My previous review was for Sisters a biographical graphic novel about the relationship between the author, Raina Telgemeier, and her younger sister Amara. Before she wrote Sisters, Raina chronicled the difficult and awkward time of middle school through the transition to high school in Smile. Poor Raina, at a time when you can feel your most self conscious she had an extra complication of braces and dental work on a level I had never heard of before.
At eleven years old an unfortunate accident knocked out one of Raina’s top front teeth and shoved the other one up inside her gums. At first they tried to save her original teeth but due to circumstances and how they healed that ended up not being possible. This started a journey of experimental dental and orthodontistry that lasted until her sophomore year of high school. I remember the pain and discomfort of my own braces journey but it doesn’t even compare to what Raina went through. The bits I can relate to are the discomfort of physically having the braces as well as the pain every time they need to be tightened or adjusted. Her misery and difficulty eating for a few days after those appointments I recall all too well. Beyond braces and headgear, Raina went through tooth extractions, an appliance with fake teeth to fill the gap, bonding and shaping of existing teeth to make them the correct size, and rubber bands to correct a cross bite.
Along the way Raina navigates friendships. When we first meet her she has a large social circle of female friends that are in a Girl Scout troop together. Over time Raina starts to feel left behind her friends. Things that are still important to her are no longer shared interests as her friends have moved on. Criticized for her hair and choices in clothes adds to the self consciousness Raina is already feeling due to her dental work.
The comic also brings back all the awkwardness of middle school romances. Raina is attracted to Sammy, a boy in band, and he likes her too. However the fact that he is a grade younger makes Raina the butt of her friends teasing for having a “tiny-tot” boyfriend. When she falls for Sean, new to their school and the same grade, she doesn’t know how to break things off with Sammy. Equally complicated for her is how to tell Sean she likes him. Torn between wanting him to know but terrified of others finding out about her crush, she is frozen into inaction.
Aside from the braces, much of what Raina goes through is very similar to my own experiences during the same period in my life. Adding to the nostalgia is the fact that I would have been only two to three years behind her in school and so all the references were part of my childhood too. I deeply empathized with Raina and her story resonated with me.
I highly recommend this for any young person who is about to enter or is starting puberty. It is also an excellent read for anyone to is about to start the adventure of dental work. My daughter had been wearing retainers to alter the shape of her mouth to make room for teeth coming in. When the orthodontist decided she needed brackets and wires to straighten a few teeth specifically, she already knew what to expect, down to the discomfort that would be following. Even if none of the above applies to you, I still recommend this charming coming of age story.