If this review sound like it's of a specific structure, it's because it's the first one for my Young Adult Resources course.
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Annie on my Mind is realistic fiction set in early 1980’s Brooklyn NY, told from the perspective of Eliza Winthrop, a high achieving first-year college student looking back on her tumultuous senior year attending a private school; the year she fell in love. While admiring architecture exhibits at one of Manhattan’s many museums, her life is changed upon meeting Annie Kanyon. Annie and Liza’s friendship sparks into something more romantic, as both girls are faced with struggles including college admissions, student government, suspension, and of course identity. After spending an idyllic week in domestic bliss at a teacher’s home while cat-sitting, their secrets are revealed, having further reaching impacts than either girl could have anticipated. 

This classic YA fiction is a must read. The only aspects of this story which date it are technology, such as calling a crush at the school’s telephone booth. The themes and plot points are still relevant to modern teens as they have so much pressure and responsibility thrust upon them. What really struck me were how Liza and Annie spent a majority of their earlier dates roleplaying as fantasy knights or getting in snowball fights with other kids. Teens exist in an interesting space where they’re discouraged from playing too childishly, alongside being expected to preserve the image of a perfect professional while applying to universities. The subplot of Ms. Stevenson and Ms. Widmer’s case is especially heartbreaking in a time when LGBTQ+ elders are still accused of grooming kids. This story nails the feeling of wanting to find literature that better represents the gay experience, as Liza finds in exploring Ms. Stevenson and Widmer’s home. This title is also important for teens that do not necessarily identify in the LGBTQ+ umbrella, in that it’s clear to see the difference in treatment by school administration between Sally and Walt compared to Liza and Annie. 

Favorite quote: “The encyclopedia writers ought to talk to me, I thought as I went back to bed; I could tell them something about love.” (Garden, p. 143).

Rating: 5/5 Stars! I cried so much!

Awards: Margaret E. Edwards Award 2003 (ALA)

Citation: Garden, N. (1982). Annie on my Mind. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.