Weekend Pick for December 8, 2023
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For this week’s weekend pick, I would like to celebrate #disabilitydecember by recommending one of my favorite recent reads Claire Forrest’s Where You See Yourself. This novel has so much truth, humor, and beauty to make you never want to put it down!
The story begins with our determined and delightful protagonist, Effie Galanos. As senior year begins, Effie already knows exactly what she wants–to pursue her dream of becoming a digital media professional who raises awareness and representation of the disabled community in mass media. As a wheelchair user with Cerebral Palsy, Effie has always wanted to see herself and other disabled young people represented in the magazines, shows, and digital landscape. She even has secretly researched a college in NYC with a Mass Media and Society major, and pictured a whole new life for herself outside of her hometown of Minneapolis. When she finds out her long time crush Wilder is applying there too, everything seems to be pointing Effie in the right direction. But it turns out the universe has so many surprises for Effie.
Navigating the process of admissions visits, Effie learns that she must not only find the right major, but the school that makes accessibility a priority. Through all the ups and downs of her senior year, Effie confronts internal and external ableism, friendships growing and changing, and potentially pushing herself to believe growing up means possibilities can exist and even surpass our own expectations. As Wilder and Effie grow closer, there may even be an unexpected turning point from friendship to first love…to know what happens you will have to read and find out!
Claire Forrest writes in her acknowledgements to disabled readers, “...it is my sincerest hope that you found comfort, escape, and maybe even some joy in these pages. May you never forget that you, too, can be the hero of your own story, and that we deserve to be seen–and celebrated–just as we are, in all spaces, always.” I can truly say that reading Where You See Yourself made me feel all of those things–especially joy. I hope that you will grab a copy of Effie’s story because you will find a new friend to relate to and celebrate with as she takes you on her journey. Also, I highly recommend following Claire Forrest and her work as well as the #disabilitydecember celebration on Instagram for more disability reads to add to your TBR.
Until next week, keep reading!
Cammie
The story begins with our determined and delightful protagonist, Effie Galanos. As senior year begins, Effie already knows exactly what she wants–to pursue her dream of becoming a digital media professional who raises awareness and representation of the disabled community in mass media. As a wheelchair user with Cerebral Palsy, Effie has always wanted to see herself and other disabled young people represented in the magazines, shows, and digital landscape. She even has secretly researched a college in NYC with a Mass Media and Society major, and pictured a whole new life for herself outside of her hometown of Minneapolis. When she finds out her long time crush Wilder is applying there too, everything seems to be pointing Effie in the right direction. But it turns out the universe has so many surprises for Effie.
Navigating the process of admissions visits, Effie learns that she must not only find the right major, but the school that makes accessibility a priority. Through all the ups and downs of her senior year, Effie confronts internal and external ableism, friendships growing and changing, and potentially pushing herself to believe growing up means possibilities can exist and even surpass our own expectations. As Wilder and Effie grow closer, there may even be an unexpected turning point from friendship to first love…to know what happens you will have to read and find out!
Claire Forrest writes in her acknowledgements to disabled readers, “...it is my sincerest hope that you found comfort, escape, and maybe even some joy in these pages. May you never forget that you, too, can be the hero of your own story, and that we deserve to be seen–and celebrated–just as we are, in all spaces, always.” I can truly say that reading Where You See Yourself made me feel all of those things–especially joy. I hope that you will grab a copy of Effie’s story because you will find a new friend to relate to and celebrate with as she takes you on her journey. Also, I highly recommend following Claire Forrest and her work as well as the #disabilitydecember celebration on Instagram for more disability reads to add to your TBR.
Until next week, keep reading!
Cammie
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