Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC. This book was such a fun and relatable read (even though I was unfortunately not a famous musician in 8th grade). Middle school was not my favorite experience but Tegan and Sara made friendship drama and crushes and sisterhood drama feel relatable and funny.

(Full disclosure: I received a free e-ARC for review through Netgalley.)

After a rather boring and underwhelming summer, eighth grade is about to start for identical twins Tegan and Sara Quin. Naturally, this is precisely when their fledgling music career begins to take off: as it just so happens, the girls' band, Gunk, was chosen as a finalist in the contest Tegan surreptitiously entered them in at the beginning of the season. Although - spoiler alert! - they don't win, they do gain the attention of their favorite singer, Nite Fever, as well as her manager, Ramona Keys - and of course Chloe's cousin, DJ Kukumber. Now, in addition to navigating the normal perils of junior high - unrequited crushes, homework, and sometimes-fraught friendships - the Quins also have to decide how much they're willing to sacrifice to make it in the music industry.

CRUSH is the second and final installment in Tegan and Sara's middle grade duology. I just happened to grab of a copy of JUNIOR HIGH from my local library last month, thoroughly enjoyed it, and jumped at the sequel when it came up on Netgalley. I suspect I'm not the target demographic, since I approached the series as a Tillie Walden fangirl, as opposed to a Tegan and Sara fan. I absolutely adore her illustrations and storytelling style; she single-handedly managed to pull me back into Robert Kirkman's THE WALKING DEAD 'verse with CLEMENTINE (like many fans, it's a love-hate relationship I have with TWD tbh).

So, not knowing much/anything about Tegan and Sara, CRUSH (and JUNIOR HIGH) is shockingly adept at creating characters who are extremely relateable, even though their life circumstances are anything but. (Let's be honest, how many child prodigies are in the audience?) Tegan and Sara have different ideas about what their band should look like, and struggle to remain true to themselves even as their manager tries to repackage them as a salable commodity. In their personal lives, Sara explores her feelings for the elusive (or not?) Roshini, while Tegan nurses the broken heart that comes with crushing on an older girl. Lucky them: they get to live out their growing pains in front of a live audience, in the form of BTS snippets.

In the afterward, Tegan and Sara describe the tween girls as their "fictional doppelgängers." Whereas the Quins grew up in the '80s and '90s, the world here is set firmly in the present day, complete with smart phones, livestreaming, and wifi. It's kind of interesting trying to figure out which bits are true (or not), although I guess this is less of an issue for the non- (or casual) fan, like me. Some of the details did feel a little unrealistic; for example, I cannot for the life of me imagine a manager taking her firing so well. (Idk, maybe they're a little more laid back in Canada, even the show biz types.)

As a vegan, I took a special interest in Sara's burgeoning veganism. (I believe she went vegetarian in JUNIOR HIGH, possibly to impress Roshini?) Tegan is initially annoyed at her twin's efforts to catch her crush's eye, but Sara's veganism becomes a bigger issue when managers and stylists keep pushing leather on her. (Ramona's objection that she's not EATING the dead animal, so just what is the problem? - I'm paraphrasing - is kind of perfect. We vegans have heard it all, folks.)

Naturally, immediately after finishing CRUSH, I feverishly googled different variations of "Tegan and Sara" + "vegan." Disappointingly, the top result was (always!) a Livejournal article from 2009, "Tegan and Sara--not vegan, and actually pretty obnoxious about it." (lolz) Sara did write a forward to VEGAN CUPCAKES TAKE OVER THE WORLD, but it is curiously devoid of the word "vegan." And then I ... kind of lost interest?

But yeah, I am left wondering whether Sara went through a vegan "phase" in junior high, or whether this was just one of the fictionalized bits, perhaps meant to illustrate the clash between Sara's beliefs and self-identity and the pressures of stardom. I suppose it doesn't really matter, since the representation wasn't bad and I quite like how Nite Fever stepped in to save the day. There's definitely a commentary about the perils of child stardom lurking in there.

CRUSH and JUNIOR HIGH are middle grade graphic novels that have appeal well beyond its tween demographic. Walden's artwork is captivating as usual, and the Quins' story is as engaging as it is unusual.

A cute review about growing up queer in more ways than just sexuality. It’s sweet and relatable. Also shows a real sister relationship

This was a really great sequel! While it did slow down in some places, I think the story, humor, and portrayal of struggles in adolescent fame were wonderful. I also really loved seeing Tegan and Sara navigating love and friendship, and the ways it coincided with their rise. The art is incredible, and I love the usage of color as an addition to telling the story. Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan for the ARC in exchange for my review!

This graphic novel is a great addition to Tegan and Sara's other literary works. The illustrations are fun and adorable. Though there is a lot of dialogue on many of the pages, the readability is still there. It's really cool to see stories the twins have been telling for years come to life in a book. This graphic novel presents the whole story with all the details the two cannot possibly include in their set time. We also get insight into Tegan and Sara's inner feelings during this time in their adolescence. If you enjoy hearing artists' stories and are a fan of Tegan and Sara, this is a good book to pick up.

Gosh these graphic novels are just the best.

Tegan and Sara: Crush is all about the twins's eighth grade adventures into ~crush land~ and the devastating reality that crushes can sometimes crush you. I loved the way the girls went at each other, as someone with a sister, I can confirm that that is how sisters get sometimes. Their sisterly bond is so real though; they always come back to each other.

A huge positive for this book (and the first one, Junior High) is that the adults are REAL and INVOLVED. There can be no complaints about missing parents in this book. Not only are the parents involved, but they act like normal, healthy parents. They prioritize their kids, look out for them, try and help them, and most importantly, embarrass them. Just so heartwarming and great to see.

I think if you want a blast from the past experience you should read these books. Especially because Tillie Walden does the artwork and she is amaaaaazing (I love her work so much).

This graphic novel is so cute and so important for tweens this age. I loved seeing Tegan and Sara's relationships ebb and flow with each other and everyone around them. Not only is this a great representation for those middle school years, but we also get to see them work through their musical dreams too. This is definitely going to be a go-to recommendation for me.

Thank you author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book!!

Ah I love gay people!

This is such a sweet series! I always get a little emotional when I read queer stories about kids. I could read books like this endlessly. I did find the way they brought their story into current time a little silly, like I couldn’t help but giggle when they referenced a current artist. That definitely didn’t stop me from enjoying the books though! Also I love lesbians

Also Tillie Walden’s art always slays

I read the first graphic novel and loved it. So I was excited to see the second one come out. It did not disappoint. I would definitely recommend this to middle grade readers and even older ones.

I am thrilled with this follow up to Junior High! It was a lovely ending to the duology and though I wish it would continue with 5 more books at least, I am so happy with this sequel! We get to experience more of the middle school versions of Tegan and Sara who are experiencing intense crushes and other feelings that are so relatable and wonderful to experience through this world.

This fictional graphic novel was one of the most pure stories I’ve had the pleasure of reading! Inclusive, silly, heartfelt and just FUN!! I love Tegan & Sara as artists, and it’s such a fun idea to imagine them as lil preteens in today’s world! Although the story here is fictional, the characters read just as I imagine year 8 twin girls would be in real life.

If you were a fan of Heartstopper, you’ll love this! Although this is a sequel, I would argue it’s pretty easy to catch up in the story without having to read the first book… would still recommend both though!

A very special thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and (ofc) the coolest authors!!! Can’t wait to buy a physical copy for my school library!!!

Tegan and Sara is a two women group of singers, famous in Canada. Apparently they started out as teens, and so this graphic novel is a fictionalization of their life as teen singers. This is the second book in the series, but you don’t need to have read the first. In fact, I would recommend not reading the frist one, as it wasn’t as good as this one was.
The first book was just typical middle grade stuff, while this one gets into more of the music and how music should be fun, rather than work, or what is the point.

They get the chance to have a manager, and they find that this makes music unfun. That it is hard work, And while they like where the manager is taking them, they dont’ like being told how to be themselves.


And while this is loosely based on their life, I like how they empahsize how important it is to love the music making process, or it just isn’t right.There is not point in trying to fit into a mold if that isn’t you.


So, good story, and good points all around. I enjoyed this quite a bit. A different a look at the music industry.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review. This book comes out the 1st of October.

Really loved "Tegan and Sara: Crush" with gorgeous drawings by Tillie Walden which really bring the story to life. This compelling graphic novel captures both the ups and downs of adolescence with the excitement and challenges of their budding music career. I loved how the book captures going from the fun to the work / business of making music, along with the support of Tegan and Sara's family, friends and several people in the music industry. I like how they adapted their story from the 1990s to more contemporary times. I also appreciated their continued exploration of their identities and crushes. This book will be appealing to fans of Tegan and Sara and also to younger readers exploring their identities. Thanks to Macmillan and Netgalley for the eARC.

Super cute graphic novel. I really appreciated the emotional ups and downs throughout the book as the main characters, fictional Tegan and Sara, worked through friendships, crushes, and feelings. As someone who enjoys listening to music but doesn't actually know what it takes to create music, it was interesting to witness the pressure fictional Tegan and Sara were under to be child rockstars.

This was a fun and cute continuation of the story. I always love to see queer icons sharing their stories!

I had no idea this was a sequel until I looked on Goodreads so I read the first book in the series before I read this one. I previously read High Schools by Tegan and Sara as well. It was fun to read a prequel of sorts to their memoir. I was thrown off by the story being set during current times rather than in the early 90s when the twins were in middle and high school but I think setting the book in the present helps reach an entirely new audience of young readers and music lovers.

Not as interesting as the first collection. Felt like this one dragged a bit. Still enjoyable, though maybe a little more unrealistic.

Such a cool semi-autobiographical middle grade graphic novel about emo songstresses Tegan and Sara. This books shows a fictionalized version of the twins making music, getting their big break, balancing music life and friendship, being a family, fighting, and being kids. This books has so much emotion and a lot going on but strikes a good balance and is really enjoyable. This will be a hit for any music lovers, any tweens, and queer kiddos, and anyone in their 30s and 40s who grew up with this band.

4 stars

I really enjoy Tegan and Sara's music, and it's such a huge treat to get to encounter all of this great added multimedia content from them!

This is a follow up to _Junior High_, though this book can easily be read in isolation, especially but not exclusively by fans of their work in any format.

In this latest graphic novel, the sisters dig into their music further. They're continuing to explore their early teen lives, this time in the format of crushes (hence the title) and the passionate songs they drive some people to write and perform. The duo participates in a small competition; the prize is a pretty awesome performance opportunity. Through the experience, they learn more about themselves and each other, but they also - of course - expand their music careers.

These books continue to be wholesome (and age appropriate), and both explore the lives of exceptional kids in this age range and also offer opportunities to dig further into a fictionalized but inspired account of the authors' experiences.

This is a quick and fulfilling read, and I look forward to more!

A heartfelt ode to the trials and tribulations of being a young teenager feeling "love" for the first time. The story is woven seamlessly through the narrative of the twins getting signed to an agent and putting out a single (plus music video!). This story will ring true for anyone who's ever experienced that terrible thrill and pain of first crush...and haven't we all?

The artist does a gorgeous job of illustrating the emotions and thoughts of the two twins, and how they often clash (or come together) by using two primary colors to represent them. It's an excellent device that is never intrusive, but rather brings the conflicting energies to life as these two young teens start to find their ways toward their own unique identities outside of their twindom, but also find how much they need one another after all.

Highly recommended in particular for tween and teen readers who are trying to understand how to navigate the overwhelming tidal wave of emotions and thoughts that come with a crush. But the book will appeal to many more readers than that. Really well-done.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this eARC for unbiased review. This review will be cross-posted to my social media accounts closer to the book release date.