I really liked this graphic novel for teens. It shows the hardship of a friend (best friend) moving away and how the changes can strain friends before they even have to part. The art was stunning and perfect for the story. This book does have some romance as well as bullying. The bullying isn't very prominent, but it is in the book. The romance is also very light. I think this book shows the strength of teen friendships when given hardships such as planning, exploring emotions, and dealing with a friend moving away somewhat suddenly.

A wholesome glimpse into the last summer a pair of friends have together. The focus of the story is never taken away from Daisy and Agnes - this story is theirs from beginning to end. It is their mutual agency that brings their story (on these pages at least) to a satisfying close.

I loved this so much. It was such a good representation of friendships as a teen and how life can be messy and making the most out of life. I loved these two girls and I loved their story. I wanted to hang out with them and hug them.

This was a story I'd read or watched a thousand times. I enjoyed the art style and aesthetic, but the story itself was really predictable. I wished it had taken on a new angle of the "it's our last few weeks before I move, let's make the most of it!" trope. It was very similar to others I've read and watched (tv shows and movies) in the past. Not a bad story, and the art was great. It's just a tale I've read and seen a bunch of times before.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

We love a good friendship story. First off, this artwork is stunning and I really loved the character designs so much.

This is about two girls, one of whom is moving away at the end of summer. They make a bucket list of sorts to complete before she leaves but when the other gets a crush on a boy, her priorities change a bit. Can she find time for both a budding romance and her lifelong friend before she moves away?

I really enjoyed this but wished there was a bit more closure to the ending. I would've loved to see a bit more.

The illustrations in this story are incredibly gorgeous and I love the way that teenage friendships were portrayed in this story. It is so accurate to the heightened emotions of that age and the misunderstandings that come along with it. However, I don't love the trope of one friend prioritizing their romantic relationship over their best friend, but that is mostly just personal opinion. Overall, love the illustrations and the characters!

How will Agnes and Daisy maintain their friendship when Agnes' impending move numbers their days?

Agnes and Daisy, two best friends, have always done everything together. Their friendship is strong until Agnes' mother announces that they will be moving because she has found a new job. In response, Agnes and Daisy decide to create a list of activities they want to do together before Agnes leaves.
However, a new challenge arises with the arrival of Noah, Daisy's crush, who has now become her boyfriend. He often invites himself to join their plans, which complicates their dynamic. How can Agnes and Daisy maintain their friendship amidst these new developments?

This book was utterly captivating, so much so that I found myself completely engrossed and finished it in one exhilarating sitting. The vibrant, cartoony art style combined with a warm, earthy color palette drew me in, adding depth to the narrative. I could easily relate to the characters as I had also experienced the challenges of moving.
Agnes was refreshingly blunt, her straightforwardness cutting through the air, yet beneath that tough exterior lay an unwavering loyalty to her friends. Daisy burst onto the page with her quirky charm and unique perspective, adding a delightful eccentricity to the story. Then there's Noah, whose kindness and good intentions shone brightly, even if they often led to delightful chaos that kept everyone on their toes.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who craves a story filled with fun, quirkiness, and relatable experiences—it's a joy that deserves to be shared!

Happy Reading, Paige ❤️ 📚

The NOSTALGIA!! Man my friends and I were the same! Everything was serious and when one got her first boyfriend it was like she fell off the face of the planet but in the end we came together. I loved this and the ending made me cry. I’m sure it’s still like this with the youth now… except now I’m a mom and was invested in how each of the mothers handled their teen daughters. Thanks to NetGalley for the arc!

Daisy and Agnes have been best friends since they were kids. They only really have each other, both outcasts in the eyes of their classmates. So when Agnes's mom gets a new job, a job that requires them to move away, the girls are devastated. They have one last summer to complete a friendship bucket list before they are split up. But when Daisy meets a new boy, their friendship becomes strained.
A very relatable coming of age story, the History of Everything is a love letter to those tough teen years where control of your own life is just out of reach.

"Not everyone has to like the stuff you like to be interesting."

Daisy and Agnes are best friends, looking forward to a summer together without anything ruining their time together. This plan quickly changes when Agnes finds out she is moving several hours away at the end of the summer and Daisy gets her first boyfriend. What started out as an endless summer of doing everything together before going back to school together in the fall has turned into a bucket list of trying to get all the last memories in without missing out on time with new people as well.

What I Liked:
-This story of two friends going through growing pains when one of them gets a new boyfriend is a feeling I remember having when I was in high school. I was always on the side of Agnes, watching my friends pairing off with someone new while I was left behind. This is such a classic growing pain of teenage friends and I appreciated seeing this play out on the page for today's teenagers.
-Noah, Daisy's new boyfriend, seemed like a super solid guy. He was supportive of Daisy and seemed to genuinely want what was best for Daisy and Agnes' friendship.
-Agnes and Daisy have some strong single moms. I appreciated seeing parents in this story and seeing how they supported Daisy and Agnes throughout their summer.

What Didn't Work for Me:
-The summer moved so fast. I know the plot typically moves pretty quickly in graphic novels but I wanted to see more of the summer. It felt like June just started and then July was in full swing.

Thank you to HarperCollins Children's Books, HarperAlley, and NetGalley for the advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts & opinions are my own.

This book was exactly what summers feel like when a friend is leaving. This book is a great for all ages. I love these goth girls and their friendship and how they are growing together and the aches of growing pains of teen years. The art is perfection and warms my goth girl heart and everything I needed as a kid and still need now.

This was a really cute story about friendship but... I think Daisy was more in the wrong here about the fight the two girls had. Noah seemed like a great guy but I felt like she was giving so much of her time to this boy she barely met instead of hanging out with her best friend who was gong to be leaving soon. I understand the need to want to hang out with there person you're in a relationship with and that Agnes was being a bit overbearing and controlling wanting to follow the list to a 'T' but I really don't think Daisy left enough space for Agnes. Especially since Agnes was the one who helped Daisy and Noah get together. Daisy also lied to Agnes about how she was feeling instead of simply telling her best friend that she wanted to hang out with the boy she liked. I also couldn't understand her reasoning for that. Like, yes it sucks that she wouldn't be able to see him until the weekend but... it isn't that long and she could always stop by the store to see him.too if she really wanted. Agnes also could have talked to her best friend about how she was feeling instead of bottling it up but the girls were able to be honest and present with each other in the end so maybe thats all that really matters.

✨ Review ✨ The History of Everything by Victoria Evans

Thanks to HarperAlley and #netgalley for the gifted advanced copy/ies of this book!

In this coming-of-age YA graphic novel, Agnes is getting ready to move away so she and Daisy are trying to have one more perfect summer together...but Daisy is falling in love. This is a story of balancing your best friend and your first love. As they try to complete their summer bucket list like the good 'ol days as kids, they struggle with their commitment to each other and what their friendship will look like in the future.

This book has gorgeous art, and you will fall in love with Daisy and Agnes’s style! The hair, the clothes, the makeup gives big goth / emo girl vibes (or whatever they call it these days lol).

This dragged a little in places as the characters worked through some of their feelings, but I think that gave it that coming-of-age big emotions sort of feeling. Overall, I enjoyed this read and its really a treat for your eyes!

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Genre: YA graphic novel
Setting: small town
Pub Date: Feb 18, 2025

I love the character design - their outfits, hair, rooms, everything! While this type of conflict is not my favorite, I did enjoy seeing how each girl responded to the conflict and the decisions to help yourself feel better and to apologize/forgive!

4.25/5

TL;DR

The vibes were great, I remember the MC’s names, I love them dearly, and I will likely not reread.

The important stuff: The crying rating

😭😭😭=Why would you write this!?
🥲=This is sweet

Agnes and Daisy gave me so much nostalgia. That feeling of being young, fighting with your friends, and not knowing how to make up. These girls go through it trying to make it the best summer possible before Agnes moves away. I do not miss being a teenager.

Thank you to NetGalley, Victoria Evan’s; HarperCollins Children's Books | HarperAlley for the opportunity to read an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) and provide my honest opinion/review.

First off, thank you so much to Victoria Evans, HarperAlley, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this advanced reader copy of the history of everything.

So I just finished reading this initially. I was just going to pick it up at about midnight read a little bit and then head to bed. It is currently 130. I have finished the book I have cried. I have laughed and I felt some big feelings. This is an amazing book and Victoria Evans did a marvelous job tapping into the feelings of what Daisy and Agnes were feeling.
When I do these reviews, I like to link it to my life as someone who subscribed to the reader response method of literary criticism I feel that a work intrinsically needs the reader, and with this book it made me feel feelings that I hadn’t felt since I was a teenager. I felt the anxiety that Agnes was feeling and the feelings of loss and missing out. One of the feelings that really bubbled up to the surface was the feeling of being the “3rd wheel“ and it’s a feeling that I know all too well . Going through the beautifully illustrated pages the story made the emotions well up inside me and by the time we get to the ending, I was a mess.. I think I had started crying About halfway in, and it just was a slow drip towards the crescendo of the book. Now this is not to say it was a totally sad book finishing the book. All of those feelings felt cathartic. By the end, I was crying tears of joy.
Victoria Evans has been able to immerse the reader into the lives of the characters. You feel their pain. You feel their elation. You feel their fear of something new. I really look forward to what Victoria has in store for us next.

punk found family, girls being girls together, someone moving during high school, and an adventure book? of course I cried and loved every minute of it

I feel like every best friend duo goes through this once in their lives. They are so used to always being there for each other and being the only one in the other's orbit. But as time goes on, more friends and romances enter the fray and best friends feel replaced. The History of Everything is that in a nutshell. It's nostalgic and made me thing back at old friendships and best friends and how our paths separated or continued to entwine. Beautiful illustrations and the story (while basic) was a fun read.

I loved the goth look and feel of this graphic novel. It felt both retro and contemporary at the same time. An endearing story about navigating
friendship and first love.

4.75 Stars
Thank you NetGalley for early access to this graphic novel. Wow, both beautiful visually and story-wise. I truly can not get past how gorgeous the artwork in this was, Victoria Evan's is truly an amazing illustrator but also a great storyteller. Right off the bat I instantly felt so connected to these characters as they reminded me of my bestest friend and I. Evan's did such a great job capturing the feeling of friendship and the highs and lows that come with it (especially when a crush turned boyfriend is involved). I will be recommending this book to everyone (already making my best friend read it) and will patiently wait for to see what Victoria does next. Also I loved the history of everything in the book (the little scrap book) and this is something I will now be doing in my own personal life. A big thank you to Victoria for making this book, it truly touched my heart.