Scan barcode
orlaelan's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Bullying and Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Alcohol
nettles's review against another edition
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: Animal death, Mental illness, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, and Vomit
Minor: Animal cruelty, Death, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic
lwilson43's review against another edition
5.0
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Pandemic/Epidemic
djbobthegirl's review against another edition
3.0
Minor: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Chronic illness, Confinement, Drug use, Homophobia, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic
lanid's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Mental illness and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Drug use, and Self harm
clarabooksit's review against another edition
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: Ableism, Bullying, Drug use, Violence, and Alcohol
Minor: Animal cruelty, Gun violence, Vomit, and Pandemic/Epidemic
samugranjo's review against another edition
4.25
Graphic: Mental illness, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Chronic illness, Drug use, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Blood and Lesbophobia
spooderman's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Ableism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Gun violence, Homophobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Xenophobia, Excrement, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
paziicrm's review against another edition
4.25
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Bullying, Car accident, Alcohol, 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: Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, and Self harm
Minor: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Toxic relationship, and Pandemic/Epidemic