Reviews with content warning for Pandemic/Epidemic - It's Lonely at the Centre of the Earth

Reviews tagging 'Pandemic/Epidemic'

It's Lonely at the Centre of the Earth by Zoe Thorogood

16 reviews

snapeygan's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

5.0

WOW. That graphic novel was simply great. I loved all of it. I won’t say it was relatable cause I think the author heard that enough, but it helped me put words on feelings I have since forever. Thank you for your art, thank you for being you.

That graphic novel is about being human, simply. I recommend it to everyone. It has great illustrations, it’s funny, inspiring, it makes us think about life, it’s short and yet I would have took more.

I will definitely be reading everything she ever did and everything she ever will make.

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mabellene's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

4.25

Within the first two pages, I was hooked. This is such a dark, emotional, real graphic novel. This definitely isn’t a feel good read, but I loved that about it. It dark times, I don’t want to read something where everything magically works out and everything gets better at the end. I want something heavy and gritty, and that’s exactly what this book gives you. The potato scene in particular was so painfully relatable.

I’m not sure enjoyed is the right word to use, but I am really glad to have read this and that it exists.

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zozo624's review

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adventurous emotional reflective medium-paced

5.0

I really like this artist work. Having multiple versions of Zoe in the situations she’s in. Sometimes our young version start speaking when we don’t mean for them to

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nettles's review

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dark funny

4.5

A really unique memoir but not one I can safely recommend to my friends.

I'm interested in how different art styles depict different ways the author sees the world with time. Conversations with her younger selves, search for meaning as an artist. A lot was explored and it was funny but SO dark

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lwilson43's review

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challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

5.0

One of the most authentic comic book experiences I've ever had. Zoe Thorogood invites us into her psyche in such a poignant yet deliciously fun storytelling experience. I'm not going to use the "R" word, Zoe, because while I definitely saw bits and pieces of myself reflected in your work, I don't want to take away from your journey and your meaning. Instead, I'll use the word "reflective," and I'll use it in the best possible way. I loved this book, and I loved all the unusualness of it. I can't wait to see where your journey continues next. Time to read Billie Scott now!

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djbobthegirl's review

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challenging dark emotional funny informative inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

3.0

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clarabooksit's review

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challenging dark emotional reflective medium-paced

3.75

As someone who has depression, this book just made sense to me. As all of the people at conventions told Thorogood, this book is super “relatable.”

It’s messy, dark and often challenging as Thorogood’s mental illness sometimes makes her act—or not act—in selfish and self-destructive ways. The way her art bounced from thought to thought, from page to page and the desperate desire to stop thinking, to start over, completely captured how deeply pervasive depression is.

And it’s clear how talented of an artist she is as she utilized a variety of styles to convey her different mental states. I particularly loved the creepy monster that represents her depression and the weird, cartoony heads attached to realistic bodies.

Honestly, a lot of it is ugly in a way that perfectly mirrors the ugliness of mental illness: the self-doubt, the inability to do the things you know you need to do—that you should do—and the fear of never getting out of the vicious cycle.

Where the book didn’t always work for me is in the overall “plot.” The need for a story felt shoehorned into an otherwise solid representation of a stupid, awful, annoying thing that some of our brains do to us. The book is very self-reflexive and mostly self-aware as Thorogood often addresses the fact that she had no idea what to do with or how to write this book, which makes for a—again—relatable book, but not always a great one.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone who has depression or anxiety. You will feel seen. Having said that, I can imagine someone who has never dealt with mental illness would probably not get and not enjoy this.

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