This is a graphic novel memoir. (Graphic memoir? I think that's the correct term for the genre, but that makes it sound violent and/or sexy, which it isn't.) The author was raised by his grandparents because his mother was a heroin addict, and his father didn't believe Jarrett was his biological child. The memoir is mostly about how Jarrett grew up and achieved his dream of becoming a cartoonist.

This book sat on my shelf for over a year because I love the art style, but I hate books about drug addiction. I didn't know if the pretty pictures would be enough to get me through the plot. Luckily, the pictures were enough! Drug addiction isn't the focus of the story. It's mostly about the author and his love/hate relationship with his grandparents. If you come from a messy chaos family (like I do), then the book is extremely relatable. I definitely saw myself in the author. (He's way more successful than me, though. That's why he has a beautifully illustrated graphic memoir, and I have . . . a blog with memes I steal from Pinterest.) I really like the memoir, but I think it's too long. It occasionally meanders and doesn't feel like it's going anywhere. That's my only complaint. If you're interested in the childhood of a professional artist, check it out.