Cross My Heart and Never Lie

Cross My Heart #1

by Nora Dåsnes, Matt Bagguley (Translator)

In this fresh, sensitive, diary-style graphic novel, 12-year-old Tuva's questions about becoming a teenager are confusing—so when her first crush turns out to be on another girl, it feels absolutely wonderful--so why does it become so complicated?

Perfect for fans of The Girl from the Sea by Molly Knox Ostertag, HeartStopper by Alice Oseman, and Jen Wang's The Dressmaker and the Prince.

Tuva is starting seventh grade, and her checklist of goals writing out a diary, getting a trendy look, building the best fort in the woods with her BFFs, and much more. But when she starts school, nothing is how she hoped it would be.

Seventh grade has split her friends into rival TEAM LINNEA and the girls who fall in love and TEAM BAO and the girls who NEVER fall in love. Linnea has a BOYFRIEND, Bao hates everything related to love. Worst of all, Linnea and Bao expect Tuva to choose a side!

In this delighfully hand-lettered coming-of-age graphic diary, Tuva gets caught between feeling like a kid and wanting to know HOW to become a teenager. Then Miriam shows up and suddenly Tuva feels as if she’s met her soulmate. Can you fall in love with a girl, keep it from your friends, and survive? For Tuva, it may be possible, but it's defintely not easy.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Middle Grade, LGBT, Queer, Comics, Young Adult, Fiction

250 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 22, 2020

About the author

Nora Dåsnes (b. 1995) is a Norwegian illustrator and author.

Reviews

[Alice Oseman]

A soft and adorable story of first sapphic love and the trials and tribulations of pre-teen friendships, with gorgeous cosy artwork. Reading this was like a warm hug.

Many thanks to HarperCollins for sending me an advance copy.

[s.penkevich [hiatus-will return-miss you all] · Rating 5 out of 5]

Change is hard and the transition from into teenage years are a whirlwind of new emotions and experiences as childhood begins to fade into the past. Cross My Heart and Never Lie from Norwegian author and artist Nora Dåsnes gorgeously captures the highs and lows of this period of metamorphosis through the diaries of 12 year old Tuva as she enters 7th grade. Winner of the 2024 ALA Stonewall Book Award and translate into English by Matt Bagguley, this YA graphic novel is as beautifully told as it is illustrated, with colors that really pop in a loose but playful style that manages to convey incredible amounts of emotions through the color choices and faces. It is a story about how ‘its always hard being in between’ as certain friends have moved into dating and away from childhood games while others have no interest in the games of teenage romance and Tuva feels pulled between friends. This coming-of-age story layers on complex emotions on complex emotions, especially when Tuva discovers she has feelings for the new girl in her school. Brilliantly told through a diary style that captures a whirlwind of feelings and gorgeously illustrated, Cross My Heart and Never Lie is a truly moving and lovely book.

I once worked with someone who was a retired Middle School guidance counselor. We all said how difficult that age must be. I mean, I was probably a nightmare and its such a confusing and chaotic age being pulled by different emotions and friends groups as you feel no stability over yourself while trying to figure out just who you are. He admitted it was a challenging age but also an important time to find ways to reach out to kids on an individual level. The real challange, he said, was that half the 8th graders are starting to explore sexuality while the other half are still playing with childhood toys. Dåsnes truly harnesses that dichotomy here as Tuva is caught between a friend abandoning their usual games to see her boyfriend while the other find the idea of dating stupid. And then there is Tuva confused if she should admit she also has a crush and further flustered as she begins to discover she is queer. The whole thing is brought to life in artwork that really shines:

I mean look at this! The colors are amazing, its bold and beautiful. And she is able to capture sadness so eloquently through her art as well:

This is a big book with a lot of heart. The diary style works marvelously, capturing pre-teen emotions and voice quite well and showing that delicate balance between wanting to act adult and still finding joy and comfort in more “childish” things. The relationship with her single-father is also an endearing aspect of the novel, particularly his acceptance when she comes out and the way he keeps things lighthearted while also being someone she can rely on and get advice from. It’s beautiful, I got teary a few times. This book covers a lot of emotional ground and does an excellent job of looking at how scary it can be to develop romantic feelings and the confusion over discovering your own sexuality. But most importantly, this book is empowering and delightful.

‘Acting like a teenager feels awkward,’ Tuva says, and Cross My Heart and Never Lie is an extraordinary YA graphic novel that captures this feeling perfectly. Well paced, full of dynamic characters and emotions, this is a wonderful coming-of-age story that rings true. It’s also a joy to look at. What a great book.

5/5

[charlie medusa · Rating 5 out of 5]

c'était le roman graphique le plus choupicute que j'ai jamais lu de ma vie je pense que ma vie aurait été améliorée de 894% si je l'avais lu à 12 ans mais bon c'est ainsi !!! énorme TW père présent les girlies si vous non plus votre père ne connaissait ni votre âge ni le nom de vos potes ni votre prénom une fois sur deux alors préparez-vous car ça va picoter car le père de l'héroïne est vraiment fantastique et très doux et très intelligent et fait de son mieux pour être présent pour sa fille et il le fait très bien !!! mais ça n'est-ce pas finalement toute la vie lorsqu'on a des daddy issues haha !!! autrement c'est juste merveilleux de douceur, de tendresse et d'intelligence, c'est trop trop chouette d'avoir une histoire où une fille de 12 ans se découvre amoureuse d'une autre fille, sans même avoir envie ne serait-ce que de l'embrasser, juste d'être avec elle, de lui tenir la main et de rigoler sans fin à ses côtés, et en ayant conscience que c'est ok de pas vouloir encore se définir lesbienne ou bi pck elle a 12 ans quoi laissons-la prendre le temps elle a même pas fini le premier trimestre de sa 5e

très fin aussi sur la question de la transition de l'enfance vers l'adolescence ; en tant que moi-même petite fille de 12 ans qui voulait vraiment rester petite fille et continuer à jouer aux Playmobil sans rien avoir à faire avec les autres filles du collège qui parlaient de maquillage et de garçons : j'ai relate très fort, et j'ai beaucoup aimé la façon dont le roman invite à ne pas mépriser les filles qui font des trucs de fille, à comprendre qu'elles font tout ça aussi un peu par peer pressure, que c'est quand même effectivement mieux dans l'absolu de pouvoir s'émanciper de ces injonctions (et que c'est possible !) mais voilà bon sang les filles ont 12 ans pas un doctorat en sociologie donc elles font !! ce qu'elles peuvent.

en bref : c'est une tuerie, j'ai même pas parlé de l'aspect graphique qui est merveilleux ni de l'humour qui m'a arraché de fréquents éclats de rire (des vrais hein, pas des lol). mention spéciale pour la réplique : puis-je continuer à aimer BTS si je suis lesbienne ?

[not my high · Rating 5 out of 5]

GE-NIAL-NA

Komiks 9+ może zachwycić czytelnika 18+ swoją czułością, piękną kreską i niezwykle trafnym przedstawieniem czasów, które budzą w nas nostalgię.

Miałam 12 lat, kiedy jedyną queerową osobą o której się mówiło w szkole była kobieta z brodą. Teraz jest inaczej, lepiej, bardziej otwarcie (niestety nie wszędzie) a ja się z tego bardzo cieszę.

Z tej książki wypływają piękne myśli o przyjaźni, relacji rodzica z dzieckiem (samodzielny tata, który jest genialną postacią) i dorastaniu, które nie jest łatwe. Pierwsza miłość to stres i motylki w brzuchu oraz cała masa pytań w głowie.

Dziewczyny mogą kochać inne dziewczyny, a w miłości nie-hetero nie ma nic bardziej lub mniej "nieodpowiedniego" niż w tej hetero. Miłość się przydarza.

[Alexander Peterhans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tuva is a young Norwegian girl, just hovering on the precipice of teenagehood. She is about to start her first year of the Norwegian version of high school, together with her two best friends. One of those two friends turns out to have a boyfriend, and she no longer wants to spend recess playing with the girls. This causes a huge rift between Tuva's friends, and she feels like she can't choose sides. Then a new girl arrives in her class, Mariam, and Tuva starts to feel things she has never felt before.



Oh lordy this book is just so incredibly good. The art is some of the best art I have seen in recent times, and the writing vacillates skillfully between utterly adorable and utterly heartwrenching. It's one of the best early coming of ages stories I have read, painting a full and vibrant picture of that window in your life where you're about to cross over into the first steps towards adulthood.



Imagine me grabbing you by the shoulders and empathetically telling you I can't recommend this book enough, all of this in an intense but non-frightening way.

(Thanks to Hippo Park for providing me with an ARC through Edelweiss)

[Aleee (libroslibroslibros) · Rating 4 out of 5]

ESTE LIBRO LO DEBI DE HABER LEIDO HACE 5 AÑOS! Que bellezaaaaa, que belleza. Es una novela gráfica que nos cuenta la historia de una niña que va a entrar a la secundaria. Tiene una lista de objetivos que quiere cumplir, pero no todo va a salir como espera. Una de sus amigas está creciendo, y ella está empezando a tener sentimientos encontrados. No sólo porque cree que debe de madurar, si no que también tiene sentimientos por otra niña, cree estar enamorada, pero no quiere dejar de jugar y disfrutar. AHHHHH que bello libro, super rápido de leer y que te deja reflexionando un montón. Nos habla de la sexualidad de una forma tan bonita y sin ser agresiva, nos cuenta lo que es crecer y pasar por cambios. Probablemente a la Ale de 11 o 12 años le hubiese encantado leer este libro, la habría hecho pensar mucho. Es una novela gráfica que les recomiendo un montón, si tienen 17 o más, como yo, leanlo. También leanselo a sus sobrinos/hermanitos/primitos. Van a ver que es muy bello y disfrutable.

[Neda Alaei · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dette var jo ca århundrets fineste barnebok, i tidenes flotteste format.

[Anniek · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I wonder... can you be in love with a girl and still like BTS?" Asking the real questions

[Nev · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such an adorable middle grade graphic novel about a 12 year old girl growing up, experiencing changing friendships, and having feelings for a girl for the first time. The artwork was so gorgeous. I loved the colors and the way the book used both more traditional comic panels as well as illustrated diary entries. The book is translated from Norwegian, so it was interesting to see which parts of daily life were unique to the setting in Norway and which parts are more universal experiences.

I definitely recommend this for people who love queer middle grade stories. While the main character Tuva does encounter some difficult situations, the book as a whole never gets too heavy. And it ends on a positive note!

Thank you to the publisher for providing an advance copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Nikoline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jeg vil også have en playliste af Tildes far. 🥺

[madame Gabrielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

petit coup de cœur pour ce roman graphique écrit sous forme de journal intime. on y aborde l’orientation sexuelle, les premiers amours, c’est le passage de l’enfance à l’adolescence et ce sont tous les hauts et les bas et les questionnements qui viennent avec ce passage. ce sont aussi les amitiés et tout ce qu’elles demandent. bref, plein de beaux éléments sont abordés dans cette histoire qui vaut vraiment la peine d’être davantage connue. ami.es profs de la sixième année et plus, c’est un beau beau roman graphique à suggérer à vos élèves et à glisser dans une bibliothèque de classe 🍎 nos ados apprécieront certainement faire la rencontre d’Emma et certains se reconnaîtront certainement en elle!

[Julie Lapp (bogfeber) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ej okay 🥹🥹

[Muffinsandbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

C'était hyper attachant, addictif et j'ai adoré la manière dont les sujets étaient abordés. Une jolie découverte !

[khaz. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is really cute and probably a must-to read for a lot of teenagers

my personnal favourite quote is "can i stil listen to BTS if i'm a lesbian"

[Lesbioteka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Słodka i niewinna powieść graficzna dla dzieci 8+. Szkoda, że nie było takich książek jak byłam małą dziewczynką. Może odnalazłabym siebie szybciej. Z całą pewnością też łatwiej byłoby mi zaakceptować moją własną orientację.

[Marie the Librarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jeg elsker denne boka!! En million stjerner! Den er så vakker og gjenkjennbar og perfekt og jeg elsker den. Skulle gjerne ha lest den da jeg var yngre! Men å så glad for at den finnes til unge i dag!!

[Amanda Petrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jeg sørger for at alle børn jeg kender får den her 💗

[Clara · Rating 5 out of 5]

oh mon dieu quel coup de cœur !❤️

[Matti Karjalainen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nora Dåsnesin "Sydän vasta puolillaan" (WSOY, 2025) on erinomainen varhaisnuorten sarjakuva kuudennen luokan aloittaneesta Tovasta ja siitä miten hankalaa onkaan sinnitellä lapsuuden ja nuoruuden välisellä ei-kenenkään-maalla. Kaverikuviot sakkaavat kun leikkiminen tuntuu jo vähän lapselliselta, mutta toisaalta aika ei tunnu olevan vielä kypsä ihastumiskuvioillekaan - vai onko sittenkin? Ja mitä seuraa, jos ihastumisen kohde onkin toinen tyttö?

Jos pidit tästä, niin kokeilepa myös toisen pohjoismaalaisen sarjakuvataiteilijan Sabine Lemiren Mira: ystäviä, ihastuksia, elämää -albumia!

[Hannah Showalter · Rating 4 out of 5]

such a sweet little story about growing up!! also an adorable queer budding romance! and the artwork was so stunning, i really vibed with it!

[Inna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tämähän oli aivan huikean hyvä! Siitäkin huolimatta että kirjan nimi aiheuttaa välittömän Kolmas nainen -biisin päässä soimisen prkl. :D Todella taidokkaasti ja elävästi piirretty ja väritetty tarina jonka sateenkaari-twist yllätti (kun en tietenkään vilkaissutkaan takakantta ennen lukemista) mutta hyvällä tavalla. Ja vähän tuli tippa silmään loppupuolella kyllä mut sekin siis ehdottomasti hyvällä tavalla.

Elikkäs juuh, ihan kaikille aikuisillekin tästä sarjakuvasuositusta kun ihan kaikki me iästä ja sukupuolesta riippumatta ollaan kuitenkin joskus oltu 12 vee ja tuskailtu sitä mystistä häilyvää rajaa lapsuuden ja nuoruuden välillä.

[Albert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Syyykt feeeeet bok. Et fint innblikk i den ukomfortable fasen mellom å være barn og når man er i ferd med å bli ungdom. En hel skokk med gjenkjennelige situasjoner, både fine og fæle, og man føler virkelig med Tuva gjennom denne vanskelige perioden. Lo godt til tider og tegningene var veldig, veldig fine. Denne bør alle lese.

[mara.literacka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cudoooo dla młodzych osób wchodzących w okres dorastania (i jak widać nie tylko) 🌸 Aż się zestresowałam jak sobie przypomniałam jak trudne w tym czasie bywały kontakty rówieśnicze i jak duże towarzyszyły temu emocje

Ps. Piękna kolorowa kreska

[Manoek (manoeksbooknook) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5 ⭐

Honestly wish I had this graphic novel as a preteen because it was just so relatable!! Loved the art as well and the themes

[Kristi Hovington · Rating 5 out of 5]

my middle school students have been devouring PG/light romance type graphic novels and books, and this is such a sweet addition to the collection. Translated from Norwegian, this has all the content my students love: friendship drama, growing up, first crushes. When it's revealed that the first crush that Tuva has is on another girl, it's a surprise to Tuva, and this is what I love about this book: her queerness is never really an issue - her dad and her friends accept it. That is not where the friend drama comes into play, this is not a tragic gay story. I also love how this is European, as our most popular graphic novels at the European school I work at are dominated by US authors.

[Sandra Dussault · Rating 5 out of 5]

Je peux identifier plusieurs moments de la fin de mon enfance où je me suis sentie exactement comme Emma. Ces moments où on ne comprend pas trop ce qui arrive aux autres. Pourquoi tout à coup ça devient bébé de jouer à la Barbie. Pourquoi on ne se sent plus à l'aise en présence de certaines personnes (dans mon cas, les gars) qu'on connaît pourtant depuis toujours.
L'auteure a su rendre exactement ces moments. Les nombreux questionnements, les peines immenses, la peur du rejet.
J'aurais aimé lire ce livre à 11 ans.

[Elina Mäntylammi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eipä ole turhaan saanut palkintoja tämä ihanuus. Nora Dåsnesin Sydän vasta puolillaan on mainio kuvaus lapsuuden ja nuoruuden välimaastosta, 12-vuotiaan Tuvan 6. luokan alkumetreistä. Miten pitäisi olla, kun on toisaalta lapsellinen metsämajan rakentaja ja toisaalta alkaa jo rakastuminen kiinnostaa.

Entäs kun parhaat ystävät ovat kuin eri leireissä? Entäs kun rakkauden tunnuspiirteitä leijailee jo ilmassa?

Taidokasta kerrontaa, suuria tunteita, iloa, ystävyyttä ja murheita. Onneksi on myös viisaita aikuisia ja päiväkirja, jonka sivuille voi vuodattaa pohtimisiaan.

[Mari / 1001 kirjaa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heartstopperit eivät ole iskeneet ja odotukset eivät olleet siksi kovin korkealla (tätä on verrattu niihin). Mut ai että tää oli ihana!!! Jotenkin niin aito ja lempeä ja söpö. Mitä siitä, että eniten samaistuin metallia kuuntelevaan ja iskämusiikkisoittolistoja laativaan isään.

[Simone · Rating 3 out of 5]

Moc pekne tema a hezky zpracovane. Nenasilna queer linka, na ktere pribeh ovsem nestoji. Format knihy paradni.
Tahle by se mi libila ve skolni i domaci knihovne.

[Yanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was a great graphic novel that showed how younger kids feel when they’re changing and what’s “acceptable”. It reminded me of Heartstopper! So cute.