Nora Dåsnes, a Norwegian author and illustrator, has written the Stonewall Book Award winning juvenile graphic novel Cross My Heart and Never Lie. This graphic novel, translated by Matt Bugguley, tells the story of Tuva, a new seventh grader, and her questions about becoming a teenager. Tuva has big goals for the year. She wants a trendy look, to build the best fort in the woods with her two best friends Linnea and Boa, and to do so many other things. When she starts seventh grade, Tuva quickly realizes that nothing is what she thought it would be.

Linnea has fallen in love and has a boyfriend. Bao thinks that this is ridiculous and absolutely hates everything to do with love. They both expect Tuva to pick a side, which is not what she wants to do. As the days pass, her friends split into two teams: Team Linnea and the girls who fall in love versus Team Bao and the girls who will never fall in love. Tuva spends her time wondering where she falls and struggling to keep both of her friends happy. On one hand, she wants to stay a kid and build forts with Bao, but on the other hand, she wants to learn how to become a mature teenager like Linnea. When Miriam, a new student, shows up, Tuva is drawn to her. She feels like she has met her soulmate, but that adds more confusion for Tuva. What is she feeling? Will her friends accept her? How will she survive these big changes?

I wish Cross My Heart and Never Lie had been around when I was in junior high. It was so refreshing to read about an awkward seventh grader who had no idea who they were and was struggling to figure out basically everything. This age is so confusing, but Nora addresses this awkwardness in an incredibly realistic way. The choice of a diary-style graphic novel added to the relatability for me. At points, I found myself wanting to be able to reach into the book and tell Tuva that everything will be okay. Five star read.