Where you see yourself / Claire Forrest.

Select an Action

Title:

Where you see yourself / Claire Forrest.

Author:

Forrest, Claire (Young adult author), author.

ISBN:

9781338813838

Edition:

First edition.

Physical Description:

306 pages ; 22 cm

Abstract:

Effie Galanos' goals for her senior year include her navigating her way through her high school that is not really wheelchair-friendly, getting into the perfect college, and getting her crush Wilder to accompany her to the prom--but by spring she is beginning to see herself entirely differently.

Effie Galanos has her heart set on a college in NYC with a major in Mass Media & Society that will set her up perfectly for her dream job in digital media. She's never been to New York, but paging through the brochure, she can picture the person she'll be there, far from the Minneapolis neighborhood where she's lived her entire life. But with her needs as a wheelchair user, is she setting her dreams too high? When she finds out that her crust, Wilder, is applying there too, it seems like one more sign from the universe that it's the right place for her. As Effie navigates her way through a year of admissions visits, senior class traditions, internal and external ableism, and a lot of firsts-- and lasts-- she starts to learn that sometimes growing up means being open to a world of possibilities you never even dreamed of. -- adapted from Goodreads info.

Reading Level:

Ages 12+ Scholastic Inc.

Grades 10-12 Scholastic Inc.

Geographic Term:

Minneapolis (Minn.) -- Juvenile fiction.

Minneapolis (Minn.) -- Fiction.

Minnesota -- Minneapolis. (OCoLC)fst01204260

Genre:

Young adult fiction.

Bildungsromans. (OCoLC)fst01726536

Fiction. (OCoLC)fst01423787

Juvenile works. (OCoLC)fst01411637

Bildungsromans.

Romance fiction.

Available:*

Library	Material Type	Item Barcode	Shelf Number	Status
Searching... Avon-Washington Township Public Library	Teen Fiction Book Hardback	120791003051289	T FOR	Searching... Unknown

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

A Schneider Family Book Award Honor Book

What does it take to follow your dreams? Where You See Yourself is a relatable, romantic, and necessary story about a girl who has to figure out what--and who--will bring her the happiness she deserves.

By the time Effie Galanos starts her senior year, it feels like she's already been thinking about college applications for an eternity--after all, finding a college that will be the perfect fit and be accessible enough for Effie to navigate in her wheelchair presents a ton of considerations that her friends don't have to worry about.

What Effie hasn't told anyone is that she already knows exactly what school she has her heart set on: a college in NYC with a major in Mass Media & Society that will set her up perfectly for her dream job in digital media. She's never been to New York, but paging through the brochure, she can picture the person she'll be there, far from the Minneapolis neighborhood where she's lived her entire life. When she finds out that Wilder (her longtime crush) is applying there too, it seems like one more sign from the universe that it's the right place for her.

But it turns out that the universe is full of surprises. As Effie navigates her way through a year of admissions visits, senior class traditions, internal and external ableism, and a lot of firsts--and lasts--she starts to learn that sometimes growing up means being open to a world of possibilities you never even dreamed of. And maybe being more than just friends with Wilder is one of those dreams...

Reviews (3)

School Library Journal Review

Gr 9 Up--High school senior Effie wishes the college application process could be as easy for her as it is for her friends and classmates without visible disabilities. Greek American Effie is cued white, has cerebral palsy, and is the only person at her school who uses a wheelchair. When apathetic school administrators create an arbitrary policy that keeps her from being physically able to join her friends for off-campus lunch, Effie realizes she must start advocating for herself if she's going to be ready for college in the fall. Effie and her friends stage a sit-in to protest the policy, which solidifies Effie's goals of pursuing journalism and advocacy. College applications loom, and while Effie's friends get to make life decisions based on academics, location, and feel, Effie and her mom have crafted a detailed spreadsheet of variables based on the accessibility of each school (or in many cases, lack thereof). A family visit to Effie's dream school in New York City provides some glaring examples of the challenges that await Effie once she leaves home: elevator outages in subway stations, a gravel path that runs through the heart of campus, and the school's lack of disability representation among the student body. Effie's dry humor, determination, and strong sense of self drive the plot forward. VERDICT A refreshing upstander story that buoys realistic disability advocacy with humor, grit, and a witty protagonist worth rooting for.--Allison Staley

Publisher's Weekly Review

A teen with cerebral palsy combats ableist school administrators while searching for the perfect college in Forrest's refreshing and empowering debut. Because of her high school's poor accessibility compliance, wheelchair user and senior Effie Galanos is used to her mother stepping in to campaign for proper accommodations. Effie's mom, knowing she won't be there to help her daughter at college, compiles a list of wheelchair-friendly universities, but Effie dreams of studying multimedia at Prospect University in New York, "one of the least accessible cities in America." Encouraged by Wilder, her crush and fellow Prospect applicant, Effie determines to prove to herself and to others that she can advocate for her own accommodations by speaking up against school administrators for the right to participate in senior off-campus lunch. But after discovering seemingly insurmountable accessibility barriers on Prospect's campus, Effie and her family must reevaluate how to move forward. Via upbeat and honest prose that eschews didacticism and heavy-handed messaging, Forrest expertly communicates one wheelchair user's challenges of navigating an ableist world. Pitch-perfect rom-com moments bursting with dry humor balance mature reflections on relationships, personal agency, and disability advocacy. Main characters cue as white. Ages 12--up. Agent: Patricia Nelson, Marsal Lyon Literary. (May)

Kirkus Review

A college-bound teen with cerebral palsy learns to advocate for herself. Even though her friends are buzzing about senior year and their college plans, Greek American Euphemia Galanos can't muster the same enthusiasm. For Effie, an aspiring journalist, choosing a college is fraught with additional variables: Are the dorms wheelchair accessible? How easily can she navigate campus? Such concerns threaten to derail her dream of attending New York's prestigious Prospect University, home to an excellent journalism program…and the choice of her crush, Wilder. As if Effie doesn't have enough on her plate, she faces discrimination from Mill City High's administration--and this time, her mother insists she manage things herself. But Effie isn't used to speaking up, and her efforts go awry. How can she show her mom she can handle moving from Minnesota to New York if she can't be assertive? And will she ever get the chance to tell Wilder how she feels? Forrest, also a wheelchair user with CP, explores the role of media representation in developing self-confidence and refreshingly highlights the importance of disabled peers. Readers will appreciate Effie's conflicted, insightful introspection and appraisals of her options; those who struggle to speak up will empathize as she finds her voice. Supportive friends and family and a sweet romance add warmth. Wilder reads White; there's some racial diversity among the supporting cast members. Affirming, uplifting, and thoughtful. (Fiction. 13-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.