Cross My Heart and Never Lie by Nora Dåsnes - ADVISABLE

Cross My Heart and Never Lie by Nora Dåsnes, 239 pages. Astra Books for Young Readers, 2023. $18

Language:  PG (1 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG-13 (cartoon depiction of students changing in the bathroom & gym class, dealing with maturation, coming to terms with personal sexual identity); Violence: PG (some play fighting, a couple instances of verbal fighting)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Tuva is a 12yo Norwegian girl on the cusp of entering 7th grade. She has two best friends, Linnéa and Bao. However, upon starting school again,  Tuva is noticing some changes between her and her friends. Linnéa has a boyfriend and is too grown up to play games like they used to, and Bao wants nothing to do with love, romance, and growing up. Tuva is somewhere in between. To make matters worse, a new girl moves into their class and Tuva might be falling in love with her for the first time.

If you ever wanted to reminisce about what it was like to be a 12 year old girl, this coming-of-age graphic novel captures it perfectly. Layered on top of all the normal hormonal angst, is the pitfalls of cyber-friendships. I really enjoyed Tuva’s inner voice as she tries to navigate the rocky nature of friendships changing, gossiping, and teenage drama. I liked how her queerness was never the conflict, but rather her relationships with her friends being the center of the plot. I think this would be a good addition to a classroom library for its LGBTQIA representation, as well as the relatable protagonist’s voice as she illustrates the change from childhood to teenage-hood in the modern world.

Reviewer: Kiera Beddes, #bookswithbeddes