How it Ends, written by Catherine Lo, reviewed by Stephanie Wilson

Summary:  How it Ends contains many of the typical elements of young adult novels: mean girls, high school drama and friendships imploding over a betrayal or series of betrayals. What sets How it Ends apart from the crowd is its gentle handling of those topics. Annie and Jessie are unlikely best friends who struggle with real problems. Jessie's social anxiety cripples her ability to form true friendships. Two of her former friends are the most popular girls at school. They turned on her in middle school and make Jessie’s life at highs school pure hell. Annie's mom died and she struggles to make peace with her stepmom and stepsister. The choices the girls make for better or worse define the outlines of their ever-changing friendship. The story unfolds in alternating chapters told from the perspectives of Annie and Jessie. Jessie fears Annie is slipping away from her and into the thrall of Courtney and Larissa. Annie wishes Jessie could forgive and forget and the girls could all be best friends. When Annie reveals Jessie’s secret to Courtney, their once close friendship begins to unravel. When Annie’s life falls apart, will Jessie come to her rescue, or will Annie have to carry on alone?

Straight Talk for Librarians:  How it Ends deals with tough topics in an unflinching manner. The voices of both girls are distinctive, even without the chapter endings the delineation between characters is clear. Jessie’s anxiety is presented realistically. The way her mom and Annie try to “help” Jessie will feel familiar to any teen who struggles with anxiety and bullying. Annie’s relationship with her stepmom and stepsister is realistically portrayed. The novel contains mature content: references to mental illness, underage drinking, sex, pregnancy, and abortion. I highly recommend this novel for readers high school age or older. The mature content might make it a controversial addition to a middle school library.