The Thing I’m Most Afraid Of by Kristin Levine – Book Review

Title: The Thing I’m Most Afraid Of Author: Kristin Levine Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers Release Date: June 13, 2021

Becca suffers from severe anxiety. Even with the help and guidance of a therapist and journals that name her fears and offer ways to cope, panic attacks still threaten to surface at any time, especially this summer. Since Becca’s father lives in Austria and her mother wants to travel across Europe, her parents hatch a plan for Becca to spend the summer in a new country. Thrust out of her normal routine and plans, Becca explores Vienna with Felix, the son of Becca’s father’s girlfriend, and Sara, a Bosnian refugee and the kids’ au pair for the summer. As the trio become friends, they gradually learn about each other’s fears and do what they can to support one another when they face what they’re most afraid of.

The Thing I’m Most Afraid Of by Kristin Levine closely examines a young person’s struggle with severe anxiety. Levine’s narrative primarily focuses on Becca’s struggles, but she deftly incorporates Felix’s and Sara’s conflicts as well. In fact, Sara’s struggles and ability to put others before herself provide some of the most thought-provoking and heart-breaking moments in the story. Set in a tumultuous time period in Eastern Europe, most readers will want to learn more about the history behind and context of her and her family’s experiences. In addition to compelling characters, the themes of The Thing I’m Most Afraid Of naturally emerge as Becca, Felix, and Sara grow closer, contributing to powerful lessons about friendship, family, and overcoming fear.

Educators that enjoy cross-curricular novel studies will find that The Thing I’m Most Afraid Of fills a void. The middle grade genre lacks narratives that focus on the Bosnian War and genocide and the effects of the post-Soviet Union collapse. While the novel’s historical aspects are secondary, they provide many opportunities for enriching students’ understanding of the book. Students may also benefit by exploring Becca’s struggle with anxiety. Done in a thoughtful way, students will certainly build empathy and understanding when approaching mental health topics, such as anxiety. No matter the novel study’s particular focus, Levine’s The Thing I’m Most Afraid Of gives educators space to draw out the narrative’s historical or thematic threads, and taking advantage of those opportunities will only make the novel that much more compelling.

Thank you to Edelweiss+ and publisher, G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers, for an eARC of this book.

Classroom Applications

• Book Club or Book Exchange – Share the novel with students that enjoy reading historical fiction.
• Literature Circles – Use novel for small groups or choice reading with a variety of books that focus on the historical time period and Bosnian War and genocide.

Nonfiction Connections

The list below outlines topics that will enrich your students’ understanding of the novel.

• Bosnian War & Genocide
• 90’s Culture
• Anxiety & Panic Attacks

Book Companions

The following are great books to pair with The Thing I’m Most Afraid Of. In parenthesis are the specific aspects students could explore when synthesizing across the texts.

• Everywhere Blue by Joanne Rossmassler Fritz (Character Connections, Nonfiction Connections, Themes)
• Zlata’s Diary: A Child’s Life in Wartime Sarajevo by Zlata Filipović (Character Connections, Nonfiction Connections, Themes)
• Umbrella Summer by Lisa Graff (Character Connections, Nonfiction Connections, Themes)

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