Shopaholic series author Sophie Kinsella bursts onto the YA scene with an adorable, heartwarming story, and it’s a perfect blend of her well-loved British charm, comedy and, just for teens, first love. Kinsella holds nothing back, starting off on a laugh-out-loud note and quickly and articulately pulling the reader into the depth of the story.
Audrey suffers from an anxiety disorder and depression, the combination causing her to wear dark glasses, hole up in a dark den and avoid contact with new people. Then she meets Linus, one of the members of her brother Frank’s gaming team. After Audrey suffers an anxiety attack during their first meeting, Frank brings Linus up to speed on her condition. Linus then enters Audrey’s world with a sweet, uncommon tenderness: He has conversations via notes while sitting next to her; they touch shoes before holding hands and eventually make actual eye contact. Linus has a soft, sensitive way of pulling Audrey out of the shadows that will leave readers sighing with delight as this sweet story unfolds.
Kinsella is spot-on in her descriptions of anxiety, providing an honest look at the disorder through Audrey’s therapies and recovery. The author nails the teen voice—complete with parent-induced embarrassment, accurate inner monologues and foul language—making a seamless transition from adult to YA fiction.
This article was originally published in the June 2015 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.
