  | How it all ends Author: Hunsinger, Emma | |
| Price: $21.68 | ||
Summary:
Thirteen-year-old Tara skips eighth grade to go directly to high school and struggles with adjusting, until she meets her classmate Libby. In graphic novel format.
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (+) (06/15/24)
School Library Journal (+) (00/08/24)
Booklist (06/01/24)
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (00/07/24)
The Hornbook (+) (00/09/24)
Full Text Reviews:
School Library Journal - 08/01/2024 Gr 4–9—Tara wasn't supposed to be in ninth grade. She had one more glorious year of middle school left, where life was simple. When she finds out that her academic performance landed her in high school a year early, she fears that she is too much of a "baby" to survive. Tara may be book smart, but she doesn't feel mature enough for the PE, dress code, and overall freedom given to high school students. She still enjoys playing make-believe with her little brother and feels more comfortable in her imaginary world than in the real one. That is, until she meets Libby. Is she a best friend? Is she something more? Suddenly high school doesn't seem so bad. This story perfectly captures the sweetness of a first crush during the confusing and overwhelming early teenage years. Tara grapples with her identity and learns to walk the fine line between trying to impress others and being true to herself. Readers will not only identify with Tara but also with her cool, alternative older sister Isla and her nerdy-turned-heartthrob best friend Jessup. The art depicting Tara's real world is drawn in cool blues, while her imaginary world is depicted in bright reds. Yellow appears in both, visually connecting the two. VERDICT Those familiar with Hunsinger's moving New Yorker comic story "How to Draw a Horse" will be thrilled with this beautiful, heartfelt, longer work. A must-have for any library serving middle and high school students.—Amy Ribakove - Copyright 2024 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
