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alliebowen's review
5.0
Loved this book. It was so hard to put down. I love Maeve and being inside her head considering her extreme anxiety. Salix is perfect for her and everything she needs to ground her. This book has everything. Love, family, and death. There's not much more you can ask for. I cannot wait to have my students read this book!
beethebooknerd's review
Page 100 - I’m not interested in Maeve as a MC. I’m not interested in the jumble of racing thoughts on death. This book is making my own anxiety skyrocket. Also, the parents denying her medication when it’s abundantly clear she needs them should’ve been the actual stopping point.
littleyarngoblin's review
1.0
*I received a copy of 10 Things I Can See From Here in a Goodreads Giveaway. This doesn't affect my review at all*
There was so much I wanted to like about this book. The premise seemed so interesting, and Maeve sounded like a really cool character. But 10 Things disappointed me. The plot didn't really stand out, and some characters could have been more developed. Carrie Mac's writing was pretty, but I had some major concerns with this book.
Firstly, that Mrs. Patel deserved more. There wasn't much depth to her, or her relationship with Maeve, and.
Secondly, there's some blatantly biphobic statements Maeve makes. I hope this is fixed by final print, given that this is an ARC. "Being queer was about not being into boys" and "but one girl crush in college didn't make her gay" (pg. 144 of ARC) were sickening to read.
Ruthie, a friend of Maeve's, wasn't depicted well either. Aside from being used as a plot device she was given little in terms of character growth and there's a bit of fat shaming from Maeve, even though Ruthie is supposed to be/was her best friend. Maeve describes her as a "gigantic ogre" (p. 238 of ARC) and that didn't sit well with me.
This next bit is a little spoiler-y, and I go into more details in the part labeled spoiler. But there was a scene with a lot of homophobia that was a slap in the face to read.
I really liked Claire, Maeve's stepmom, a lot. It was obvious she cares for her children and just wants to do the most she can for Maeve, even if it doesn't always work out the way she intended. Even so, I wanted more from this book.
1/5 stars
There was so much I wanted to like about this book. The premise seemed so interesting, and Maeve sounded like a really cool character. But 10 Things disappointed me. The plot didn't really stand out, and some characters could have been more developed. Carrie Mac's writing was pretty, but I had some major concerns with this book.
Firstly, that Mrs. Patel deserved more. There wasn't much depth to her, or her relationship with Maeve, and
Spoiler
her death didn't serve the plot much eitherSecondly, there's some blatantly biphobic statements Maeve makes. I hope this is fixed by final print, given that this is an ARC. "Being queer was about not being into boys" and "but one girl crush in college didn't make her gay" (pg. 144 of ARC) were sickening to read.
Spoiler
Claire, Maeve's stepmom, says, "I suppose I'm technically bisexual, if you want to label me." and at first glance, it sounds like a common bi stereotype, that bisexual people don't like labels.Ruthie, a friend of Maeve's, wasn't depicted well either. Aside from being used as a plot device
Spoiler
via sexually assaulting Maeve in her basement because she was jealous of Maeve's relationship with JessicaThis next bit is a little spoiler-y, and I go into more details in the part labeled spoiler. But there was a scene with a lot of homophobia that was a slap in the face to read.
Spoiler
Maeve and Salix were on a date and some boys shouted some incredibly homophobic language, calling them dykes, lesbo bitches, etc. It was very jarring to read, especially if you were expecting this book mainly to focus on Maeve and her anxiety.I really liked Claire, Maeve's stepmom, a lot. It was obvious she cares for her children and just wants to do the most she can for Maeve, even if it doesn't always work out the way she intended. Even so, I wanted more from this book.
1/5 stars
deborahaalex's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
stormiclouds's review
3.0
10 Things I can See From Here is an interesting coming of age story about a teenage girl with a severe anxiety disorder. I like that the main character is not your typical teenage girl and had high hopes for this book, but it simply did not impress me or hold my attention. I can usually read a book a day, but this book took me almost a week to get through because I had to force myself to read it and just had no desire to pick it up during the day.
I voluntarily received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I voluntarily received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
hedgehogbookreviews's review
3.0
“Don’t look down. Look around. Tell me ten things that you can see from here.”
Star rating: 3.5/5
Maeve struggles with extreme, debilitating anxiety. She has hundreds of facts about death rates stored in her brain, and they pop up out of nowhere. For example, when riding the train, she constantly thinks about how many people die on trains per year. Maeve is often told to ‘think positively’ or ‘keep her chin up’ when the subject of her anxiety is brought up. This is very irritating and it feels like people who don’t have an anxiety disorder just don’t get it. Despite this, Maeve meets a girl who can see past her anxieties and coach her through panic attacks. Navigating through a new relationship has its ups and downs, but this girl is certainly worth it.
This review is going to be challenging for me. The beginning of 10 Things I can See From Here really turned me off. I almost set the book down after the first 100 pages. After that, I started enjoying the book and, by the end of it, I was so glad that I didn’t put it down. If I forget about the first half of the book, this was one of my favorite reads of the year. I’m going to split this review up by first half and second half of the book.
~~~~First Half~~~~
I’m totally for writing about mental illnesses in literature, especially young adult fiction. I think it’s really important for representation and education for people of all ages. That being said, I think the way Maeve’s anxiety disorder was written was not the best. I have two reasons why I think it could have been written better.
Reading about Maeve’s anxiety gave ME anxiety. In almost every change of scenery, Maeve worries about many different catastrophic scenarios in which freak accidents happen. It wasn’t that I was anxious that these same horrible deaths would happen to me; just reading about someone having so much anxiety made me feel that way too. The thing is, I don’t usually have such a visceral experience when I read books with anxious characters. To me, this means that Maeve’s anxiety was not written in a way that is beneficial to people who struggle with anxiety. I would have liked to see a novel about a protagonist with anxiety that is better for readers with anxiety to read.
In addition to the fact that Maeve’s anxiety disorder was not written well for readers with anxiety, I also don’t think it was written well for people without anxiety. Maeve’s constant spew of death rates and facts about dying was almost annoying. I think people who don’t experience severe anxiety would stay away from this book, as they would be irritated. One of the points of writing about mental illnesses is to educate the general population. But, in order to educate, people must want to read these books. I think there is definitely a way to make books about mental illnesses interesting to people who have never experienced symptoms. Unfortunately, this book didn’t do it as well as I hoped.
The first half of 10 Things I can See From Here mostly dealt with Maeve’s anxiety. I couldn’t get into it, for the two reasons I listed above. The book truly got much, much better in the second half. Here’s why:
~~~~Second half~~~~
“Being queer was also about not being into boys. Just as it was about attraction, it was also about the absence of attraction, like white space…Girls shimmered as if all the light shone on them and not on the boys at all. Bots were hardly there, just shadows and background noise.”
Maeve’s sexuality becomes a big part of this book in the second half. I absolutely loved how this was written. Maeve truly loves herself and doesn’t judge who her body loves. Maeve meets Salix and their romance is written like any heterosexual YA love. 10 Things I Can See From Here doesn’t rely on any lesbian stereotypes, which is a huge deal for YA. Maeve and Salix’s relationship develops very organically and is so refreshing to read. This made the book wonderful.
In addition, there is a scene in which Maeve becomes annoyed with Salix acting as if she ‘gets’ anxiety, despite not having an anxiety disorder. Maeve is hurt that Salix doesn’t understand. Salix later explains that she does experience anxiety, as most people do, but not to the degree that Maeve does. Using the skills that Salix learned from her own anxiety, she coaches Maeve through an attack by telling her to name 10 things she can see around her. This is a real skill that therapists tell their patients, as a mindfulness and grounding technique. This shows readers that people who don’t have certain disorders can still understand and can definitely still help those who suffer from them, which is an important lesson.
Also, I loved how Maeve’s father and his sobriety were written. Addicts relapse, this is something that many addicts and their family know. Maeve’s dad relapses and essentially hits rock bottom, as that’s what often happens when addicts relapse after long-term sobriety. Reading about how her father picks himself back up and goes to AA meetings every day is a healthy representation of what recovery looks like. It’s nice that a positive light was shone on a twelve-step program in a YA novel.
There were many parts that I didn’t like about 10 Things I Can See From Here, but there were more things that I did like about this book. Maeve’s anxiety was not written well, but the parts that I did like were done in such a great way that it made the book, overall, very enjoyable. I applaud Carrie Mac for writing a young, lesbian relationship in a manner that makes her queer audience feel safe and happy. In addition, I applaud her for writing about addiction and AA in a respectful manner. Despite the rocky beginning, I liked this book a lot.
magnetarmadda's review
5.0
I received a copy of this book from Random House's First in Line program. This review is not sponsored or endorse by Random House in any way.
If you struggle with an anxiety disorder or similar mental health problems, Maeve's story will resonate deeply with you, as it did for me. Her worries are made very tangible, and the ways she learns to cope are relatable and realistic. Maeve is a flawed narrator, making her lovable and seem absolutely human. It is a story about love, patience with yourself, and learning to accept what you cannot change, no matter what your brain might have to say about it.
If you struggle with an anxiety disorder or similar mental health problems, Maeve's story will resonate deeply with you, as it did for me. Her worries are made very tangible, and the ways she learns to cope are relatable and realistic. Maeve is a flawed narrator, making her lovable and seem absolutely human. It is a story about love, patience with yourself, and learning to accept what you cannot change, no matter what your brain might have to say about it.