Junior Review: The Greatest Thing

On the first day of grade ten, Winifred is struggling to learn to love herself, developing an ever-growing self-hate. 

Ever since her only two friends transferred to a private school, Winifred has never felt more lost and alone. She doesn’t want to navigate highschool alone, and thankfully she doesn’t have to.

She meets Oscar and April -  rebellious, creative, and different teenagers who are everything Winifred can only dream of becoming. Two new friends who love her for who she is, no matter her appearance and obvious insecurities. 

But even though Winifred is learning how to break out of her shell with the help of her new friends, she has one deep dark secret that she can’t tell Oscar or April and struggles to tell herself. It threatens everything she worked so hard to achieve.

In order to love herself, Winifred must face her own truths. And with friends by her side, she feels she can do anything…even find out what It means to be herself.

This graphic novel is heartfelt and beautiful, recognising what it is like to feel as though you have lost everything. I love this book so much, I feel as though the characters in this story all have some relatable aspect for all teenagers, including myself. I would recommend this book to anyone aged 13 and above. It is a compelling and honest story that shows the meaning of true friends.

Title: The Greatest Thing
Author: Sarah Winifred Searle
Illustrator: Sarah Winifred Searle
Publisher: Allen & Unwin, $19.99
Publication Date: May2022
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781761067655
For ages: 13 - 18
Type: Young Adult Fiction