Annie & Maeve are Definitely Not Friends

AVAILABLE NOW!

Olivia Muscat’s debut novel celebrates the unexpected happiness of finding somebody who really gets who you are.

Annie and Maeve have grown up in very different circumstances. They don’t have a whole lot in common, so when they end up in the same class and are essentially forced into a friendship, neither one is very impressed.

Both girls are blind – Maeve since birth, and Annie due to a fairly recent accident. According to most of the adults in their lives, this should be the basis for a beautiful friendship. Annie and Maeve disagree. When overlapping friends, birthday parties, pesky classmates, school camp, concert auditions and holiday sleepovers conspire to force the girls into hanging out, they realise that they might have more in common than they could have guessed. Their shared disability isn’t the reason they decide to be friends, but they both learn that sometimes it is a true revelation to find someone who totally gets some of the things you’re going through.

‘A heartwarming, hilarious book with such powerful messages of friendship and acceptance as this is rare to find.’
– Alicia Guiney – Readings Bookseller review

‘I loved Annie and Maeve Are Definitely Not Friends by Olivia Muscat for how gently and honestly it captures the awkwardness of early friendships. It’s warm and relatable, especially for those who like school stories with heart and humour rather than high drama.’
– Karys McEwan, Melbourne Writers’ Festival Education Advisor

‘The story shows how everyday situations, like school activities or social expectations, can be shaped by assumptions people make about disability. It gently challenges those assumptions and helps readers see things from a different perspective, encouraging empathy and understanding without losing the story’s warmth and humour.’
– Better Reading

‘This book doesn’t need to be educational to be good – it stands on its own as a great read. It’s engaging and full off complicated issues, yet with a happy ending, a blend that all kids are sure to love.’
– Annie Mills for the AU Review

‘Annie and Maeve Are Definitely Not Friends marks a stellar arrival for Muscat in the middle-grade category, balancing difficult, complicated, but age-appropriate personal struggles with a sharp, witty sense of fun. This own-voices story was both eye-opening and rewarding, and ultimately an enjoyable read. I hope that there will be more refreshingly authentic and life-affirming middle grade from this talented author.’
– Melissa Salisbury for Story Links

Read an excerpt of the book and access a fun worksheet on the Fremantle Press website here!

Listen to me read the first two chapters on Your Kid’s Next Read podcast here!

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Olivia’s interview with Good Reading Magazine

Read the Q&A here.