There have been plenty of books that I’ve read that I could relate to. One that comes to mind is Big Love by Bari Beckett. However, I don’t think I’ve connected to a novel as hard as I did with Sisters by Raina Telgemeier. It’s a great story about two sisters trying to get along, and it also contains some great illustrations.
Sisters is a graphic novel based on the author’s relationship with her own sister. When Raina was little, she couldn’t wait to have a sibling. But once her sister Amara comes into the picture, things don’t get off to a great start. Amara is cute, yet she is grouchy, throws temper tantrums at times, and prefers to play by herself. Their relationship doesn’t improve much over the years, but when a baby brother arrives and later, when something feels off with their parents, they realize that they must figure out how to get along. This story unfolds over a three-week period during a road trip from San Francisco to a family reunion in Colorado.
It’s the second in the “Smile” series, which is based on Telgemeier’s own life while growing up. The first in that series is Smile. Reading Sisters makes me want to read Smile at some point because the former is fantastic!
I love the story. The relationship between Raina and Amara feels 100% real with all of its ups and downs. To be fair, I may be biased in this since I had a similar one with my older sister when we were growing up. Though the book is told through Raina’s perspective, it shows both sides of the coin when it comes to her and Amara getting along. When Raina offers to do stuff together with her younger sister like drawing and dancing to music, the latter flat out refuses and throws temper tantrums. At the same time, once Amara becomes interested in drawing animals and going to the zoo, the older sister doesn’t seem to care as much, for she tunes out the world with her walkman.
There are times that they do effectively bond. This happens with the most inconsequential things like making fun of Colorado’s state nickname. It also occurs with more important stuff like wondering if their parents will divorce because it’s becoming apparent that they’re not getting along. It felt very genuine. This all leads up to a heart-to-heart conversation towards the end, where Amara calls out Raina for shutting out the world around her. Afterwards, Raina decides to not wear her walkman headphones on the way back to California. This shows a step towards mending the relationship, instead of being fully resolved. I appreciate this open ending.
The other strong point of this graphic novel is the illustrations with the color by Braden Lamb. It goes into flashbacks frequently, and this is represented through sepia tone. I also enjoyed seeing the facial expressions of various characters. It often relies on big emotions because it’s told from a preteen’s viewpoint. For example, when Raina asks Amara what she’s drawing, the latter gives the biggest glare I’ve ever seen in a graphic novel. It helps that the word “glare” is present on that panel for those who have trouble reading facial expressions. Another instance of this is whenever snakes are shown or mentioned in conversation. Raina’s eyes are always big and rarely the same size as she loathes that reptile because she stepped on a dead one when she was 4 years old. When it comes to more serious moments, the facial expressions become less exaggerated to fit the tone. These are obvious in scenes like when the dad tells the family that he’s been laid off and when the sisters discuss their parents.
Sisters by Raina Telgemeier is a great graphic novel that anyone with siblings can relate to. It contains a story with lots of depth and fantastic illustrations. I would recommend it to those who love graphic novels, anything by Raina Telgemeier, and have siblings even if they are adults. I’m going to have a hard time finding a book that I can relate to more than Sisters.
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Book Reviews by a Chick Who Reads Everything 