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addimeliajareau's review
5.0
This was probably my favorite book at some point as a kid and to this day I still love this book with a passion. It’s a story of growing up and coming into your own person. Raina is a lovely protagonist and also addresses multiple issues such as toxic friendships and people changing, all while having messy teeth.
mehsi's review against another edition
5.0
Re-read 2024: OHHHH, I needed this. Yes. After the negativity and toxicity of Jawbreaker I needed this one. This was such a good read! The teeth stuff at times was a bit much for me (my stomach is just not a happy fellow), but it was also interesting to see all the things that the dentists and such did to make sure Raina had a good set of teeth again. And yes, Amara was at times a bit annoying, but I did like the bond the sisters had, there were plenty of sweet moments. I also love that next to the whole teeth/braces/not happy things we see Raina at school, navigate junior and high school, find guys to be interested in, think about friendship (what those girls did was NOT cool), find new friends, see her navigate through being a teen.
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Re-read in 2020 because I am rationing by books. Since we will still have around 2 more months of no libraries and staying in. I only have so many books to read, so now it is time to do some re-reading. First book, this amazing one! This is my third re-read and I just love it so much. It stays fun and interesting. Sure, the teeth stuff is still a bit *shivers*.
Next up is Sisters!
Review when I first read it in 2013:
That was a great graphic Novel. Though all the teeth business made me crinch and gave me goosebumps sometimes. But other then that, I loved it. I like how Raina grew up, and how we saw that. How she went from one school to the next. Lost friends and found new ones. :)
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Review when I re-read it in 2016:
It finally came in! I wanted to read it last month, but found out I didn't actually have the book in my collection yet (gasp!), so I quickly ordered it, and now it is here.
I loved this one as much as I did with the previous read.
So a brand-new day, let me see if I can write a good review for this one. :)
The first book in the Smile series. We meet Raina, we see her life. From the start it is clear that this will be a book about teeth (yes, really). Our MC has to get braces for an overbite. As you can imagine she doesn't want this one. And then something happens, and it is no longer just braces that she needs.
The teeth stuff was just so cringy, so painful, and since I am not one to like dentists that much, I was just shivering at times. Good lord, this is just horrible. I am so thanking God that I never had a need for braces. :| If I see the process here, then thank you so much that I didn't needed this! Not being able to eat some foods, pain, headaches, braces have to be tightened, then eventually it has to be removed or other stuff happen to it. No, just no.
So yeah, a lot of the book is about Raina and her teeth.
But the book is about more than just teeth too. It is also about finding your way, your place while you grow up. We see Raina go from 11 to 13/14. From middle school to high school. She just stays herself for most, of course dressing up a bit more later, but still just being herself. And her friends from MS can't accept that it seems. I just felt so sad for her that her friends acted like this, did such jokes (which are not funny, I agree with you on that Raina), treated her like a baby. I know exactly how she feels. When I got to high school (though then again we didn't have a middle school thing, so when you are 12 you go straight to HS) it was all awkward for me too, what would you wear? What would you do? Is it nerdy to like x or y? Is it really worth staying yourself? Making new friends. Finding a place you belong in the school system.
The boyfriend/love stuff? Well I just wish she had been honest with that boy. I can imagine your crush on him is over, but he is clearly still interested and it is just rude to do this. No, just no. I can imagine he doesn't want to talk to you anymore.
The sister was just as annoying in this book as she was in the next one. Dear Lord. :| It makes me happy I didn't have sisters (though I wouldn't have minded a little brother).
The art is also fabulous, and I really liked it.
All in all, this is one book I would highly recommend. Teeth, puberty, finding your way, sibling arguments, romance, and much more!
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
------------------------
Re-read in 2020 because I am rationing by books. Since we will still have around 2 more months of no libraries and staying in. I only have so many books to read, so now it is time to do some re-reading. First book, this amazing one! This is my third re-read and I just love it so much. It stays fun and interesting. Sure, the teeth stuff is still a bit *shivers*.
Next up is Sisters!
Review when I first read it in 2013:
That was a great graphic Novel. Though all the teeth business made me crinch and gave me goosebumps sometimes. But other then that, I loved it. I like how Raina grew up, and how we saw that. How she went from one school to the next. Lost friends and found new ones. :)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Review when I re-read it in 2016:
It finally came in! I wanted to read it last month, but found out I didn't actually have the book in my collection yet (gasp!), so I quickly ordered it, and now it is here.
I loved this one as much as I did with the previous read.
So a brand-new day, let me see if I can write a good review for this one. :)
The first book in the Smile series. We meet Raina, we see her life. From the start it is clear that this will be a book about teeth (yes, really). Our MC has to get braces for an overbite. As you can imagine she doesn't want this one. And then something happens, and it is no longer just braces that she needs.
The teeth stuff was just so cringy, so painful, and since I am not one to like dentists that much, I was just shivering at times. Good lord, this is just horrible. I am so thanking God that I never had a need for braces. :| If I see the process here, then thank you so much that I didn't needed this! Not being able to eat some foods, pain, headaches, braces have to be tightened, then eventually it has to be removed or other stuff happen to it. No, just no.
So yeah, a lot of the book is about Raina and her teeth.
But the book is about more than just teeth too. It is also about finding your way, your place while you grow up. We see Raina go from 11 to 13/14. From middle school to high school. She just stays herself for most, of course dressing up a bit more later, but still just being herself. And her friends from MS can't accept that it seems. I just felt so sad for her that her friends acted like this, did such jokes (which are not funny, I agree with you on that Raina), treated her like a baby. I know exactly how she feels. When I got to high school (though then again we didn't have a middle school thing, so when you are 12 you go straight to HS) it was all awkward for me too, what would you wear? What would you do? Is it nerdy to like x or y? Is it really worth staying yourself? Making new friends. Finding a place you belong in the school system.
The boyfriend/love stuff? Well I just wish she had been honest with that boy. I can imagine your crush on him is over, but he is clearly still interested and it is just rude to do this. No, just no. I can imagine he doesn't want to talk to you anymore.
The sister was just as annoying in this book as she was in the next one. Dear Lord. :| It makes me happy I didn't have sisters (though I wouldn't have minded a little brother).
The art is also fabulous, and I really liked it.
All in all, this is one book I would highly recommend. Teeth, puberty, finding your way, sibling arguments, romance, and much more!
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
togidemi's review
3.0
Cute and heartfelt, but I'm too dang old for this graphic novel to say anything else about it lol. Definitely would've appreciated this more if I read it when I was Raina's age in the memoir.
theabee's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical content
aclopez6's review
4.0
While I am rating this 4 stars, I understand why so many middle schoolers love this book. I never had the opportunity to get braces, so I couldn't relate to the main conflict, but still a great book!
eggjen's review
5.0
This was really good. It's the author's true story of getting braces - and also going through puberty, dealing with first crushes, frenemies, learning to like herself and not focus on appearances so much. I love a good coming of age story. I read this graphic novel in two sittings and would definitely recommend it to tween girls.