The Disability Book Archive

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[ID: A book cover. It is pink, with white writing. The writing, from top to bottom, reads:
“Freak out. Calm down. Repeat.” in small cursive.
The title “10 Things I can See From Here” in large writing. It takes up the majority of the cover. Each letter has a partial shadow.
The authors name “Carrie Mac” is below this in significantly smaller writing. It also has a shadow. /end]

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Content Warning:

• Alcoholism
• Drug Abuse
• Ableism
• Child Abuse
• Paranoia
• Anxiety/Panic Attacks
• Queerphobia
• Biphobia
• Lesbophobia
• Fatphobia
• Thoughts About Death
• Sexual Assault
• Non-Consensual Kiss
• Pregnancy and Childbirth
• Death of A Friend
• Infidelity- (TBD)
• Medication Denial

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Summary:

Think positive. Don’t worry; be happy. Keep calm and carry on.

Maeve has heard it all before. She’s been struggling with severe anxiety for a long time, and as much as she wishes it was something she could just talk herself out of, it’s not. She constantly imagines the worst, composes obituaries in her head, and is always ready for things to fall apart. To add to her troubles, her mom—the only one who really gets what Maeve goes through—is leaving for six months, so Maeve will be sent to live with her dad in Vancouver.

Vancouver brings a slew of new worries, but Maeve finds brief moments of calm (as well as even more worries) with Salix, a local girl who doesn’t seem to worry about anything. Between her dad’s wavering sobriety, her very pregnant stepmom insisting on a home birth, and her bumbling courtship with Salix, this summer brings more catastrophes than even Maeve could have foreseen. Will she be able to navigate through all the chaos to be there for the people she loves?

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Notes:

Originally, this book was titled ‘Closer to Fine’.

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Archivist Comments:

I’ve never read this so I can only go off what I’ve seen. I’ve seen a lot of people praising the positive depiction of step-families, with a lot of praise directed at the stepmother in particular. A lot of people seem to like the stepmother, which is refreshing to see.

I’ve also seen a lot of people praising the fact that the love interest and the romance between the two characters is not used as a “cure all” for the MCs anxiety, as well as the fact that this is not a “coming out” story. The character’s sexuality is already established and seems very natural in the story. And there is a non-consensual kiss in the book, which a lot of people have praised the author for calling out as sexual assault.

On the other hand, I’ve seen a couple of reviews calling out the MCs biphobia and dismissal of her stepmothers bisexuality as being “not queer”. And a lot of people are unhappy with the way she treats her best friend, specifically the comments on her appearance and dismissal of her (the friend’s) coming out.

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