A Furry Faux Paw

March 15, 2022
High school senior Maeve Stephens is a furry. She's not a full-on fursuiter, but wearing her cat ears is one of the few things that makes her happy. Maeve's MauveCat fursona helps her cope with her parents' divorce and her mother's extreme hoarding. While she doesn't have many real-life friends, she has a strong and loyal online following. Maeve has her eye on a prestigious art school in Portland, Oregon, so when her father offers to pay for Furlympia, a local furry con, Maeve jumps at the chance to meet her online art mentor and idol, Sunspire, who might be able to help her snag a scholarship to her dream school. But when Maeve's mother refuses to let her attend Furlympia, Maeve decides to go anyway. While there, Maeve keeps her new friends at arm's length while she battles with separating her home and furry lives. Luckily her community is persistent in showing her support. This is an uplifting story of finding oneself despite the pull of a loved one's severe mental illness: Maeve navigates her emotions and relationships in a positive way, keeping readers rooting for her success and happiness. The timeline is sometimes fuzzy, but the nerdy sweetness will keep both furry and nonfurry readers turning pages. Maeve, who is questioning whether she is asexual, is cued as White; there is some diversity among supporting characters. An endearing story about coping with struggles and finding your chosen family. (Fiction. 14-18)

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April 15, 2022
Grades 9-12 Maeve's graduation is two days before her eighteenth birthday. As usual, her father gives her a gift instead of showing up--registration to Furlympia, a convention in Olympia, WA, for furries, and two nights in a conference hotel. MauveCat has been Maeve's fursona--her furry alter ego--since she turned 13 and her parents first allowed her to post artwork online. Mauve, a sweet, colorful anthropomorphic cat, is Maeves's truest self. She can't wait to meet her many Twitter followers and especially her best friend, Jade, IRL for the first time. He is the only one who knows about her mother, an overdependent, controlling hoarder. At the con, joy, anxiety, and overstimulation mingle as Mauve is recognized by fans, takes commissions, and is invited onto a panel with her idol, Sunspire. But Maeve/Mauve has lied to her mother about attending, which nearly results in tragedy. Ultimately, Maeve must learn to stop hiding her problems and ask for the support she needs. An immersive, emotional novel that will resonate with readers who enjoy stories of fandoms, cons, and found family.

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