This book is hard for me to rate. I didn't love it or loathe it, but I also feel like there wasn't anything memorable or enjoyable about it.

The two main things about this book I liked were that Salix was never presented as a love interest who was trying to "cure" Maeve's anxiety and that Maeve's sexuality in this book was really casual. There was no major coming out plotline. Maeve just was queer without any pomp and circumstance. I liked that.

However I also had a lot of things about this book that I just didn't enjoy. The first being that aside from the step-mother Claire, I really couldn't care about any of the characters. I should have liked Maeve. We both have anxiety, we both have complicated families, we're both queer. But for the majority of the book I just wanted her to stop talking. I wanted to read about someone else. I just had no connection to her or any interest in her life. I was also personally very offended when she insisted that being bisexual means that you aren't queer, something she says when her step-mother admits to being bisexual (I'm pansexual which is a sexuality that already doesn't exist on people's radar so I didn't enjoy bisexuality being erased like that.) That was probably when I decided that I didn't care about Maeve at all.

Reading this book also made me so anxious. Maeve constantly spouts out death and tragedy and disaster statistics. I studied public health in school which means I am no stranger to all the sad and horrible things that happen in this world, but public health is meant to be optimistic. In public health, we're studying to try and change these statistics. From Maeve, these statistics were depressing and overwhelming. My anxiety presents itself a lot in a form of paranoia (though it was mostly bad when I was younger.) This book made me anxious to get in my car, to walk to my door at night, to light candles. I felt like I was constantly trying to control a panic attack reading from Maeve's point of view. And maybe that was Mac's point, but it just made the book awful to read.

I also just feel like some of the chapters were so unnecessary and unpleasant for me personally. There were of course all of the talk of death statistics, but there were also chapters where the main character talks about her step-mother giving birth in graphic detail. I've never had kids and I don't particularly want them so reading this chapters, for me personally, was really gross. I wanted to skip them all together. There was also a chapter where she describes seeing her mom's boyfriend's "shriveled penis" which was also nauseating to read. I just wish that some of the content in this book had just been left out.

I had been really excited when I'd first gotten this book, but it ended up just being a major let down for me personally.

This is a book about a teen girl, Meave, that tries to deal with her severe anxiety. She moves to her dad and his new family in Vancouver, which brings her a lot of insecurity and new things to be anxious about. Then she meets Salix, and she is not afraid of anythingm which makes a nice contrast between the two of them. And they become more than just friends.
With all the new things happening in her life, his 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?

Overall I really liked this book. The way of writing was quite different and original. Definately a plus for this book!
The character of Maeve was very likeable, she was very different then the usual YA girl protagonistst which I liked.
What I also liked where the family dynamics. She really is on some kind of a good foot with her stepmom. Normally the teen protagonist is close with her dad and the stepmom is some kind of
intruder, but in this book it was somewhat opposite, as Maeve's dad really was lousy. A drunk and a drug addict. And what about Maeve's mom who just send her to live with him?
I couldn't figure out what to think of Salix and Ruthie, their characters felt kind of flat in this book.

Overall a book with a few flaws here and there, but most of all was good, original and entertaining

10 Things I Can See From Here is about Maeve, a teenager who, when she was a young child, was witness to a person’s gruesome death by a train. Since that day, Maeve has had to deal with anxiety and the fear of death; she thinks of it so often it debilitates her from doing fairly normal routines, such as driving a car.

Her mind often conjures up worst-case scenario situations, like if her mother doesn’t text back immediately, she can start off thinking of something so simple as her mom napping to it escalating with thoughts of her mom getting killed in a car accident because she was trying to text back. Maeve constantly does this, and constantly places blame on herself for these non-existent incidents.

She does it so often that she doesn’t believe her family take her as seriously as she, or her thoughts, does. And at times, she is right.

That’s what we examine as we go through Maeve’s story.

Now, Maeve is a little hard to take in, somewhat unbelievable, especially if you don’t have the same anxiety that she suffers from. Many of us don’t, because most of us haven’t seen another person run over by a train. As that is what sets off Maeve’s issues, we should know that we aren’t going to truly understand all of what she does… or doesn’t, do. We’re not supposed to.

As a reader, author Carrie Mac is not only trying to inform us of what anxiety can be like – there were moments in the book that even gave me some anxiety – but it’s also working on us to be a more empathic person. We may not fully comprehend what is happening in another person’s mind, especially those with mental issues, but we can and should learn to.

I have to admit, I found Maeve to be frustrating in the first third of the book. Her refusal to overcome her fears had me shaking my head constantly. But as I read on, I found myself understanding her more and more. I began rooting for her to finally take on a challenge, and with the connection she made with Salix, the fellow teenage girl that she encounters, you can finally see Maeve having an easier time in overcoming some of her fears.

The author doesn’t hurry in healing Maeve either, but she doesn’t toss away our hope that Maeve may someday finally be free of her fears and anxiety. We really get to know Maeve’s way of thinking, and we get to know how her relationship with her family affects her, whether in a good way or bad way.

Even as I say that most of us have not the same anxiety disorder that Maeve does, that doesn’t mean that those that do wouldn’t understand Maeve’s story. On the contrary, it probably gives more reason for them to want to read this book. They might possibly have a connection with the character in a way they’ve not had before.

That in itself is a moment that author Carrie Mac can be proud of. The family issues that Maeve deals with probably happen more frequently than we’d like, but so goes with families and and parentals.

Although Maeve is a lesbian, the book doesn’t saturate us with that part of Maeve. Sure, there’s a romance in the story, but Carrie doesn’t try to make her being having a romance with the same sexl any more romantic or sexier than if it were with the opposite sex. It’s still quite romantic, as it should be, and they still go through through issues that other gay/lesbian people go through because of their sexual preference.

As far as the characters go, not all of them are likeable, but it’s just another facet of the realism of the story. Not everyone is likeable, not even family sometimes. But despite the problems you might have with them, they are realistic.

For those reasons, I enjoyed 10 Things I Can See From Here for the way it brought us through Maeve’s personal journey of self-discovery and mental courage. I can only hope that you find the empathy with such characters, especially because those people exist in our world, and they need us to understand them.

Maeve suffers from anxiety. When her mom decides to leave for six months, Maeve is sent to Vancouver to stay with her father. Her father's sobriety is on the brink of relapse as her very pregnant stepmother tries to keep everything all together. Maeve soon finds herself having feelings for a girl named Salix, and the beginning of their relationship is clumsy but sweet.

“10 Things I Can See From Here” is one of the best books that I have read about anxiety disorder.

The way the story is written does an excellent job of showing the stream of consciousness that happens when something triggers anxiety. At times I was feeling the anxiety creeping in to my own head. The novel is by no means a one-trick pony, either. The issues of coming out, gay bashing, familial drug abuse, divorce, step-family dynamics, and first love are tackled head-on. All of the characters are developed, and for the most part, likable.

I can’t stress this enough: My favorite part is that it did not follow the false trope of mental health issues being solved by meeting the right person. Salix helps Maeve, but she is not a miracle cure. Only Maeve’s dad can kick his drug habit, no matter how hard his family tries to help. Good lessons, in my opinion.

I recommend “10 Things I Can See From Here” for anyone looking for books about anxiety or a wonderful lgbt romance. Yay for diverse books!

Maeve struggles with severe anxiety. She can’t help but worry about everyone and everything, which can often be debilitating. When her Mum decides to take a 6 month trip to Haiti, Maeve gets sent to live with her Father, a recovering addict struggling with sobriety, and her pregnant step-mum in Vancouver. However, her move to Vancouver brings a new slew of worries which Maeve struggles to control. She meets Salix, a cute violinist, and a romance begins. However, her anxiety makes navigating her relationship and her life hard, and unforeseen events happen that starts to test her limits.

10 Things I Can See From Here was a fantastic portrayal of anxiety, with the added elements of a f/f romance. Maeve’s anxiety is largely focused on death. She creates obituaries in her head and memorises death statistics as a coping mechanism. When her Mum doesn’t text back, she thinks of the worst-case scenario. My anxiety isn’t as severe as Maeve’s, but I could really relate and I totally understood the intrusive thoughts that come hand in hand with anxiety.

The opening was FANTASTIC. I loved the little list at the beginning titled ‘Stupid Things People Say’, such as ‘You are not your anxiety’, ‘Don’t exaggerate’, ‘Keep calm and carry on’, ‘What is there to worry about?’, ‘Just put it out of your mind’, ‘Why get upset about something so small’, and many other things. Anyone with anxiety has heard these MANY times, often from people close to us.

10 Things I Can See From Here is a very character-driven novel – Maeve is at the centre of this story. So if that isn’t your thing, I’d steer clear of this. I liked Maeve, she felt familiar and authentic. I’ve seen a lot of negative reviews which state that they disliked Maeve largely due to her anxiety. Stating that her anxiety is unbelievable and annoying and that Maeve is selfish and obnoxious because of her anxiety, which I think is highly disheartening – especially in a book with such realistic portrayal of anxiety.

I liked that Maeve had a supportive family. I loved her relationship with her step mum. It was a very positive one which I think is unusual in YA – her conflict with her family was with her father who is a recovering addict that is struggling to stay sober. I’d have loved to see more of her relationship with her mum, but she was absent for the whole book, but I got a sense that the relationship was really supportive, so I’d have loved to have seen it.

I really liked her relationship with Salix. It was slightly insta-love – more like insta-attraction – but there was some really good development and it was super cute. I also really loved Maeve’s description of her attraction to girls:

“Being queer was also about not being into boys. Just as it was about attraction, it was also about an absence of attraction, like white space. Girls shimmered, as if all the light shone on them and not on the boys at all. Boys were hardly there, just shadows and background noise. I liked how girls talked, and moved, the way they smiled, or tucked their hair behind an ear…the lines of their arms and the curves of their bodies.”

Another positive of the romance was that it didn’t ‘cure’ her of her anxiety. In fact, nothing really changed with her anxiety, which I liked because we all have our own coping mechanisms (as did Maeve), but anxiety never goes away.

While I really connected with Maeve, I do feel like the secondary characters and story itself could have been fleshed out a bit more, as it was very character driven rather than plot driven. I’d have also liked to see some closure at the end, especially regarding her father and his sobriety.

While I thought the representation of anxiety was realistic and authentic, I want to warn readers that because Maeve suffers from severe anxiety and a lot of intrusive thoughts, if you suffer from anxiety yourself it may be a bit difficult to read and may trigger your own anxiety. Other than that – I’d definitely recommend.

4 stars ****

I like to read other people's reviews to see if I'm in the majority of minority with my opinion, and I'm really surprised to see that my overwhelming love for this book isn't the norm on Goodreads where it currently has an average rating of 3.64. Reading through some of the criticisms only reinforced my affection for the main character and her story, and I'm going to stubbornly hold onto my 5-star rating for this one!

I requested this from Netgalley because the protagonist, Maeve, combines two character traits I relate to and therefore find most interesting to read about: she struggles with mental illness and she's a lesbian. And on both counts, I was very pleased with how the author portrayed Maeve.

I know some readers found her recital of grim statistics and the way she frequently composed hypothetical obituaries for unlikely ways in which she or others died to be annoying, but I empathized. It's very easy for people who don't suffer from anxiety to say 'just don't think about it', and it's a common instruction that I'm so very sick of hearing from people around me. If it were that simple, do you think we would have such serious issues?! We don't ENJOY being miserable and stressed out! Maeve's coping mechanism was both realistic (she needs to be as prepared as possible) and amusing to me, since I have a black sense of humor. This writing device was also subverted endearingly on a couple occasions, like this gem:

"A very small section of Maeve Glover's neuroses drowned in Alice Lake today. Though it is survived by the bulk of her anxiety, which is kept alive by an infinite list of things to worry about, we are delighted to bury this one tiny piece. There is great hope that this death is permanent."

A while ago, I went looking for lesbian YA novels and was disappointed that a lot of the titles were based on angsty coming out tales and stories of prejudice and despair. (I'm sorry, but I'm never picking up 'The Miseducation of Cameron Post', no matter how many accolades - reading about a young girl sent to fix-it camp to de-gay her is not my idea of a good time) I'm really happy that there are a lot more books being released these days in which the lead character is unapologetically gay and confident in their sexual orientation, where the story isn't about them coming to terms with who they are, but simply showing them dealing with the same issues as everyone else - family dysfunction, falling in love, social woes and so on. That's one of the best things about '10 Things I Can See From Here' - Maeve has already come out to her family and it's no big deal, she can carry on without any burden on her shoulders about her sexuality. And the way she described her attraction to girls was so simple and eloquent:

"Being queer was also about not being into boys. Just as it was about attraction, it was also about an absence of attraction, like white space. Girls shimmered, as if all the light shone on them and not on the boys at all. Boys were hardly there, just shadows and background noise. I liked how girls talked, and moved, the way they smiled, or tucked their hair behind an ear...the lines of their arms and the curves of their bodies."

Instead, the issue for her is trying to negotiate a relationship when she's riddled with neuroses! I am so relieved that the author didn't magically cure all of Maeve's problems through True Love (tm), and we see Maeve self-sabotage throughout the story, then seek the strength to course-correct and pursue her happiness despite all her fears. It's such a sympathetic and inspiring plot arc, and she was very easy to root for the whole way through - sometimes I get frustrated with protagonists and the silly decisions they make, but Maeve was always so understandable and even if I didn't relate to her anxieties at some points, it felt so real to her that I could see why she'd make things harder for herself.

A couple of criticisms do ring true - her relationship with Salix is almost too easy. Maeve is a jittery mess and barely capable of holding a conversation with Salix at first, but the other girl staunchly pursues her regardless and is endlessly accommodating of her issues and perfectly understanding to the point where it's blatant wish-fulfillment. Where do I find me a Salix?! That didn't keep me from enjoying the way their romance played out, though, I found it so adorable and was happy to vicariously live it through Maeve!

But I don't agree that this was insta-love because it's perfectly obvious that they crush on each other at first sight and explore that attraction on a few dates, which is the normal way relationships progress. They don't reach ride-or-die status after an hour of knowing each other, which is what frustrates me about insta-love pairings. And while Salix starts off the near flawless It Girl at the start, she does receive some much-welcome shading to her character and we see cracks in that perfect facade that serve to humanize her from the middle onwards.

The parenting on display in the book is highly questionable - Maeve's parents love her, but won't allow her to take medication to handle her anxiety disorder? This is a serious issue that's hampering her from living her life normally, but we get a couple lines about how they think she's too young to take pill and it's never raised again, which is a baffling choice. There's also a revelation about what happened with her friend Ruthie that...is another very strange writing choice and quite unnecessary as Maeve's reaction doesn't seem realistic and the author doesn't treat this issue with the gravity it deserves.

However, these were only minor niggling criticisms that I had, on the whole, the book was so captivating and such a pleasure to lose myself in. I leave you with one of my favorite quotes from this book, which is mildly spoilery from a character growth standpoint as it's from the end where Maeve has her personal epiphany, but it resonates with me too strongly to omit:

"I was astonished at what I could do. And I wondered what else I could do. Maybe I would always wear the heavy boots of anxiety and the prickly coat of worry, but maybe - even still - I could just be a person who belongs in the world, even if it's hard."

I love this cover, not sure if it is the fonts or the coloring but it is the reason I picked this book.
There is a lot going on in this book and sadly, that was a problem for me. Maeve has severe anxiety, and her mother is going away so she is going to stay with her father, which is quite a lot all by its self, but as you get further into the story more and more things keep popping up and taking away from each other. After a time I really felt that Maeve’s anxiety started taking a back seat and in the beginning it really seems like it will be a prominent feature throughout. I also found her anxiety and coping to be mildly disturbing, as she tends to fixate on death and the many ways one could be hurt and possibly die.
This book does contain moments of greatness. I would have liked to give it three stars but overall I found it to be just okay.

As individuals with Generalized Anxiety Disorder, the perpetual new girls are quite familiar with Maeve's unfurling of fear, obsessive need to keep herself in check and the sensitivity to those around her. We connected right away to Maeve's contempt for all sayings meant to placate those of us who would simply like to "keep calm." And we understand the sheer terror of hers when told she would have to leave the house she knows, routine she knows and the people she knows to go live a bit with her dad who she doesn't have a good relationship with and a house full of step-siblings and pregnant stepmother. That's a huge amount of change, rapidly and the effect it would have on a neuro-typical individual would be overwhelming. 10 Things I Can See From Here author, Carrie Mac, she knows GAD intimately and we were crying, feeling all the feels with Maeve.

However, that doesn't keep this believable story from being such a healthy read! Because readers will get a healthy awareness of how difficult it can be for GAD humans to do "normal, every day" things in life. And how much everyone just wants a chance to connect and dream and have the relationships of their lives mean something more than just we're family, we're friends... to go deeper and be more lasting.

Maeve, the lead character has tried keeping calm, and everything else except medication to deal with her anxiety. Her mother, who is also, leaving to go on a long trip doesn't believe in medication until Maeve is legally capable of making that decision on her own for herself, sends her off to her father. There Maeve gets an influx of step siblings, a stepmother who is about to give birth and a whole never environment to relearn. Change is hard, being the new girl is hard... wanting relationships is hard and Maeve feels it all through a funnel of fear, out of control thoughts and agonized obsessing. We know these feelings intimately at Perpetual New Girls (http://perpetualnewgirl.blogspot.com) and connected right away to Maeve, knowing how very sincere and truly like our own thought processes Maeve's were. Carrie Mac weaves a story that takes you through all these rough patches with Maeve and lets her unfold like the pages of the book -- each new aspect of Maeve, her thoughts, her learning to let her sensitivity be a strength rather than a weakness -- become a slow revelation where not all things are resolved, but Maeve gets a little slice of happiness because she let people in.

A sweet, girl meets girl romance which delves into real life with GAD and the struggle to just be yourself, and be willing to let yourself be hurt so that in return you are close to your family, you can find a significant other and overall, find ways to adapt and work around the constant anxiety driving you to drive others away.

Check out this and other reviews on my young adult book blog, Herestohappyendings.com.

As someone who has suffered from severe anxiety and panic disorders since I was young, I was really excited to pick up this book, because it features a main character who pretty much worries about everything all the time, and her anxiety pretty much takes over her life. Because of this, I really thought this was going to be a book that I would be able to relate to completely.

Boy, was I ever right about that.

Reading this book was like reading through a journal of my own thoughts over the past fifteen years - at some point, I've felt almost all of these emotions and panicked about so many of the same things - things as simple as meeting a new person or walking down the street by myself. I loved Maeve's character, and I can't remember the last time I was able to relate to a character on such a deep and personal level, but I had that ability with Maeve in 10 Things I Can See From Here. Sure, I didn't exactly have a step-mother who opted for home births or two twin brothers to look after, but I have my own children so I definitely do my fair share of worrying. About everything. Everything.

While most books that deal with anxiety might touch on it and make a great story from it, this is probably the most raw, detailed case of it that I've read about in a YA book (and I've read a lot of them). It was actually painful to read in spots, because yes, this is real life for some people, and there was no sugarcoating anything here.

Maeve has been dealing with severe anxiety for years, and her parents have decided not to let her take medication for it, because her mother believes that her brain has not finished developing, and that maybe somewhere down the line she will be able to overcome it on her own. So she is forced to deal with constant worrying thoughts, from the time she wakes up in the morning until the time she goes to bed at night - thoughts that most people don't spend agonizing moments thinking about - like how many people die in the country every year from car accidents, or all of the horrible things that can happen simply by getting on the ferry by herself.

Living with her mother most of the year, and only seeing her father and step-mother (and two adorable yet annoying twin brothers) on planned occasions, since they live across the border in Canada. So when Maeve's mom announces that she is going to Haiti to work in a vaccination with her (old) boyfriend Raymond, Maeve isn't too thrilled to be going to spend time with her dad and step-mother. Sure, it wouldn't be so bad if it were only for a while - but this is for six months, and no one understands her quite like her mother. Her father makes jokes about her anxiety (when he's clean and sober), and her step-mother Claire, while meaning well, doesn't seem to get it at all. And then there's the fact that Claire is expecting another baby, and after the home birth she had with the twins that Maeve was present for, she isn't exactly looking forward to going through with it again.

Over the summer, Maeve is forced to deal with all kinds of things she would rather avoid by spending the summer in her cottage in the woods with her mother, but since her mother left her with her dad, it just gives Maeve more to worry about - such as plane crashes, Cholera, and her mother and Raymond getting serious about each other.

While Maeve is staying with her dad, things start to fall apart around her. Claire and her father are always fighting, her twin brothers are pretty much determined to do whatever they want, Maeve has to deal with the death of someone she was close to, and her father starts drinking again, causing tension with them all.

The only bright side of the entire time she is with her father in Canada is the fact that she has met a girl - a girl whom she develops feelings for quickly, after seeing her around so often and finally being able to speak to her. But even that ends up getting touched by Maeve's anxiety - she runs away from her on their first date. How can Maeve deal with her anxiety long enough to let something good happen to her?

I read through this book in one night, and loved every single page. Maeve was such a real character - from the fake obituaries that she wrote in her head every time she saw something bad happening, to the feelings she had for Salix when the two of them started to talking, to the horrible pain she felt surrounding her father's lapse in sobriety. So many parts of this book are things that teenagers have to face every day, coupled with crippling anxiety that makes daily life almost impossible to handle. This is in no way an easy book to read - some parts made me cringe, others made me cry, while yet others made me laugh, nodding along because I had felt so many of those same emotions, worried so many of the same worries. It was emotional. It was painful. It was honest. It was beautiful.

Maeve and Salix had such a connection from the very first time that Maeve saw her in the parking lot while waiting for her father to pick her up. I loved watching the progress of their relationship from the first time they met through the end of the book, seeing how things changed for the two of them. They're relationship felt real, and not at all forced.

Watching Maeve's father fall back into this life of drug and alcohol abuse was also difficult. It's easy to see what an impact that it has on their family - and how it destroyed the relationship that he had with Maeve's mother so many years ago. At the same time, I loved seeing that the two families were able to accept each other - Maeve's mother didn't have any hard feelings toward Claire, and the same went for Claire's feelings toward Maeve's mother. There's so much family interaction in this book, and it made it so much more of a pleasure to read.

This is a deep novel full of things that can make or break a person, and what it feels like to deal with it all while suffering from anxiety.

A young adult novel with a very real depiction of severe anxiety in an entirely addicting read.

Maeve has struggled with severe anxiety for a very long time. To make matters worse, Maeve’s mom is going to live in Haiti for six months with her boyfriend, whom Maeve doesn’t exactly like. Because of this Maeve has to move to Vancouver to live with her alcoholic father, pregnant stepmom, and two younger brothers. Because this won’t affect her anxiety at all, right? NO. Why on earth would her mother abandon her like that?

When Maeve meets Salix, she realizes this may not all be as bad as it seems. This isn’t one of those books where the protagonist is “cured” by the love interest. That isn’t realistic. Salix accepts Maeve for who she is and helped her in anyway she could, as a supportive relationship should. The romance was sweet and developed in a truly authentic way.

Carrie Mac’s writing style was excellent making it easy to get inside Maeve’s head. The chapters are fairly short helping the book to be a quick read. I even enjoyed the extra layer of humor throughout. I appreciate the honest depiction of severe anxiety. Not to mention the very real portrayal of Maeve’s dad’s addition. It was heartbreakingly real.

If you enjoy YA contemporary fiction that focus on important themes while still remaining light enough, this is a great one for you to pick up.

There were quite a few good things going on in this book, so I am going to start with those.

Maeve's anxiety, especially her intrusive thoughts, were so eerily accurate that I had to actually put the book down a few times. She was scared of so many things, but especially death, and since I have the same panic and anxiety surrounding death, I related to her so much. At one point, she starts researching things that could go wrong with her stepmother's pregnancy, and I had done this with my own pregnancies. Her anxiety mirrored my own so much that it was hard to read. But important, too.
I loved Maeve's stepmother and half brothers so much. In so many books, the stepmom is the villain, but in this one, she's the damn hero. There were a few times where Claire's decisions weren't the best, but she is only human too of course and had a lot to deal with. Maeve's relationships with them was hands down one of the best parts of the book.
I enjoyed Maeve's relationship with Salix. This wasn't a coming out book, Maeve was already out to her family, and she and Salix kept running into each other. It was really sweet, if a bit convenient. I liked that Maeve didn't just immediately be "cured" because she wanted to be with Salix; she ends up nearly messing things up a lot, which I think is quite an accurate portrayal. I do wish I had connected with Salix a bit more, but I suppose it was really Maeve's story.

What I did not love as much:

Maeve's biological parents were absolute disasters. So Maeve's mom had seemed okay. They had a really close relationship, and I was all for that. But then she was going to head off to Haiti with some old guy she barely knew? While Maeve was not doing well at all? And send her to live with her alcoholic/drug addicted dad and pregnant stepmom? What? Who does that? The dad was such a jerk. I get that he had demons of his own, but wow, he was awful. I have at least ten sticky flags that say nothing but "ASSHOLE" on them, in relation to Maeve's dad. Not only is he 100% NOT there for Maeve, he also straight up neglects his pregnant wife and twin six year old sons.
Speaking of awful parental decisions, Mom and Dad of the Year wouldn't let Maeve take any kind of prescription medication for her anxiety. There was no real reason given for this, other than ignorance. The worst part in my opinion was that this was never fully fleshed out. It could have been used as a learning tool (i.e., Mom and Dad talked to a doctor who explained why medication can help in these situations) and turned into a positive, but instead it was just brushed off. Like Maeve was just some whiny kid who wanted meds, but in truth, she absolutely could have benefited from them, or at the very least, a discussion about them with someone with a medical degree.
While I don't think Maeve's relationship with Salix was a complete instance of the "savior" thing, Maeve did seem to dare to do many more things with Salix than she would have before. And considering the pressure she was under with her parents, being there for Claire and the boys, and starting a relationship that she was nervous about, this response just didn't seem... authentic.

Bottom Line: This book did have a pretty decent representation of Maeve's anxiety, and I loved that Maeve had some good supports. There were a few things that could have been fleshed out a bit more to make it a stronger message overall.

I thought this was a really good representation of anxiety. Maeve's constant panicking and inventing news articles in her head felt very familiar to me. As someone who suffers from anxiety (and stupidly watches way too much true crime), I am constantly imagining terrible things happening. I have often thought of how the news would break the story if the guy who cut me off in traffic pushed me off the bridge instead of just forcing me to slam on my brakes. It is an exhausting way to live, and I sympathize with her.

There were some other heavy things going on in the novel along with Maeve's anxiety. Her recovering father fell off the bandwagon, her mother remarried to a man she didn't like, and she was struggling to balance a budding relationship.

I wish more time had been spent on some of the relationships in Maeve's life, and the ending was pretty cheesy, but I still really enjoyed this book!

This book tries to accomplish some worthy goals. In fact, it addresses anxiety disorders, troubled marriage, drug abuse, lgbt concerns. All worthy issues. I feel like it over-simplifies some of these issues. The big problems themselves are still present. It's just that everyone seems so accepting of everything, so willing to fight through really major roadblocks. Also, the major plot line belongs to the adults. Without a sense of urgency and a plot progression that tends to be meandering it can be a struggle to keep reading

I’m not usually a fan of summaries comparing books to other books, but the comparison to two books I absolutely adored, Finding Audrey and Everything, Everything, was what initially drew my attention to 10 Things I Can See From Here. Though not entirely accurate, for once, the comparison actually made sense given the kind of story this was. I was actually quite pleasantly surprised by how much I ended up liking this one, after a bit of a rough start. For my review I thought I’d share with you all some some great (in my opinion) reasons why I think you should read it.

REPRESENTATION OF ANXIETY
Now, I can’t speak for the accuracy of the depiction of anxiety in this book, but to me it felt very real. Maeve’s anxiety is a substantial part of this book and it’s rough guys. Carrie Mac did not shy away from showing just how intense and brutal anxiety can be. Maeve is a worrier, who thinks of the worst possible outcomes to any and every scenario that she encounters. Her brain immediately bombards her with death stats and it’s a little terrifying being inside of her head. Part of why I had a rough beginning with this book was the level of intensity of her anxiety attacks, because I found myself being stressed for her. More than anything, I really do feel like that spoke to the author’s ability to evoke strong emotions from her readers. I would have liked to see Maeve get professional help for her mental state, but I also liked that she wasn’t suddenly magically cured.

A MIXED-FAMILY
From my past reviews, most of you guys probably already know how much I appreciate a positive depiction of family in books. In 10 Things I Can See From Here, we see that, but the twist actually comes from the step-mother being the decent parent here. So often step-mothers are villainized in YA, so it was refreshing to see the positive bond between Maeve and Claire. Interestingly, her actual biological parents were a little iffy in my opinion, with her dad struggling with alcoholism and her mom having moved to Haiti with a man despite knowing just how much Maeve needed her. I also loved how close Maeve was with her twin step-brothers. They were dorky and adorable, and I loved seeing them bond.

SUPER CUTE F/F SHIP
I really really liked the romance in 10 Things I Can See From Here. The chemistry between Salix and Maeve was terrific and I loved watching the two slowly grow close to another. I would have loved to see more of them, a little earlier in the book, but when the romance set off, it was amazing. Salix gives Maeve the courage to be stronger, and be more open and I just thought they fit so well together. I think that there’s this misconception/misrepresentation in the media that people who struggle with mental health conditions are not able to love fully, when really that’s not the case at all. I love that Carrie Mac was able to show that even if Maeve had severe anxiety, she was able to find someone to love the complete package of her. Maeve and Salix also discussed sex and their expectations of sex, which I thought was an important conversation to have. I loved that the author brought up the point that sexuality when it comes to female-female couples is hardly ever addressed in sex-education classes, and that’s something that obviously needs to change.

I’m really glad that I decided to give this book a try, because I’ve found a new author whose works I want to check out more. If you’re looking for a diverse YA book, which also features a sweet romance and great family dynamics, this one is a must read.

I loved the vivid portrayal of anxiety in this book. Maeve's voice is great, and the narration is so intimate that I really felt some of her anxiety with her and felt a lot of empathy for her. I had some trouble accepting that Maeve's mom would leave her for such a long time, including some of a school year, with a father who is so unstable, but once I got past that issue, I really enjoyed the satisfying romance and Maeve's relationship with her stepbrothers, especially Owen, who also struggles with anxiety, and her tough stepmom, Claire, whose ways of handling anxiety-producing circumstances are very different from Maeve's. I think this book would be especially powerful and validating for readers who struggle with anxiety or who are struggling to understand friends and loved ones who are dealing with anxiety.

10 Things I Can See from Here is a very poignant, well-written story that follows a girl who suffers from anxiety. The writing style is unique making for a quick read. There are several themes explored including not only anxiety, but addiction, sexuality, sexual assault, etc. It's not quite so heavy a read with several moments of humor and even romance to lighten things up. I really appreciate the book's incredibly honest and real depiction of anxiety. This is so rare to find in YA even though it's something many teenagers struggle with without understanding much about it. I'll be recommending to all young adult readers and especially those who loved Everything, Everything.

Thank you, NetGalley and Random House for the opportunity to read this novel.
Having anxiety myself, I felt this novel to be relatable. I feel that this could be relatable for all circumstances though. Maeve was unlike many characters I have read about in YA books. She is gritty and quirky. She was real though and I really enjoyed reading from her perspective.
Her growth in the novel was enjoyable to read about too. Her relationship with Salix, I feel was realistic and it was refreshing to read about.
I am really keeping my eyes out for more novels from Carrie Mac. I enjoyed her writing and I think I would want to read more from her.

I confess that I got this book because  in synopsis said that it was like Everything Everything ,book that for me  is very much like a movie of the 70's that I love very much, The Boy in the Plastic Bubble starring John Travolta.

But the realistic and less romantic form as it was written gave a feeling it had nothing to do with that book .... Let me explain .....
The book tells the story of Maeve, a girl who suffers from Panic Syndrome and who is forced to spend six months with her father and his new family because her mother goes to Haiti with her boyfriend.Everything begins to generate anxiety in the girl and the way the writer conveys her crisis, made me stop reading sometimes because I was already having panic too.

I stopped ... I took a deep breath .... and counted 10 Things I can see from Here ..... I calmed down ... and went on reading.....
Maeve's life changes when she meets the violinist Salix, a girl totally different from her and who seems not to be afraid of anything. Their relationship leads Maeve to live many adventures that she would not live if she continued in the quiet neurotic life she was accustomed to.
Salix forces Maeve out of her comfort zone and it is at this point that I noticed the inspiration quoted in the synopsis and I started to like the book and want to go til the end. The title could not have been better, as it's the technique Salix uses to help Maeve better understand the world around her.
The final chapters for me were the highlight part of the book, the moment when it is Maeve who gives strength to Salix and makes her count the 10 things as well.
Special highlight for Claire, Maeve's stepmother who, like Salix, helps Maeve to face many challenges and see how strong she can be.
I loved the final scenes, that was very well written and exciting and shows how love changes everything.
3/5 stars