Not what I was expecting. Very serious issues brought up. Very relatable experience for anyone who is going through what Olivia and Lucy are dealing with. I like how it handled self image and showed the bad and worse for the family. Good characters. Definitely should be in middle grade library catalogs.


Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the DRC.

I literally didn’t put this one down… It’s got evocative paneling and text bubbles, and Telgemeier-like illustrations that feel like kid appeal. Graphic flow seems good! It tells the years-long story of a slightly younger sister’s experience of her sister’s anorexia, and addresses impact across the family and its social circles. Characterization is deep, and readers get to see the older sister’s journey to confidently managing her anorexia.

A good story about sisters finding their way in the preteen and teen years and the trouble that comes with learning to love yourself. Lucy has always looked up to her older sister Olivia. However, Lucky notices that Olivia is changing and Lucy is feeling left behind. When Lucy discovers Olivia secret, Lucy realizes that life can be difficult but family can help each other get through the rough patches.

The kind souls at NetGalley somehow knew I needed this book. When it came up as a featured selection, I added it to my list, thinking it was a typical coming-of-age story. Yes, it includes a few ordinary moments that most readers could identify with, like siblings sharing a room, siblings arguing and making up, and siblings drifting apart, presumably because of age issues.

Then, very quietly, the graphic novel's illustrations begin to dance. The story is well explained as we learn what's happening to the older sister. But with an incredible sense of compassion, we not only know that she's developed an eating disorder, but we also understand that both sisters are having a challenging time with the situation. With deft characterization and far-from-average storytelling, difficult-to-understand topics round out the story. Everything from anorexia, bulimia, bullying, mental health, and the importance of self-care and sibling compassion finds a place in this story. Still, the can-do, practical attitude of the author sets it apart as a lovely tale regarding the importance of familial involvement.

Every school library should have a copy of this book. Every parent should read it. As the characters learn and grow, so do readers. Not an easy feat, but in the end, we know that sisters should be our best friends.

The characters and story felt very authentic. I liked that it wasn't just about the sister having bulimia, but how the whole family dealt with it. I enjoyed that that was only part of the Olivia's story and we got to see her age and mature and then be there for Lucy when she was going through a similar situation. I'm just not sure if this is a book I would wildly recommend to a kid since the subject matter is so serious.

Smaller Sister follows Lucy as she adjusts to her big sister, Olivia, pulling away from her. As Olivia starts middle school, she starts changing. Olivia no longer eats a dinner, snaps at Lucy, and shrinks. Lucy misses her sister. She also misses a time when her parents weren't always fighting with each other or with Olivia about eating. As Olivia begins to heal, her family does too, but it's not easy.

A beautiful graphic novel about the full spectrum of impacts from disordered eating. There is so much physical, mental, and emotional pain associated with body dysmorphia, and it affects everyone around them. A very moving read.

Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan, for providing the E-ARC!

Heart-warming and perfectly depicts what it’s like to have an older sister. Lucy realizes that her older sister, Olivia, has an eating disorder, and also learns what it means to be different, conform, as well as struggle with dissatisfaction within herself and her body. We go through Lucy’s journey in completely being herself, then learning how to conform and to hide, to turning around to being herself again. It’s easy to be swayed by insecurities and your peers, yet the author does a good job in learning how to be content with yourself.

Lucy and her older sister, Olivia, are just twenty months apart. While close as can be in their youngest years, the sisters grow apart when Olivia becomes more concerned with her looks and her weight than spending time with Lucy. Things keep changing when Olivia is diagnosed with an eating disorder, followed by a family move from Indiana to Massachusetts. As Lucy moves into middle school and deals with some (really) mean girls, she too becomes focused on her own appearance, particularly her weight. Will Olivia reprise her role as supportive big sister when Lucy needs her most? Author/illustrator Maggie Edkins Willis portrays this story of a serious topic with plenty of humor and heart. Her artwork effectively depicts how the sisters grow and mature over the course of several years. Smaller Sister is excellent choice for fans of middle grade graphic novels, sibling stories, and (of course) the fabulous works of Lucy Knisley!

This was a very interesting memoir told from the point of view of a young girl watching her older sister struggle with an eating disorder. I like that it showed the viewpoint of someone watching their loved one hurt themselves because it isn't a position we see often in fiction. A very powerful story that you could give to a younger middle grade reader.

This gets a 2.5 star rating. It is an issue book focusing on eating disorders in teens/tweens. Livy and Lucy move twice during the book experiencing stress due to loneliness and trying to fit in in new situations. In the vein of other autobiographical graphic novels, this one might find an audience with wanting a book about eating disorders.

I'm not sure that this book quite achieves it's aim. The opening lacks focus and the whole book introduces a lot of unnecessary side elements.

I'm not sure a middle-grade graphic novel has made me so emotional. Smaller Sister resonated with me in a way that other graphic novels for this age group haven't. While the subject matter is serious (sister relationships, friendships, disordered eating), this is a heartwarming tale with plenty of comical and fun moments. The illustrations are also quite lovely. I would deem this one a very important read, and I cannot wait to add this to my library's collection!

This was an excellent book. Not only does it stand alone as a good book for fans of realistic fiction, it also would be a useful recommendation for anyone who has a family member dealing with eating disorders. I'm definitely planning on getting this to add to our graphic novel collection.

This graphic novel was really good. I enjoyed how it talked about eating disorders and how they can get bad so quickly. I liked the way that the author showed how Lucy and Olivia's family dealt with everything and even how Olivia being sick impacted Lucy. The way that this book portrayed anorexia felt very realistic but not glorifying the disease. Overall, this was a great book and I think one that should be in every library.

Thank you for advance copy. Its a graphic novel so I wasn't expecting novel status but this one was a cute story on friendship and family. Has some real convo points in it as well.

I absolutely loved this and I hope every library will order a copy of Smaller Sister, because this is a book that NEEDS to be put into the hands of young readers. Whether they're dealing with a family member's eating disorder or mental health struggles or their own, or even simply struggling with classroom bullies and how to value themselves despite what others say, this would be such a valuable story. Lucy is a fun narrator to follow, the art is cute and colorful, and there's a nice mix of light stuff to offset the heavy topics of disordered eating and bullying. The fact that it's all semi-autobiographical is lovely and as someone who battled disordered eating for most of my life, it felt clear to me that it was written by someone who had been there, understood the issue, and treated it with the utmost care and respect. I'll be highly recommending this one for a long time to come!

Smaller Sister is a beautifully written and illustrated graphic novel. This would be a great read for middle and high school aged kids. Excited to read more from Maggie Edkins Willis.

I really loved this. Tears were shed. Extremely powerful and layered. Extremely realistic sister bond. I loved the art and variations of illustrations.

Lucy and Olivia used to be close, since they are not far apart in age, but as they enter middle school, Olivia starts to distance herself from her younger sister. The family has moved, and both girls have had trouble finding a new friend group. Olivia is suddenly interested in clothes, make up, and boys, and has no patience with Lucy's desire to play games. When Lucy hears whispered conversations between her parents, she finds out that her sister has an eating disorder. Since Lucy has been made fun of for being heavier that some of the other girls, Lucy starts to wonder if her own self worth is tied to her weight, and begins some restrictive practices of her own. Olivia's depression and disordered eating continue to worsen, and Lucy is very concerned for her sister. The parents have Olivia in therapy, but don't seem to be able to connect emotionally to either of their daughters in any meaningful way. For example, the parents surprise Lucy with two weeks at theater camp, even though she has no interest in theater and is apprehensive about being away from home. Luckily, she makes friends at camp, and starts to believe that there might be girls back home who might accept her for who she is. Slowly, she develops her own style, learns to deal more effectively with her concept of body image, makes a few friends, and comes to terms with her sister and their difficult relationship.
Strengths: Readers will either immediately side with Lucy, and her enthusiastic embrace of her own identity which quickly turns to doubt, or with Olivia, who is just miserable and wants her sister to leave her alone. I don't have a sister, but know that while many women are glad for this relationship when they are older, the tween and teen years can cause a lot of problems with siblings. This is a realistic portrayal of two girls who are facing mental health obstacles. While the parents are in the picture and purport to be supportive, they somehow don't provide all of the help that either girl needs. I know that books about anorexia are consistently popular with my readers, and this is the first time I have seen one in graphic novel format.
Weaknesses: I would have liked a little bit more factual information about anorexia for readers who might not know much about it.
What I really think: Not my cup of tea, but I can see this being popular with fans of Telgemaier and Libenson and graphic novel authors who write about dysfunctional families and individuals.

This graphic novel reads like a memoir, though it isn't an exact retelling of the author's life, rather it is inspired by it. It's different from other books because it follows the characters through various ages, and we see how they grow up. It's an important perspective on the challenges of adolescence as well as the challenges the a whole family faces when one member is struggling.
Lucy and her sister Olivia have a great relationship. They love to hang out together and they are great at resolving any conflict that arises between them, that is until Olivia develops an eating disorder. Lucy struggles to understand what Olivia is going through, and Olivia's eating disorder doesn't only change how she eats but also how she treats her sister. Lucy and Olivia grow apart as Olivia struggles, and Lucy begins to struggle with her own self-image and eating habits, too. The author does a fantastic job of showing the challenges of this situation, while also offering hope. Lucy and Olivia are eventually able to reconnect and lean on each other for support.
This book has a lot of scenes in it, and it's pretty long for a graphic novel in the realistic fiction genre. I did wonder if there couldn't have been some editing to trim it down a bit, particularly in the beginning. Though there is a lot of important buildup to show the family dynamics and the relationship between Lucy and Olivia, I did think that the front-end of the book was a little long. There are a few scenes in the beginning that show how Lucy is a bit of an outcast among her schoolmates, so I wonder if one scene that highlights that would be sufficient, especially as Lucy struggles with friendships later in the book, too.
Overall, I think this would be an important book for a young reader for a few reasons. 1. They could see a healthy sister relationship at work. They'd see conflict and resolution between the sisters. 2. They could learn about how a whole family unit struggles when one member struggles, which might help shed perspective on the reader's own life. 3. They could see positive change that will offer them hope.