Sometimes losing something can change the way you see everything.
From the author of The Qualities of Wood, Bellflower, and Starling comes Mary Vensel White's first novel for young adults, a journey of a lifetime where adventure meets self-discovery.
Tuesday Mayes has always felt like she was meant for more than the desert she's lived in her whole life. With the summer after high school graduation upon her, she is eager to start a new chapter despite a recent health diagnosis. But when her father goes missing, she must confront a reality she's not ready to face.
Enter Cristian Robles, childhood friend and long-time crush. When he offers to accompany her on a journey across Arizona to find her father—if they visit supernatural locations from his Weird Arizona guidebook along the way—Tuesday sees it as chance to finally have an adventure. As they embark on a road trip filled with discoveries and surprises, she begins to uncover the truth about family secrets and her special abilities. Along the way, she finds herself falling for Cristian and realizing that sometimes losing something can change the way you see everything.
With a mix of adventure, romance, and self-discovery, this is a story about growing up, facing fears, and discovering the strength within. On this journey of a lifetime, will Tuesday discover who she truly is and what she truly wants?
Assessment:
Plot/Idea: It's the summer after high school graduation, and Tuesday Mayes is dreaming about leaving the Arizona desert for college. But when her father goes missing, she embarks on a journey to locate him, learning more about her family and her own unique way of seeing the world, and falling in love, in the process.
Prose: White's prose style is immediately engrossing. She establishes a clear sense of place, allowing the Arizona settings to come alive on the page, while providing readers with vivid insight into Tuesday's thoughts, emotional states, and unusual perceptions.
Originality: White addresses familiar coming-of-age themes, but infuses the novel with moving reflections on life, family, and the possibility of tapping into higher frequencies and uncanny abilities. As Tuesday grapples with a medical diagnosis that impacts her sight, White captures the feeling of being a thoughtful young woman examining her family's past while on the brink of realizing her own future.
Character/Execution: White excels at crafting authentic, nuanced characters, from perceptive and spirited Tuesday to Cristian and Tuesday's well-meaning but often misguided mother.
Date Submitted: May 31, 2023
"Things to See in Arizona is a satisfying blend of travelogue, romance, mystery, and teen coming-of-age. Arizona, with its history of alien sightings and new age outlooks, and its landscape that seems wide open but conceals quite a lot, is an excellent backdrop for a story centered on redefinition. Tuesday and Cristian make an entertaining couple whom the reader can't help but root for."
A well-written and satisfying coming of age story that celebrates self-discovery at all points in one's life. Filled with heart and self-discovery, this is a positive addition to library collections for young people who are preparing for the next steps in their lives.
