Lydia's Page

This was one of those books that I liked so much I read it straight through in one day. It's the story of a young girl with extreme social anxiety, the result of bullying, and her journey back into herself. Audrey wears dark glasses to avoid eye contact, even with her family, and doesn't venture out of the house. But when her older brother's friend starts to visit, she begins to blossom.

While reading the book, I wondered if the male lead was meant to 'fix' Audrey or save her from her mental illness, which would have been aggravating to say the least. Instead, Kinsella did a great job of painting complex characters in a tough situation. Though Linus may help Audrey on her journey, she reaches her milestones all by herself.

Beyond that, the family and their interactions were really delightful and I had a great time with the sweet style of this read.