Line #20 ComicBook/SistersRainaTelgemeier


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sisters_4.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350: You love 'em, no matter what.]]
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4	->''"WHY DID I EVER ASK FOR A SISTER!"''
5	-->-- Raina's reaction to her sister's teasing about "The Incident"
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7	''Sisters'' is the 2014 {{interquel}}/{{sequel}} to ''ComicBook/{{Smile\|RainaTelgemeier}}'' by Creator/RainaTelgemeier, and deals primarily with Raina(born 26/5/1977)'s relationship to her sister, Amara(born 10/1/1982). The story is written against the backdrop of a road trip (there's a quick panel in ''Smile'' which unintentionally foreshadows this) before Raina goes to high school. While the two fight and bicker initially, they begin to realize that they need each other more than they initially thought.
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9	Followed by ''ComicBook/{{Guts\|RainaTelgemeier}}'', which is a prequel to both ''ComicBook/{{Smile\|RainaTelgemeier}}'' and ''Sisters''.
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11	----
12	!!''Sisters'' provides examples of:
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14	* AnnoyinglyRepetitiveChild: At one point, Amara plays an audiobook version of ''WesternAnimation/{{Bambi}}'' so many times. Raina groans loudly in annoyance, only for Amara to shush her.
15	* ArtEvolution: Not only are the character designs more consistent this time around, but the colors are slightly cooler and deeper and all the text is typed.
16	* ArtisticLicenseAnimalCare: Denis puts a bunch of crickets in a terrarium with Leland the Chameleon. And the crickets ate ''him'' instead. TruthInTelevision - Crickets ''can'' actually kill lizards in large enough numbers!
17	* {{Autobiography}}: The second in Raina's ''Smile'' series, about her rocky relationship with her sister Amara and how it culminated during a road trip.
18	* BittersweetEnding: Raina and Amara are starting to become closer together! And [[spoiler: Mango]] is alive! Great! Oh wait, [[spoiler: their parents' marriage is fraying and the two aren't happy together. Oh.]]
19	** In real life, [[spoiler: the Telgemeier parents divorced five years after the events of ''Sisters'' and are AmicableExes.]]
20	* BrutalHonesty: Of the InnocentlyInsensitive kind. When arguing over each other's fishes' flaws, Raina [[DullSurprise casually]] points out:
21	-->'''Young Raina:''' [[BlackComedy Your fish is dead]].\
22	'''Young Amara:''' AAAAAAA~
23	* DarkerAndEdgier: The story is a mature look at the two sister's relationship [[spoiler:and depicts a failing marriage]], whereas ''Smile'' is slightly more comedic and is more about Raina discovering who she is as a person.
24	* DeliberateValuesDissonance: Sue leaves Raina and Amara in a car alone for several hours in the Arizona (?) desert. This was more acceptable in the early 1990s, when the story is set, but would be looked upon more harshly nowadays. To her credit, Sue does regret treating her daughters this way.
25	* TheGloriousWarOfSisterlyRivalry: Invoked when her little sister Amara starts growing up, but even before then, the sisters often argued and fought.
26	* MeaningfulName: While Amara means “immortal” and “love”, it also means “bitter one” in Latin. [[spoiler: Amara is bitter about her place in the family and her bad relationship with Raina.]]
27	* MiddleChildSyndrome: Amara, big time.
28	* OppositesAttract: Raina's parents. Her mom is a hippie GranolaGirl who picks 'meaningful' names for her children ("Raina" because she was born while it was raining, "Amara" because it means "immortal" in Sanskrit and "love" in Latin, and "Will" because it was God's will that she have a son). Her dad, on the other hand, is a fairly straight-laced computer programmer who works a 9-to-5 job.
29	** [[SubvertedTrope Raina's parents begin to conflict because of their differences in outlook and personality.]]
30	* SiblingsWanted: In a 1981 flashback, Raina is seen in this phase as a child before Amara was born.
31	* SweetAndSourGrapes: Amara gave Raina fresh batteries for her walkman after [[spoiler: they work together to capture Mango.]] Even though it meant her sister would crawl back into her metaphorical shell that is her walkman, Amara still honors her agreement. [[spoiler: She's pleasantly surprised when Raina doesn't put her walkman back on, and instead interacts with Amara, something she greatly appreciates.]]
32	* WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes: Raina is ''terrified'' of snakes, and does not react well when Amara gets a pet corn snake for her birthday one year.
33	* WorldOfSnark: Replace "world" with "family" and it works perfectly. Both Amara and Raina can be pretty wry at times.
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Context ComicBook / SistersRainaTelgemeier