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bretts_book_stack's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
Beautiful graphic memoir from artist Maurice Vellekoop
psalva's review
4.0
This took me a long time to read, esp. for a graphic novel. Vellekoop uses the graphic memoir format to chronicle his life, growing up in a conservative Christian family, his growth into an artist and his coming out/dating experiences. Most of the second half draws on his long-term struggles with depression, as well as his journey to eventual self-acceptance and expression in middle age. There are long scenes lifted from counseling sessions. The depiction of his experience with therapy, despair, and depression are raw and chaotic- in other words, quite realistic to my eyes. This made for a drawn out reading experience. In the end there is happiness for Vellekoop but I almost didn’t want to go through the airing of his trauma to get there. I’m glad I read his- the art and color are outstanding- but I don’t think this is for everyone.
jwinchell's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
Vellekoop really does look like his renderings of himself! I tore through this thick graphic memoir of Vellekoop’s life as a graphic artist and gay man, wrestling with his inheritances from his Dutch Canadian parents. Definitely an adult graphic memoir, I found the parts about therapy very interesting.