User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
[9/17/2019] - TW: Anxiety, throwing up. Review to come!
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WHAT?!? THE QUEEN OF GRAPHIC NOVELS IS RELEASING ANOTHER BOOK!!
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Rating: really liked it
Middle-grade book. Raina starts fifth grade. I liked this book, but it doesn't really have much of a plot. Raina starts to struggle with anxiety, panic attacks, having a very sensitive stomach, and dealing with a mean girl at school.
She ends up in therapy, which the book sweetly makes clear is not a big deal or something to be ashamed of.
There's not a cohesive storyline, and that probably won't bother most people, but for me it makes a book less enjoyable.
As usual, Telgemeier makes books with wonderful illustrations that involve realistic kids going through realistic problems (ha ha ha, maybe with the exception of Ghosts). The only reason I struggled with it is because it's not really about anything nor does it have the typical hallmarks of plot.
I'd liken it to something like Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret but with less of a cohesive, structured storyline. If you like Telgemeier's other books you will probably enjoy this.
NAMES IN THIS BOOK(view spoiler)
[
Raina f
Nicole f
Teddy m
Michelle f
Will m
Amara f
Jane f
Tai m
Andre m
Serena f
Lauren f
Dina f
Rosa f
Louie m
Ann f
(hide spoiler)]
Rating: really liked it
I love Raina's books and this is another entry in the Smile series. Raina has a special gift for graphic novels. It is also the first story I have seen for younger kids bout IBS.
I tell you, Raina dealt with some tough stuff. She had some severe dental work to contend with and she has had to figure out how to live with IBS. She also shares them so beautifully with us.
My niece is going to read this next now that I'm done. She loves the other 2 smile books. She can have stomach issues, so I hope this can show her it's nothing to be worried about.
I love the comic feel of the story and all the color. These are great middle grade books. Raina is queen of this age range. Enjoy.
Rating: really liked it
"For anyone who is afraid."
Eisner 2020 winner Raina Telgemeier, Guts (Scholastic Graphix)!!!
Yet another graphic novel for older children/middle grades by rock star graphic novelist Raina Telgemeier, and this one is maybe her most serious and personal, dealing with her lifelong (and continuing!) anxiety, phobias and panic attacks connected to her digestive system. A doctor diagnosed her as having irritable bowel syndrome, so she has some real sensitivities but they are exacerbated by stress.
Though it is intended to connect to others who have similar problems, this book made me uncomfortable and a little anxious throughout, since for many early years of my life I had stomach issues related in part to anxiety, partly genetic. For years in my twenties I suffered from colitis as did several other family members. I also had panic attacks for about one year of my life in my late thirties when I was in grad school. Just that year, thank goodness.
And now I am teaching a course on the teaching of writing, in the middle of a unit on writing visual essays, inviting them to write on any topic they want and more than a third of the class is writing about mental health issues, anxiety, depression. I am seeing a kind of epidemic of anxiety/stress/depression and so on in classrooms everywhere, which means life everywhere, way worse than when I began teaching decades ago.
Here's an article on Raina and the crisis in anxiety in kids:
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/17/bo...
Rating: really liked it
Goodreads: Raina Telgemeier is releasing a new book!
Me:
9/3/19: Y’all, after attending Raina’s Presentation at the NBF, I got a sneak peek. It looks very good and extremely relatable. I’ve request it already and I’m so excited!
Two weeks left! :D
9/17/19:
I finally read it.
Here’s my review..
Let’s all rise for our national anxiety anthem.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sO4nm...
You may be seated.
This book was emotional. This book was painfully relatable. This book gave me a stomach ache. And I am ok with that.
To say that this book is relatable would be an understatement.
In fact, I’m probably gonna bring this book to therapy so I can explain my thoughts without having to come up with the idea myself.. thanks, Raina! 💙
It’s so painful to have to hold in the anxiety and terror that is ibs.
I don’t have ibs but I do have constant anxious stomach, was almost diagnosed with ibs before I was diagnosed with lactose intolerance and anxiety. In summer of 2018, I began to suffer form horrible upset stomachs. These terrified me more than anything else ever had. It got to the point where I was scared to eat most days and
**TRIGGER WARNING**
I ended up in the hospital for a suicide attempt because that’s how bad it got. Unbeknownst to me, I was lactose intolerant. So I kept eating dairy, getting upset stomachs, and getting bad anxiety.
Eventually though, I made a full mental recovery. Now I just live my life doing my best to survive through the anxiety that does still exist in my brain.
So yeah, that’s
my story.
Raina’s story was very inspiring and it’s so cool to see her be so brave to share this part of her life.
❤️
Overall, this book was inspiring, relatable and a book everyone should read.
🥑🥑🥑🥑🥑
Rating: really liked it
I'm "DNFing" this book because I read a sample, and as much this sounds like it would be hella relatable, I honestly think it would be incredibly triggering, and I don't need that in my life. I have severe emetophobia, and chronic stomach pain, and I don't need more anxiety. Perhaps at some point, I will actually read it, but not right now.
---
Do you ever feel like someone is writing about your life? As someone with chronic stomach pain, this sounds painfully relatable.
Rating: really liked it
The #1 Bestselling Book in America the week it debuted hardly needs my endorsement, but Imma give it to you anyway: Read Raina's books. Guts, like Smile and Sisters, was a damn delight. I love the way she draws, I love the frank and funny way she tells the story of her childhood. Smile focused on the drama when she smashed her front teeth, but also dipped into the rest of what was happening in her life. Sisters was the tale of a road trip, but also about her life and her relationship with her sister, and now we have Guts, a book that I wish that I, personally, had had as a kid. Not only do I have IBS, and have had stomach aches and "nervous stomach" since childhood, but while I don't have anxiety, I do have depression, and I wish I had had books like this as a kid to show me that I was not alone, not a freak, and not about to die! Raina's the 21st century Judy Blume, explaining Life to kids, just with less talk about giant maxi pads or bras.
Rating: really liked it
Thank you to Scholastic for the Advanced Reading Copy. This review contains spoilers, and is written from the perspective of a children's librarian.
It's been 5 years since Sisters, the sequel to Smile, was published. From my experience working in libraries, interest in the series has only increased over time. When I visit grades 4 - 6 and ask if anyone has read the Smile series, almost every hand goes up - boys included! For that reason alone, the 3rd book in the series is a must purchase for public and school libraries.
Beyond that, Guts is phenomenal. The best book in the series thus far. The pacing, dialogue, humor, and subject matter shows that Raina Telegemeier is truly a master graphic novelist at the top of her game.
As with Smile and Sisters, Guts is based on elements of Raina's middle grade life. Where Smile is about Raina's insecurities about her braces, and Sisters is about her difficult relationship with her sister, Guts is about her anxiety. At first Raina develops a phobia of throwing up. She experiences a panic attack at the thought of getting sick. While the feeling is difficult to explain in words, Raina does an apt job communicating the feeling through images of the character falling through the bathroom floor while struggling to stay above. Her anxieties expand to include social situations and eating. Eventually her parents have her see a therapist. I found the therapy scenes to be especially well done and realistic. Raina is anxious about therapy, but her therapist is patient and understanding, often encouraging her to just "try," even when the words don't come easily. In the end Raina receives a diagnosis related to her upset stomach, and learns coping mechanisms for her anxiety.
The book also depicts a tense friendship between Raina and another girl in her class. Both girls feel that the other is unfairly unkind to them, but are able to open up and realize that they aren't so different after all.
Readers of all ages will take away real mindfulness practices such as grounding and deep breathing. The book will help destigmatize mental health issues and going to therapy. I appreciate Raina telling her story with such honesty and using her platform to help children understand how to get help.
This book is easily readable in one sitting, and I can imagine many children will do just that.
Rating: really liked it
This book is awesome for a lazy Sunday afternoon snuggling under blankets.
Raina has tummy problems.
One after the other, her thoughts revolve around food, what her family eats, school, what if she embarrass herself at school, what if her friends don't want her anymore.
Slowly she becomes more confident about herself.
Rating: really liked it
While I love the artwork in Raina’s graphic novels this is the first of her Smile series that I’ve actually finished reading. Given how popular her graphic novels are I think my not falling in love with them is probably an ‘it’s me, not you’ thing.
Even though I don’t have emetophobia I’m so glad I didn’t read this graphic novel while I was eating, as it definitely depicts a significant amount of vomiting, fear of vomiting and other stomach upsets.
(Not a spoiler but this image could trigger people with emetophobia) (view spoiler)
[ 
(hide spoiler)]While I’m not keen to reread this graphic novel I did really love the illustrations. I also learned something new: if you drink water after eating artichokes it takes sweet. I found that tidbit really interesting, but I wasn’t quite as smiley when I found out it also works if you reverse the process.
I loved the message that it’s perfectly okay to need therapy and I thought anxiety was portrayed realistically.
While there are plenty of relatable moments for readers with anxiety, I’m not sure how well people with emetophobia would manage while reading this graphic novel.
I’m rounding up from 3.5 stars.
Rating: really liked it
Raina Telgemeier is an A+ writer.
Her books are aimed towards middle-grade, but I think that everyone can get something from her stuff.
It was fun to read this because it really gave some new info about Smile and Raina's relationship with her friends.
As always, the artwork was out of this world.
So well-written. A lot of kids (and teens, and adults) will find this painfully relatable.
5/5 stars.
Rating: really liked it
If you follow my reviews at all you know by now that I'm a HUGE fan of almost anything that makes the effort, especially for young readers, to normalize things that have historically been hidden or discussed in hushed tones or labeled "not something we talk about." I think we need to begin stepping away from keeping things like mental health issues and addiction anonymous and the sooner we can do it with our kids the better off we're all going to be.
I, and god knows how many other people, struggled for years and years with crippling anxiety and depression. It affected, quite literally, every single part of my life. I didn't even know how bad it was until it started getting better. And without a doubt two of the biggest roadblocks in my recovery were feeling like this was something "wrong" about myself that I needed to hide and a firm belief that I should be able to get things under control myself. Which ironically made everything infinitely worse.
So thank Christ for books like this is what I'm saying!
This fantastic, semi-autobiographical graphic novel should be mandatory reading for practically every kid in the world which is basically true of all Raina's wonderful books but this one is especially important. Because it puts anxiety in a place that any kid can relate to.
Firmly in the bathroom.
Grade school aged Raina wakes up one night with a stomachache. At first it seems like just the same run of the mill flu everyone in school has but it starts Raina's brain tumbling into total chaos. What if she throws up in school? Should she eat that chip her friend is offering her? Did they wash their hands? What if that food makes her sick? What if someone else throws up?
Before long she's developed a phobia about food and throwing up to the point where she's missing school and literally making herself sick. Fortunately her parents get her to an understanding therapist who helps Raina start to get a handle on the actual things in her life that are causing her stress and anxiety and giving her a safe place to talk about them.
While its a very common manifestation of anxiety Raina's chosen like the perfect way to show younger readers what anxiety actually looks like. She even sets the story up with a reminder of how funny kids find bathroom stuff. The entire intro is devoted to Raina and her friends delighting in all things disgusting; farts, and scabs, and vomit. It makes it all the sadder when Raina loses that sort of innocent fascination and sense of icky fun and has it replaced instead with fear.
Raina also wisely stays away from portraying herself as a perfect, put upon victim. She's mouthy and obnoxious and kinda mean sometimes because dealing with mental health issues doesn't preclude you from being a jerk.
I also like that's there's no simple fix here. She doesn't figure it all out or immediately get a handle on stuff. Self care and dealing with mental health are long term, often life term commitments. Taking care of yourself is hard work!
Most importantly the book is incredibly optimistic and positive about dealing with anxiety something that, in my opinion, is possibly the most important thing to be telling young kids dealing with it. It encourages its readers to turn to the people who care about them for help and not to feel ashamed of what they're going through.
There's a wonderful moment at the end of the book where Raina, now more comfortable with her issues, admits to what she's been struggling with at a sleepover with her girlfriends. To her surprise, one by one, they all reveal some of their own "secrets" and with a mix of shock and happiness Raina actually sees for herself that she's far from the only person dealing with something that scares or upsets her.
There's going to be many times in a child's life when they'll need reminding that they're not alone in the daily struggle of just being alive. This is a great book to hand them when that happens.
Rating: really liked it
Albeit that I have once again and certainly noticed author and illustrator Raina Telgemeier’s childhood very much reflected in my own past and innermost soul, I also do have to admit that
Guts has in fact been so extremely close to my own personal experiences with both anxiety and IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) that much of Telgemeier’s text (as well as of course her accompanying artwork) have felt rather personally uncomfortable and thus also not always all that enjoyable and pleasant a reading experience (and this in particular since I also was and remain rather envious of the fact that Raina’s parents obviously repeatedly took her to both the doctor and then to therapy, whilst my parents tended to usually just scoff at my anxieties and tell me to suck things up and not to make such a fuss).
Still
Guts does indeed and thankfully present an important message that school, that childhood can be horribly stressful and that we should also not be so closed and secretive about telling our friends and our families about our problems, that the stigma of having to go to therapy, that having anxiety and a sensitive stomach should not really ever be such a big and huge deal (and which I do think Raina Telgemeier successfully shows with
Guts, especially since this is her own story, her own childhood issues with IBS and general anxiety, although truth be told, I actually have found the author’s note even better than the main textual and illustrative body of
Guts). Four stars for what
Guts has achieved (for showing Raina Telgemeier’s anxiety and stomach issues clearly and with a strong lesson that anxiety, medical issues etc. should not face so much scrutiny, secrecy and stigma) but I am going to lower my rating to three stars because to and for me, in particular how Michelle and Raina end up burying their hatchet and become if not friends then at least no longer enemies has felt more than a bit rushed and should have (in my humble opinion) been given a considerably longer textual treatment.
Rating: really liked it
Absolutely amazing and brave of Raina to share her story to help others who might be going through the same thing. Highly recommended for children who are anxious and nervous. They may benefit from this book. 5 stars, all the way!
Rating: really liked it
In Guts, part of the graphic novel memoir series by Raina Telgemeier, the focus is on Raina's struggle with food and emetophobia (fear of vomiting or feeling / getting sick). It is a topic that is not commonly discussed in a format for young readers - and I appreciated Telgemeier's candor. Highly recommend to readers of all ages; Guts could be especially helpful for kids struggling with anxiety and 'gut' issues - and their parents, caretakers, families, and teachers. (Guts is the 3rd book in the Smile series, but chronologically is first and could be considered a 'prequel' to Smile. It can be read out of order or as a stand-alone book.)
--Diana F.
