This graphic novel from Canadian indie-pop twin-sister duo Tegan and Sara is a lightly fictionalized version of their lives in junior high, though set in the present day, not the 1990s in which they really grew up. The twins have just moved to a new town with their mom and stepdad, and are navigating not only a new school, but the first time they haven’t been in the same homeroom. That sets the tone for several threads of the story: how these close-knit twins are growing apart, finding different friends, and taking different paths to coming out as queer.
Many of the traditional beats of middle grade stories are here—first crushes, shifting friendships, mean girls, balancing school and extracurriculars, and the new experiences of puberty, like bras and menstruation—but they are told with candor and peppy dialog that feels authentic and keeps the story moving. About halfway through the book we also see the sisters draw back together as they discover their shared love of music and form a band, using their songs as a way of self-expression.
Some pages offer a wider perspective on the entire cast of characters and are drawn in purple hues, while other parts are in reds or blues to indicate the more internal thoughts of Sara or Tegan, respectively. It’s a nice approach from Eisner Award-winning illustrator Tillie Walden, who brings her usual charm to the images.
While some readers might have hoped Tegan and Sara had written an actual biography, a fictional story perhaps allows for a more compelling and tighter narrative arc—for example, by moving up their band’s start to junior high, not high school as in real life. The present-day setting also allows for the incorporation of cell phones and social media, which may provide resonance for readers today.
Although the book is based on the lives of two people who later achieved fame, it is not a tale of fame or stardom, but a surprisingly down-to-earth story about everyday experiences that many a junior high/middle-schooler will find relatable.
This is the first book in a series.
