Cross My Heart and Never Lie

 I didn't start reading Graphic Novels until about a year ago. I'm not sure why I never explored this genre before, but as soon as I picked up my first GN, I never looked back. In fact, some of my favorite books I've read this year have been Graphic Novels!

The novel I'm reviewing today is titled Cross My Heart and Never Lie by Nora Dåsnes.

I want to start off by thanking Astra Publishing House for the e-arc copy!

A quick summary of the novel: This diary-style coming of age story centers around a young girl named Tuva who starts to starts discover who she is as a person as well as become more aware of the world around her.

To start, I love how fresh, realistic, and relatable the content is. I remember feeling and thinking the same emotions about friendship, relationships, and fitting in when I was Tuva, the protagonists, age. When Tuva was caught in the middle of her friends' fight (Team Bao or Team Linnea), it brought back so many memories of being in situations exactly like that. The overall feeling and struggle of wanting to fit in and seem cool and mature but also trying not to lose sight of myself, my own interests, and personality. I found it especially relatable when Tuva struggled with comparing herself to others. Her friends started to wear make-up and date, but Tuva never really thought about those things before until she saw her friends do it. I laughed out loud when Tuva wore mascara for the first time because I remember that first feeling of something foreign being on your eyelashes for the very first time!

Tuva experiencing love for the first time was so cute and totally reminded me of when I had my first crush. I loved that her friends and family were so accepting of her decision, and that she knew she would be accepted and loved for her choice no matter what.

I think the drawings and pictures throughout the pages of the diary made it feel authentic and very fun to read. I also liked the addition of Malene and how she is an influencer as well as Tuva's dad's playlists. I think that was a nice touch and let the reader know this is set in present day. Those tiny details as well as many more gave this novel a rich personality.

Overall, I think this novel did such a great job of portraying what it's like to be a girl in middle school. You experience so much change day by day, whether it be your friend getting a boyfriend/girlfriend or if you wear mascara for the first time. This novel lets the reader know that they are not alone and that it's okay to feel confused, sad, happy, and lonely all at the same time.