How It All Ends

Written & illustrated by Emma Hunsinger

A leap to high school challenges Tara's imagination and friendships. How will she navigate this new world?

4.2/5 Goodreads · 1,402 ratings

304 pages

$15.99Save 6%

In stock. Also at Amazon or Bookshop.

Bookroo's summary

Thirteen-year-old Tara's vivid imagination is her escape, but skipping a grade thrusts her into high school chaos. Unprepared for the social whirlwind, she finds solace in her friendship with Libby. As Tara navigates unfamiliar territory, she must decide who she wants to be. Will her bond with Libby help her embrace change, or will the pressures of growing up overwhelm her? Discover how Tara's journey unfolds in a world where imagination meets reality.

From the publisher

Kirkus Reviews Best BookSchool Library Journal Best BookThe Horn Book FanfareCommon Sense Media Best BookNew York Public Library Best BookNPR Books We Love ALSC Notable Children’s Books List”Hilarious, inventive, smart, and silly.” –Alice Oseman, bestselling author of HeartstopperA 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, she gets 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?”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”A fantastic story about making new friends and surviving school.” –Dan Santat, National Book Award winner for A First Time for Everything”A hilarious, surreal, and deeply sincere story.” –Sarah Sax, author of Picture Day”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

At a glance