Tough emotional stories are not ones I usually gravitate towards. Characters with anxiety are not ones I enjoy spending time with, however well-written they might be. I am glad with such tough preconceived notions, I decided to give this book a shot.
This is a very brutal narrative. It is harsh in its representation of the true power of anxiety on everyone involved and how the manipulated can also become the manipulators in their own right.
We have a close-knit family of four, where the elder sister has been having trouble assimilating to life in school and the reasonable pressures of growing up. This puts a direct blockade on the younger sister’s path as the latter becomes the only one who sees the true state of things of everything, from her parents to her sister, while also being the shoulder that everything else seems to rest on. It is a surprise that the situation does not break her.
The story is based in Denmark and gives a small window into the lives of young adults there. I think the thing that stayed with me was the futility of many actions that people took continuously while hoping for different alternatives each time.
This is the kind of story that might hit home for people who know others with anxiety or a family with sisters. The readers may not have experienced such frustration, but they can identify how close they might have come, and it was only their own luckily stable minds that steered them away to safety.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

This book is from a danish author and this is her first book translated to English by Caroline Waight.

This book focus around the main character Astrid (one of my favourite names) who is the younger sister to Cecilie who suffers from anxiety and depression. This is a great young adult book that explores how mental health can affect the whole family, the guilt and pain that comes with that.

I really enjoyed how the book takes the family on journey and seeing the story from Astrid’s point of view. I loved Astrid as a character, so compassionate and caring but also learns to find her own voice. The only reason I didn’t give the book five stars is that I wanted a bit more at the ending, but I love how it does leave with a message of hope and understanding.

This is such an important book to get into the hands of young people today, especially those like the Sixth Formers I work with. The topic of Mental Health, and its' impact on so many, is expertly handled in this stunningly crafted story.

I would recommend this book for older secondary age pupils rather than the primary age pupils I teach, but I was expecting that. I think this book is an important one as it emphasises the impact that mental health challenges have on everyone in a family, not just the person who is suffering from the illness. It's so hard for Astrid to work out who she is outside of being someone who her sister needs. Cecile's illness impacts Astrid's relationships with her parents, her boyfriend, her best friend and Cecile herself. It was hard to read and I could feel Astrid's frustrations at Cecile's actions. The frustration of living with someone who can't get out of what seems to be a choice of behaviours is hard and it's impossible to know how to help someone who doesn't seem to be able to help themselves. I feel this book will help others who are in Astrid's position as it will make them feel less alone and will hopefully help them to feel empowered to seek their own support.