Description:
The worst breakup is a friendship breakup. But what if while losing a best friend, you could gain a first love? From Schneider Family Book Award Honor-winning author Claire Forrest, comes a coming-of-age story that navigates new love, lost friendships, and discovering who you truly want to be.
Seren is invincible.
She has thousands of friends, she gets tons of attention, and she's intimately involved in the fandom for her fav pop star, Emery Aster.
But that's all online.
In real life, Seren depends on her long-time BFF, Violet. She's always been happy to be the sidekick to Violet's big personality. Violet gets her. She's cool with the fact that Seren uses a wheelchair, and reflecting Violet's bright light makes Seren feel just a bit more shiny, more like her online persona. But things are about to get complicated.
Seren has to spend the summer in the small town of Evergreen with her dad and her stepmom, who are pushing her to spend less time on social media and more time in the real world. Seren gets a job at a local year-round Christmas store, where she meets Billie and her older brother, Gideon. While cold and standoffish at first, there's something about Gideon that captures Seren's attention...
When Seren convinces Violet to come visit her, she hopes that they can make a video to enter Emery Aster's fan contest. But Violet's not interested. She is moving on from Emery Aster -- maybe even from Seren. Their forever friendship is fragmenting, and Seren doesn't know who she is without her BFF to help her shine.
As Seren slowly starts to fall for Gideon and to figure out who she is without Violet, she will have to grapple with the real world on her own. Can she stop hiding behind Emery's music and her online persona, and become the main character of her own life?
With a slow burn romance, a complicated friendship breakup, and a relatable Taylor Swift-esque fandom, this is a sweet, romantic, music-filled YA contemporary that is not to be missed!
Review Quotes:
Praise for Where You See Yourself:
A Schneider Family Book Award Honor Book
A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year
A New York Public Library Best Book for Teens
Chicago Public Library Best Teen Fiction of the Year
A Bank Street Best Book of the Year
A YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults
"An absolutely necessary and affirming addition to YA shelves." -- BuzzFeed Books
"An effervescent, emotional story with all the makings of an instant YA classic." -- Bookpage
"This is a sweet, sometimes funny coming-of-age story with just the right amount of sigh-worthy romance in the mix." -- Common Sense Media
★ "A refreshing upstander story with humor, grit, and a witty protagonist worth rooting for." -- School Library Journal, starred review
★ "Affirming, uplifting, and thoughtful." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review
★ "A refreshing and empowering debut. Pitch-perfect rom-com moments bursting with dry humor." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review
"Funny, true, and tender, this is a beautiful and resonant debut." -- Nina LaCour, Printz Award-winning author of We Are Okay
"Big hearted and beautiful. I'd follow Effie anywhere." -- Elana K. Arnold, National Book Award finalist author of What Girls are Made Of
"A sweet, moving, and triumphant story about finding your voice and the power of taking up space in a world that doesn't always see you." -- Brandy Colbert, award-winning author of The Voting Booth
"Where You See Yourself will have your heart bang-snapping, melting, and dropping into your butt." -- Anna Meriano, author of This Is How We Fly and It Sounds Like This
"Forrest's triumphant, warm-hearted, and romantic debut takes ableism to task while celebrating both learning and fighting for what you deserve. I cheered, I cried, I fist-pumped." -- Dahlia Adler, author of Cool for the Summer
"Heartfelt, wry, and unputdownable, Where You See Yourself is a must-read." -- Nicole Kronzer, author of Unscripted
"Where You See Yourself is a book I needed as a disabled high school senior. What a gift Forrest has given readers." -- Lillie Lainoff, author of One for All
"A beautiful portrayal of disability and going after your dreams. Where You See Yourself is equal parts relatable, romantic, and necessary." -- Melissa See, author of You, Me, and Our Heartstrings