GNW: Smile by Raina Telgemeier

Sixth grade isn't known for being an easy time in anyone's life. In Raina's case, that is especially true. When she knocks out her very permanent two front teeth while running with some friends, she is whisked into a nightmarish sequence of visits to the dentist, orthodontist, periodontist, and all those other "dentists" who can help her get her mouth back to normal.

In Smile, Raina Telgemeier takes us back to that awkward stage in her life where dental drama wasn't the only drama in her life and worrying about her teeth was simply added to worrying about boys and whether or not she was wearing the right clothes.

Smile is an autobiographical graphic novel in which Raina tells her story and draws us all back to a time when awkwardness was our overwhelming concern and nothing ever seemed to go the way we expected.

After falling in love with Drama, I was more than a little excited when I spotted Smile on the shelf of my local B&N. I snatched it up immediately and fell in love almost as quickly. As a girl who spent nearly four years of her life in braces and took a couple of trips to the periodontist, this graphic novel really drew me back to that time and gave me the chance to laugh at all those dental disasters I thought I would never make it through. 

Smile was a wonderful story about growing up and growing into your awkwardness, bringing the reader back to a time where the worst thing that could happen was that you looked a little geeky. I really enjoyed it from beginning to end. Whether you're just entering this awkward stage yourself or those years are long behind you, I'd absolutely suggest picking up this lovely graphic novel. You won't be sorry.

Rating: ★★★★☆