23 October 2010

"Smile" by Raina Telgemeier

SmileSmile by Raina Telgemeier

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Genre: graphic novel, middle school fiction
On my TBR list?: No



Synopsis, from Goodreads:

Raina just wants to be a normal sixth grader. But one night after Girl Scouts she trips and falls, severely injuring her two front teeth, and what follows is a long and frustrating journey with on-again, off-again braces, surgery, embarrassing headgear, and even a retainer with fake teeth attached. And on top of all that, there's still more to deal with: a major earthquake, boy confusion, and friends who turn out to be not so friendly.


This is a sweet graphic novel that my 13-year-old daughter adored and asked me to read. Memoirs in graphic form are a hard sell to me; the ones I've read haven't inspired anything more than a "meh" feeling. With this book, however, Raina Teigemeier did a great job of making me care about her sixth-grade self and what she went through. I think any girl who has felt insecure about her looks or her place in the school hierarchy would enjoy this book.

Here are a few comments from C1, my 13-year-old--

What I liked:
-it was in color
-she was about my age for most of the book
-it showed what braces are really like when you first get them
-she does the right thing
-there was comedy

What I didn't like:
-the setting was before my time, so I was confused about some fads and fashion
-it ended so soon! >=(



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