(Let's just pretend that doesn't say Louis Gornall on the pic, kay?)
This is going to be a tough review for me to write. This book hit a little too close to home with some of the issues that the main character Norah is going through. I actually cried pretty hard last night because the book made me take a hard look at my own life, and opened the door to things that I usually try to keep locked away inside of me, for the sake of my own sanity.
The main character in this book is dealing with a plethora of mental health issues: Agoraphobia, anxiety, panic disorder, OCD and a sprinkle of hypochondria too it seemed. In other words, life is not easy for Norah. The simplest things, like stepping onto her front porch are just too much for her and shuts her body down. I think that the author did an incredible job capturing a true portrayal of how it feels to have anxiety issues. If you are dealing with any of these issues, I 100% think you should read this book because it forces you to be honest with yourself and is somewhat healing in that respect. If you don't have any mental illnesses, yay for you, but I still think that this is an important read for you. If you don't live with anxiety, you have no idea how hard life is for those of us who do. It's an eye-opening inside look into the brain of a sufferer that might help you understand a little better about how someone can be so crazy and yet so normal at the same time.
Something that registered with me in this book is Norah's relationship with her anxiety. She HATES it, obviously, but at the same time, it is her best friend. It keeps her safe, while also keeping her trapped. That is exactly how I feel about my issues. I want to be normal, but I also am so afraid of getting better because then I'll be forced out of my comfortable little bubble.
I'm not going to put any spoilers in this review but something that happens early on in the story to her mom I could also relate to. My anxiety used to be even worse than it is now. When I was about 15 or 16, I used to have severe panic attacks any time my mom would leave the house without me. I know it sounds crazy, but bear with me. Imagine you are seeing a loved one die in front of your eyes, over and over again and unable to stop the horrible images flashing through your mind for HOURS. It's mental torture. I remember that when my mom used to cut the grass, I would scream and cry inside the house, so afraid that the lawn mower blade would somehow cut her to death. My mind would relentlessly show me over and over again her being cut to ribbons. By the time my mom would come back inside, my body was spent and I was mentally and physically exhausted and drained. Those were Bad Days. Anxiety is a bitch.
I'm kind of mad at this book for opening up old wounds that haven't exactly healed, but I try to keep the Band Aids covering them up pretty tight anyway. It's not healthy, but it's how I cope.
Also, I don't have it quite as bad as Norah, and for that I am glad. It was a nice reminder that some people out there are suffering even more than you, and while that doesn't make it any easier for us, it does help to put things into perspective a bit.
Overall, read this book but beware of being triggered if you have issues with self harm, anxiety, ocd or any other mental health illnesses.