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Synopses & Reviews
A funny, vulnerable, and disarming debut graphic novel from the author of the viral New Yorker piece “How to Draw a Horse.” How It All Ends is a book about being overwhelmed by who you are and who you might be, and all the possibilities in between. For fans of Snapdragon, The Magic Fish, Heartstopper, and New Kid.
Thirteen-year-old Tara lives inside the nonstop adventure of her imagination. It’s far more entertaining inside her own mind than in dull, everyday life. But when she’s bumped from seventh grade directly to high school, she gets a dramatic jolt to reality.
Now, Tara is part of a future she doesn’t feel at all ready for. She's not ready to watch the racy shows the high school kids like, or to listen to the angsty music, or to stop playing make-believe with her younger brother. She’s not ready to change for PE in front of everyone, or for the chaos of the hallways or for the anarchy of an English class that’s overrun with fourteen-year-old boys.
But then there’s Libby.
Tara doesn’t know whether she’s ready for Libby. She can’t even explain who Libby is to her because she doesn’t know yet. She just knows that everything’s more fun when she and her new classmate are together. But what will happen next? How will it all end?
This debut graphic novel is a clever and candid portrait of a young girl grappling with the pressures of fitting in, finding your people, and sorting through confusing feelings. Emma Hunsinger has a pitch-perfect ear for the awkward yet endearing inner life of thirteen-year-olds, and her illustrations are downright hilarious. She brilliantly captures the humor and the horror of self-discovery and the first blushes of having a crush. How It All Ends deftly explores how unbearable—but exciting!—it is to grow up.
Review
“This funny, brilliant, debut had me laughing out loud. How It All Ends is one of the best graphic novels I’ve read this year.”" -Johnnie Christmas, award-winning author of Swim Team
Review
“Thirteen-year-old Tara Gimmel believes that she can do anything. But when she’s. . . promoted straight to high school, Tara is faced with a new, terrifying reality she doesn’t feel prepared for. . . . Her constant internal monologue. . . often results in hilarious—and embarrassing—scenarios. . . . Hunsinger explores what it’s like to be an especially inexperienced fish out of water in this vibrant, comedic character sketch.” -Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Review
“Hunsinger’s distinctive style. . . is reminiscent of doodles in the margins of student notebooks and perfectly suits the subject matter. . . . 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. . . . A slice of life that’s as imaginative as its protagonist.” -Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
Synopsis
"Hilarious, inventive, smart, and silly." --Alice Oseman, bestselling author of Heartstopper
"Emma Hunsinger's sharp wit and eclectic humor shines in this fantastic story about making new friends and surviving school." --Dan Santat, National Book Award winner for A First Time for Everything
A funny, vulnerable, and disarming debut graphic novel from Emma Hunsinger, the creator of the popular "How to Draw a Horse." How It All Ends is a book about being overwhelmed by who you are and who you might be--and all the possibilities in between. For fans of Snapdragon, The Magic Fish, Heartstopper, and New Kid.
Thirteen-year-old Tara lives inside the nonstop adventure of her imagination. It's far more entertaining than dull, everyday life. But when she's bumped from seventh grade directly to high school, back-to-school season gives her a dramatic jolt to reality.
Tara isn't ready to watch the racy shows the high school kids like, or to listen to the angsty music, or to stop playing make-believe with her younger brother. She's not ready to change for PE in front of everyone, or for the chaos of the hallways, or for the anarchy of an English class that's overrun with fourteen-year-old boys.
But then there's Libby.
Tara doesn't know whether she's ready for Libby. She can't even explain who Libby is to her because she doesn't know yet. She just knows that everything's more fun when she and her new classmate are together. But what will happen next? How will it all end?
Emma Hunsinger's clever, candid debut graphic novel brilliantly captures the humor and the horror of self-discovery and the first blushes of having a crush. How It All Ends deftly explores how unbearable--but exciting --it is to grow up.
"Imaginative and hysterical, and with the sort of rare, clear-seeing honesty that will make any reader feel less alone in the world. I loved it." --Eliot Schrefer, two-time National Book Award finalist and New York Times bestselling author
"Emma Hunsinger is a master at revealing human emotion through comedy and absurdism. How It All Ends is a hilarious, surreal, and deeply sincere story about finding yourself in a situation that you don't feel ready to face and making your way through it anyway." --Sarah Sax, author of Picture Day
"How It All Ends felt like Emma Hunsinger's inner child asking my own inner child, 'Hey, you want to sit together?' I've never felt so healed by a book. I can't wait to give it to everyone I know." --Adib Khorram, award-winning author of Darius the Great Is Not Okay
About the Author
Emma Hunsinger is the creator of the autobiographical comic “How to Draw a Horse,” which was nominated for an Eisner Award and included in the prestigious annual “Cartoon Takeover” print edition of the New Yorker. Emma Hunsinger graduated with an MFA from the Center for Cartoon Studies. She lives with her family in Vermont.