“Sometimes we have things in life we need to work on.

But that doesn’t mean we’re sick.

It’s not as simple as having a physical illness or a cure.”

Dr. Lauren, RAINA TELGEMEIER

I was going to give this a one-star review over on my Goodreads (for whatever that’s worth, since I mostly use it to remind myself that I exists in some capacity online), but after taking the night to think it over, I bumped it up to two.

Raina wakes up one night with a stomachache. Worried it might be some kind of bug going through her house, her mother insists on keeping her from school. What follows is…

Honestly, I don’t know what follows next. Events? Certainly events.

I read this as part of my continued education into the world of all-ages graphic novels existing outside of the classic American comic book space. While series like AMULET and BONE continued to bring me wisdom and skills, this had an opposite effect.

I read it all in one sitting and when I was done I asked myself, “Is that it?”

Telgemeier’s art is simple, but effective. It communicates exactly what the page needs it to say, which in the world of sequential art storytelling, is the most important part. Can’t tell a story when the art doesn’t allow you to tell the story. The thing is, I can’t say for certain what the story is. If these books are made for children, ages 8-12, then what is the story?

“Face your fears” seems to be the prevailing theory, it’s even listed on the back, but I don’t think that’s it. In fact, I only understood what the story was really about when I read the Author’s Note in the back, something I’m certain many kids wouldn’t read. But again, after taking the night to think it over, I bumped it up a star and think a little more highly of it because I thought about it through the lens of a child reading it. There are relatable bits, and some parts do get a laugh, but in all honesty, I still can’t imagine many children who read books the way I read books (which is my only frame of reference I can trust) feeling satisfied they read this.

Guts by Raina Telgemeier (B&N)

Thanks for reading,

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