Annie and Maeve are Definitely Not Friends, by Olivia Muscat

Enmity turns to friendship in this realistically told story.

Eleven-year-old Annie has left her old school St Lucy’s after a bout of bullying from her former friends. After a recent accident that left her blind and with a limp, fellow students inexplicably turned on her, unable to cope with the change. On her first day at North Avenue Primary Annie is assigned a buddy, Maeve. Maeve is a long time North Avenue student. She is also blind.

The girls are immediately suspicious and contemptuous of each other. Their blindness doesn’t create camaraderie. But as circumstances keep throwing them together, and challenges call for joint resolve, they find their defences lowering. When a talent contest dares Annie to step out of her shell, she finally triumphs and conquers the trauma of her accident and bullying, also finding a loyal tribe of friends. 

Olivia Muscat is a writer and disability activist. Annie and Maeve Are Definitely Not Friends is a middle grade novel about being vulnerable and finding your place in an often difficult and uncertain world. The story alternates between Maeve’s journal entries and a traditional third person narrative, deftly tracking Annie and Maeve’s personal transformations. A feel good story of courage and resilience that rings true to every word. 

Ages 9-11

Annie and Maeve are Definitely Not Friends, by Olivia Muscat. Published by Freemantle Press. $17.99

JUNE 2026