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nettles's review
4.5
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
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, and Animal death
Moderate: Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, and Vomit
Minor: Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Pandemic/Epidemic, Injury/Injury detail, Death, and Animal cruelty
lwilson43's review
5.0
Moderate: Pandemic/Epidemic, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Animal cruelty, Mental illness, and Suicide
djbobthegirl's review
3.0
Minor: Death of parent, Drug use, Pandemic/Epidemic, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Car accident, Confinement, Classism, Sexual content, Blood, Bullying, Homophobia, Suicide attempt, Chronic illness, Animal cruelty, and Mental illness
lanid's review
5.0
Graphic: Mental illness and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Bullying, Self harm, Animal cruelty, and Drug use
clarabooksit's review
3.75
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.
Graphic: Mental illness and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Alcohol, Ableism, Drug use, Bullying, and Violence
Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic, Vomit, Animal cruelty, and Gun violence
samugranjo's review
4.25
Graphic: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, and Self harm
Moderate: Bullying, Chronic illness, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Pandemic/Epidemic, Drug use, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Blood and Lesbophobia
spooderman's review
5.0
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Cursing, Suicide, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Drug use, Drug abuse, Bullying, and Body shaming
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Ableism, Alcohol, Pandemic/Epidemic, Toxic friendship, Gaslighting, and Vomit
Minor: Excrement, Pregnancy, Xenophobia, Homophobia, Grief, Dysphoria, Domestic abuse, Classism, Adult/minor relationship, Misogyny, Car accident, Physical abuse, Medical content, Infertility, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Gun violence, Lesbophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Eating disorder, Child death, and Addiction
paziicrm's review
4.25
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Ableism, Suicide attempt, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Animal cruelty
Minor: Alcohol, Bullying, Car accident, and Pandemic/Epidemic
bookaholiz's review against another edition
5.0
This book is unfortunately very relata-[GUNSHOT]
Anyway. The art is incredible. The story is raw and honest - well, as honest as one believe. I know the feeling of darkness and the need to create something out of it to justify its existence. The words I wrote during those times would always be the most honest I could ever be.
Doesn’t make it feel any less like a performance.
Sorry to the author - I didn’t read this while I was in a good space. But I was in the void with you. And it was comforting indeed.
It is lonely at the centre of the earth. The creation born from it can be magnificent. It is lonely, and it is comfortable. Easy.
You have to want something else. We have to.
Graphic: Mental illness and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Self harm, Drug use, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Toxic relationship
clhtdr's review
4.5
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts and Mental illness
Minor: Animal cruelty