Finding Audrey

Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella             Audiobook:  6 hrs.,  36 mins.         Hardback Book:  304 pages                    

Sophie Kinsella, one of my favorite authors, has tackled the topic of bullying in schools in “Finding Audrey.”      Audrey is the victim of bullying by several girls who form a click at her school.  I won’t go into all the details so as not to spoil the story for you, but, the bullying escalates to the point that Audrey is so traumatized she suffers a mental breakdown.   Through intense therapy she is finally released to go home but with the caveat she will continue her therapy sessions with the doctor over her case.    Once home, Audrey finds the sight of other people’s eyes, even her family’s eyes, so disturbing that she has to wear dark glasses at all times except when she is alone with her 4 year old brother, who she adores and who is angelic in her opinion.    She finds his eyes so pure they don’t burn into like everyone else’s does.     She and her middle brother have an easy banter between them and she is the only family member he can be completely honest with.    She keeps his secrets and gives him counsel as needed and she always takes his side against their parents.   Honestly their parents can be a little squirrely at times – Mom used to work in architectural design, Dad is a teacher – Mom quit working after Audrey’s breakdown to stay home with her as once Audrey was released from the hospital her mental illness left her without coping skills and she could not return to school.   As a matter of fact, Audrey was left in such a state that she could no leave the house period.   If the family wanted to go out to eat, or go to the cinema, visit relatives, go grocery shopping or to the mall,   they went and she stayed home.   To get away from everyone when she couldn’t take the noise of their voices she would go into a room in the house that became designated as her quiet place and she would sit in the dark alone with the unspoken rule that this was her quiet time in HER quiet space.   No one bothered her there, EVER, until the day her middle brother’s friend, Linus, started coming over.    The plot thickens at this juncture.   Their mother starts going ballistic over the boys” constant gaming (little does she know they are practicing for a World Tournament with a $6 million prize).    Mom decides technology is ruining her family and separating them to the point, they never have conversations anymore  because someone is either on their cellphone or computer, she starts insisting technology be put away and they have family board game nights where they can all be together across the table from one another and family movie nights where they all sit in the same room eating popcorn and enjoying DVDs together.   She has no idea how far a teenage boy will go to get his gamin in even after being grounded and Mom being pushed to the brink of destruction and desecration.   Lots of sub-plots and humor along with Audrey’ s visits and conversations with her therapist.   And this kid, Linus, with this strange empathic way about him.   It is a good story and I recommend it to 5^th graders on up, with the hope young folks don’t pick up the snarky back talk and ways to connive their parents as could be taught here.    This book would make a good movie on the effects of bullying, I think.    Well done once again, Sophie Kinsella.   

 -- Shirley J.