Amara’s snake escapes in their van, and Raina refuses to ride in it. That leaves Mom and Dad sleeping on the hide-a-bed in the living room. They also give Raina something she really wants, a room of her own. Amara learns Raina has a horrible fear of snakes. Dad loses his job, which puts additional strain on the family. Now there are three kids in one room, and the crying baby leaves everyone sleep-deprived. The girls decide they want pets, but they kill off several fish and a lizard before their parents decide to have another child. When she gets one, she realizes having to share a room and put up with annoying behavior isn’t so great. She tries to get Amara to draw with her, but even Amara feels she’s being used since Raina can’t find anyone else to hang out with.įlashbacks show young Raina as an only child, begging her parents for a sister. Adults fight about politics and parenting, and Raina doesn’t feel she belongs anywhere. When they arrive in Colorado, Raina discovers her much-admired cousin, Lindsay, has outgrown her and thinks she’s a geek. The road trip feels long, with a car breakdown, nightly camping, storms, bug attacks and too many meals consisting of mashed potatoes and Cup O’ Noodles.

Present-day Raina tries to make time pass quickly on the drive by listening to music on her Walkman. The main story chronicles their road trip from California to Colorado, while frequent flashbacks tell the story of the family’s history. Raina’s family lives in a small apartment, and Raina seems to do nothing but fight with the sister she once longed for so desperately.

Mom will drive the kids, and Dad will fly out to join them. This graphic novel memoir opens with Raina, her parents and her younger siblings, Amara and Will, planning a road trip to a family reunion in the late 1980s.

Amara raina telgemeier