Margin Notes

Happy & Sad & Everything True brings the reader into the beginning of middle school alongside former best friends Dee and Juniper. They have been separated into different classes which highlights their fading connection. To avoid the loneliness of the cafeteria and the sting of seeing Juniper with a new group, Dee hides in the school bathroom, where she unexpectedly begins communicating with other struggling students through the ventilation grates. The story is full of the classic middle-grade woes of secret crushes, embarrassing parents, questionable influences and school pressures.

The writing style is slow and authentic to the day-to-day life of a middle schooler. Dee often gets lost in her own thoughts, misses parts of class explanations, and longs for friendship and connection. Through the bathroom conversations, she gradually begins to find her voice. This pacing demonstrates the reality that it can take young people time to recognize, process, and understand shifts in friendships. In the end, these changes and influences are clearly named and Dee emerges with a genuine sense of connection and a true friend.

This book is recommended for middle-grade readers, particularly those in sixth or seventh grade who are currently navigating the complexities of “friend breakups” and shifting social circles.