Title: Under Rose-Tainted Skies Author: Louise Gornall
Published: July 7, 2016
Genre(s): Realistic/Contemporary
Page Count: 330
Rating:
Summary from Goodreads:At seventeen, Norah has accepted that the four walls of her house delineate her life. She knows that fearing everything from inland tsunamis to odd numbers is irrational, but her mind insists the world outside is too big, too dangerous. So she stays safe inside, watching others’ lives through her windows and social media feed.
But when Luke arrives on her doorstep, he doesn’t see a girl defined by medical terms and mental health. Instead, he sees a girl who is funny, smart, and brave. And Norah likes what he sees.
Their friendship turns deeper, but Norah knows Luke deserves a normal girl. One who can walk beneath the open sky. One who is unafraid of kissing. One who isn’t so screwed up. Can she let him go for his own good—or can Norah learn to see herself through Luke’s eyes?
When Everything, Everything came out and the resulting criticism from disabled readers landed, Louise Gornall’s Under Rose-Tained Skies was presented to me as a better, less problematic readalike. After reading both Yoon’s debut and this, I can confirm: Under Rose-Tainted Skies is a sweet YA romance between a housebound girl and the new boy next door that also realistically and respectfully captures what it’s like to live with mental illness (or disability).
This book’s main character, Norah, has agoraphobia and a severe anxiety disorder, which leaves her isolated and cut off from her peers and the world at large. As someone who’s had her share of panic attacks, I both identified with and appreciated how the author approached this. Gornall is also writing from her own experience, and that comes out in both the sensitivity and the unapologetic presentation of Norah’s illness. Under Rose-Tained Skies doesn’t seek to minimize how mental health affects a person, and I liked that.
And while obviously Norah’s unique situation throws some roadblocks in the way of her romance with new guy Luke, the book still reads much like your typical teen love story. On one hand this normalizes the relationship in a way that I respected. On the other hand, it does mean that Under Rose-Tainted Skies doesn’t exactly stand out from other books in the genre. It is, of course, possible for a novel to shine in some areas but not others, which is rather the case here.
Unfortunately, I feel that Gornall’s writing and characterization were fairly bland and forgettable. I could tell you next to nothing about Norah’s love interest, Luke; I definitely don’t remember anything about any of the supporting characters. Likewise, Gornall’s prose was fine, but didn’t blow my mind.
Nevertheless, Under Rose-Tainted Skies did many things very well, and I enjoyed reading it. Louise Gornall’s first book has a lot going for it, and I’d absolutely recommend it (certainly in place of Everything, Everything).
