I just finished the book Ghosts by Raina Telgemier- I got it as a Christmas present and finished it that day. I've been following Raina for a while. I have read every book she's ever written, seen every mini-comic, etc.etc. nerdy fan stuff, etc. Her primary books in my opinion are Smile, a graphic novel memoir based on her experiences with middle school, high school, friends, boys, and extreme dental drama. Extreme dental drama. When it came out, in 2010, I was around the same age as Raina was in the book. I was awkward and immature like her, I was a girl scout, I had fickle friends, and I was just starting the orthodontic process. Smile was solace to me, at the end of the book, there was a picture of Raina when she wrote it; she was a graphic novelist with nice teeth and a husband who survived middle/high school. She was the goal.
When the sequel to Smile came out-Sisters- I flipped.
Sisters hit me on another level- it follows Raina and her little sister Amara and their relationship growing up. Their interactions mirrored me and Amazon's at the time almost perfectly; another win for Telgemier in my book.
Her third book, Drama (she kind of has a thing for single word titles?) was something I picked up while I was auditioning for my second musical. This was her first non-autobiographical book, and it's themes of love, family, acceptance, and self-awareness were just what I needed then. It is the only book I've read that totally supports and represents all aspects of theater.
Now Ghosts. I've been reading Raina's stuff for so long, I felt I had to read it almost out of duty, I wasn't as hyped for it as I as for Sisters, you know? It was good though. It was darker than the others at times. It was a bit cheesier than the others at times. I liked it, but it wasn't exceptional or special or touching the way the others were. That's a little disappointing, but I'm still glad that I read it.
Raina Telgemier, the queen of graphic novels, my first inspiration, you've done it again.
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