Under Rose-Tainted Skies tells the story of Norah Dean who suffers from agoraphobia and OCD. Leaving her house is a struggle on the best of days, when she has to go to therapy, on the worst of days, it just plain doesn't happen. This has been Norah's life for four years. She's built a routine, she's interested in music and reading. Takes online courses to finish high school, and sometimes has dreams where she is able to travel outside of her home without the world crashing to the ground around her. But those dreams are put on the back-burner. 
 One day, Norah notices the new boy moving in next door. She catches his attention too, and soon Luke and Norah are navigating a somewhat awkward friendship that makes Norah question everything she feels and thinks. Could she be more with Luke than friends? Or will she continue to be restrained by her illness? 
 First off, I know it seems as though a lot of emphasis is put upon this burgeoning relationship between Luke and Norah, but in reality this book is all Norah's. Luke's friendship / maybe more relationship adds another layer to everything already piled on top of Norah's psyche, but it's more a pathway for her to begin to, hopefully, get to a place where she's able to leave the house, where she's able to touch someone without having a breakdown. It's a challenge, and Norah is such a strong and brave character that, despite initial misgivings, she takes the challenge and tries. Luke represents a change up in Norah's safely built routine, kind of a catalyst that makes her rethink what her mind and heart have been telling her for four years. So while what Luke and Norah develop is very sweet and cute, and while Luke was represented in a great way in that he doesn't back down from what many would think is too complicated a situation, everything in the story, I thought, was very internalized for Norah. Norah needed to be the one to take the first steps. 
 There was kind of a monotony / repetition to Norah's action, but I took this as clear representation of what someone with agoraphobia / OCD would go through everyday. Plus, by the end, I felt I had a better understanding of someone who does suffer from these illnesses goes through everyday. I think that's very important to have the issues appeal to everyone, not just others who suffer, but those who don't as well, and Under Rose-Tainted Skies really paints the picture quite starkly. But also, the book doesn't fall into a depressing read. I felt Norah's attitude was quite refreshing. True, she also has bouts of depression and her thinking can get a little dark, but for the most part she understands, and even comments upon the fact, that her situations her anything but "normal" and she kind of takes a tongue-in-cheek attitude, for the most part. 
 I really liked Norah's story. It was one that I didn't want to put down. I just wanted to find out where we would leave Norah in the end. I was rather impressed with the journey we're taken on, overall.