The family goes on strike and Mum hides her sandwich in the flower bed and next week we’re not gluten free anymore. The Tennis Party was immediately hailed as a success by critics and the public alike and became a top ten bestseller. We experience the nightmare which Audrey had to go through and the emotions are shown as being so deep and raw that they cut you deeply.

Audrey can talk through her fears with Linus in a way she's never been able to do with anyone before. I definitely recommend it to all Sophie Kinsella fans as well as readers who want to try her writing but aren't interested (yet) in her adult books. Audrey's mother is a neurotic Daily Mail fan who constantly tries to improve her family's lifestyle after reading articles like "The Eight Signs Your Child is Addicted to Computer Games". On the advice of Doctor Sarah, Audrey documents her everyday life so that we see more than a third person view of Audrey.It just didn't make that much sense to me, especially coming from someone who has experienced severe anxiety at that age and throughout my entire life. She wears sunglasses at all times and now never leaves the house (she is in the middle of transferring to another school). They meet a handful of times in which Audrey flees from him like a startled deer and exchange a few cute notes and then he's utterly head over heels for her.

but I thought it was a bit strange that one minute Audrey was having such bad anxiety that she couldn't look him in the eye or even face him and the next minute they're making out?We not only follow Audrey’s recovery from anxiety, but also her character development thanks to her relationships with Linus, her parents and brothers. The two subjects went on their own path until probably the last ten pages of the novel, in which it didnt even matter anymore. But Kinsella has definitely brought her wonderful sense of humor with the characters and the way they interact. As someone who has dealt with anxiety and depression for most of my life, I can happily say this book contains an accurate depiction.

But the truth is it’s Audrey, her doctor and a bit of prodding from Linus that really sees Audrey on the path to recovery – and for someone who keeps dark glasses on and can’t stand to speak to anyone outside her family, that path is very, very steep. It is built up to be this huge issue that the school failed to take control of, yet we are never exposed to what it actually is. She talked about her problems not quite openly but opened herself one step at the time trough the story. It follows Audrey, a young girl with social anxiety who always wears dark glasses even inside the house. I also developed a relationship with a boy who helped me greatly and moved schools (like Audrey plans to do).

Even though I understand that this book is unrealistic and wrong, it really pains me that a lot of people younger than me will go into this book expecting representation and a form of hope and come out with 1) an unrealistic expectation that one person can cure you 2) an even more unrealistic expectation that recovery will be fast and seamless. Laugh dream and hope with Audrey as she learning that even when you feel like you have lost yourself, love can still find you. C’est un livre touchant, qui se lit vite , mais ne vous y trompez pas , il traite de ces graves problèmes avec une grande acuité.