Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella: Book Review

by Asma Gaba

Finding Audrey is about fourteen year old Audrey who suffers

from severe anxiety. She was incessantly bullied at school- the

source of her anxiety- and as a result, never leaves her house

unless it’s to see her therapist, Dr. Sarah. She meets her

brother’s friend, Linus, who loves video games and is interested

in Audrey and her eccentricities. Slowly, she builds a friendship

with him that may benefit her and her family as well.

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Mental illness is subjective- every single person that suffers

from an illness perceives and feels it differently, which is why

every interpretation in literature is valid. That said, I believe that

Kinsella’s construction was the most touching for me, personally.

Audrey’s anxiety is discussed in detail and shown as three-

dimensional; in the way it affects herself, her family, and her

friends. Her character is so thoughtfully written, that one can’t

help but sympathize with her.

Kinsella showed us readers how anxiety pretty much ruled

Audrey's life, rendering her almost useless in its shadow. Here’s a

passage that stuck with me; it’s explained in a simple way that

allows us to grasp quickly:

“So the one I could really do without is the lizard brain. Or

the ‘amygdala,’ as it’s called in the books. Every time you freeze

in fright, that’s your lizard brain taking over. It’s called the lizard

brain because we all had one of these even when we were lizards,

apparently. It’s, like, prehistoric. And it’s really hard to control. I

mean, OK, all bits of your brain are hard to control, but the lizard

brain is the worst. It basically tells your body what to do through

chemicals and electrical signals. It doesn’t wait for evidence and

it doesn’t think, it just has instincts. Your lizard brain is totally not

rational or reasonable: all it wants to do is protect you. Fight,

flight, freeze.

So I can tell myself rationally that talking to Linus in the

same room and everything will be fine. No worries. What’s the

problem? A conversation. What could be dangerous about a

conversation?

But my stupid lizard brain is all, like, ‘Red alert! Danger! Run

away! Panic! Panic!’ And it’s pretty loud and convincing. And my

body tends to listen to it, not to me. So that’s the bummer.”

While Audrey is navigating her newfound friendship with

Linus- the hardships of allowing someone to get close to her,

despite her constant panic- a comical sub-plot unfolds between

her brother and mother. Audrey’s brother is borderline obsessed

with video games, and his mother doesn’t appreciate it at all. The

feud that they’re in is hilarious and a fitting comic relief. We’ve all

had our share of parents hating our electronics, so Audrey’s

mother is sure to have you clutching your stomach in laughter.

When I first read this book, I thought that there was no way

that I would be able to relate to a fourteen year old. I couldn’t

have been more wrong. Overall, Finding Audrey is a wonderful

book that navigates mental illnesses and the way it affects the

relationships we have with people, and with ourselves. I would

definitely recommend this read; it’s one of my all-time favorites.