10 Things I Can See from Here

Gr 9 Up—Anxiety is hard to deal with at the best of times, and Maeve deals with it on a day-to-day basis. But now, her mom and her mom's boyfriend are leaving for six months, and Maeve has to stay with her dad in Vancouver—all things that make her anxiety skyrocket. To make matters worse, her dad isn't in a good place and life seems to be falling apart all around her. There is one bright light in her life, and her name is Salix. Will Salix help keep out all of the darkness? Mac creates in Maeve a character with relatable issues for teens. The novel's title suggests that there is a list of things that surround Maeve—that she's aware of in any given moment. Throughout the narrative, though, teens will see that Maeve has so much more surrounding her that she doesn't always register, including family, love, and friendship. Throughout all of Maeve's experiences of anxiety, there is one constant theme: no matter how bad things are, Maeve always gets through them. This hopeful offering will resonate with young people for their own lives, even if the journey is hard and takes time and patience. Maeve's romance with a girl is an integrated part of a complex plot.