Lucy is a silly girl and her goofy antics have had me laughing, which is making Fiona’s loss bearable.
I don’t often read humorous books, but I’m listening to Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella during my daily commute and I am actually laughing out loud as drive.
Gemma Whelan, the narrator is spot on and these Brits know how to do this sort of off beat humor. It isn’t really a funny story, more of a tragicomedy. The eponymous Audrey is slowly emerging from the fog of Social Anxiety Disorder that resulted from vicious bullying.She wears dark glasses and avoids contact with people outside her family. But under the guidance of her therapist, Dr. Sarah, who feels rather real, Audrey is pushing herself to move forward.
Parents are often undeveloped or completely absent in YA novels, but Audrey’s parents are farcically realistic and form a fitting counterpoint to the real struggle Audrey feels. There’s a little love story, but it doesn’t overshadow the power that is Audrey, facing her fears.
This might be one of the best YA books I’ve read about mental illness this year. Kinsella shows recovery from mental illness as a long process of two steps forward, one step back. Even at the novel’s close, Audrey has not been miraculously cured.
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