A review by john_huppenthal
Not Funny Ha-Ha by Leah Hayes

4.0

This was not at all what I expected from an abortion-centric graphic novel. At the end of the book Hayes says that she didn't want to get into the moral or political aspects of abortion, but the personal actual experience of what having an abortion is like. The book tells the story of two characters - characters might be a strong word, this is not a book about characters but an experience - who both decide to get an abortion, one medical and the other surgical. Hayes uses crude, but warm drawings to illustrate the experiences of both women and finds an excellent balance between having heart and being informative. If you want a book that takes a firm solid stance on whether abortions should be legal or not, this isn't the book for you. Go watch Fox News or MSNBC if you want someone to tell you how right you are. But if what you want is an empathetic book that helps to better understand the actual experience of the millions of women who have had an abortion - and that should be everyone on either side of the issue - then this is the perfect half-hour read.