It's All Absolutely Fine

A quick, fun read that made me feel bad for the author, but grateful she was brave enough to share all this.

Updated Review: You know, when I read this book almost two years ago, I should have recognised the fact that so much of it mirrored my own experiences meant that perhaps I was not as well as I thought I was. Well, hindsight is 20/20, and now I find Ruby Elliot's nihilistic humour very touching and personal! Might not be everyone's cup of tea, but for me, the book is like having a secret friend made of paper and ink :) ******************************************************** Ruby Elliot is yet another blogger whose popularity online resulted in a book contract. While many of these flash-in-the-pan internet denizens produce middling books, I found myself quite enjoying Elliot's graphic novel with occasional narrative page. It's a powerful reflection of an individual's experiences with mental illness, and Elliot's cartooning style is unique, expressive, and visually interesting despite its simplicity. It's All Absolutely Fine is about Elliot's struggles with her mental health, specifically, bipolar and eating disorders. She does not try to hide or put a positive spin on the years of her life that she's spend dealing with these issues. Instead, she speaks plainly about her difficulties and how these illnesses have affected her life. She also expresses much of her thoughts in comic form, using absurdism to make her points in an often cuttingly humorous manner. This is pure black comedy. You'll only laugh if you've felt some of these emotions, knowing all too well the emotional pitfalls that seem so impossible to get out of when your brain is being uncooperative. Despite the fact that bloggers turned novelists are a dime-a-dozen, It's All Absolutely Fine is one of the few internet books that is worth buying. While sometimes sparse, the book lays bare Elliot's life and mental health in an effort to demystify and promote understanding and awareness of what it is like to live with severe mental health problems. Her illustrations are bizarre, yet incredibly animated. It's a great combo that results in a book I will definitely be buying for my personal collection. Thanks to Netgalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing me with a digital ARC for review purposes!

What a great book about the realities of metal illness. Funny, thoughtful, and all around a great pleasure to read! Thanks to Netgalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest reviw.