High School

Soooo that's how the other half lives, huh?

This memoir goes through Tegan and Sara's teen lives: endless parties and drug trips, girlfriends, coming out (sort of), and finding their music - and miraculously succeeding with it. While it wasn't the most outrageous thing out there (I can only read so many drug stories), I couldn't put down the constant carousel of crushes, confusion, and teen clumsiness in acknowledging - then accepting - their sexuality. There were many parts in there that I could connect to more than any piece of LGBT fiction. (Especially having a sibling who seems to be 'copying' your sexuality.)

While I've mainly just admired these two for being Canadians Who Actually Did The Thing, I tore through it, so I think this show more will really be perfect for fans - seeing how they got their start not exactly by being scrappy and ruthless, but by being determined, supported by their family and friends, and just damn talented (and with a very good but now-incomprehensible system of recording things onto cassettes). show less

I'm a couple years younger than Tegan and Sara, but otherwise I could relate to much of their high school years. I had the same clothes, the same awkwardness, the same hair, and the same taste in music. I was also relentlessly bullied and had very few friends and no social life. (My mom once begged me to go out and party.) Of course, I did not follow that up by becoming internationally famous.

Perhaps my rampant ambivalence about my youth contributed to my ambivalence about this memoir. The bad decisions, the petty drama, the feelings of adulthood at age 16... none of this is anything I enjoyed in my own life or wanted to revisit in others.

Interesting read. It's easy to tell that they are both being completely honest in all the topics they discuss. Maybe Tegan & Sara are bigger than I think are but when I saw that they had a book, I was immediately interested. Just because they happen to both be gay, the subject of sexuality is talked about with the same frequency as if they were discussing a heterosexual relationship. But, if you happen to be struggling with your sexuality or afraid to come out to the people around you, I strongly recommend taking the time to read this book. It was also cool because it made some rock stars like the 2 of them to write a book and seem so relatable to a lot of the feelings and thoughts they both share. I would like to know what a hardcore show more T&S fan thinks about this book, 5 stars because I couldn't find any reason to rank them any lower for any reason. show less

High School by Tegan and Sara

I guess this needs said, Tegan and Sara are lesbian twin sister rockstars from Canada. I told a few people I was reading the book and they didn't know who I was talking about...which surprised me cause such a large portion of my friends do...or so I thought. Anyway, this review is about their book.

I'm not sure when I first heard Tegan and Sarah. I know the album was their 2002 release, If It Was You, and it was some time before 2006 because I had picked up a copy of the Meg & Dia album, Something Real, hoping to find something comparable to Tegan and Sara. It wasn't. Not that Something Real wasn't good or enjoyable, but there's only one Tegan and Sara.

It was very exciting to hear they had penned a book. show more Musician books can be hit or miss between too real, too unreal or just too "cool, you're famous...guess people will pay to read what you say." High School got me from the start. I mean the title doesn't leave much to the imagination, but...they flesh it out quite nicely in the 350ish pages that fill the covers.

The format is interesting in that it changes between sisters from chapter-to-chapter. As they discuss their experience in high school in the mid-90's, including their favorite bands like Nirvana and Green Day, their clothing choices (ohhh how miss those high water pants, flannels and chain wallets) and their general lifestyle of parties, friends, broken homes...it was like reading my adolescence.

However, it wasn't exactly the same. As the intro blurb stated, they are lesbians and rockstars...and it's during the roughly four year period in this book they discovered, or admitted, these parts of themselves.

It was harrowing to read their struggle and confrontations as not just siblings, but twins, which always seems to produce a stronger push/pull than most other bonds. Then to have described the usual hormonal experimentation of youth that led to them truly exploring their feelings, their desire for love in the face of, what though not that long ago, was a very different time when it comes to homosexual relationships. And lastly, finding their passion for guitars and song writing and putting themselves fully on display with the strong lyrics and emotions that carry through their music to this day.

Not really sure what I was expecting from this book, bit definitely delivered...and then some. show less

High School by Sara Quin and Tegan Quin is a wonderful biography all about the famous musicians' high school years.

This was a book that really had me hooked despite being a genre I don't jump into too often. I couldn't believe how enchanting and engaging it was! The pictures, the events, the relatable nature... it was all just so good together. Sara and Tegan not only have a talent with telling their story through music, they have the writing bug too.

I've known about Tegan and Sara but have never been a "super fan". I've listened to the odd song and known about some of the awards they've won. They are famous Canadians, so obviously as a Canadian myself I've heard of them. This book has made me realize I want to listen to their music a show more lot more. They are relatable, inspirational and motivational - and they were once just normal girls living their best lives. It's a relatable and down to earth story about some of the insanity of high school years.

To top it all off, they are LGTBQ advocates. They are apart of the community and do a lot of good work for it. They are inspirational figures and have a magical way with their words. Their struggles and journey are really something worth reading about. The high school angst, drugs, the changes and discovery in their sexuality, the changing family dynamics and the beginnings in the music industry are something really cool to read about! It felt like these guys could literally be my next door neighbours or be my buddies. There's also some comedic moments, amazing lines and crazy goofs that make this book transcend to another level of awesome. The on the spot excuses for what they were doing instead of taking drugs or having a little too much fun with their significant others had me chuckling.

Overall, this book was a lovely journey and a great read. I highly recommend it for fans of Tegan and Sara or people just seeking an interesting biography.

Four out of five stars.

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads. show less

The sister duo known as Tegan and Sara take alternating chapters to tell their memoirs based on their high school years, which cover both their personal lives and the start of their band.

I've been a fan of their music for a good while now, so it was interesting to get a glimpse of their discovery of music, their relationship with one another, and their experiences and struggles in surviving high school and in discovering and settling into their sexuality. Although they were quite a bit wilder than I ever was at that age (not that that's saying much, to be honest), I think I would have very much identified with their stories as a teen; I certainly enjoyed and appreciated it as a non-teen, too.

This book was amazing and I do believe that, even if you aren't a big fan of Tegan & Sara's music, you'd like this memoir. The way they write is very honest and raw, and they don't seem to hold back in letting their readers into their lives. The thing that makes this a unique celebrity memoir is the fact that they focus simply on their time in high school, nothing really before or after. It is very illuminating for me as a big T&S fan, but like I said, I think there are things to enjoy about this book even if you aren't a huge fan. A cool bonus in the audio-book are the original recordings of some of their early songs, which is so cool to hear as a fan.