How it All Ends was excellent. I loved the graphics. I liked the character exploration and the writing was propulsive. I would read more from this author.

‘How It All Ends’ with story and art by Emma Hunsinger is this author’s graphic novel debut, and it’s a pretty good one.

At the end of 7th grade, Tara and some of her classmates learn that they will leapfrog over 8th grade and jump straight into high school. This leaves Tara with all kinds of doubts, fears and insecurities which play out in her overactive imagination and sometimes in real life in the chaotic world of high school. Step by step she finds her own way and learns that she can be her own person and relationships just need communication.

I loved this character and her vulnerability. The art is a lot of fun and has visual gags to keep the plot from becoming maudlin and overwrought. By the end, I was cheering for Tara

An incredibly funny, interesting, compelling and just perfect graphic novel about the dreadful confusion of adolescence. Tara skips eighth grade, entering high school where the other students seem massive and uncontrollable, the teachers seem out of their element, and even her own sister has concerns and preoccupations Tara finds bewildering. As Tara becomes more comfortable and makes friends in this new environment, will she find herself changing in ways she can't imagine? Some important and serious topics, but also just about every page had several hilarious jokes. It was SO funny! Appropriate for middle grade audiences but a great read for everybody. Anyone who had close but older siblings, or otherwise was a bit younger or developed more slowly than their peers will find this very familiar (I was a year younger than all my classmates for middle and high school; it was almost too relatable!)

I really enjoyed this graphic novel. You could feel Tara's inner turmoil about being a younger person in high school and all of the change that feels forced but she isn't ready for. I lovee the imagery and the coloring too!

Very funny coming of age graphic novel about Tara, a girl who gets the opportunity to skip eighth grade so she starts her freshman year of high school as one of the youngest kids. Tara still plays pretend with her little brother, doesn't know what drugs look like, and doesn't like the edgy TV show her older sister likes to watch. She feels like she's socially behind and dreads going to school every day until she meets Libby and her mixed up feelings make life even more confusing.

I loved how Tara's imagination keeps running wild and we see several different scenerios play out whenever she starts to worry. Red-hued illustrations show her internal monologues while the calm blues inform the reader that they are seeing her reality. Middle schoolers and young teens on the cusp of puberty will find this very relatable. Lovable characters and a gentle exploration of first crushes and growing up.

Tara just a 13 y.o girl who’s supposed to be in 8th grade but bumped straight into high school instead. She felt out of place, she still felt like a baby. But there’s no going back. Until she met a girl in her boy-dominated English class, and suddenly her high school life wasn’t feel so bad anymore.

Tara is also a girl with wild imagination, because in her head, she could be anything. Even though sometimes those said imagination gave her illogical fears.

It was wild, funny, honest, and endearing. Loved it.