ACCESS DIGITIZED EDITION
Guide/Reviews Database
OLDER FICTION
Larson, Hope

All Together Now

188 pp. | Farrar | August, 2020 | Trade ISBN 978-0-374-31162-9 $21.99 | Paper ISBN 978-0-374-31365-4 $12.99
(2) YA Eighth graders Bina and Darcy head back to school in this spirited graphic novel, the sequel to All Summer Long (rev. 7/18). Darcy is convinced that their band Fast Fashion needs a drummer. Protagonist Bina doesn't agree, but when they discover that classmate Enzo is a musical prodigy with intimidating drumming skills, changes are put in motion beyond Bina's control and at a pace for which she is unprepared. With Enzo, the band changes its name to the Candids and there is pressure to make its songs "louder. Edgier. Shoutier." Darcy and Enzo start dating, and Bina struggles to understand and express her feelings, resulting in an argument at a thrift store and Bina being dumped--via text message--from the band she co-founded. As if that's not enough, Bina is not sure how to feel about her best friend Austin's displays of romantic interest and how that fits within her own identity development. ("What's the difference between liking someone and liking them?") While plot and layout are straightforward, an emphasis on conversation allows for characters' relationships and emotions to take center stage. Light purple washes contrast with thick, bold lines, creating an appropriate balance in a narrative containing moments of both emotive strength and fragility. Other symbolic visual elements, such as arrows and sound effects, add backstory and humor.
Reviewer: Elisa Gall | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2020

RELATED 

OLDER FICTION

What Beauty There Is
by Anderson, Cory
OLDER FICTION

Between Perfect and Real
by Stoeve, Ray
OLDER FICTION

Zoe Rosenthal Is Not Lawful Good
by Werlin, Nancy
OLDER FICTION

Home Is Not a Country
by Elhillo, Safia
OLDER FICTION

All Our Hidden Gifts
by O'Donoghue, Caroline
More

Get connected. Join our global community of more than 200,000 librarians and educators.

This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing.

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?