The One Thing

August 1, 2015
Maggie, who became blind after contracting bacterial meningitis six months earlier, experiences a magical cure. Sort of. After meeting with the probation officer following a prank she pulled at her new school, Merchant's School for the Blind, Maggie meets bighearted, straight-shooting, mile-a-minute-talking 10-year-old Ben Milton. Shockingly, she can see Ben, and the novelty of Maggie's temporarily returned sight makes her go along with it when Ben invites her home with him. Coincidentally, Ben's older brother, Mason, turns out to be the teenage lead singer of the Loose Cannons, Maggie's favorite band, and he is certain Maggie is faking both her blindness and her interest in Ben to get close to him. Although Maggie has been spending most of her post-meningitis life pushing away friends and family and finding reasons to ditch her orientation and mobility specialist, the relationship Maggie builds with the Miltons sparks change. Maggie's voice is sharp and quick-witted, and Ben's persistent exuberance provides an excellent foil. Although discovering a mystical cure for a disability is an overused, usually offensive trope, this book's conclusion points toward accepting disability rather than hoping to vanquish it. The payoff here is not just the inevitable romance, but also Maggie's strengthened relationships with friends, family, and herself. Funny, sweet, and hopeful. (Fiction. 12-18)

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October 1, 2015

Gr 7 Up-After losing her eyesight to meningitis, 16-year-old Maggie is angry and bewildered. A rising soccer star, she refuses to adjust to her new life, which includes Merchant's School for the Blind, where an ill-conceived prank lands her on probation. Maggie's parents seem distant, and her friends from school have forgotten about her. Then one afternoon, Maggie slips on the floor, whacking her head in the process. When she regains consciousness, standing over her is Ben, a wise-cracking 10-year-old whom she can actually see. More strangely, Maggie can only see when Ben is with her. After eliminating the possibility that she is in a coma, Maggie bonds with Ben and his family even though she is ignored by his older brother Mason, the lead singer for a local band called The Loose Cannons, who thinks she is pretending to be blind just to get near him. By the time Maggie figures out why she can see only certain people, will it be too late to avert another tragedy and put together the pieces of her broken life? The story is fast-paced, with Maggie's intermittent vision serving as an intriguing mystery. Maggie is a solid, well-developed character and shows tremendous growth in the story. The dialogue and Maggie's inner thoughts are hilarious and provide insight to the challenges anyone, especially a teen, must experience with a life-changing medical event. VERDICT Teens who enjoy stories about people overcoming adversity, complete with a satisfying conclusion, will enjoy this novel.-Anne Jung-Mathews, Plymouth State University, NH

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