Normal takes a nosedive into my bag, sinks beneath the copious amount of clutter, and dies a slow, painful death.

A new favourite, Under Rose-Tainted Skies is a book I knew I would like from the first time I heard about it, even before I had seen its beautiful cover. But didn’t expect it to touch me as much as it did. It was real and sad but at the same time full of hope. Norah crept into my heart and I wished I could sit outside her door and talk to her. I loved the unexpected humour and Norah’s witty banter, often with herself.

Why has he stopped? Am I supposed to smile? Wave? Throw him a thumbs-up? I feel like an idiot.

The author did not shy away from the difficult, but rather showed us an unflinching raw, honest look into the life of a young adult coping with a mental illness.

Like a giant in cast-iron shoes, I make my way down the stairs. Eleven steps, so I have to take the last one twice. I have this thing about even.

It came at no surprise that the author drew on her own experience of mental illness for inspiration as the medical facts ring true. Her take on mental illness is a reassuring one which is not necessarily the case in every situation.

Perfection is a feeling, you’ll know it if you’ve ever questioned the competency of your penmanship before writing on the first page of a new notebook.

Under Rose-Tainted Skies is a difficult book to rate, because how do you rate a mental illness? I am simply rating it for the feels I had while reading, and the lasting effect the book has had on me.

So instead, I wait. I wait a lifetime, curled up in a ball of cowardice on the hall floor…

It is time for mental illness to come out of the closet. Time that, despite the lack of visible wounds, illness is treated equally .

Recommended age: 13+

Title: Under Rose-Tainted Skies
Author: Louise Gornall
Publication Date: 3 January 2017
Publisher: Clarion Books
Source: Review copy

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Norah 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.— Abstract from Goodreads.com

The fact that I received a free advanced copy of this book does not influence my policy to write an honest review.

Disclaimer: The quotes appear in my advanced review copy and may not appear in the final version.