ARC, 326 pages
Release Date: January 3, 2017Published by: Clarion
Read from: December 24-31, 2016Stand-aloneSource: TLAFor fans of: Inclusive Literature, Own Voices, Romance, YANorah has agoraphobia and OCD. When groceries are left on the porch, she can’t step out to get them. Struggling to snag the bags with a stick, she meets Luke. He’s sweet and funny, and he just caught her fishing for groceries. Because of course he did.
Norah can’t leave the house, but can she let someone in? As their friendship grows deeper, Norah realizes Luke deserves a normal girl. One who can lie on the front lawn and look up at the stars. One who isn’t so screwed up.
*MY THOUGHTS*
I was given this last April at TLA without knowing anything
about it. As the year went on I found out it touched on agoraphobia and OCD and
was an Own Voices novel. Since then I was super excited to get my hands on this
one.
about it. As the year went on I found out it touched on agoraphobia and OCD and
was an Own Voices novel. Since then I was super excited to get my hands on this
one.
“It’s never made sense to me, how I can crave fresh air and be so afraid of simultaneously.‘”pg. 50
Norah
is OCD and agoraphobic. She has to snag something off her front porch, but in
the process, she meets Luke, a real honest to goodness gentleman. Norah is
convinced that she’s not normal, so it’s up to Luke to show her that she is…
is OCD and agoraphobic. She has to snag something off her front porch, but in
the process, she meets Luke, a real honest to goodness gentleman. Norah is
convinced that she’s not normal, so it’s up to Luke to show her that she is…
“Alas, magic is for stories and shampoo that doesn’t sting when it gets in your eyes.‘”pg. 90
I really, really
loved this book. Being inside Norah’s mind was a little hard because like I
explained to my mom, her spiraling and finding herself not listening because
she’s making up her own conclusions in her head were a lot like what I do with
my “Purely O” OCD. Seeing someone go through the same things and then
suffering from it deeper than I ever did made me have to take breaks from
reading, but I never wanted to give up entirely. I found that sometimes I felt
the “advice” from Reeves was talking to me instead and I couldn’t
handle that. That’s how real this book was for me. At the end in the Author’s
Note it says that Gornall based Norah’s struggles alot off her own, but I
couldn’t help but see myself in her too. And if I’m saying this at 28, I can
only imagine how a teen might feel. Representation matters y’all.
loved this book. Being inside Norah’s mind was a little hard because like I
explained to my mom, her spiraling and finding herself not listening because
she’s making up her own conclusions in her head were a lot like what I do with
my “Purely O” OCD. Seeing someone go through the same things and then
suffering from it deeper than I ever did made me have to take breaks from
reading, but I never wanted to give up entirely. I found that sometimes I felt
the “advice” from Reeves was talking to me instead and I couldn’t
handle that. That’s how real this book was for me. At the end in the Author’s
Note it says that Gornall based Norah’s struggles alot off her own, but I
couldn’t help but see myself in her too. And if I’m saying this at 28, I can
only imagine how a teen might feel. Representation matters y’all.
“Ignore it. Of course I can’t ignore it, because there is a certain amount of safety in knowing everything there is to know about a situation.‘”pg. 94
I also really liked Luke. He was patient and kind and he never judged or anything. He made mistakes, yes, but after having just came in to her life, he wanted to learn. And that’s what mattered most. And then there was Norah’s mom. She was a great parent and took such great care of Norah. There’s not a lot of those kinds of parents in YA, so I like to highlight some of them when I can. .
“When people say weird, what they really mean is different. And being difference has never been a bad thing.‘”pg. 330
The
only qualm I had with it was the pacing. The ending felt rushed and I was left
looking to see if I skipped a page. It seemed to happen out of nowhere (which
was good because it DID shock me) and then the book was just over. I think it
could’ve used a better “introduction” to the end and then spread it
out some. It would’ve been ok to add a couple more pages.
only qualm I had with it was the pacing. The ending felt rushed and I was left
looking to see if I skipped a page. It seemed to happen out of nowhere (which
was good because it DID shock me) and then the book was just over. I think it
could’ve used a better “introduction” to the end and then spread it
out some. It would’ve been ok to add a couple more pages.
“Beauty comes from how you treat people and how you behave, But if a little lipstick makes you smile, then you should wear it and forget what anyone else thinks.‘”pg. 234
This book is definitely one I can see myself re-reading already. I will not forget this Own Voices story and I hope each and every one who reads this enjoys it as much as I did!
Overall, I give this
Have you read this?
What were your thoughts?
If not, do you want to?