted on developing the romance, particularly when I found out that the romantic interest loves the Transformers film series.
It's pretty much indisputable that Michael Bay's movies are highly sexist. To quote this article, possibly the most annoying thing in the continuing franchise is director Michael Bay's constant objectification of young women on screen. And I can’t fully appreciate someone who’s favorite movie is the definition of catering to the male gaze. I kept hoping that the author would let Luke get enlightened and hold the movie accountable for its problematic aspects... that didn't happen.
But once Transformers wasn't mentioned again, I was steadily sucked back into the book. And by then I was quietly but sturdily rooting for these two and their hang-outs at Norah's house. It was seriously one of the most fun times I've had while reading a book.
“‘I’ll go to the party,’ he says. ‘But I can come and see you immediately after, right?’
‘Yes. Yes. You absolutely can. If I’m going to be your girlfriend—’
‘Wait,’ he interjects, grinning from ear-to-ear. ‘You’re going to be my girlfriend?’
‘Yes. If you can promise me you won’t hold back just because I can’t do a thing.’
‘I promise,’ he says, and his pinkie, as light as a feather, draws a heart on the side of my hand.”
Even though Luke's a sincere and compassionate guy, he still has to seriously educate himself before committing to a serious relationship with Norah. And I'm glad we got to see that start to unfold a bit.
However, that ending left me with a lot of food for thought. Under Rose-Tainted Skies suddenly turning into a thriller left me feeling perplexed for days and actually questioning if I picked up the same read as when I started. I just... I don't even have the correct words to explain what I felt other than to say that it was not something I was anticipating.
Here's a rundown of what happened in the last thirty something pages:
• Luke kisses Norah.
• Norah isn't ready - understandably- and drifts away from him.
• They don't talk for over a month.
• Intruder breaks into into Norah's house. (I still don't know how that suddenly appeared in the plot.)
• Norah - understandably - loses her cool over it, but in the end bravely takes action.
• She then proceeds to leave the house on her literal hands and knees, and my heart almost left my body.
• And of course other things happen that I didn't even have time to sink in because I was continually flummoxed over the author's decision to end the book like that... HELP.
I just cannot understand what the hell went down and why. So in order to give myself some needed peace, I'm going to focus instead on the first half of this book and all that I loved in order to forget my confusion (and fear*). I genuinely feel like this next video.
*The day I finished reading this book, I literally had a nightmare about that intruder with the mask... dammit. This is exactly why I don't pick up thrillers; I cant handle those things, especially without warning. So that made me feel a bit more resentful towards that ending.
Note: I'm an Amazon Affiliate. If you're interested in buying Under Rose-Tainted Skies , just click on the image below to go through my link. I'll make a small commission!
Support creators you love. Buy a Coffee for nat (bookspoils) with Ko-fi.com/bookspoils
This was my first YA romance read in quite awhile, but a number of things compelled me to pick it up:
• An agoraphobic obsessive-compulsive main character written by an own voices author.
• A wonderful mother/daughter dynamic.
• A main character named Norah!! (I'm still obsessed with Skam... but thanks to that, this show brought another positive thing into my life.)
And I continued reading when I quickly came to realize that the writing style was the exact kind I love i.e. perfectly captures those specific as hell feelings.
Just to give you a few excerpts:
“But before I hit the stairs, that tiny corner, no longer in line with the other five books, is consuming me. Like that song you heard but can’t quite remember the name of. Or that actor you’ve seen in another film but can’t for the life of you recall which one.”
I love that the author took the time to capture and explain what Norah is feeling in such a downright way.
Also this:
“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.”
What I wasn't anticipating going into this read was the feeling of relating to Norah on such a deep level. It was like seeing myself through someone else’s eyes; it's petrifying. And so I kept thinking of this quote that fits perfectly:
“We read to know we're not alone.”
― William Nicholson, Shadowlands
This review contains *spoilers*.
Initially I wanted to include in here all those moment that made me scream, “ME TOO.” But there are simply too many... (I literally kept a list of things we had in common, but gave up in the end because I kept adding on and on.) So I'll instead settle on featuring this next exchange between Norah and her superb therapist, Dr Reeves:
“I was hanging around on The Hub, that social media site I was telling you about.’ She nods, and I bite down hard on my bottom lip. ‘And all these people started pinning notes to their profiles about this tragedy in Seto.’ She knows I’m talking about the earthquake in Japan. I can tell because for a split second, grief clouds her eyes. She’s seen the reports, read the first-hand accounts, mourned over the thousands of pictures that have been published.
‘So I started reading . . .’
Her mouth turns down into a frown. ‘I thought we talked about not doing that.’
‘We did. And I was working on it.”
I have the same issue with reading tragic news because I somehow convince myself that if I leave the house, it'll happen to me... Also the reason why I never picked up Everyday Sexism again.
Also, this valuable moment changed a lot for me:
“‘Effect and outcome.’
‘Exactly. We can assume the best, but we can’t choose how people perceive us. We can, however, choose how those views affect us.”
Circling back to Norah, I really appreciated how she had such a great supporting team made out of her mother and Dr Reeves. Almost all my favourite moments were when one of the two were in scene.
“A knock at the door makes both Mom and me jump. A wave of pink wine rip-curls right out of her glass and splashes on her shirt. She uses her fingertips to wipe it away.
‘Are you expecting someone?’ I ask.
‘You mean besides Brad Pitt?’
‘Then it’s probably him.’
‘How’s my hair?’ Mom laughs as she climbs off the couch and heads for the door. She makes a ceremony of opening it and revealing our mystery visitor. ‘Ah. Norah, I think this Brad Pitt is for you.”
As you can see, I loved the beginning. My interest only wavered a bit when the focus shifted on developing the romance, particularly when I found out that the romantic interest loves the Transformers film series.
It's pretty much indisputable that Michael Bay's movies are highly sexist. To quote this article, possibly the most annoying thing in the continuing franchise is director Michael Bay's constant objectification of young women on screen. And I can’t fully appreciate someone who’s favorite movie is the definition of catering to the male gaze. I kept hoping that the author would let Luke get enlightened and hold the movie accountable for its problematic aspects... that didn't happen.
But once Transformers wasn't mentioned again, I was steadily sucked back into the book. And by then I was quietly but sturdily rooting for these two and their hang-outs at Norah's house. It was seriously one of the most fun times I've had while reading a book.
“‘I’ll go to the party,’ he says. ‘But I can come and see you immediately after, right?’
‘Yes. Yes. You absolutely can. If I’m going to be your girlfriend—’
‘Wait,’ he interjects, grinning from ear-to-ear. ‘You’re going to be my girlfriend?’
‘Yes. If you can promise me you won’t hold back just because I can’t do a thing.’
‘I promise,’ he says, and his pinkie, as light as a feather, draws a heart on the side of my hand.”
Even though Luke's a sincere and compassionate guy, he still has to seriously educate himself before committing to a serious relationship with Norah. And I'm glad we got to see that start to unfold a bit.
However, that ending left me with a lot of food for thought. Under Rose-Tainted Skies suddenly turning into a thriller left me feeling perplexed for days and actually questioning if I picked up the same read as when I started. I just... I don't even have the correct words to explain what I felt other than to say that it was not something I was anticipating.
Here's a rundown of what happened in the last thirty something pages:
• Luke kisses Norah.
• Norah isn't ready - understandably- and drifts away from him.
• They don't talk for over a month.
• Intruder breaks into into Norah's house. (I still don't know how that suddenly appeared in the plot.)
• Norah - understandably - loses her cool over it, but in the end bravely takes action.
• She then proceeds to leave the house on her literal hands and knees, and my heart almost left my body.
• And of course other things happen that I didn't even have time to sink in because I was continually flummoxed over the author's decision to end the book like that... HELP.
I just cannot understand what the hell went down and why. So in order to give myself some needed peace, I'm going to focus instead on the first half of this book and all that I loved in order to forget my confusion (and fear*). I genuinely feel like this next video.
*The day I finished reading this book, I literally had a nightmare about that intruder with the mask... dammit. This is exactly why I don't pick up thrillers; I cant handle those things, especially without warning. So that made me feel a bit more resentful towards that ending.
Note: I'm an Amazon Affiliate. If you're interested in buying Under Rose-Tainted Skies , just click on the image below to go through my link. I'll make a small commission!
Support creators you love. Buy a Coffee for nat (bookspoils) with Ko-fi.com/bookspoils
February 9, 2017
This book.
This book, this book, this book.
I'm so happy that there's finally a real and honest book about agoraphobia. While I liked Finding Audrey, I didn't think it was completely realistic. The girl skips to Starbucks within a week because of a cute boy. And while there's a cute boy in Under Rose-Tainted Skies as well, he acts like a catalyst more than a cure. He's the reason Norah wants to work to get better, but he doesn't actually make her better, which I was infinitely grateful for. Pretty boys don't cure everything, you know, as much as we may want them to.
Agoraphobia is a really tricky illness. It's hard to understand if you haven't experienced it yourself. I imagine it's quite hard to write a whole book about it, because how does one write a book about a girl who can't leave her house? But the author did a really great job; Rose never felt monotonous, even though the illness is most certainly that.
Although there were a lot of instances in the book that made me smile, there were also a lot of quotes that left me misty-eyed because of how well I recognised it. How well I could relate to Norah and her situation. It's just So. Damn. Hard. And I loved how the author didn't flinch away from that. It's clear she knows what she's talking about and that really showed in her novel. The pain, the madness, the boredom, the endless scrolling through social media to look at pictures of old friends who have long since outgrown you. It's all there.
I also thought the OCD and self-harm scenes felt really realistic. Though I don't have personal experience with those myself, I thought it was important to mention to any potential readers out there.
You can imagine that someone with agoraphobia doesn't have a lot of friends. Online, I have loads of friends. Social media are my connection to the outside world, because at the moment it's pretty much impossible for me to meet up with friends or invite them over. But the few relationships Norah had, were done really nicely. I loved that moment when Norah realised that she'd become best friends with her mother, which is something that definitely sounds familiar. Her friendship with her neighbour Luke also develops really naturally (and very much awkwardly because holy crap so much awkwardness).
I really liked the writing. Most of the descriptions were really snappy and made me laugh, such as "Doubt sneaked behind me like some horny guy at a disco, which is probably the best and worst analogy I've ever heard.
All in all, this is a really important book. It's awkward and sad and honest and real and cute and true and I could probably name all the adjectives in the world. This book means a lot to me.
This book, this book, this book.
I'm so happy that there's finally a real and honest book about agoraphobia. While I liked Finding Audrey, I didn't think it was completely realistic. The girl skips to Starbucks within a week because of a cute boy. And while there's a cute boy in Under Rose-Tainted Skies as well, he acts like a catalyst more than a cure. He's the reason Norah wants to work to get better, but he doesn't actually make her better, which I was infinitely grateful for. Pretty boys don't cure everything, you know, as much as we may want them to.
Agoraphobia is a really tricky illness. It's hard to understand if you haven't experienced it yourself. I imagine it's quite hard to write a whole book about it, because how does one write a book about a girl who can't leave her house? But the author did a really great job; Rose never felt monotonous, even though the illness is most certainly that.
Although there were a lot of instances in the book that made me smile, there were also a lot of quotes that left me misty-eyed because of how well I recognised it. How well I could relate to Norah and her situation. It's just So. Damn. Hard. And I loved how the author didn't flinch away from that. It's clear she knows what she's talking about and that really showed in her novel. The pain, the madness, the boredom, the endless scrolling through social media to look at pictures of old friends who have long since outgrown you. It's all there.
I also thought the OCD and self-harm scenes felt really realistic. Though I don't have personal experience with those myself, I thought it was important to mention to any potential readers out there.
"I want to see that girl in my social media selfies. The one that smiles and never has to live up to anyone's expectations or explain why she is the way she is. But all I see in my real-life reflection are blunt smudges of shadow. Fragile. Upset. Weak. Thin. Afraid. Failing. And tired. Above everything else, tired of battling with my own mind."
You can imagine that someone with agoraphobia doesn't have a lot of friends. Online, I have loads of friends. Social media are my connection to the outside world, because at the moment it's pretty much impossible for me to meet up with friends or invite them over. But the few relationships Norah had, were done really nicely. I loved that moment when Norah realised that she'd become best friends with her mother, which is something that definitely sounds familiar. Her friendship with her neighbour Luke also develops really naturally (and very much awkwardly because holy crap so much awkwardness).
I really liked the writing. Most of the descriptions were really snappy and made me laugh, such as "Doubt sneaked behind me like some horny guy at a disco, which is probably the best and worst analogy I've ever heard.
All in all, this is a really important book. It's awkward and sad and honest and real and cute and true and I could probably name all the adjectives in the world. This book means a lot to me.
March 9, 2024
“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
November 29, 2016
"How can I expect people to empathise with a sickness they can't see?"
"You don't expect anything. You talk, you teach."
"You don't expect anything. You talk, you teach."
February 21, 2017
4.5
TRIGGER WARNING: self harm.
WARNING: this review will get super personal, if you're not interested in that I suggest skipping it.
Under Rose-Tainted Skies was an amazing book. It was similar to Everything, Everything but better. It felt a lot more realistic than Everything, Everything and had what it was lacking - a character who doesn't change purely based on a boy and a supportive circle of people. I just enjoyed this so much.
The story is from the perspective of Norah, a girl who has agoraphobia, OCD and anxiety. Not so fun for the typical teenager. As someone who was diagnosed with anxiety, depression and PTSD I found it amazing to see thought processes I have every day going through the main characters mind. My whole life I have been called both a hypochondriac and a drama queen because of how my brain wants to keep me safe. I don't branch out. I stay in a bubble and I will always think my options through if it is a dangerous scenario - this is something I'm getting with purely because my friends put me in situations that make me uncomfortable. Norah had a similar thought process of mine, processing all the worst possible case scenarios - even if they are unrealistic. I have never felt so completely represented in a book before.
However, I did have a small problem with this book. It felt that, in some way, it invalidated the fact that self-harm can be represented in other forms apart from cutting. The mum and Dr. Reeves are very open to it, but Norah was incredibly close minded and it was slightly frustrating. I'm about to get personal, so get ready, but when I would self-harm during my anxiety attacks I would scratch my skin till it bled or rip chunks of my hair out. It grounds me. Norah did something similar where she would scratch her skin until she bled, Dr. Reeves points out this, is in fact, self-harm and Norah doesn't agree because "it fades in a week."
This was my only problem, though. I loved all the characters. I felt so giddy while reading it. I loved the dynamic between both Norah and Luke. It was just such a sweet story and ultimately did have an amazing representation of mental health, in my opinion. I highly recommend it.
TRIGGER WARNING: self harm.
WARNING: this review will get super personal, if you're not interested in that I suggest skipping it.
“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.”
Under Rose-Tainted Skies was an amazing book. It was similar to Everything, Everything but better. It felt a lot more realistic than Everything, Everything and had what it was lacking - a character who doesn't change purely based on a boy and a supportive circle of people. I just enjoyed this so much.
The story is from the perspective of Norah, a girl who has agoraphobia, OCD and anxiety. Not so fun for the typical teenager. As someone who was diagnosed with anxiety, depression and PTSD I found it amazing to see thought processes I have every day going through the main characters mind. My whole life I have been called both a hypochondriac and a drama queen because of how my brain wants to keep me safe. I don't branch out. I stay in a bubble and I will always think my options through if it is a dangerous scenario - this is something I'm getting with purely because my friends put me in situations that make me uncomfortable. Norah had a similar thought process of mine, processing all the worst possible case scenarios - even if they are unrealistic. I have never felt so completely represented in a book before.
However, I did have a small problem with this book. It felt that, in some way, it invalidated the fact that self-harm can be represented in other forms apart from cutting. The mum and Dr. Reeves are very open to it, but Norah was incredibly close minded and it was slightly frustrating. I'm about to get personal, so get ready, but when I would self-harm during my anxiety attacks I would scratch my skin till it bled or rip chunks of my hair out. It grounds me. Norah did something similar where she would scratch her skin until she bled, Dr. Reeves points out this, is in fact, self-harm and Norah doesn't agree because "it fades in a week."
This was my only problem, though. I loved all the characters. I felt so giddy while reading it. I loved the dynamic between both Norah and Luke. It was just such a sweet story and ultimately did have an amazing representation of mental health, in my opinion. I highly recommend it.
February 10, 2017
Some books have flare, have that cover and synopsis that draws you in the moment you lay eyes on it. You know you want to read it, you know it's a genre you are absolutely obsessed with, but it's also a genre that makes it difficult to gauge what's going to be good, and what's going to be a pile of wasted potential. And under those breathtaking covers and beautiful synopses, you expect (and hope) to find a spellbinding novel, the same level of awesomeness the outside of the book promises...but you almost always end up disappointed, because nothing is ever as good as you wish. But I can promise you-this isn't that book.
A side effect of worrying about everything and everyone; I cry at least once a week over things that shouldn’t concern me.
It may not be for everyone. And, hey, you might even find it repulsive. I can only assure you one thing-this book feels wholly authentic, and I find that to be one of the hardest things to get past these days. Finding an authentic novel that not only shows you a deep, introspective look at a mental illness, but also lets you see that people understand, that people can be kind, that falling in love is a possible thing, no matter the restrictions or stipulations, is so very rare, and it's just as captivating as any other love story. I find that fantastic and just plain beautiful.
I just want to have proof that I can think straight, that I am more than the girl who believes that odd numbers will cause a catastrophe.
This story felt so unique to me. I know, I know, mental illness books have been handled well before and so have realistic fiction-gasp!-but the depth to this story...it touched me. And, even more than that, the romance was handled so delicately. I never once felt forced into their relationship. I never once felt uncomfortable (well, aside from when Norah felt uncomfortable). And seeing Luke's journey from clueless, to informed, to understanding, helpful love interest was a true transformation-and, frankly, also realistic.
Perfection is a feeling; you’ll know it if you’ve ever questioned the competency of your penmanship before writing on the first page of a new notebook.
He didn't understand-not at all. He said he did. He really wanted to...but he didn't truly understand until it all fell apart, until he saw how horrifying it was for Norah, how terrifying each and every day was for her if things didn't go just as she needed them to. He didn't understand-not at all...but he figured it out, for her.
“Do you need some help?”
I’m drenched in shadow, and boots with steel toecaps take three steps onto the porch. Three steps. That’s awkward. He leaves his back leg trailing behind. I wish he would bring it forward and make it four steps even. My eye twitches.
*This did not happen...but they did hang out on the bed and it was so cute so I had to use one of these!*
Look. Nothing goes perfect in this story, and that's frankly the best part. Life doesn't come wrapped up neatly in a perfect little bow, and not everyone gets their happily ever after. It takes work. It takes trust. It takes friendship....and it takes a strong support group surrounding you, people who will stand by your side no matter how tough life gets, and I just loved that about this story. I even felt like there was quite a bit of tough love in this story-Norah's therapist didn't let her off the hook, ever, and she constantly tried to push her out of her comfort zone.
It’s possible I’ve ingested enough of my own fingers to call myself a cannibal. They’re so chewed I have trouble straightening them. I very much doubt every girl my age does this. This is perhaps bordering more on my unhealthy levels of panic.
Funny, witty, wholly gripping, and with an adorable romance that stole my heart and took my breath away, this story sunk its claws into me from the moment I started it. I saw this book and just knew it was going to be special...and for once? I was right. It's refreshing to pick up a story and feel not only giddiness, happiness, elation, true love...but also a life altering reality that many people live through every day. To read about something that hinders someone else's life to the point of almost ruining it, to read about them and the support they receive but also how hard it still is for them. It broke my heart in the best possible way... and patched it back up again.
I hope others will find the same love and enjoyment from this book as I did, but if not, I'll cherish it all by my lonesome-and I won't feel the least bit guilty about it.
For more of my reviews, please visit:
November 10, 2017
“Just pull yourself together! I mean, it is all in your head. Why can’t you just get over yourself?”
I loved this little book……this is the first time I have read anything related to mental health issues. And it’s so different from almost anything I have read before. Yes….It’s a guy meets girl story but well…the guy meets girl when she is fishing for groceries at her front porch :P
Its a story about a 17 year old girl named Norah…who suffers from anxiety, Agoraphobia and OCD. Agoraphobia ….what’s that now?? It is fear of crowded places or public places…basically any place outside her house. Norah has won the lottery in the mental illness department .So, as a result of this trifecta…she is confined to her home. The fear is so extreme that she is incapable of taking even a single step outside her house, even to get the groceries when they are dropped off at her front porch! Struggling to fetch her grocery with a stick, she meets Luke. How can he not fall for Norah…I myself fell in love with her!! :)..She is humorous, super sarcastic –master of one-liners.
The entire story is told in her voice…so we as readers get a chance to be in her head all time. Yes, the situation she is in …not funny at all…But the writing style is so witty that there is never a dull moment. There is romance in this book but not in the usual sense and it takes a back seat for the most part. It’s all about Norah and her fight with her demons.
I can tell that the author has put her soul in this one. And I assume that this is a very accurate depiction of Norah’s situation because the author herself has suffered from these crippling conditions(as she mentions in 'the Acknowledgement' section ) . Norah’s daily struggles are captured so well that you can tell it was told by someone who has been through these struggles herself. Overall, it’s a good book …very well written….and I look forward to reading more of her works in future. :)
I loved this little book……this is the first time I have read anything related to mental health issues. And it’s so different from almost anything I have read before. Yes….It’s a guy meets girl story but well…the guy meets girl when she is fishing for groceries at her front porch :P
Its a story about a 17 year old girl named Norah…who suffers from anxiety, Agoraphobia and OCD. Agoraphobia ….what’s that now?? It is fear of crowded places or public places…basically any place outside her house. Norah has won the lottery in the mental illness department .So, as a result of this trifecta…she is confined to her home. The fear is so extreme that she is incapable of taking even a single step outside her house, even to get the groceries when they are dropped off at her front porch! Struggling to fetch her grocery with a stick, she meets Luke. How can he not fall for Norah…I myself fell in love with her!! :)..She is humorous, super sarcastic –master of one-liners.
The entire story is told in her voice…so we as readers get a chance to be in her head all time. Yes, the situation she is in …not funny at all…But the writing style is so witty that there is never a dull moment. There is romance in this book but not in the usual sense and it takes a back seat for the most part. It’s all about Norah and her fight with her demons.
I can tell that the author has put her soul in this one. And I assume that this is a very accurate depiction of Norah’s situation because the author herself has suffered from these crippling conditions(as she mentions in 'the Acknowledgement' section ) . Norah’s daily struggles are captured so well that you can tell it was told by someone who has been through these struggles herself. Overall, it’s a good book …very well written….and I look forward to reading more of her works in future. :)
March 21, 2017
4.5 stars!
Trigger Warning: Self Harm
"Mental health is usually the last place people go when they think about someone being sick.”
In general, I pretty much avoid contemporaries - especially those centred around mental health. I'm always incredibly worried that mental health would be treated inappropriately and really be more harmful than helpful. I originally heard about this book and how it dealt with similar topics like in Everything, Everything - which is not a good book in my opinion. I was pretty hesitant to want to read this book because of that fact, but Amber then read it and really enjoyed it. My tastes are always pretty similar to Amber's and I know that if she recommends me a contemporary, there's a good reason behind it - especially since she knows I don't like many contemporaries.
I went into this book with pretty low expectations and I was honestly shocked about how good this book was. It's real. It's raw. And most of all, it's important. It deals with serious topics such as agoraphobia, anxiety, OCD and self harm. I personally have a very limited understanding of agoraphobia (tbh I thought it was a fear of spiders) and reading a book about it by an author who suffers from it is incredibly refreshing. I feel like when mental health is concerned, you can't talk about it or do it justice unless you've suffered yourself. I found the OCD, anxiety and self harm aspects extremely realistic and there were so many scenes that I saw myself in Norah. I could completely relate to what she was dealing with and where her thought processes were coming through and it was honestly so refreshing. I hate when mental health is done incorrectly and this book just gives me so much hope for future books about mental health.
"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."
Honestly, my favourite part was that, even though there was a love interest and a romantic plot, love did not cure all. Luke is an incredible love interest and is so supportive but he doesn't attempt to cure her. I can't even tell you how sick I am of books that deal with mental health being easily solved by love. Love does not cure mental illnesses. Sure, they can definitely help but they do not cure it.
Mental health should never be used as a fun plot point that can be easily solved. Norah is sick when we meet her and by the end, she is still sick but slowly recovering. This is what it's really like.
My favourite scene of the book is when Norah and her therapist discuss how Luke could react to her confessions about her mental health. I personally have had 2 different reactions (both good and bad) to sharing my mental health journey and it honestly still leaves me intimidated to share it with some people. Who knows what people's reactions are going to be? Some people are just completely unaccepting of mental health. When you tell someone you're sick, they expect you to say that you've got a broken bone or something along those lines, not that you're suffering from mental health problems.
I'm sorry for the mess that is this review but I can't express enough how IMPORTANT this book is. I would recommend it to everyone. This is the type of mental health books we need. Please let 2017 be the end of 'love cures all problems' plot line.
Trigger Warning: Self Harm
"Mental health is usually the last place people go when they think about someone being sick.”
In general, I pretty much avoid contemporaries - especially those centred around mental health. I'm always incredibly worried that mental health would be treated inappropriately and really be more harmful than helpful. I originally heard about this book and how it dealt with similar topics like in Everything, Everything - which is not a good book in my opinion. I was pretty hesitant to want to read this book because of that fact, but Amber then read it and really enjoyed it. My tastes are always pretty similar to Amber's and I know that if she recommends me a contemporary, there's a good reason behind it - especially since she knows I don't like many contemporaries.
I went into this book with pretty low expectations and I was honestly shocked about how good this book was. It's real. It's raw. And most of all, it's important. It deals with serious topics such as agoraphobia, anxiety, OCD and self harm. I personally have a very limited understanding of agoraphobia (tbh I thought it was a fear of spiders) and reading a book about it by an author who suffers from it is incredibly refreshing. I feel like when mental health is concerned, you can't talk about it or do it justice unless you've suffered yourself. I found the OCD, anxiety and self harm aspects extremely realistic and there were so many scenes that I saw myself in Norah. I could completely relate to what she was dealing with and where her thought processes were coming through and it was honestly so refreshing. I hate when mental health is done incorrectly and this book just gives me so much hope for future books about mental health.
"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."
Honestly, my favourite part was that, even though there was a love interest and a romantic plot, love did not cure all. Luke is an incredible love interest and is so supportive but he doesn't attempt to cure her. I can't even tell you how sick I am of books that deal with mental health being easily solved by love. Love does not cure mental illnesses. Sure, they can definitely help but they do not cure it.
Mental health should never be used as a fun plot point that can be easily solved. Norah is sick when we meet her and by the end, she is still sick but slowly recovering. This is what it's really like.
My favourite scene of the book is when Norah and her therapist discuss how Luke could react to her confessions about her mental health. I personally have had 2 different reactions (both good and bad) to sharing my mental health journey and it honestly still leaves me intimidated to share it with some people. Who knows what people's reactions are going to be? Some people are just completely unaccepting of mental health. When you tell someone you're sick, they expect you to say that you've got a broken bone or something along those lines, not that you're suffering from mental health problems.
I'm sorry for the mess that is this review but I can't express enough how IMPORTANT this book is. I would recommend it to everyone. This is the type of mental health books we need. Please let 2017 be the end of 'love cures all problems' plot line.
September 17, 2020
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.
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.
July 6, 2022
Please check the trigger warnings before reading this book especially if you suffer with mental health (particularly ocd, panic attacks, anxiety or self harm). In my opinion, I feel like the ocd representation was very accurate from someone who has ocd herself (I have contamination ocd). The intrusive thoughts and the need to partake in compulsions even though we don't want to was well shown throughout the book. When I first went into Under Rose Tainted Skies I didn't expect it to be as heavy as it was. I think that if I was in a worse place with my ocd this book would have been very triggering but since I'm on the road to recovery, it was easier to get through. Luke was great and a great support for Norah.
November 20, 2017
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
“Why do people keep telling me to be myself? Honestly. It’s like they’ve never even met me.”
Every now and then a certain someone takes a break from training monkeys in order to send me little treasures I didn’t even know I wanted until I received them. Under A Rose Tainted Sky is one of those. When I received a message telling me I had some goodies waiting for me if I would get off airplane mode (said monkey trainer also has to run interference in order to save me from my own stupid) I had much excite. Especially when I discovered this one was about someone with agoraphobia. Even my husband reacted like so when I told him what my book bestie had selected for me . . . .
What can I say????
So about the book. THIS is what that TurtlesFUCKING SUCK! All The Way Down should have been. But NO. John Green will sell eleventy trillion copies of a giant pile of turtle suckage and this little gem will sell a handful. And don’t even give me the “John Green struggles with the same thing as his MC” argument, because THIS author does to. Now I’m going to let the book do the talking from here out so I don’t have an aneurysm.
Meet Norah – a 17-year old agoraphobic who leaves her house only to attend therapy. She is well aware that she needs to work on controlling her fears, else she . . . .
“die cold and alone. Hidden in my room while strangers post messages of condolence on my social media and rabid cats eat my decomposing corpse.”
But managing her anxiety is easier said than done . . . .
“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 be as small as possible so it stops being intrusive.”
And when things get too overwhelming, sometimes she needs an escape . . . .
“It’s drastic, a last resort. But so easy. Like breathing, blinking. One beat in time. One quick slice, where nobody can see, and it all stops. This is not about dying. This is about trying to get back some control.”
When Luke moves next door – and then continues to pop up on Norah’s front steps, laughing at her snarky commentary, withholding judgment regarding her lack of leaving the house – Norah is confronted with a new challenge . . . .
“TV didn’t adequately prepare me for talking to boys in real life.”
Norah is well-aware her issues are quite the inhibitor when it comes to romance, but it doesn’t stop her from asking . . . .
“Why can’t I be normal? Why can’t I think the way normal people do? I so desperately would have liked to have him as a friend.”
What Norah doesn’t realize is . . . . .
“There isn’t much you miss when you’re really looking.”
If you want a different take on the “boy next door” story – this one might be a winner. I sure loved it . . . .
“Why do people keep telling me to be myself? Honestly. It’s like they’ve never even met me.”
Every now and then a certain someone takes a break from training monkeys in order to send me little treasures I didn’t even know I wanted until I received them. Under A Rose Tainted Sky is one of those. When I received a message telling me I had some goodies waiting for me if I would get off airplane mode (said monkey trainer also has to run interference in order to save me from my own stupid) I had much excite. Especially when I discovered this one was about someone with agoraphobia. Even my husband reacted like so when I told him what my book bestie had selected for me . . . .
What can I say????
So about the book. THIS is what that Turtles
Meet Norah – a 17-year old agoraphobic who leaves her house only to attend therapy. She is well aware that she needs to work on controlling her fears, else she . . . .
“die cold and alone. Hidden in my room while strangers post messages of condolence on my social media and rabid cats eat my decomposing corpse.”
But managing her anxiety is easier said than done . . . .
“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 be as small as possible so it stops being intrusive.”
And when things get too overwhelming, sometimes she needs an escape . . . .
“It’s drastic, a last resort. But so easy. Like breathing, blinking. One beat in time. One quick slice, where nobody can see, and it all stops. This is not about dying. This is about trying to get back some control.”
When Luke moves next door – and then continues to pop up on Norah’s front steps, laughing at her snarky commentary, withholding judgment regarding her lack of leaving the house – Norah is confronted with a new challenge . . . .
“TV didn’t adequately prepare me for talking to boys in real life.”
Norah is well-aware her issues are quite the inhibitor when it comes to romance, but it doesn’t stop her from asking . . . .
“Why can’t I be normal? Why can’t I think the way normal people do? I so desperately would have liked to have him as a friend.”
What Norah doesn’t realize is . . . . .
“There isn’t much you miss when you’re really looking.”
If you want a different take on the “boy next door” story – this one might be a winner. I sure loved it . . . .
December 30, 2018
Wow!! I totally did not see that coming at the end. I love Norah and her mum and their relationship.
March 27, 2017
This is a heartbreaking and accurate account of a young life lived under the burden of mental illness. This is a must read for anyone looking to further their understanding of mental health and to read from more diverse perspectives. Despite the emotional nature of the tale, I found hope buried in the darkness and a reality that, however painful, was a necessary one to read about.
February 9, 2018
BR WITH MY BBY MAGGIE WHO I'LL TAG
I FINISHED AND IM CRYING I LOVE THIS. BEST MENTAL HEALTH REP EVER. IM CRYING.
REVIEW TO COME
----
okay guys so far I'm halfway and honestly, THANK YOU GORNALL for this amazing mental illness rep and not making meds and therapists seem fucking evil and bad with a CUTE ASS ROMANCEE
I FINISHED AND IM CRYING I LOVE THIS. BEST MENTAL HEALTH REP EVER. IM CRYING.
REVIEW TO COME
----
okay guys so far I'm halfway and honestly, THANK YOU GORNALL for this amazing mental illness rep and not making meds and therapists seem fucking evil and bad with a CUTE ASS ROMANCEE
September 8, 2017
I am not diagnosed with OCD or agoraphobia so I cannot comment on the representation but I enjoyed this a lot. :)
March 29, 2023
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Genre: Contemporary + Young Adult
"Under Rose-Tainted Skies" is a young adult novel that follows the story of a young girl named Norah who is 17 years old and has agoraphobia, which is a form of anxiety disease that causes the sufferer to be scared of leaving their home. Because Norah's illness is so severe, she hasn't attended school in years, and she relies on both her mother and a therapist for assistance in coping with her symptoms.
In spite of all of her difficulties, Norah is able to find peace and comfort in her love of music and literature. Reading and writing are her primary hobbies. When a new family moves in next door, Norah gets pulled toward Luke, and the two of them eventually form a profound bond. The more these two get to know each other, the harder it gets for Norah as her anxiety gets out of control and she starts having panic attacks. Their relationship suffers until Luke gets to know Norah’s struggles.
I think the author has successfully depicted the mental health issues in this book. I feel this sensitive portrayal will resonate with many readers. I also appreciate the realistic depiction of the support and kind of therapy the main protagonist was getting from her therapist. All this, along with the focus on themes of self-discovery, family support, and friendship, makes the reading worthwhile. However, to me, this felt like a story that I had already read several times. It is a good one, but not something new. The plot of a girl who can’t leave the house and falls for the new neighbor kid seems to be something I have read a lot about already. One example that comes to mind is “Everything Everything”. I’m not sure which novel is older, but I have already read this story. I was fine with the ending as it felt more realistic, but some readers may not be OK with the unresolved conclusion. Overall, this book has a decent story with an excellent depiction of mental health.
Genre: Contemporary + Young Adult
"Under Rose-Tainted Skies" is a young adult novel that follows the story of a young girl named Norah who is 17 years old and has agoraphobia, which is a form of anxiety disease that causes the sufferer to be scared of leaving their home. Because Norah's illness is so severe, she hasn't attended school in years, and she relies on both her mother and a therapist for assistance in coping with her symptoms.
In spite of all of her difficulties, Norah is able to find peace and comfort in her love of music and literature. Reading and writing are her primary hobbies. When a new family moves in next door, Norah gets pulled toward Luke, and the two of them eventually form a profound bond. The more these two get to know each other, the harder it gets for Norah as her anxiety gets out of control and she starts having panic attacks. Their relationship suffers until Luke gets to know Norah’s struggles.
I think the author has successfully depicted the mental health issues in this book. I feel this sensitive portrayal will resonate with many readers. I also appreciate the realistic depiction of the support and kind of therapy the main protagonist was getting from her therapist. All this, along with the focus on themes of self-discovery, family support, and friendship, makes the reading worthwhile. However, to me, this felt like a story that I had already read several times. It is a good one, but not something new. The plot of a girl who can’t leave the house and falls for the new neighbor kid seems to be something I have read a lot about already. One example that comes to mind is “Everything Everything”. I’m not sure which novel is older, but I have already read this story. I was fine with the ending as it felt more realistic, but some readers may not be OK with the unresolved conclusion. Overall, this book has a decent story with an excellent depiction of mental health.
October 10, 2017
4 Stars for Under Rose-Tainted Skies
Trigger Warning: Self Harm
"When people say "weird", what they really mean is "different". And difference has never been a bad thing" - Luke
This was everything.
Lately I've been wanting to read more books related to Mental Health and this has a few different factors which include: Agoraphobia, OCD, Anxiety and Depression. This may get slightly personal but sometimes I think it's good to speak about your own experiences and to know that you're not alone, I can't speak on behalf of all of these Mental Health areas but I can speak about my own experiences for a few. For roughly 10 years I've had Anxiety and Depression and the way in which it is described in this book was just so relatable. At times I found it difficult to leave my house, I suffered from Insomnia because of my anxiety. At times I hated myself and would often blame myself for what was happening and often felt alone and scared to speak out about it. Some thing really really struck home. Previously mentioned in one of my updates a character says to Norah "well you don't look ill" it's one of those things that you're like just because I don't look a certain way doesn't mean that something isn't happening. In the book, Dr Reeves puts it perfectly "You don't expect anything, You talk, you teach" I think what's make this book so much more is that the author has actually dealt with this and is therefore able to show what it's actually like.
What I enjoyed is that in some books you can find that the MC gets a love interest and then suddenly their recovery is centred on this, this isn't the case for this book. Luke does support Norah but it's not as though he is there solely to make her get back to her "normal" self. It was just so refreshing to see and I really really appreciated this!
I don't want to go too much into characters; we have Norah and her mum, Luke and Dr Reeves for the majority of the book. All for characters are so well done. I loved how patient Her mum, Dr Reeves and Luke were. My heart broke for Norah to know that at times she hated herself.
What I liked?
- How it just dealt with everything, the fact the Noarh knew she wasn't perfect was just so refreshing!
- LOTR reference!
- The cute little notes
- I loved Norahs mum!
What I didn't like?
- The ending seemed slightly rushed
- I don't know how to word this, the pacing seemed to be a bit all over the place...
There were some really really important factors in this book, that I don't want to post as spoilers, this is definitely a book I'd recommend! Sorry if this review is a bit all over the place, it's difficult to review something like this when parts of the book can be so relatable, and others worlds apart.
See anxiety doesn't just stop. You can have nice moments, minutes where it shrinks, but it does't leave.
Trigger Warning: Self Harm
"When people say "weird", what they really mean is "different". And difference has never been a bad thing" - Luke
This was everything.
Lately I've been wanting to read more books related to Mental Health and this has a few different factors which include: Agoraphobia, OCD, Anxiety and Depression. This may get slightly personal but sometimes I think it's good to speak about your own experiences and to know that you're not alone, I can't speak on behalf of all of these Mental Health areas but I can speak about my own experiences for a few. For roughly 10 years I've had Anxiety and Depression and the way in which it is described in this book was just so relatable. At times I found it difficult to leave my house, I suffered from Insomnia because of my anxiety. At times I hated myself and would often blame myself for what was happening and often felt alone and scared to speak out about it. Some thing really really struck home. Previously mentioned in one of my updates a character says to Norah "well you don't look ill" it's one of those things that you're like just because I don't look a certain way doesn't mean that something isn't happening. In the book, Dr Reeves puts it perfectly "You don't expect anything, You talk, you teach" I think what's make this book so much more is that the author has actually dealt with this and is therefore able to show what it's actually like.
What I enjoyed is that in some books you can find that the MC gets a love interest and then suddenly their recovery is centred on this, this isn't the case for this book. Luke does support Norah but it's not as though he is there solely to make her get back to her "normal" self. It was just so refreshing to see and I really really appreciated this!
I don't want to go too much into characters; we have Norah and her mum, Luke and Dr Reeves for the majority of the book. All for characters are so well done. I loved how patient Her mum, Dr Reeves and Luke were. My heart broke for Norah to know that at times she hated herself.
What I liked?
- How it just dealt with everything, the fact the Noarh knew she wasn't perfect was just so refreshing!
- LOTR reference!
- The cute little notes
- I loved Norahs mum!
What I didn't like?
- The ending seemed slightly rushed
- I don't know how to word this, the pacing seemed to be a bit all over the place...
There were some really really important factors in this book, that I don't want to post as spoilers, this is definitely a book I'd recommend! Sorry if this review is a bit all over the place, it's difficult to review something like this when parts of the book can be so relatable, and others worlds apart.
See anxiety doesn't just stop. You can have nice moments, minutes where it shrinks, but it does't leave.
September 7, 2017
5 stars
Since I'm the laziest person you'll meet this is the same review as the one on my blog lol
This book was the best Mental Health representation I have ever read.
Louise Gornall manages to paint such a vivid image in our mind about what Norah goes through, and how a person who has Agoraphobia’s mind works. I realize that people without the illness can never realize the full extent of it, of how it works, and we can’t even pretend to understand it, but the way Louise Gornall wrote this book, the way she describes it, and her writing style and depth in the illness, makes me believe for the period I am reading this book, that I am Norah.
The synopsis is painted out to be a normal romance contemporary novel, and how love overcomes mental illness, but it’s nothing like that. Love does not overcome mental illness, just because you meet someone who you love, doesnt mean your illness decides to say “Oh okay this person found love, time for me to leave now.” No, this book is about how Norah learns how to deal with her illness, with a short love story in the side. By the end of the book Norah doesn’t “get rid of” her illness, no, she still has it, but she’s trying to learn how to deal with it.
The mother daughter relationship in this was perfection. I absolutely loved how close Norah and her mom are, it was a breath of fresh air after the whole “parents don’t understand anything” teenager cliche trope that goes around in most contemporaries.
And this is actually the first time I have read a therapist relationship where the person, receives comfort and solace from their therapist, instead of hating their guts and wishing they could shut up, and I loved it.
There was nothing in this book that I disliked or hated, I loved everything. I loved the way everything was described, how the characters were, the romance, the representation.
This book is super short if you want to read it and I’d highly recommend it to everyone.
Since I'm the laziest person you'll meet this is the same review as the one on my blog lol
This book was the best Mental Health representation I have ever read.
Louise Gornall manages to paint such a vivid image in our mind about what Norah goes through, and how a person who has Agoraphobia’s mind works. I realize that people without the illness can never realize the full extent of it, of how it works, and we can’t even pretend to understand it, but the way Louise Gornall wrote this book, the way she describes it, and her writing style and depth in the illness, makes me believe for the period I am reading this book, that I am Norah.
The synopsis is painted out to be a normal romance contemporary novel, and how love overcomes mental illness, but it’s nothing like that. Love does not overcome mental illness, just because you meet someone who you love, doesnt mean your illness decides to say “Oh okay this person found love, time for me to leave now.” No, this book is about how Norah learns how to deal with her illness, with a short love story in the side. By the end of the book Norah doesn’t “get rid of” her illness, no, she still has it, but she’s trying to learn how to deal with it.
The mother daughter relationship in this was perfection. I absolutely loved how close Norah and her mom are, it was a breath of fresh air after the whole “parents don’t understand anything” teenager cliche trope that goes around in most contemporaries.
And this is actually the first time I have read a therapist relationship where the person, receives comfort and solace from their therapist, instead of hating their guts and wishing they could shut up, and I loved it.
There was nothing in this book that I disliked or hated, I loved everything. I loved the way everything was described, how the characters were, the romance, the representation.
This book is super short if you want to read it and I’d highly recommend it to everyone.
December 22, 2016
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!
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!
January 21, 2016
So Under Rose-tainted Skies is the most beautiful,yet unflinching, depiction of Agoraphobia I've ever read. Uncompromising in its truth. Also astounded at how Louise makes a book set entirely in one house so compelling.
April 28, 2019
Read this review and others on my blog!
I read pretty much exclusively fiction, but even so, a good majority of the books I read are for research purposes, with the aim of informing and improving my writing. I might pick up a book that I think would be a good comp title, reread a book to study an author's voice or methods for conjuring a specific mood, or even read a new release just to stay in touch with current literary trends. All this is why I basically abandoned reading fantasy last year—I just had a lot of books to read for research, the majority of them great, but none of them fantasy.
So it was for research purposes that Louise Gornall's Under Rose-Tainted Skies came onto my radar. I was considering including a character with agoraphobia in my new "Beauty and the Beast and aliens" WIP, so I wanted to get a sense of how this condition is tackled in fiction, especially in YA fiction. Gornall herself drew on her own experience and struggles in writing this book, and it shows—there is nothing in this book that is not raw and authentic. I read it in less than twenty-four hours—simply could not put it down. The MC is absolutely compelling, a character you can't help but root for as she deals with OCD, anxiety, and agoraphobia, all while building a relationship with the handsome, awkward boy next door who sees past her mental health struggles. Voice is everything in this book, and Gornall lets us stay tapped into the MC's thoughts like we're a neuron in her brain. She's flawed, funny, likable, and, above all, real. You can see how she comes to have the thought patterns she does—I found this fascinating, especially because I recognized some of my own unhealthy thought patterns taken to the next level by the MC. It really gave me pause and helped me examine my own headspace.
You might be wondering if a book spent pretty much entirely in the MC's house would grow stale, but nothing here is boring. In fact, this is one of those rare reads where I finished it and felt that sad, lonely ache, where you just want to go back to page one and start the story over again. Suffice it to say that this is a five star read.
I also want to briefly laud the author's treatment of the MC's relationship with her mother. I adore realistic parents in YA, and the relationship here was just perfect—nothing forced or scripted.
In the end, I did make the decision that an agoraphobic character isn't the right fit for my book. Anxiety or OCD might make an appearance, not sure yet, but definitely not agoraphobia. And I am so happy to have been able to read this book to make an informed decision about that. I will absolutely be picking up future works by this author, and I recommend Under Rose-Tainted Skies for... everyone! Everyone should read this book! Right now!
I read pretty much exclusively fiction, but even so, a good majority of the books I read are for research purposes, with the aim of informing and improving my writing. I might pick up a book that I think would be a good comp title, reread a book to study an author's voice or methods for conjuring a specific mood, or even read a new release just to stay in touch with current literary trends. All this is why I basically abandoned reading fantasy last year—I just had a lot of books to read for research, the majority of them great, but none of them fantasy.
So it was for research purposes that Louise Gornall's Under Rose-Tainted Skies came onto my radar. I was considering including a character with agoraphobia in my new "Beauty and the Beast and aliens" WIP, so I wanted to get a sense of how this condition is tackled in fiction, especially in YA fiction. Gornall herself drew on her own experience and struggles in writing this book, and it shows—there is nothing in this book that is not raw and authentic. I read it in less than twenty-four hours—simply could not put it down. The MC is absolutely compelling, a character you can't help but root for as she deals with OCD, anxiety, and agoraphobia, all while building a relationship with the handsome, awkward boy next door who sees past her mental health struggles. Voice is everything in this book, and Gornall lets us stay tapped into the MC's thoughts like we're a neuron in her brain. She's flawed, funny, likable, and, above all, real. You can see how she comes to have the thought patterns she does—I found this fascinating, especially because I recognized some of my own unhealthy thought patterns taken to the next level by the MC. It really gave me pause and helped me examine my own headspace.
You might be wondering if a book spent pretty much entirely in the MC's house would grow stale, but nothing here is boring. In fact, this is one of those rare reads where I finished it and felt that sad, lonely ache, where you just want to go back to page one and start the story over again. Suffice it to say that this is a five star read.
I also want to briefly laud the author's treatment of the MC's relationship with her mother. I adore realistic parents in YA, and the relationship here was just perfect—nothing forced or scripted.
In the end, I did make the decision that an agoraphobic character isn't the right fit for my book. Anxiety or OCD might make an appearance, not sure yet, but definitely not agoraphobia. And I am so happy to have been able to read this book to make an informed decision about that. I will absolutely be picking up future works by this author, and I recommend Under Rose-Tainted Skies for... everyone! Everyone should read this book! Right now!
July 20, 2020
Trigger warning: mental health, self harm, hospitalisation of a parent, .
20/7/2020
On reread, I'm bumping this down to 4 stars. Not because there's anything wrong with it, just because the pacing felt...a little wonky. There's a lot of build up at the start and then the middle just kind of plods along setting up Luke as a character and their developing friendship. And then the end is ALL ACTION ALL THE TIME and it was a little abrupt for my liking. But it's still a solid Own Voices read!
14/2/2017
4.5 stars.
Norah has severe anxiety, OCD and agoraphobia, to the point where she basically only leaves the house to see her psychologist. Then Luke moves in next door and Norah's mother ends up in hospital, leaving her alone in the house and her mental health starts to deteriorate.
This book reminded me of Everything, Everything in a lot of ways. Except better, because a) Norah is actually sick and b) it's Own Voices.
I had a lot of feelings for Norah. She's got so much personality, she feels trapped by her mental health, she mourns the life she used to have, she has dreams for the future, she wants to be with Luke but has no idea how to go about it or if her anxiety and OCD will let her.
Luke was adorable. He understands that Norah's mental illness isn't something that she can just get over, and he respects the boundaries she puts in place. And the one time he DOESN'T respect those boundaries? He goes off and does research and apologises repeatedly for his actions, and it's great.
Basically, the representation was A+, the characters were delightful, there was a parent who was SUPER supportive of her daughter, the dynamic between Norah and Luke was adorable and fabulous, and while I saw the ending coming a mile away, I didn't really care because it was so stinking cute and heartbreaking and just flat out wonderful.
20/7/2020
On reread, I'm bumping this down to 4 stars. Not because there's anything wrong with it, just because the pacing felt...a little wonky. There's a lot of build up at the start and then the middle just kind of plods along setting up Luke as a character and their developing friendship. And then the end is ALL ACTION ALL THE TIME and it was a little abrupt for my liking. But it's still a solid Own Voices read!
14/2/2017
4.5 stars.
Norah has severe anxiety, OCD and agoraphobia, to the point where she basically only leaves the house to see her psychologist. Then Luke moves in next door and Norah's mother ends up in hospital, leaving her alone in the house and her mental health starts to deteriorate.
This book reminded me of Everything, Everything in a lot of ways. Except better, because a) Norah is actually sick and b) it's Own Voices.
I had a lot of feelings for Norah. She's got so much personality, she feels trapped by her mental health, she mourns the life she used to have, she has dreams for the future, she wants to be with Luke but has no idea how to go about it or if her anxiety and OCD will let her.
Luke was adorable. He understands that Norah's mental illness isn't something that she can just get over, and he respects the boundaries she puts in place. And the one time he DOESN'T respect those boundaries? He goes off and does research and apologises repeatedly for his actions, and it's great.
Basically, the representation was A+, the characters were delightful, there was a parent who was SUPER supportive of her daughter, the dynamic between Norah and Luke was adorable and fabulous, and while I saw the ending coming a mile away, I didn't really care because it was so stinking cute and heartbreaking and just flat out wonderful.
March 2, 2017
review also posted on Wordpress! spoiler-free review!
Under Rose-Tainted Skies is about a girl named Norah who struggles with agoraphobia and OCD. The premise of this is similar to Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon, but without the ableist representation (you can find more information about that here). This book is an #ownvoices story because Louise Gornall, the author, is also agoraphobic. Two reviewers who struggle with mental illnesses similar to Norah's agree that the representation is accurate (as you can read here and here).
This book also deals with self-harm, eating disorders and depression, so be aware of that in case that triggers you. I did find the descriptions of self-harm and fainting relatable.
Unfortunately, that wasn't enough for me to love this. Contemporary romances are not my favourites and Under Rose-Tainted Skies is no exception. Thankfully, however, there was no instalove and mental illness isn't "cured" once the characters fall in love.
Furthermore, I didn't love the writing style. Because of Norah's mental illness, she gets distracted easily during conversations. Which interrupted the conversations quite often. While I completely understand why the author did that, it wasn't enjoyable to read. Once I finished a chapter, I put the book down for several minutes. This book just couldn't keep me intrigued. I also spotted some spelling mistakes and things didn't add up. Luke's phone was being fixed, yet he was using his phone to talk to someone. This didn't cause any major problems while reading, but I did find it annoying because it occurred more than once.
My main complaint has to be the lack of female friendships. Girls are called "chicks" multiple times and Amy, the only female character we learn about besides Norah's mother, is basically described as a rich, blonde, popular bimbo. Naturally I understand that Norah doesn't allow a lot of people in her life, but I would think that the internet could be a solution for that. If she were to make friends with people online, perhaps that wouldn't trigger her agoraphobia.
Even though I didn't love this book, I'm thankful it exists. The quote I used at the beginning proves there are stigmas of mental illness, so it is important that books represent it in an accurate way. Still, I wish more books focussed on recovery instead of primarily the struggles that are caused by a mental illness. Books like Under Rose-Tainted Skies end on a positive note, but the rest of the book is filled with anxiety, depression, etc. Which is okay, because those stories have to be told, but I wish there were as many books out there that focus on recovery. I'd for instance rather read a book about someone who is recovering from anorexia than someone who struggles with it throughout a book and only seeks help at the end.
conclusion: Under Rose-Tainted Skies is an enjoyable read. I would definitely recommend it to anyone with mental illnesses or people who want to read an accurate portrayal of one.
✿ You can also find me on Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Pinterest and Wordpress! ✿
"I've heard You don't look mentally ill at least a half a dozen times in the past four years, a couple of those times from my former friends. I blame the media, stereotyping "mental illness" and calling every murderer since Manson crazy. People always seem to be expecting wide eyes and a kitchen knife dripping with blood."
Under Rose-Tainted Skies is about a girl named Norah who struggles with agoraphobia and OCD. The premise of this is similar to Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon, but without the ableist representation (you can find more information about that here). This book is an #ownvoices story because Louise Gornall, the author, is also agoraphobic. Two reviewers who struggle with mental illnesses similar to Norah's agree that the representation is accurate (as you can read here and here).
This book also deals with self-harm, eating disorders and depression, so be aware of that in case that triggers you. I did find the descriptions of self-harm and fainting relatable.
Unfortunately, that wasn't enough for me to love this. Contemporary romances are not my favourites and Under Rose-Tainted Skies is no exception. Thankfully, however, there was no instalove and mental illness isn't "cured" once the characters fall in love.
Furthermore, I didn't love the writing style. Because of Norah's mental illness, she gets distracted easily during conversations. Which interrupted the conversations quite often. While I completely understand why the author did that, it wasn't enjoyable to read. Once I finished a chapter, I put the book down for several minutes. This book just couldn't keep me intrigued. I also spotted some spelling mistakes and things didn't add up. Luke's phone was being fixed, yet he was using his phone to talk to someone. This didn't cause any major problems while reading, but I did find it annoying because it occurred more than once.
My main complaint has to be the lack of female friendships. Girls are called "chicks" multiple times and Amy, the only female character we learn about besides Norah's mother, is basically described as a rich, blonde, popular bimbo. Naturally I understand that Norah doesn't allow a lot of people in her life, but I would think that the internet could be a solution for that. If she were to make friends with people online, perhaps that wouldn't trigger her agoraphobia.
Even though I didn't love this book, I'm thankful it exists. The quote I used at the beginning proves there are stigmas of mental illness, so it is important that books represent it in an accurate way. Still, I wish more books focussed on recovery instead of primarily the struggles that are caused by a mental illness. Books like Under Rose-Tainted Skies end on a positive note, but the rest of the book is filled with anxiety, depression, etc. Which is okay, because those stories have to be told, but I wish there were as many books out there that focus on recovery. I'd for instance rather read a book about someone who is recovering from anorexia than someone who struggles with it throughout a book and only seeks help at the end.
conclusion: Under Rose-Tainted Skies is an enjoyable read. I would definitely recommend it to anyone with mental illnesses or people who want to read an accurate portrayal of one.
✿ You can also find me on Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Pinterest and Wordpress! ✿
December 26, 2016
This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life.
I thought that this book was very well done. It wasn't a feel good novel and it could be almost hard to read at times. It really felt like an honest book and that is what I really liked about it. It can be really hard to imagine the reality of living with mental illness as Norah does in this story but this book does a nice job of giving the reader something to think about. This was definitely a book worth reading.
Norah is a teenage girl that spends a lot of her life in fear. She has OCD and agoraphobia and her life is very different than most other teenagers. She stays in her house and the only person that she really spends any time with is her mother. When Luke, the new next door neighbor, helps her get the groceries in her house, she really isn't quite sure what to do with him. Luke starts spending time with Norah at her house and they develop a very close relationship but Norah fears that she is keeping him from doing things.
This book is told from Norah's point of view. We get to see inside of Norah's head and know exactly what she is thinking and it could be hard at times. Simple things could end up being really hard for her which is incredibly frustrating to her. She wants many of the things that other teens want but she doesn't know how to overcome her crippling anxiety and fear in order to allow it to become a possibility. I thought that Norah's inner dialogue were some of the most powerful moments in the book.
I would recommend this books to others. It was an honest look at mental illness that really was eye opening at times. This book could be hard to read at times simply because of how realistic it felt. I thought that this was a strong debut novel for Louis Gornall and look forward to reading her future works.
I received an advance reader edition of this book from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's Book Group via NetGalley.
I thought that this book was very well done. It wasn't a feel good novel and it could be almost hard to read at times. It really felt like an honest book and that is what I really liked about it. It can be really hard to imagine the reality of living with mental illness as Norah does in this story but this book does a nice job of giving the reader something to think about. This was definitely a book worth reading.
Norah is a teenage girl that spends a lot of her life in fear. She has OCD and agoraphobia and her life is very different than most other teenagers. She stays in her house and the only person that she really spends any time with is her mother. When Luke, the new next door neighbor, helps her get the groceries in her house, she really isn't quite sure what to do with him. Luke starts spending time with Norah at her house and they develop a very close relationship but Norah fears that she is keeping him from doing things.
This book is told from Norah's point of view. We get to see inside of Norah's head and know exactly what she is thinking and it could be hard at times. Simple things could end up being really hard for her which is incredibly frustrating to her. She wants many of the things that other teens want but she doesn't know how to overcome her crippling anxiety and fear in order to allow it to become a possibility. I thought that Norah's inner dialogue were some of the most powerful moments in the book.
I would recommend this books to others. It was an honest look at mental illness that really was eye opening at times. This book could be hard to read at times simply because of how realistic it felt. I thought that this was a strong debut novel for Louis Gornall and look forward to reading her future works.
I received an advance reader edition of this book from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's Book Group via NetGalley.
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