Sixth grader Lucy knows starting middle school will be complicated rather than eased by the presence of her older sister, eighth grader Gigi. The two don’t get along, having deep-seated jealousy and animosity that grew out of grief following the death of their dad (Black) a few years before. He was a fencing instructor and taught them both; now Gigi is vying for captain of the school fencing team, while Lucy has given up the sport. Each sister firmly believes that their father favored the other. Their mom (white) is overwhelmed by work and parenting on her own, and it feels to both sisters like she’s checked out, always telling them to resolve their disputes independently. When an argument in the school cafeteria leads to a public challenge, Lucy throws herself back into training, while Gigi works out a way to veil the duel as team tryout to disguise the sisters’ showdown. As they each prepare, the fighting and sniping continues, while flashbacks reveal what slowly brought them to this place of disconnection. A graphic novel with abundant information about fencing works as an introduction to the sport on one level, while exploring the complexities of grief as it impacts individuals and a family on another.A note from the author expands on the duality of (Ages 10-14)

A rivalry between sisters culminates in a fencing duel in this funny and emotional debut graphic novel sure to appeal to readers of Raina Telgemeier and Shannon Hale.

Sixth grader Lucy loves fantasy novels and is brand-new to middle school. GiGi is the undisputed queen bee of eighth grade (as well as everything else she does). They’ve only got one thing in common: fencing. Oh, and they’re sisters. They never got along super well, but ever since their dad died, it seems like they’re always at each other’s throats.

When GiGi humiliates Lucy in the cafeteria on the first day of school, Lucy snaps and challenges GiGi to a duel with high sisterly stakes. If GiGi wins, Lucy promises to stay out of GiGi’s way; if Lucy wins, GiGi will stop teasing Lucy for good. But after their scene in the cafeteria, both girls are on thin ice with the principal and their mom. Lucy stopped practicing fencing after their fencer dad died and will have to get back to fighting form in secret or she’ll be in big trouble. And GiGi must behave perfectly or risk getting kicked off the fencing team.

As the clock ticks down to the girls’ fencing bout, the anticipation grows. Their school is divided into GiGi and Lucy factions, complete with t-shirts declaring kids’ allegiances. Both sisters are determined to triumph. But will winning the duel mean fracturing their family even further?