Finding Audrey was sent to my by the publisher via NetGalley to read and give an honest review. Thank you Penguin Random House UK Children’s and NetGalley!
Sophie Kinsella is known for her Shopaholic series. Finding Audrey is her first YA novel.
Published: June 4th, 2015 (June 9th, 2015 in the U.S.)
Publisher: Doubleday Childrens (Random House)
Pages: 288 (hardback)
Audiobook length: 6 hrs, 36 min
Synopsis by the publisher:
An anxiety disorder disrupts fourteen-year-old Audrey’s daily life. She has been making slow but steady progress with Dr. Sarah, but when Audrey meets Linus, her brother’s gaming teammate, she is energized. She connects with him. Audrey can talk through her fears with Linus in a way she’s never been able to do with anyone before. As their friendship deepens and her recovery gains momentum, a sweet romantic connection develops, one that helps not just Audrey but also her entire family.
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The Writing
I have no prior experience with Kinsella’s writing so I can’t compare the writing in this novel to her other novels. I found the writing in Finding Audrey to be witty and interesting. It’s written from a first person perspective as if Audrey is talking directly to the reader. It certainly is written for a younger audience, but it still didn’t become cheesy.
The dialogue was very quick and funny. And I really enjoyed being inside the angsty brain of Audrey.
The Characters
Audrey was a very different kind of character but also relatable even though she was definitely struggling with a lot of anxiety. As the story progressed I felt that there was a lot more depth to Audrey that could have been explored further.
I just loved her mother’s craziness though! She was all over the place but making a lot of sense at the same time, like most moms are at some point.
Linus and Frank were both sweethearts! Linus for getting Audrey out of her comfort zone. Frank for being the good protective brother!
The Plot
The story grabbed me at the very beginning when Audrey’s mother is about to throw Frank’s computer out the window. Had me giggling and thinking that a lot of moms can relate to her frustration.
The story flowed very easily and it was a fast read, but when I reached the end I felt like there should have been more. I still had some unanswered questions, but that might have been Kinsella’s intention as well.
There wasn’t really any big twists or turns in the story but it was never boring either.
Thoughts
Finding Audrey is a lighthearted contemporary read about a somewhat heavy subject of anxiety. A perfect summer read that you will fly through.
I felt like it could have had more depth. For me it was just a little bit missing even though I really enjoyed the story and the characters.
Definitely recommend if you want something easy and witty but with somewhat of a more serious theme as well. Just don’t expect too much for it to be a very enjoyable read.
Do you want your own copy of Finding Audrey? Click on the Amazon or BookDepository link below:
Christina de Vries 
Ooh Penguin Platform recommended this for this month. I entered the giveaway so fingers crossed but it really sounds great. If you liked this, try Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella, I loved it! 🙂
Let’s hope you win it! It was definitely an interesting read even though I felt like it had potential to be so much more than what it was 🙂