Initially Audrey finds this difficult because of her social anxiety but Linus begins writing her notes, and gradually she feels more comfortable.Working with her counsellor and with Linus, Audrey begins to get better.īut Audrey places too much faith in her recovery, and when the past comes back to haunt her it threatens all of her improvement. Frank maintains he needs to practice playing LOC to prepare for a competition, and soon his friend and teammate Linus is coming over regularly to practice with him. Audrey tells us her mother takes the Daily Mail extremely seriously, which frequently ushers in changes in the family’s lifestyle.

We flash back to a month previous when Sydney’s mum reads a Daily Mail article on computer game addiction in children. Her latest strategy is throwing the computer out the window.

When the story begins, her mother is waging war on Sydney’s brother Frank’s computer gaming addiction. After an incident at school which saw her hospitised her parents have pulled her out of school, and she is unable to leave the house. Social Anxiety Disorder, General Anxiety Disorder and Depressive Episodes.” She cannot leave her house and wears dark glasses at all times so as to avoid eye contact. The story revolves around fourteen year old Audrey who is suffering with a number of illnesses: “Here’s the full diagnosis.

Having devoured most of the books she wrote under Kinsella (though only one of her Madeline Wickham novels) I was excited to read her first YA novel, though unsure what to expect.įrom the outset, this was very different to her other books as the subject matter was more serious. Her books are always funny, comforting and engaging.

Sophie kinsella audrey