Review by Booklist Review
Thirteen-year-old Tara isn't too excited about her first day of school after being approved to skip the eighth grade. Now she has to face high school a year sooner, and even though her parents and teachers tell her it's a good opportunity, Tara can't stop worrying if she's ready. Her overactive imagination wonders how different this school will be, contorting reality into an anxious fantasy--not to mention that her older sister sure isn't helping her feel any better. Classes aren't hard, but Tara has a hard time going with the social flow of high school--until she befriends Libby in her chaotic English class. As Tara and Libby get closer, Tara starts having feelings she doesn't understand, making her even more confused about how she should act in high school. Cooler blue and gray tones with pops of color indicate Tara's reality, while her imagination is rendered with bright, color-drenched panels. In this exploration of maturity levels, close friendships, and first loves, Hunsinger uses color and illustration to portray the disquieted adolescent mind as Tara learns about herself through the coming-of-age challenge of high school.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Thirteen-year-old Tara Gimmel believes that she can do anything. But when she's enrolled in a "special academic program to challenge high-performing students" and promoted straight to high school, Tara is faced with a new, terrifying reality she doesn't feel prepared for. She quickly learns that high school is nothing like the teen dramas she's watched. Worse, when she encounters her older sister and best friend Isla at school, Isla adopts a persona Tara doesn't recognize. Then Tara is partnered with classmate Libby for a Greek mythology project, and quickly develops a crush. Her constant internal monologue, which is depicted in rich red hues, is only interrupted by conversations she's having IRL, a mechanism that often results in hilarious--and embarrassing--scenarios. Using borderless panels teeming with cartoon illustrations rendered in ink with a limited color palette to quickly alternate between Tara's real life and her internal thoughts, Hunsinger (My Parents Won't Stop Talking) explores what it's like to be an especially inexperienced fish out of water in this vibrant, comedic character sketch. Character skin tones match the white of the page, with blue hues connoting varying shades. Ages 8--up. (Aug.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
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
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Review by Horn Book Review
In this quick-paced graphic novel, Tara's runaway thoughts are great when she plays pretend with her baby brother but not so great when she feels anxious about skipping eighth grade to go directly to high school. Her slightly older and wiser sister gives her tips, but Tara still has a lot of fears and questions. What if she's offered drugs -- "Wait...what do drugs look like?" She strikes up an initially reluctant but supportive friendship with a fellow middle schooler who was moved up a grade and eventually befriends one of the only other girls in her English class, Libby (the rest of the class is prone to yelling "salami!" and taking off their shirts). As Tara continues to learn the ropes of the high-school social scene (should she pretend to think her favorite singer "sucks" because her sister's crush thinks so?), she explores her feelings for Libby, which unfold gently, if a little awkwardly. Detailed vignette-style illustrations blend Tara's lived experience with elaborate scenes from her mind, the difference indicated by color washes: teals for real life; bursts of gold to emphasize happy details and other strong emotions; red for her worry-filled thoughts. Funny and honest, this book is a poignant and relatable look at coming of age and the daunting transition to high school. Monica de los ReyesSeptember/October 2024 p.76 (c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
An anxious, academically gifted student jumps from seventh grade to freshman year of high school. Thirteen-year-old Tara, who loves to daydream about having adventures, is selected for an accelerated program in which she'll skip a grade. Instead of attending the eighth grade dance and going on the class trip to Six Flags, she must instead navigate the intimidating new world of high school. Despite some guidance from her older sister, Isla, Tara can't help but imagine nightmare scenarios, like being publicly humiliated or getting lost in a never-ending hallway. In reality, high school has its pros (pizza in the cafeteria every day) and cons (a group of rowdy boys in English class). When Tara is partnered with classmate Libby for a project, she finds a new favorite part of school in her new crush. Debut author/illustrator Hunsinger's distinctive style, with its loosely drawn, thin black outlines, is reminiscent of doodles in the margins of student notebooks and perfectly suits the subject matter. The absence of panels reflects the chaos of this major life transition, and the limited color palette differentiates between teal-tinted reality and red-and-pink fantasy, with pops of yellow throughout. Tara's voice rings true, and readers will find much to relate to in her various social and emotional struggles. Frequent moments of humor create a lighthearted tone despite Tara's overall angst. Tara reads white; there's racial diversity among the supporting cast. A slice of life that's as imaginative as its protagonist. (Graphic fiction. 10-14) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
