Common Sense Media Review
By Andrea Beach
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Sweet coming-of-ager has romance, tackles accessibility.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
WHERE YOU SEE YOURSELF follows high-school senior Effie, who uses a wheelchair, as she navigates college applications, accessibility problems at her school, and getting up the nerve to tell Wilder, her crush, that she likes him. Fortunately she's got a loving family and supportive friends to back her up as she learns how to advocate for herself and to make the right decisions for herself, by herself.
Is It Any Good?
This is a sweet, sometimes funny coming-of-age story with just the right amount of sigh-worthy romance in the mix. In Where You See Yourself, author Claire Forrest has created a narrator teens will relate to. Effie doesn't have an ounce of self pity, but she doesn't sugar-coat what it's like to navigate her world with limited mobility, either. When things are hard or unfair, she acknowledges them. Readers are likely to admire and relate to how she learns to deal with challenges as part of growing up. All of this is nicely balanced with the joy of watching a tender, blossoming romance grow.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about whether the characters in Where You See Yourself are role models. What are Effie's character strengths and weaknesses? What about the other characters? What role do perseverance and empathy play up in this story?
Do you have, or do you know someone who has, low mobility? Does Effie's situation seem realistic? Did anything about her experience using a wheelchair surprise you?
Effie says it's OK to use the word "disability." Do you agree? Why, or why not?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Coming of Age
- Topics : Friendship , School ( High School )
- Character Strengths : Empathy , Perseverance
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Scholastic Press
- Publication date : May 2, 2023
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 12 - 18
- Number of pages : 320
- Available on : Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Award : Common Sense Selection
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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