I have read (and am a fan of) the 'Shopaholic' series by Sophie Kinsella, as well as a few of her other books. That's probably why I couldn't resist buying this little gem of hers - a book about and for teenagers. And, of course, the cover is so pretty. ;)

This book deals with a young Audrey and her struggle with social anxiety. Because of her awkwardness, she has been bullied and eventually pulled out of school. She's hiding from people,, never leaving the house and is actually wearing dark sunglasses because she cannot bear looking into anyone's eyes. She's seeing a therapist, but things aren't as good as they should be. It's much easier promising to try something that it is actually doing it.

Her family have their own struggles as well. 

Her mother has all but given up her job. She loved it and found it fulfilling but when Audrey hit rock-bottom, she decided to spend her time caring for her child. She is also a great fan of Daily Mail, where she reads articles like "Eight Signs Your Child is a Video Game Addict" and tries to improve her family via advice from the paper. 

Her father is a light-hearted man who just wants peace and likes watching 'Downtown Abbey'. He is also the one who has to enforce all the crazy rules her mom comes up with. 

Audrey's older brother Frank is a video game addict, who spends all his time practicing for a tournament, which worries his mother greatly. And then there's Linus, Frank's gamer friend, on whom Audrey has a crush. 

Now, at first I thought Frank was going to somehow miraculously cure her, as love is robe to do in novels, and this left a bitter taste in my mouth. But I soldiered on and was not left disappointed. Because, though he offer his support and friendship (and even love), Audrey has to pave her own path to recuperation.

I was also pleasantly surprised with the fact that her recovery was not an upward spiral. There are 'one step forward, two steps back' moments, and there are foolish decisions that she thinks will somehow cure her but don't. And that's real life. She's a 14-year-old suffering from a debilitating disorder that has her shying away from everyone and she just want to overcome it and be 'normal'.

Also, she is not 'cured' by the end f the book, which just lends another layer of reality to it. Because, honestly, some things can never be fully gone, just be controlled.