
Reach for this book when your teen is navigating the complexities of a non-traditional family structure or the heavy shadow of a loved one's addiction. This graphic memoir follows Jarrett as he grows up in the care of his loud, loving, and blunt grandparents while his mother cycles through incarceration and rehab and his father remains an enigma. It is a story about the silence that often surrounds family secrets and how finding a creative outlet can provide a lifeline when words feel impossible. While it addresses raw themes like drug use and abandonment, it does so with profound empathy and resilience. It is an essential choice for teens who feel 'different' because of their home life, offering them a mirror for their own experiences and a roadmap for processing complicated grief through art.
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Sign in to write a reviewThe grandparents use realistic, salty language including some profanity.
Themes of parental abandonment, neglect, and the emotional toll of a parent's incarceration.
Jarrett grapples with loving a mother who consistently disappoints and hurts him.
Direct and unflinching treatment of opioid addiction, incarceration, and parental neglect. The approach is secular and deeply realistic. The resolution is not a fairy tale ending but one of hard-won acceptance and personal agency.
A teenager who feels burdened by 'adult' problems at home or who feels a sense of shame regarding their family's reputation in the community. It is perfect for the young artist who uses their sketchbook as a shield.
Parents should be aware of a scene involving a drug overdose and realistic depictions of prison visits. The use of profanity by the grandparents is frequent but used to establish their specific characters. Context regarding the opioid crisis can be helpful. A parent might see their teen becoming increasingly withdrawn or secretive about their family history, or perhaps expressing resentment toward a biological parent who is inconsistent or absent.
Younger teens will focus on the 'uncool' feeling of being raised by grandparents and the mystery of the father. Older teens will grasp the systemic issues of addiction and the nuanced, often frustrating reality of loving someone who is unwell.
Unlike many 'issue' books, this is a memoir that uses the graphic novel medium to show, rather than tell, the visceral feeling of childhood memory. The inclusion of actual letters and childhood drawings adds a layer of authenticity that is rare in the genre.
A graphic memoir tracing the author's upbringing by his maternal grandparents in the wake of his mother's heroin addiction and his father's absence. The narrative follows Jarrett from early childhood through high school as he finds solace in drawing and eventually seeks out his biological father.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.