Annie and Maeve Are Definitely Not Friends

By Olivia Muscat

Reviewed by Melissa Salisbury

Olivia Muscat is a Melbourne-based  writer, performer, and disability rights advocate, and this is her debut middle grade novel. Muscat wanted to portray more accurately and honestly the experiences of people with disabilities, and she has achieved that in spades.

Using a dual-perspective narrative, the story charts the rather stormy introduction of two fifth-grade students – Maeve and newly arrived student, Annie. Maeve does not want to be responsible for another student; she simply wants to hang out with her best friend, Persie. However, because both students happen to be blind, the teachers at school presume, not so wisely, that they will become firm friends, so ask Maeve to be Annie’s guide.

Instead, the two girls immediately clash, finding each other irritating. But much to their annoyance, the school calendar—spanning social gatherings, an outdoor school camp, a terrifying high-altitude rope course, and competitive performance showcases—continually forces them to be in each other’s company. They gradually look past their initial personality conflicts to cultivate an authentic, hard-earned connection. Ultimately, their friendship blooms not because they are both blind, but because they come to respect what each other offers.

The story addresses the challenges of living with a disability faced by Annie and Maeve with skill and sensitivity, without shielding the reader from the hardships the girls experience. Meanwhile, the narrative remains fast-paced and optimistic rather than bleak or heavily didactic.

Annie and Maeve stand out as wonderfully flawed and stubborn protagonists. Maeve operates with the confidence of someone blind since infancy, who is fiercely protective of her autonomy and her existing school routines. Meanwhile, Annie is actively processing the emotional upheaval of a very sudden, life-altering vision loss and displays a mix of fragility and headstrong determination as she adapts to an entirely unfamiliar daily environment.

They are supported by a cast of very relatable classmates and clumsy, over-eager adults whose actions highlight the sharp minds of the two main characters.

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.

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Fremantle Press 2026

Olivia Muscat