Finish Lines: A Graphic Novel

by Sarah Broyles, Hanna Schroy (Illustrator)

Miranda needs something to write about in her college application essays. But what?

Miranda has a plan: ace her junior year, get into an Ivy League school, and skip anything that doesn’t look good on a college application. But the pressure is getting to her, and now her parents have cut her off from every club, competition, and committee she’s a part of.

Desperate to get back on track, Miranda sets her sights on the Texas Water Safari—a 260-mile canoe race her mom was set to do with her granddad. With her mom sidelined by an injury, Miranda joins her grandfather. It’s grueling, messy, and scorching hot.

Can a perfectionist survive the wild long enough to find out who she is outside of a college checklist?

Genres: Graphic Novels, Realistic Fiction, Adventure, Young Adult

352 pages, Paperback

Expected publication June 16, 2026

About the author

Sarah Broyles started reading graphic novels years ago with her kids and became hooked on stories told through sequential art. She has a dusty English degree from the University of Texas at Austin, where she continues to live in the city with her husband and their two daughters--who have, bittersweetly, long since outgrown story time with Mom. Finish Lines is her first book.

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story starts out with Miranda trying to find something that will look good on her college essay. She has taken every AP class she can. She knows which schools she wants to go to, and she likes to draw. Does she take any classes in art? Heck no. That isn’t what is important on school applications.


So, when her mother messes up her back, and can’t be in a canoe race with her grandfather, she figures she can do that. She can do the race, and then write about it.


But, it is a grueling 260 mile race. It is exhausting, and as her grandfather points out, there is no way in heck that they can place, much less run. He says it is in the doing. Like a participation trophy.


At first Miranda scoffs at that. Who does a race just to do it? This is what she finds out while doing it.


I had never heard of the Texas Water Safari, but it is indeed a real thing, having started in the 1960s. I like how the author either did the race, or researched the race, as it all felt very authentic. You would think a book about a canoe race wouldn’t be interesting? You would be surprised.


Thanks to Netgalley and First Second for making this book available for an honest review. This book is coming out on the 16th of June 2026.

[Sacha · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

This is a strong YA graphic novel debut from Broyles. It features a complicated protagonist and *the issues* that we avid YA fans love to see. The art truly highlights the experience.

Miranda is a go getter, and while this attitude benefits her in many ways, she can take it to the extreme and get into some related trouble at times. She comes by this behavior and mentality honestly. Her parents named her accordingly (read for details on this), and her mom really lives with the finish line in mind. As an added detail that those with some personal experience in this area will understand and appreciate especially, both of Miranda's parents are addicts in recovery. Let's just say that all of the puzzle pieces fit.

When the graphic novel begins, the setup really provides insight into Miranda's mom and the ways in which she has likely impacted her daughter's way of thinking. The focus turns to Miranda as she starts to think about college, how to pay for college, and what to write in that pesky personal statement. Ultimately, it's this trifecta that lands Miranda's soon to be sore butt in the back of a canoe with her granddad, as the two of them set off on a truly remarkable quest.

I loved reading and viewing Miranda's evolution, but I also really enjoyed getting to see how her immediate family (parents and sister) changed throughout the text and how her connection with her granddad evolved. The most important character here is the same critical character that is present in every family smart enough to have one: the dog. Little Percy is an absolute highlight of this book, and he gives Miranda and readers exactly what we need and when.

I'm a huge MG/YA graphic novel fan, and I tend to go bananas for First Second publications. This is no exception. I enjoyed this, will recommend it to my students, and will absolutely be on the lookout for more from this author and this artist.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and First Second for this arc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

[Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC read. This was such an interesting exploration of the pressures of perfectionism and achievement on teens. Miranda is at a super competitive high school where everyone is looking for a way to stand out. I was stressed just reading about it! She breaks down and uses her mother's pain medication to cope. Her parents finally step in and tell Miranda to take a break even if it it impacts her college applications and scholarships. There is an addiction story line intertwined with Miranda's journey where her parents have developed challenging relationships with ambition and achievement of their own since becoming sober. Instead of a real break, Miranda decides to join her grandfather in the Texas Water Safari, an endurance canoe race. She intends to use the experience for a college essay, but along the way begins to appreciate the journey rather than only thinkable of a quantifiable destination. I loved all the nature settings in the art - it really made me feel like I was there in the river and woods! I think lots of teens will relate to this book and hopefully reflect on the pressures they're experiencing.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finish Lines is a YA graphic novel by author Sarah Broyles and illustrator Hanna Schroy. It follows Miranda, a high achieving teenager who has big dreams of Ivy League schools and an extensive resume. At the start of the story her mom, also a highly active sports person, is injured. Miranda and her younger sister bicker, and Miranda has a diverse group of high achieving friends at school. She wants to stand out and is frustrated with how hard she has to work to keep up and miss out on fun things. Her parents are recovering from addiction, and there is an incident that makes them concerned about Miranda, so she takes a break from school. Instead she takes her mom's place with her grandfather on a canoeing marathon where she learns some life lessons. The character is mostly relatable; the action sustains itself through the book. The colors of grey, blue, and purple are clear enough. This could circulate well in high school libraries. Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for this ARC.

[Alexis Travis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a beautiful story, loved the illustrations and the relationship between our MC and her grandpa!

In Finish Lines, we follow Miranda. A teen perfectionist, overachevier, future ivy league student or so she hopes. Her mother has an injury preventing her from participating in a yearly canoe race with her dad, Mirandas grandpa. Rather than letting him go solo, Miranda decides it will look great to colleges that she is going to win. Little does she know that she is going to learn alot about life, challanges and set backs, how to overcome them, and why to never give up during the training and race. Sometimes you have to slow down and realize life isnt about the finish line, its about the journey!

Loved the story, loved the lessons, loved the art, 5/5 stars!

Thank you to Netgalley and First Second Books for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Amy Sheng · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finish Lines is a lovely graphic novel. It tells the story of a junior in high school that is putting a lot of pressure on herself so she can get into an ivy league college. She makes a pretty bad decision and her parents force her to slow down on all her activities. Instead, she decides to be a partner to her grandfather to participate in a very difficult canoe race.

This book is a delight. It deals with several difficult subjects, but does in a really compelling way.

Thank you to NetGalley for this e-book. All opinions are my own.

[Haruka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for giving me the chance to read this book in advanced.
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It was a great read. At first Miranda personality and relationship with her family is so bad. But as she do the race with her grandpa, she learns a lot. She changes as the story goes. Her grandpa giving life advices is something i love reading in this book.
I really love the ending~
I enjoy this book so much!!

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was great! I really appreciated a story about a very driven teen learning to slow down a little bit. A lot of the high schoolers at the library where I work are like Miranda: they want to go to Ivies, accomplishments fuel them, and they can get burnt out really quickly. This is an important book to remind them that sometimes it's important just to show up.

[Sarah Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chronic overachievers will relate to the characterization of the main character in this YA graphic novel. I know I could! It was an adventure unlike one that I have taken, but the motivations behind it were very real. Seeing the character’s growth was a highlight. The art style is lovely, too. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

[Noah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderfully illustrated story of a young girl struggling with her perfectionist lifestyle learns how to accept defeat gracefully and how to refocus and find new goals.


Thank you NetGalley and First Second for the eARC!

[Lois Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

Complete RTC.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Review of NetGalley ARC*

What does it mean to achieve something? How do you know when you have done enough? Miranda is a junior in high school and is plagued by the constant need to achieve and prove herself. Will she be worth enough if she excels in every club, aces every AP class, and gets into an Ivy League school? She wants it all, but as the pressure mounts Miranda makes a choice that makes her parents worried enough to cut her off from her extracurricular activities and competitions to try and save her from herself. With her options limited, Miranda decides to take on the Texas Water Safari, a 260-mile canoe race with her grandfather that her parents only approve after her mother can no longer compete. Will this extreme experience come with a finish line and prize big enough?