Junior High (Tegan and Sara #1) by Tegan Quin

Junior High (Tegan and Sara #1) Reviews

• 
  s.penkevich

  Before they were queer icons and famous musicians pumping out hits, Tegan and Sara Quinn had to endure the teenage experiences of growing up, navigating difficult friendships and crushes, and learning how to become a band. Middle School is a fantastic and moving graphic novel of a slightly fictionalized version on their 7th grade experience growing up in Canada, a book I knew I had to have as soon as I saw the great artistic prodigy,
  Tillie Walden was providing the artwork (
  On A Sunbeam remains an all-time favorite graphic novel for me). We watch the twins face learning a new school and new friendships (while trying to keep their best-friend in the loop), adapting to the changes of puberty, and entering the tumultuous emotions of first crushes, but a chance discovery of their mom’s boyfriend’s old guitar might change their lives forever and give them an outlet for their feelings. Fans of the duo will enjoy this look into their early years though strangers to the music will find this to be just as heartfelt and endearing. Gorgeously illustrated and handling topics with humor and sensitivity, Middle School is an absolute delight that effectively captures the pre-teen vibes and might even inspire you to grab a guitar. So
  why don’t you come a little closer and let's talk about this lovely book.
  
  
  First performance
  
  Just based on the band and artist I knew I was going to love this, but the message on finding your friends and who you are hit especially well for me. When the album
  Heartthrob dropped in 2013, I had just started a part time job at a Barnes and Noble in a city I didn’t know and far from any friends I’d ever had after basically fleeing working a factory job I hated (okay so I might have tried to start a union at my Uncle’s factory. I’d say we don’t talk about this but nobody from that part of the fam even talks to me since then so it’s cool). Heartthrob and the first Lorde album happened to be the only two in-store-play albums we had at the time so it got a lot of play, which was great because I fell in love with it and I remember making a joke with a coworker about how whenever Closer came on we’d instinctively start shelving faster like it was some 80s workout video. So you know you are doing well enough as the new person if the cool employee with a Libertines tattoo doesn’t hate you, and a lot of old memories associated with really enjoying all the Tegan and Sara albums came back reading this (like my oldest seeing them as a first concert). So reading a book with that connection about finding friends and fitting in way nice as most of my friends 10 years later I people I met working at Barnes and now 3 of us share an office together working the library (and yes we have a union here) so that’s a happy ending.
  
  But back to this book because it really is quite lovely and—as expected—Tillie Walden’s artwork is phenomenal. I mean:
  
  
  Tillie Walden superfan right here
  Sara and Tegan are identical twins, so to help the reader keep them apart Tegan is often represented with the color blue while Sara through the color red. There are quite a lot of characters here which can be tough to keep straight sometimes but Walden switches up their hair enough to keep them in order. The story is rather episodic while having overarching elements such as Sara crushing on one friend while Tegan is navigating trying to be best friend’s with Noa despite Noa’s other best friend being a total bully and downer (this is packed with middle school drama!), but it all flows quite well and has a good comfortable pace that makes it feel like you are reading a full year of growth without ever feeling like it drags. I also enjoyed that, despite being their graphic memoir, the story is pushed to take place in the present as it will resonate more with middle or high school readers. Texting is very central to the communication in the book yet it does still retain a sort of “timeless” pre-teen feel that anyone will empathize with.
  
  
  Teenage Tegan and Sara performing
  
  I really enjoyed getting bits about the twins forming a band as well, here named Gunk (instead of Plunk, which was their actual first band name). We see how songwriting becomes a way to express complex emotions in a productive way and how quickly the twins take to putting effort in the music (also the difficulty of balancing art with school work). For those looking for more, Tegan and Sara released a memoir in 2019,
  High School, that tells the “true” story, and their 2019 album
  Hey, I’m Just Like You is a reworking of many of the songs they wrote as teenagers and are alluded to in this book.
  
  Even if you’ve never heard of this group (would recommend checking them out) you can get just as much out of the book as anyone else. It is quite a moving and familiar story and I just loved it. Walden does such an excellent job with the artwork, the story is really endearing, and everything about it just works. Also this would be a perfect way to kickstart Pride Month starting this week!
  
  4.5/5
  
  
• 
  Steph

  after adoring tegan and sara's collaborative memoir
  high school, i was thrilled to see them release a new book about another era in their lives.
  
  collaborating with tillie walden was a wonderful choice. walden's graphic novels have been on my list for years, but this was my first! her art is wonderfully expressive, capturing laughter, angst, camaraderie, and the abject horror of the first day at a new school (among other things).
  
  there is a lot of angst. there's the pain of enduring changes that are beyond your control, and the weight of drifting apart from your sibling despite spending so many hours of your days together. all of these challenges are presented very believably; i'm sure preteen readers will be able to relate.
  
  after having read high school, it's interesting to see the overlap. both books cover some of the same pivotal moments, such as the twins finding their stepdad's old guitar, the reverence in their secrecy as they teach themselves to play, and the excitement of performing for groups of close friends for the first time. it's cool that these memories are so significant for tegan and sara that they include them in multiple iterations of their memoirs.
  
  also, love the fact that this is a creative project from three super talented lesbians!
  
  。。。
  
  BUT... i'm not sure whether this cute lil fictionalized graphic memoir should really be categorized as autobiographical. apparently sara describes the book as an "aspirational" version of the quins' junior high experience, which makes sense. it feels very young middle grade, very clean, less traumatic than reality.
  
  and i suppose the relatively sanitized content makes sense, and may make the story more digestible for young readers. but i think setting the story in the current day was a misstep. a 1990s setting would be so much more intuitive and real, and would also add a nostalgia factor for older readers.
  
  unfortunately i don't think this graphic novel will transcend its target demographic. recommended for preteens and for fans of tegan and sara!
  
  。。。
  
  (bonus: love the authors' note at the end, and the cute photos of t&s as tweens. it provides helpful context, is adorable and necessary!)
  
  。。。
  
  Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for providing me with a copy of this book in return for an honest review.
• 
  currentlyreadingbynat

  This is a very cute middle grade graphic novel that is loosely based on Tegan and Sara's life, but is fictionalised and set in present day. The graphics are gorgeous, but at times I found that storyline to be a bit simple. I had to keep reminding myself though that I am not the intended audience and I think it'll be great for middle grade readers.
  
  As a mum of twins, it was lovely reading about realistic twin relationships. It's not all picture perfect where they're BFFs. Sometimes, there is a bit of animosity between twins and I can only imagine how it'll be during the middle grade years when they are also trying to work out their own individuality. I really enjoyed this part of the graphic novel.
  
  A great graphic novel that is a prequel of sorts from Tegan and Sara's adult memoir,
  High School. I look forward to reading that next!
  
  Many thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for a copy of this novel. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
• 
  Anniek

  5 stars for Tillie Walden's artwork, 2 stars for the writing.
  
  Tillie Walden's artwork is amazing as always here, and I've come to never expect less. The writing, however, didn't work nearly as well for me. The writing style felt clumsy, but I was especially alienated by the choices when it comes to fictionalizing the story.
  
  The story is based on Tegan and Sara's actual lives, but it's fictionalized by setting this story in the present day. I think this was a strange choice because their experiences were clearly influenced by growing up in the 90s, so it was alienating to read some of the ways the story was updated to the present day. I think this would have worked much better had it actually been set in the 90s, and I don't really understand why this choice was made.
• 
  Rod Brown

  I'm not a real follower of Tegan and Sara's music, but I do like the four songs and two short NPR concerts of theirs that have made their way into my iTunes. I am definitely a fan of Tillie Walden though and grabbed this book from the library to admire her art.
  
  Junior High is a fairy typical bit of middle-school fiction, hitting Judy Blume topics like friendship drama, bullying, menstruation and bras. Less typically, the twin sisters here -- based on the authors -- also have LGBTQIA+ issues and start pursuing a music career. It's a bit long and meandering, but was never bored thanks to the sisters' relationship. I'll probably check out the sequel coming out later this year.
  
  Comics about twins can be frustrating when it comes to telling the two apart, but Walden offers up a couple cues to help differentiate. Sara is associated with a color I called scarlet or salmon to pick up on her S initial, and her name is nearly an anagram for "ears" which is good since her ears are almost always visible. Tegan has a teal color associated with her and her ears are usually ouT of sighT (weak, I know).
  
  Side note: I'm listening to Tegan and Sara music on Spotify while writing this, and it's nice. I'm still not a super fan, but I can see why people would be.
• 
  Hannah Showalter

  i loved this so much! part of me is always going to be an awkward, closeted middle school lesbian and this book healed that part of me a little! this was fiction, but i loved the little elements of truth from "high school" that were sprinkled in there. also, so cool that tillie walden illustrated it! this was a delight and i cannot wait to read the next one.
• 
  Christina Close

  I used to listen to Tegan and Sara's music all the time in my early 20s, not so much now but I still will sometimes hear a song or two and remember how much I used to like their music.
  
  This book was basically Tegan and Sara talking about what it was like for them with a new home and new school. I loved that they talked about what it was like being separated for classes and what it was like to kind of find themselves together but also separately. They talk about growing up in general, puberty, their crushes and their difficult friendships.
  
  This is a really good book for any kid that is about to go into middle school or even high school.
• 
  hope h.

  SO cute. i mean it's tegan and sara AND everything tillie walden touches is gold - i could not imagine a more all star collab than this! an absolute delight to read and i can't wait for the next one!
• 
  Star

  CW: Bullying
  
  This was a lot of fun. Really easy to read and get into.
• 
  Alex (Pucksandpaperbacks)

  I was sent a physical copy of this book from the publisher. All thoughts are my own.
  
  CW: Internalized homophobia, homophobia: gay used as an insult, divorced parents, bullying, anxious thoughts/comments
  
  Go back in time to junior high with the debut graphic novel from the twin musicians, Tegan and Sara, illustrated by Tillie Walden.
  
  If you’re looking for a new coming of age story, JUNIOR HIGH is it. In a fictionalized retelling of Tegan and Sara’s life in junior high, we follow the twins through all of their struggles: parent’s divorce, first crushes, sexuality awakenings, bullying, and trying to make friends.
  
  I enjoyed how the story was told despite it being fictionalized to fit modern times with references to the Nintendo Switch, Billie Ellish, and Stranger Things. JUNIOR HIGH is a relatable read for anyone who survived middle school and for queer kids especially.
  
  I’ve learned recently that I like reading books following twins. It’s such a unique perspective especially in graphic novel form. In JUNIOR HIGH, Sara’s color is red, and Tegan is blue which helps the reader tell them apart.
  
  I knew of Tegan and Sara before reading this graphic novel, but I didn’t know much about their life. I appreciated the author’s note at the end of the book because it shares what the real-life situation was from the fictionalized version.
  
  JUNIOR HIGH is the perfect sleepover read!
• 
  Laura

  While I have heard *of* Tegan and Sara, I don't think I have heard their music, and did not know they had a show based on their life in high school, that this is a prequel to.
  
  It was an average story, and only really got interesting when they got into their music. Up until that point, it was just another one of many middle-grade/junior high school stories with girls being mean, and girls getting their period, and fighting, and friendships. Yeah, yeah, yeah, that is what makes up most of the middle grade stories out there.
  
  But, when they get into their music, then the story gets interesting, and you see the sparks that drove them to their musical careers.
  
  So, for that second half of the book, I will recommend this book.
  
  Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
• 
  Maggie Tokuda-Hall

  Very cute
• 
  Rick Brose

  Tegan and Sara: Junior High was a delightful read. With a mix of autobiography and fiction, the characters felt genuine and robust. There were laugh out loud moments, and moments where I was getting teary eyed. The feelings and experiences felt authentic to the age being represented. I think everyone will be able to relate to some aspect of this story even if they are unfamiliar with the authors and their music. The artwork was soft, warm; the use of color to represent the different perspectives was great. I enjoyed the level of detail, and the artist did a good job of making it so the large cast of characters were easy to distinguish from each other. It was nice to see that the book did not shy away from topics like getting your period and trying to figure out the romantic feelings happening inside and similar things that middle grade kids face in real life. I love seeing the growing list of diverse and genuine graphic novels being published these days. This was a real treat, and I look forward to seeing more of this world.
• 
  Angie

  I thought this was really cute for what it was: a graphic novel aimed for middle grade kids. And Tillie Walden’s artwork is adorable.
  
  But I’ve been a Tegan and Sara fan for years and while this is definitely autobiographical, a lot of liberties were taken to make it fit the age of the characters, not to mention the fact that it’s set in the present era instead of the early 1990s that they would have experienced. I get why they did that, but I wasn’t expecting it.
  
  But it’s super cute and I’m glad I read it.
• 
  Lillian Poulsen

  This was so sweet! I love Tegan and Sara so much. The story (parts real and true) and the illustrations were so lovely. I love this wonderful queer rep from a sister duo as iconic as them. I can’t wait to read the next graphic novel, and I will definitely be reading their memoir!
• 
  Haylee Perry

  Tegan and Sara: Junior High was so cute and well-written. I loved the illustrations as well even though my ARC was blurry for some reason. The twins’ story reminded me a lot of my first year of middle school after moving to a new school. I’m not a twin though, so it was sweet to see how Tegan and Sara helped each other through this transition. I will say that I don’t understand why the authors didn’t just make this a graphic memoir. It was an interesting choice to make it set in the present day instead of the 90s, and I felt like some of the pop culture references were forced because of that. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!
• 
  Bailey

  This book was so sweet. I read it mostly for Tillie Walden, but the story was really relatable and well done. I definitely see this becoming a staple in tween graphic novel collections, alongside titles by Raina Telgemeier, Shannon Hale, Gale Gilligan, and other popular creators. Looking forward to the next book in the series! (This review is based on a digital arc from NetGalley.)
• 
  Syd

  thanks NetGalley & FSG for my eReader ARC!
  I've been a lifelong Tegan and Sara fan. literally. my first two cds, cds that were MINE, were "so jealous" and p!nk's "m!ssundaztood" when I was 6 years old. legendary. and I wish I had had this book then.
  first off, I think this is illustrated so well by Tillie Walden, and I loved how she used color to differentiate between Tegan (blue) and Sara (red), the rest of the novel being illustrated in purple. so smart, so obvious, but effective! loved that.
  I also loved how accessible this was. it tackled periods, queer awakenings, sibling dynamics, big moves as a kid, the confusion of friendships, and while it definitely could have gone deeper, I think it was great (especially with the visuals!!) for the age range it's intended for. there were a lot of moments that put me in touch with my younger self in very tender ways.
  
  I will say that I think the dialogue was a bit weak at times, but again, I think that can help with accessibility and ease of reading! it's also literally written for kids! so I wasn't expecting a literary masterpiece.
  
  I do wish it had been set in the 90s and been more true to Tegan and Sara's actual experiences. I didn't love the use of current media information/texting, but I do get that it probably made the storytelling easier and more effective for the audience. but I think a 90s setting could've worked just as well, honestly.
  
  overall, super cute, real, and accessible. I'm also excited to see that they plan on releasing more books (hopefully with Tillie Walden???) in the future!
• 
  Bek (MoonyReadsByStarlight)

  This is a fictionalized autobiography of Tegan and Sara's time in 7th grade, set in modern day (rather than in the early 90's, when they were 12/13). There are friendships, crushes, fights, an old guitar, and their first song. It was sweet to see the relationship between them - its not often you see a story about twins written by a pair of twins. It was pretty cute overall! I fear I'm too old to know exactly how the modernization landed for a kid audience in 2023, but I liked it.
• 
  Catherine veut lire trop de livres

  “Avant, tout nous arrivait à toutes les deux en même temps, et on faisait face ensemble. Maintenant, c’est moins simple” (Quin, Tegan et Sara Quin. Ados à deux, Gallimard, p.117)
  
  Musique, amitiés, amour, complicité, conflits et adversité, les premiers pas de Tegan et Sara dans l’adolescence ne se font pas sans heurts. Elles trouveront néanmoins à travers les notes d’une guitare et les paroles de chansons tout pour que leur symbiose résiste aux bouleversements de leur univers!
• 
  Fanny

  a very sweet middle grade GN; nothing revolutionary or new but sincere and touching, especially in the second half. tillie walden’s art is always delightful and full of heart, and as someone who listened to tegan and sara’s the con about 100000900 times in high school, worth the read, even if i am not (as an adult and Not a middle grader), the intended audience
• 
  Talmadge “Silly Pants” McGulager

  I love this so much and I will definitely be reading the rest when they’re out! The only thing I didn’t like was that it was set in present day and not the 90s when the real Tegan and Sara were in junior high. I didn’t mind that parts were fictionalized, but I didn’t like the references to Billie Eilish/Taylor Swift and the technology that wasn’t around 20 years ago.
• 
  Vincentimes

  Je connaissais pas vraiment Tegan et Sara, une ancienne collègue m’a conseillé ce livre en me disant que j’allais adorer et elle a vu JUSTE.
  
  C’était doux, c’était drôle, c’était touchant, et ça embrassait tous les côtés gênants ou embarrassants de l’adolescence avec une tendresse folle.
  
  La représentation d’adolescences queers me réchauffera toujours le cœur 🤍
• 
  abi

  I liked the art style but this just felt like a re-hash of the tv show tbh
• 
  Melissa

  Full of the ups and downs of middle school; friends, parents, grades, bullies, interests that become passions, and exploring who you are. Great read for tweens!
• 
  Deb

  un roman graphique jeunesse comme on les aime
• 
  Stephanie Sterling

  Ughhhh. I loved this so muuuch.