High School
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3.9 • 26 Ratings
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- $21.99
Publisher Description
First loves, first songs, and the drugs and reckless high school exploits that fueled them—meet music icons Tegan and Sara as you’ve never known them before in this intimate and raw account of their formative years.
High School is the revelatory and unique coming-of-age story of Sara and Tegan Quin, identical twins from Calgary, Alberta, growing up in the height of grunge and rave culture in the 90s, well before they became the celebrated musicians and global LGBTQ icons we know today. While grappling with their identity and sexuality, often alone, they also faced academic meltdown, their parents’ divorce, and the looming pressure of what might come after high school. Written in alternating chapters from both Tegan’s point of view and Sara’s, the book is a raw account of the drugs, alcohol, love, music, and friendships they explored in their formative years. A transcendent story of first loves and first songs, it captures the tangle of discordant and parallel memories of two sisters who grew up in distinct ways even as they lived just down the hall from one another. This is the origin story of Tegan and Sara.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The Canadian musician authors focus on their high school years in this moody memoir set in the mid-1990s. The twin sisters tell their story in alternating chapters whose topics include first loves, coming out as gay, and making music. They heartbreakingly recall the girls they fell for and the discomfort that came with hiding their romantic relationships from critical adults. Even though the two bickered as teenagers ("It didn't matter what it was; everything was a battlefield," Sara writes), music always brought them together. Their life-changing moment came when they found their stepfather's guitar and played it for the first time. Their descriptions of touching the guitar match up strikingly. Writes Tegan: "Its thick body pressed into my thighs... the desire to play it felt instinctive." Adds Sara: "The weight of the wood felt intimate, touching almost all of me at once." The sisters began composing songs and eventually entered a contest that would get them a deal with PolyGram Records. The narrative ends as they gear up to make a name for themselves as artists. This quiet memoir which includes family photos will appeal to fans interested in the duo's formative years.
Customer Reviews
Refreshing Story about the High School Years.
This book is a very refreshing take on the sometimes overdone genre of high school story. Hearing the unique story of Tegan and Sara getting through high school and becoming the excellent musicians they are was entertaining. I definitely recommend the book. I would super recommend the audiobook (which includes vintage demos to songs and audio clips Tegan and Sara chatting)