FINDING AUDREY, by Sophie Kinsella

The story: After a horrible run-in with bullying schoolmates, Audrey has developed an anxiety disorder that keeps her in the house, wearing dark glasses all the time so she won't have to meet anyone's eyes. Everyone in her family is worried about Audrey, but they're all slightly crazy too. It's only when Audrey meets Linus (a member of her brother's online gaming team) that she can begin to move past her roadblocks and even consider getting back out the door. But will a confrontation with one of the bullies present a setback she's unlikely to get past?

June Cleaver's ratings: Language R; Violence PG; Sexual content PG-13; Nudity G; Substance Abuse PG; Magic & the occult G: GLBT content G: adult themes (mental illness, family dysfunction) PG-13; overall rating PG-13.

Liz's comments: I thought this story was charming. Audrey's narration, though conflicted, had a lot of heart, and her family--almost all as dysfunctional in their own ways as she is--still love and support her. The British are a lot more comfortable with the use of the "F" word than are Americans, and its frequent use here turns what would be a sold MS read into an 8th-up story (maybe even 9th-up for the bad-word averse).