The Thing I’m Most Afraid Of by Kristin Levine
It’s 1993, and Becca is heading off to Austria to spend the summer with her dad (and also his new girlfriend, Katarina, her son, Felix, and Sara, the nanny). Becca isn’t loving this, but there is a lot that Becca doesn’t love. In fact, she has a whole lot of anxiety. She writes about it in her Doomsday journals. I sort of like the idea of a doomsday journal. She will write about what she fears, then research it and often have a contingency plan for each fear. I think I sort of do this, but hers sounds very organized.
While on the plane, Becca meets a reporter and learns about the war going on in Bosnia. Sara, her new nanny, is from Bosnia. Becca, Felix, and Sara end up spending a lot of time together. They each have things they are afraid of. They are also understanding of each other’s fears and even willing to help each other. It’s really sweet. I loved hearing about Vienna and about Sara’s life in Bosnia. I also liked hearing how Becca understood everything as the book is told from her point of view. For example, Sara talks a lot about opera. Becca keeps relating the operas to the soap operas she watches with her grandmother back home. Is that why they are called soap operas? Are they all sort of retellings of actual operas?
Becca makes a list of things she wants to do over the summer to help get over her fears. Felix and Sara do their best to help her. In fact, Sara has her own list, and Felix ends up making one as well. It’s like a bucket list. I might make one of my own!
Becca learns more about Sara as she spends more time with her. Sara is technically just living with Felix and his mom because she can’t get a work visa. Becca doesn’t understand why she is not allowed to work. She becomes more interested in Sara’s life and in how to help her. After all, Sara is doing so much to help her; she should try to do the same. Becca wants to have some purpose in her life, help others. But Sara has bigger fears that Becca can’t even imagine. Her mother and little brother are still in Bosnia, and she doesn’t know how to contact them. Plus, she is living in fear of being deported! Becca’s doomsday journals haven’t prepared her for all of these fears.
I think I liked this book because I felt a lot like Becca. I struggle with fears as well. I get nervous easily over silly things to most. I liked seeing her grow in confidence and experience new things. It made me want to start my own Pig Journal (you will have to read the book).
Five out of Five Magical Coffee Cups
Literary Coffee 