High School

"The Quins are skilled writers with an eye for detail . . . Both women deftly capture the messy complexities of being twins. [High School] has the immediacy and intimacy of a diary."—Jancee Dunn, The Washington Post

"Elegant and evocative."—Rebecca Nicolson, The Guardian

“Complexly intimate, smartly crafted, and packing a subtle emotional wallop . . . A quietly heroic origin story.”—Jon Dolan, Rolling Stone

"Offers queer kids (and adults, heterosexual or otherwise) vital, non-didactic lessons on how to find one's voice—and how it's okay to mess up along the way."—Michelle Hart, O, the Oprah Magazine

"[High School] is raw and detailed, and [Tegan and Sara's] writing captures the tender vulnerability of that age with a frankness I've rarely seen before. All the eager, beautiful, and stupid passions of adolescence are rendered with an unnerving realism; the raw intensity of the material can make a reader feel implicated."—Moira Donegan, Nylon

"A stirring dual account of drug use, early sexual experiences and ‘90s rave culture, their coming-of-age (and coming out) stories."—Gab Ginsberg, Billboard

"[A] funny, raw, and relatable look at being a teen."—Leah Greenblatt, Entertainment Weekly

“This account of the pains and pleasures of dirtbag queer-girl adolescence is everything you could want from a memoir: honest and hilarious, dishy and sweet, smart and self-aware and utterly charming. What a gift to get this view of Tegan and Sara as sisters, as friends, and as artistic collaborators, as they were becoming musical icons, and—more importantly—themselves.”—Carmen Maria Machado, author of Her Body and Other Parties

“Intense, vulnerable and life-affirming. Tegan and Sara take us back through their whirlwind journey, densely packed with the intricate complications and the envious, unspoken connection of growing up an identical twin.”—Abbi Jacobson, author of I Might Regret This and co-creator of Broad City

“It should come as no surprise to anyone who has ever listened to a song by Tegan and Sara, that while not only are they able to convey the raw and complex emotions of the high school experience, the aimlessness of suburban life and the exhilaration of finding your way out, they also speak universal truths about intimacy between families and sisters, friends and lovers. They've captured a time and a place so perfectly, I can't exactly be sure that I wasn't there."—Busy Philipps, actress, Freaks and Geeks, Dawson’s Creek

"To navigate the experiential landscape of high school is always an emotional minefield. To have Tegan and Sara unabashedly share the perspective of young lesbians is a rare and invaluable gift. The kind of empathetic education our society is starved for.”—k.d. lang

“What a gift to read the coming of age story of the brilliant Tegan and Sara. High School gives us a glimpse into the struggles and triumphs of both sisters as individuals and an evolving band. Their vulnerability, honesty, and compassion bursts through, and will make countless people feel less alone. It is so important for the LGBTQ+ community to have memoirs like this in which they can recognize themselves and be inspired to follow their truth. I am endlessly grateful to Tegan and Sara for giving so much to this world.”—Ellen Page, actress and producer, The Umbrella Academy

"Tegan and Sara's literary coming-of-age memoir High School is an engrossing, sharply crafted, deeply authentic look at the misery of (queer) adolescence and the gorgeous glory of becoming yourself. So much angst and revelation, depression, inebriation, inspiration, vulnerability, and power. A wild, teenage ride I could not put down."—Michelle Tea, author of Against Memoir

“With their music, Tegan and Sara offer listeners a glimpse at a specific time and place. In High School, they throw the door open and allow readers the opportunity to become fully immersed in their world. Tegan and Sara’s stories of first loves, self discovery, and the insights into their relationship with each other are deeply moving and relatable. They never hold back from the absolute authenticity they are known for. I never wanted it to end.”—Clea DuVall, actress and director, Veep, The Intervention

“High School highlights the indisputable fact that Tegan and Sara were never just musicians—they are master storytellers. In reflecting on that torturous span of time spent agonizing over one’s body, friendships, parents, and desires, this book highlights how high school is less of a place or memory but a metaphor for uncertainty, and underlines the salvation that can only be found in music. High School foreshadows the beginning of a rich and riveting literary career.”—Vivek Shraya, musician and author of I'm Afraid of Men

“This book is one of the most interesting and brave coming-of-age stories I have read in many years. Tegan and Sara reveal the confusion, the unraveling of personal truths, the fear, the excitement, the shame and the seclusion that many of us endure as we make our way through the world. This is also a book about how music saves people, how music gives us a voice and a reason to keep going.”—Jann Arden, singer, songwriter, and author of Feeding My Mother

“Tegan and Sara have pulled back the curtain on a formative chapter in their lives and offer a gloriously dizzying, richly observed account of how they became who they are today and what inspired the music we’ve come to know and love. Funny, frank, and so very cool, High School is basically the teenage best friend I always wanted growing up.”—Dan Levy, actor, producer, Schitt’s Creek