By Annie Brulatour
“Periods are funny. Periods are a bit annoying. But mostly...periods are normal.”
Best friends Abby, Christine, and Brit step in to help Sasha, a new student, when she unexpectedly gets her first period at school They are dismayed to realize that the school’s pad and tampon machines are not only empty, they are expensive. The four friends begin a campaign to help confront period stigma, period poverty, and the lack of access and understanding in their school. At first, their efforts get shut down, and no one is willing to discuss the issue with them. And, when Abby takes things too far to make a point, everything gets even more complicated.
This is a story of four friends struggling to handle high school, and, more specifically, the challenges of having a period while being in high school. Go With the Flow expertly tackles the struggle of being a teenager—and also the cultural stigma against periods and the people who have them. Lily Williams and Karen Schneeman expertly balance a fun coming-of-age story with a real cultural and social issue that influences half of the population. Go with the Flow is a great choice for fans of Raina Telgemeier and Jeff Kinney. More so, it’s a great choice for anyone who wants to know more about periods and how to have a positive conversation about them.
