Guts by Raina Telgemeier

Pages: 211

Intended Audience: Tweens and up

Genre: Grahpic novel / Memoir

Notes for Parents: Contains some mildly mature scenes.

The Back Cover

Raina wakes up one night with a terrible upset stomach. Her mom has one, too, so it’s probably just a bug. Raina eventually returns to school, where she’s dealing with the usual highs and lows: friends, not-friends, and classmates who think the school year is just one long gross-out session. It soon becomes clear that Raina’s tummy trouble isn’t going away…and it coincides with her worries about food, school, and changing friendships. What’s going on?

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

As with her books Smile and Sister, this is based on the author’s real-life experiences.

What’s good?

With her trademark bold, colourful drawings, Raina Telgemeier once again brings a personal childhood experience to life. Young Raina’s anxiety is causing her physical symptoms that make it difficult to deal with friends and school. With the help of her family and a therapist, she learns to cope with the stresses of life. The plot is simple and straight forward and the pace is good. The characters are relatable, and the message is thoughtful and heartwarming. This is a quick and easy coming of age story that promotes mindfulness and courage, and de-stigmatizes anxiety disorders and therapy.

Best Part: Raina.

What isn’t good?

I supposed if I have to find something that isn’t so good, I’d have to say that the story itself is a little thin. I’m not sure if more substance is really a fair expectation of a middle grade graphic novel, but that’s the only thing I thought of after I read it – this could have used a little more…depth.

Worst part: Nothing.

Recommendation ☺☺☺☺(4/5)

This is a classic Raina Telgemeier graphic novel. If you enjoyed her other novels, you’ll love this one. If you haven’t read any of her stuff yet, you should. Definitely recommended.

Telgemeier, Raina. Guts. New York: Graphix, 2019.