I really loved the take on agoraphobia in this book. It felt so real and honest. The writing was great and really made me laugh at times. I love how the author took this girl and introduced a boy but it is NOT what cures her. He makes her WANT to get better and she works at it. It's much different than a few other books that I've read. It makes it more realistic. Definitely better than "Everything, Everything. :)

Under Rose-Tainted Skies was an great book. It was similar to Everything, Everything but more defined. It resonated a bit more than Everything, Everything and had what it was lacking - a little more character development.

Norah's life has been negatively impacted by agoraphobia and OCD. Her debilitating illness has severely limited her mobility and ability to sustain relationships. Her mind can be easily consumed with endless facts, fears, anxieties or worries eventually spiralling out of control. There are ways for her to avoid some triggers while there are some that she can't help but be drawn to. She hasn't always been this way. Norah was seemingly "normal" until one day she wasn't. Since then, she's been homeschooled and watched her once close friends drop away. From the safe distance of social media she sees life happening and people evolving in the world outside her house, everything her illness has stolen from her. When a new family moves in next door, Norah is thrown off by her new neighbour, Luke. His friendliness is so foreign to her that she can't even begin to process it. Not to mention that she's so out of practice interacting with another real life person who isn't her mother or therapist.



"How can I expect people to empathize with a sickness they can't see?" Tears sting my eyes.

"You don't expect anything. You talk, you teach."

~ Under Rose-Tainted Skies


ROSE is an authentic and unapologetic look inside mental illness. Author, Louise Gornall who herself suffers from it, courageously shows us the good, the bad and the ugly, and in reading this book I took stock of what I take for granted. Throughout the story, Norah constantly seeks control over her environment yet can't control what happens in her head. Therein lies the rub. Sometimes things make no sense at all such as Norah's need for fresh air yet the inability to step outside without feeling like everything will cave in on her. Patience and know-how are needed to redirect Norah when she starts to spiral. Her mother is a pro at talking her down but it does require finesse. Luke as a potential love interest feels almost too good to be true but he is a hopeful reminder that there are good-hearted and sincere people out there. His presence highlights the difficulties someone like Norah can have when it comes to bringing newcomers or strangers into the fold. He isn't put off by her behaviour though, instead seeking to understand her by letting her dictate the pace. I felt as if Luke represented us readers by asking the questions for us, even stumbling along the way. His perseverance demonstrates that it's worth the time to learn from and empathize with the other person. We need more Lukes in the world!

It wasn't too far into the book that I abandoned the notion of some dramatic Hollywood-type ending. That would only trivialize the issue. I thought that Norah got the ending befitting her emotional growth. Mental illness is not an easy concept to grasp and I'm so grateful to Gornall for not censoring the truth. UNDER ROSE-TAINTED SKIES offers insight and also hope that good things can happen, too. It should be on everyone's TBR list!

When I first started this book, it reminded me of Everything, Everything. Except in this story, it is not the Mother keeping the daughter inside the house; its 17-year-old Norah, whose crippling anxiety has made it impossible for her to leave.

There is a lot to come to grips with in this book. Norah suffers from a multitude of fears and phobias, brought on by agoraphobia and OCD. Luckily, she lives with a compassionate, loving mother with unflinching patience, and a caring doctor who caters to Norah’s changing needs. Of course, it is Luke, the new boy next-door (an overdone plotline, maybe, but it still works for me) who makes Norah rethink her world, and, in the same way, Luke’s worldview changes dramatically because of her.

It is not all sunshine and lollipops when Luke moves in, however. While the intense drama that followed later bordered on the implausible for me, I understood the necessity of the device to allow Norah to come to grips with her life. Despite the implicit danger the author contrives, in some respects I thought, ah, if it were only this easy.

I like that this is almost an ordinary teen romance; while it is an important theme, mental illness is only one of the facts of Norah’s life, not her whole story. Instead, this is a story about two new friends getting to know one another and finding their place in the world, and it is told with empathy, compassion, and grace.



For Goodreads:

Why I picked it — The story sounded interesting, and I liked the cover – it reminded me of I know why the Caged Bird Sings, which seemed appropriate.
Reminded me of… Everything, Everything.
For my full review — click here

Under Rose-Tainted Skies was technically the first book I started reading in 2017 but ended up finishing second since I had a more urgent read to review. However, this book is amazing. Absolutely wonderful. The kind that makes you feel grateful that the author decided to share with the world.

A funny thing is that I've been struggling for weeks to write this review. I fear that my words are not good enough and that I somehow will mess it up because guys, this book seriously deserves all the praise.

Under Rose-Tainted Skies is about a girl named Norah who suffers from Agoraphobia, an anxiety disorder that makes it hard for someone to be in crowded or tight places, including fear to leave your own home. Norah hasn't been able to step out of her house for years without feeling extreme fear and suffocation, also heightened by her OCD and other issues.

My knowledge before reading this book about Agoraphobia was pretty limited and I didn't know what to expect from the characters and the storyline, but I believe the author splendidly shared her personal experience through Norah and how it brings awareness to this mental health condition. This book made me realize how easy some of us have it, and also how strong some people are for pushing on when even their own body/brain is constantly pushing them back.

It was painful to read about Norah and her struggles, making me want to jump into the book every time to... I don't know, silently cheer her on or help her in any way she'd ask. But while it was hard, I also enjoyed so much being around her for she is pretty darn amazing and funny. I would be honored to be her friend.

This book has a small cast of characters but they are all amazing and worthy of your time. Besides Norah, you also have to meet Luke! And Norah's mom! And even her psychologist! I cannot really say who I loved more, but I can say that Under Rose-Tainted Skies also offers a bit of swoons so that's also a plus. ;)

So yes, I highly recommend this book and I hope everyone falls in love with it. It is very, very special. ♥

Trigger warnings:

Oh, but I must offer a little warning that the last chapters *might* cause a bit of anxiety, so proceed with caution while reading it. The turn of events even put me on edge, and I only deal with minor stress.

I loved this! It was heartbreaking and sweet at the same time. I do think that the story could have been longer to show how close Norah and Luke become, but I still really enjoyed this book.

This is a great look at agorophobia and the effects that it has on people, both those who suffer from it and the people who love them. Seventeen year old Norah has accepted the fact that her life takes place within the four walls of her house. She knows that her fears are irrational, but that doesn't stop her from having them. The outside world just seems too big and scary, so she stays inside. Until there is something that makes her want to go outside...her new neighbor, Luke. Luke makes her want to be brave. As her friendship with him blossoms, she realizes that maybe living in fear isn't the only way to live. This is a great book and a great look at mental illness. Mental illness is much more pervasive than people think and someone you love is probably suffering in silence right before your very eyes.

Norah is 17 and lives in constant fear. She has agoraphobia, anxiety and OCD. Leaving the house is near impossible for, she only ever leaves to go to counselling and even then it causes her great distress. Norah has learned to cope but when her Mum goes away for what should be a standard business trip and ends up away from the house much longer than anticipated, Norah must learn to tackle some of her problems. Added to this is her new next door neighbour Luke, who keeps trying to talk to Norah. Norah wants to be friends with Luke, but doesn't want to tell him about her conditions in case it scares him away. Can Norah deal with all these new problems while tackling her usual ones or will they be too much for her?

First off, let me just say what a beautiful cover this is! The watercolour is so pretty. Gornall does a great job of explaining Norah's conditions and showing us how they effect her.in different ways: physically, mentally, emotionally and the impacts on her life. The story isn't autobiographical but the author also has agoraphobia and the fact that she knows what it like to go through these things means it feels very realistic when we read Norah going through these things. Not only is this book a good way to show what it's like to suffer from mental health problems like this but it's also good at showing how it impacts the lives of other people, like carers and romantic partners. I loved the relationship between Norah and her mother. I liked the character of Luke, he was sweet but not perfect which was good. I did like the character of Norah but at times she annoyed me, it had nothing to do with her mental health though, I think it was just every now and again her turn of phrase just annoyed me. I did find myself rooting for her though, especially towards the end. I was afraid that the story might wrap up all too conveniently but without giving it away, it doesn't end like that. But it IS a satisfactory ending. If you're looking for a contemporary YA book that deals with mental health issues in a realistic, believable way, then this is the book for you.

A story about a seventeen year old girl named Norah and her take on living with agoraphobia, OCD and anxiety.

This was interesting. As someone who hasn’t read a lot of books featuring mental health, I jumped into this unsure what to expect. What I didn’t expect was to read a book from Norah’s point of view. Under Rose-Tainted Skies takes us for quite a ride when we enter Norah’s head and get a taste of what it is to experience everything she is going through, and at times it wasn’t pretty.

Gornall’s debut novel was well written. It wasn’t suppose to be pretty, and we get to know Norah pretty personally.

She spends most of her days at home, afraid to leave her house. She builds stuff out of food and spit, watches junk TV, surfs the web and has to attend therapy at least once a week. Than her life takes a different turn when a boy named Luke moves in next door and he becomes instantly fascinated with her.

I found that I couldn’t put this book down and devoured it fairly quickly with a day with a lack of sleep. Gornall’s writing really pulled me in and immersed me in a story that was both fascinating and not always an easy read. But I love the way Norah prevails everyday despite what she finds herself going through. The snarky tone of the book does make this a lighter read. I adored Norah’s personality and her spunk.

The romance was an interesting twist, but I did find myself wondering how realistic was it really? Luke was a seventeen year old boy, and despite me absolutely adoring the relationship they form and how he sends her letters through the mail slot – I wasn’t completely sold on the romance.

I think my favorite part of the book is the relationship between Norah and her mother. The support she gets from her is moving and the closeness they share just squeezes my heart. It is so good, so refreshing to find wonderful, caring adults in Young Adult fiction and not painted into someone who doesn’t get it, and is downright evil. It was good, it was more of a realistic feel.

The only thing that bothered me about the relationship is when her mother goes away for a few days on a business trip. I didn’t know if it was also really realistic for a mother to leave her kid like that alone, especially if the said kid has so many things going on in her head. I felt that maybe she would have gotten her like a caregiver or a neighbor to check on her more often?

The ending was also a bit different. The wrench that the author threw into the mix did not make sense unless she intended it to be a way that Norah finally moves forward with her treatment. The ending was a bit open and basically left me wondering what was next. But, I really enjoyed the writing, it was really good. I enjoyed the humor. I was heartbroken by some of the more difficult moments and found myself really connecting and feeling for Norah.

Not something I would typically pick up when I got this one. However, I could not put it down! Everyone who loves to read has to read this one!

I was ready for this book to take the easy way out or make a move that didn't seem genuine for the character Nora, but it didn't. I appreciated how the author handled Nora's struggles. When you have a character who is unable to leave their home, it presents many challenges to creating a compelling read and yet Gornall did it. She kept me engaged and turning pages.

This book was amazing. The main character is a high schooler who has agoraphobia and OCD and her very structured, restricted life is pretty much thrown out of whack when a delivery guy leaves her groceries on the front porch and she meets her new neighbor while she’s trying to get her groceries inside – without leaving the house. This book, while a piece of fiction, gave a great look at agoraphobia and OCD that I wasn’t aware of before. The author suffers from these afflictions personally and you can tell from the intimate details that she gave her main character as she suffers from episodes and breakdowns and well, everyday life.

I must have been in a reading rut because it took me about 4 months to get through the first 45% of the book but only 3 days to finish it. I really enjoyed this book and the characters. I was hesitant about Luke at first wondering how realistic his character was but once we learned his backstory it made sense that that's how he was. I would have loved more of an epilogue!

I loved this book. I chose it hoping that it would be similar in style to Everything, Everything and I was pleasantly surprised by the depth of the characters and the way the author allows you to feel all that they are feeling. This book is for anyone who loves books about people with disabilities that affect their daily functioning. It was a great book to show that all people have something going on and to dig deeper than the surface to get to know others. Well done!

Like 4.25 stars.

Disclaimer: I was provided a free review copy from the publisher via Netgalley for an honest review. Thank you Clarion Books!

TRIGGER WARNING: MY GOD I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THERE WASN'T A TRIGGER WARNING IN THE BOOK BUT I AM TELLING YOU NOW. THERE IS A LOT OF SELF-HARM IN THIS BOOK, PARTICULARLY CUTTING AND SCRATCHING. IF THIS TRIGGERS YOU, I SUGGEST SKIPPING THOSE CHAPTERS OR COMPLETELY NOT READING THE BOOK and this review to be honest.

What to say about this book without spoiling anything... Honestly I was not expecting to like this book nearly as much as I did or identify with the main character, Norah, like I did. For those of you who didn't read the synopsis, Norah suffers from agoraphobia and OCD which of course leads to a lot of anxiety. Like Norah, I suffer from OCD as well as anxiety, and although I have different compulsion than her, I could completely understand how she felt about almost everything. The author based the novel off of herself and you can really tell because of how real and raw everything was. At times for me, it was like I was reading about myself of looking at a mirror, and that was scary, but enlightening to know that I am not alone in how I feel. I'm just really pleased with how the author tackled these mental illnesses and the central message that yes, mental illnesses ARE ILLNESSES, and just because you cannot see the sickness doesn't mean people are not sick.

What really made this book a hit for me were the characters. I'm not going to say much about them because I think they are something you need to experience on your own, but I think you will fall in love with them the way I did. Now granted, some of the characters *cough* the main love interest *cough* are unrealistic as hell, but hey, it's fiction, right?

Now I have two reasons why I cannot give this book a higher rating: the plot and how self-harm was tackled. Let's start off easy with just the plot. So uhm... basically there was no plot. I mean, I don't know how else to say it. It seemed like there could have been a direction the book was going, but then something happens and everything swerves into another direction and the ending becomes really cramped. I really wish that hadn't happened because I feel like the book could have been flushed out in a more meaningful way.



TRIGGER WARNING !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!





Let's talk about my biggest issue with the book and arguably the most important issue. So Norah self-harms, which isn't my problem, but how the author handles the self-harm is. First of all, there were no trigger warnings, and in this case, the book really needs trigger warnings because the self-harm is described in such great detail from the emotions Norah are feeling to the pooling of a blood. I'm going to be honest, I had to skip through these parts because I just couldn't bear to read them without feeling anxiety and like I was going to pass out. That's not even my biggest issue though. No, I hate how they did nothing to address Norah's cutting issue. Yes, they address the scratching because the therapist knows about the scratching, but they do nothing about the cutting, and I think that is a horrible decision. The book had the perfect opportunity to address such an issue and how truly bad it is, but it didn't. How the author condoned such an act is besides me.

Overall, despite my issues, I really did enjoy this book. It covers some really important mental illnesses and the effects those mental illnesses have. Yes, it ends up being a glorified romance in which "the boy saves the girl" and all that bullshit, but nevertheless, it's cute and sheds light on important issues, and that's all I can really expect.

FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.

Under Rose-Tainted Skies by Louise Gornall was a super interesting book. Once I started this book I didn’t want to stop reading it until it was finished. As I am sitting here thinking about this book I still can’t put my finger on what I like so much about this book. Usually, it has to do with the writing or the characters, but this time I feel like it was just the whole package. This is the first book I have read by this author, and I am going to add her to my list of authors to check out later when I have more time to pick out books to read. If you like young adult type books that I know you will enjoy this book as much as I did.

Clarion Books and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Under Rose-Tainted Skies. This is my honest opinion of the book.

17 year old Norah Dean is scared of everything outside and fights to keep it out of her world. Her brief jaunts to her therapist are a struggle, as Norah cannot shut away her perceived dangers. Her only sources of human contact are her mother and her therapist, until the day that Luke moves in next door. His understanding ways and calm demeanor make Norah wish for things to change. Will Norah have the courage to step outside of the cocoon that she has made?

Under Rose-Tainted Skies shines due to its character development. Norah's thoughts, feelings, and anxieties are clearly described, so it is almost as if the reader has a front row seat into her world. I find it hard to imagine living as Norah does, but the author clearly has some knowledge that goes beyond pure research of the subject. Under Rose-Tainted Skies is a well done, moving account of a teenager who is a prisoner of her own making, trying to make sense of her illness and the world around her. I would definitely recommend this book to other readers and I look forward to reading more by author Louise Gornall in the future.

I really enjoyed this look into the mind of someone with severe OCD. I will definitely give this one to fans of Everything Everything.

This book deals with a lot of heavy topics right off the bat. Norah, our main character, suffers from agoraphobia, OCD, and self harm tendencies. Reading her journey, I got a good sense of what her experience was like.

I haven't read many books with an agoraphobic character before, so I can't speak to the authenticity of the story, though if the author's note is anything to go by, Norah's experience & treatment have some basis in her reality. Having read Under Rose-Tainted Skies now, I think that it sounds accurate to agoraphobia and it's a terrifying illness, which I as a reader felt along with Norah. I'm a bit surprised by the progress she made by the end of the novel, but everyone's progress and treatment is different, so I suppose I should be happy for her?

I appreciated the author's handling of self harm. I thought her descriptors of Norah's thought process before and during the act were consistent with what I know and, while frightening, it felt authentic on the page.

One problem I had with the novel was the relationship between Norah and Luke. It's beginning is very similar to Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon, which I read last year and mostly enjoyed. Norah and Luke's relationship felt off to me while I was reading it, though. I wanted to believe in the simplicity of it, but it felt stilted in a way that had nothing to do with Norah's mental illness. Luke did not seem to act in a way consistent with his age or class. Their awkwardness felt as though it was taken to an extreme that wasn't completely believable.

Louise Gornall did a good job of writing the book and the was the thing that kept me going even when I wanted to quit the book because, another problem I had? A lot of the book felt as though it was getting repetitive. I'm not sure where I expected the novel to go, but the interactions between Norah and Luke felt like they were on a loop with only slight variations and it got annoying after awhile. I was getting frustrated with the sameness and with Norah's over-exaggeration in her way of describing everything. The author's skill was a bit heavy handed in these moments, adding to the frustration I had.

I've noticed something with books dealing with mental illness recently and I'm wondering why it is this way: there's usually one parent present, typically the mother. Why is that? I'm curious to see what a book like this would have been like if two parents, whether mothers, fathers, or mother/father, were together in helping their child deal with their illness.

Overall, I'd say this book was intense in Norah's experience, so you should be aware of that if you're sensitive to vivid descriptions of panic attacks and mention of self harm . It is, however, interesting because there aren't many books like it that I've read so far that deal with agoraphobia and OCD to this extreme.