THE THING I'M MOST AFRAID OF

Her father’s new job in Vienna, Austria, forces a 12-year-old American girl out of her comfort zone.

It’s 1993, and Becca lives in northern Virginia, dividing her time between her divorced parents. When she learns her father will be moving to Vienna for work and she will be spending two months with him over summer vacation, Becca, who suffers from anxiety and panic attacks, must face her fears. Traveling to Europe is just the beginning, as she is anxious about passing through the metal detector she believes causes cancer and developing blood clots on the long flight. But with a little help—her mom is flying with her, and she has her Doomsday Journal, where she writes down everything that weighs on her mind—she does it. In Austria, Becca meets Sara Tahirović, the 19-year-old Bosnian Muslim au pair from Sarajevo who will be looking after her and Felix, the bookworm son of her father’s new girlfriend. Becca explores Vienna and learns about the ongoing war in the former Yugoslavia and how it has affected Sara and her family back home. Inspired by Sara’s resilience and ambitions, Becca decides to make a list and do all the things she fears most. In this thoughtful novel populated with well-developed characters, Levine slowly and realistically reveals Becca’s growth, including her shifting relationships with her father, Sara, and Felix. Main characters read as White.

An important story about anxiety, change, and courage.