• Age: 12 to 14
• Grade: 7 to 9

M is for Mary whose real name is Mariposa. She is a troubled girl who is haunted by mysterious dark shadows. She knows little about her father, and her mother can't accept her for who she is. Mary's attempts to dare to make connections with other people are doomed to fail as long as the shadows loom within her — until she figures out how she can gain control of them and use their power.

Douglas Davey holds degrees in fine art, education, and library science. Currently, he is the Children’s and Youth Services Librarian for the Halton Hills Public Library. He has been playing guitar for over 20 years, most recently with a Joy Division cover band. He lives with his family in Guelph, Ontario.

Douglas Davey's profile page

The strength of M in the Abstract comes from Davey's refusal to fully answer all of the reader's questions, including questions about Mary's mental state, why her dad left, and where he is now. These ambiguities add depth and may keep readers engaged as they want to uncover the truth about Mary's strange experiences and atypical behaviour."
Recommended.
— CM Magazine

"The strength of this novel lies in its characters, and the skillful way in which Davey portrays Mary's relationship with the people around her - from her mother's well-meaning but failed efforts to draw her out, to her confusion at attracting the attention of two different boys, and her easy acceptance by Cammy and Krystin. With each encounter, readers witness Mary's growing stresses, and they will feel as though they are brought to the edge right along with Mary. Also interesting is the author's choice to be deliberately ambiguous in parts of the novel. Mary herself feels ambiguous and unknowing, and it certainly leaves room for readers to draw their own conclusions about what those answers are. Original and timely, teens looking for a contemporary, literary read will find much to enjoy with this novel."
— Canadian Children's Book News