NorthernPhoenix

This is a whole mood.

It's so strange to realize that you never do things you used to enjoy. I think maybe the best thing to do is just pick a time to try them out again; make time to see if you can still find joy in the things you like to do. And if not, well. Sleep helps. Finding people to talk to helps.
In the end I suppose it is what it is, eh?

I will say, we spent a strange amount of time talking about mushrooms, and it feels very different from the rest of the story. At the end, it says "Before they knew it, they were inseparable friends", but we didn't see that process (which is fine, because the story is going to be relatively short, and you can't show everything) but we DID see mushrooms, which left me confused.
Maybe I missed something that gives the mushrooms meaning. Maybe I'm too hung up on them. Either way, I like the tone of this, and the pictures you chose have the cold, airy, but still stable vibe of the story.
To be clear, I actually like the mushroom conversation (except for the obnoxious technical names) but I do question its necessity in this story. Ya gots ta be intentional about what you show, and if we're hung up on plants while brushing by character development, it can leave the reader feeling cheated.

You convey well how, as she grows up a bit, she becomes more aware of a wider world beyond her own home.
With the mushrooms, are you trying to show that she's a nature lover with a deep knowledge of her environment? As to how necessary it is, that depends on whether a deep knowledge of nature is important in a later episode. It also depends on what you and your readers are interested it. We don't all like the same things.

This used to be the story of my life. It's nice, at least, to have someone worth thinking about in this way.

I agree with what others have said about how the shift in tone is good; it makes it feel like the story is progressing, as we start to see what some of the real issues with the characters' lives are.
I'm intrigued to learn that Raven is the only one of his kind, and I'm curious to see what happens from here.

There are tensions in most families, the question is can you forgive each other and move on? I havm't any siblings, but I know from friends who have that they fell out as childern and teenagers. They later became friends again.

Its hard to say when I've never met you, but perhaps others in the family feel insecure at times but won't admit it. Not many families are totally flawless. If yours isnt you're not alone.

To add to the mushroom conversation: I got the idea that she was just going on about something she knew, rather than meant to have any special significance. Of course, she could tell Raven about more things besides just the mushrooms, and that might make the point a little better anyway, for the story and the point Arin is trying to make. If that makes sense.