While I don't have any experience with curls, everyone in your family comparing you to your much nicer looking and well behaved cousin is something I am very familiar with, so I strongly empathized with Marlene here, and now that I am older and understand these things, felt pretty angry at the elders who were being so judgmental about her. The writing is heart touching and the art is very bright and pretty, and I hope the rest of the book is much more happier with Marlene coming into her own and the others realizing that their comments are horrific.