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Guts
227 pages
A warm, deeply relatable exploration of how our minds and bodies react to the overwhelming pressures of growing up.
What it feels like
Reading this graphic memoir feels like receiving a reassuring hug from an older sister who has been exactly where you are. The pacing is brisk and visually engaging, pulling you through the chaotic, high-stakes hallways of middle school with a perfect balance of humor and vulnerability. It captures the visceral, stomach-churning reality of childhood anxiety, specifically the terrifying feedback loop of physical symptoms and mental worry, without ever losing its underlying warmth. The expressive art does heavy lifting, turning abstract panic into relatable visual metaphors. It is a deeply comforting read that destigmatizes therapy and mental health struggles, making it an essential, validating experience for young readers navigating their own big feelings, and a nostalgic, healing journey for adults.
- Mood
- anxious but hopeful
- warm
- nostalgic
- comforting
- Tone
- earnest
- humorous
- vulnerable
- gentle
- relatable
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- navigating anxiety · mind-body connection · changing friendships · destigmatizing therapy · facing phobias
- The writing
- Accessible, expressive, and visually dynamic, blending conversational dialogue with evocative visual metaphors for internal distress.
- The arc
- Moves from overwhelming, confusing physical anxiety to a place of understanding, acceptance, and brave vulnerability.
- Who it's for
- Middle-grade readers dealing with their own big feelings or anxieties, and anyone who remembers the visceral stress of middle school.
Content notes
- emetophobia (fear of vomiting)
- panic attacks
- medical anxiety
- bullying
About the book
A true story from Raina Telgemeier, the #1 New York Timesbestselling, multiple Eisner Award-winning author of Smile, Sisters, Drama, and Ghosts! Raina wakes up one night with a terrible upset stomach. Her mom has one, too, so it's probably just a bug. Raina eventually returns to school, where she's dealing with the usual highs and lows: friends, not-friends, and classmates who think the school year is just one long gross-out session. It soon becomes clear that Raina's tummy trouble isn't going away... and it coincides with her worries about food, school, and changing friendships. What's going on?Raina Telgemeier once again brings us a thoughtful, charming, and funny true story about growing up and gathering the courage to face -- and conquer -- her fears.
Description from Open Library.
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