Name: Samantha Starr's review of It's All Absolutely Fine by Ruby Elliot
Item: It's All Absolutely Fine
Rating: 5
Author: Samantha Starr

Ruby Elliot

Explore the highs and lows of modern life through the sharp, dark wit of Ruby Elliot--creator of the massively popular Tumblr account, Rubyetc, which has over 210k followers and growing. Ruby's simple drawings of not-so-simple issues capture the humor and melancholy of everyday life. Her comics appeal to both new adults who are beginning to explore these subjects and to battle-tested veterans of the daily struggles of life with mental illness. It's All Absolutely Fine is an honest and unapologetic account of day-to-day life as a groaning, crying, laughing sentient potato being for whom things are often absolutely not fine. Through simple, humorous drawings and a few short narratives, the book encompasses everything from mood disorders, anxiety, and issues with body image through to existential conversations with dogs and some unusually articulate birds. With each chapter a particular set of struggles is picked up, looked at, and squished about a bit using visuals before being put down again with a little more resolve. Problems related to mental health that can be very devastating and even isolating are discussed openly in a way people are often told not to, but this is as much a book about the human emotional experience that touches all of us as it is about mental health. Through the drawings, the reader is shown that it is okay to struggle, and that it is okay to talk about struggling, to not undermine oneself by yelling 'it's fine' when it isn't, and while all this is going on to know that it is absolutely possible to hold on to hope, and of course humor. Building on Rubyetc's huge online presence, It's All Absolutely Fine includes mostly new material, both written and illustrated, and is inspirational, empowering, and entertaining. Hope and tenacity abound in this book that is as heartening as it is hilarious.

It's All Absolutely Fine

Samantha Starr

IT'S ALL ABSOLUTELY FINE is a darkly comic, honest and unapologetic account of daily struggles with mental health and what it's like trying to be a person when you feel like a potato. This book walks readers through the ups, downs and sideways of life, illuminating very real problems, all with Ruby's trademark originality and humour. It's an empowering book that will make you think, make you laugh, and make things that little bit more ok.

Life is complicated, so I've drawn it instead

Belle

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

'Her skilled scribblings ... give you the strength to carry on' Felicity Morse, iNews ***** 'The most heartbreaking, incredible book' Phoebe Waller-Bridge, writer and star of Fleabag ***** 'Heartfelt, raw ... moving and clever. A tremendous book' Anne Cater ***** 'Above all, it's just so completely human' Stylist If you've ever looked around and thought, 'What is going on? Who am I? When is it dinner?', or maybe you haven't found a way to explain why you are currently melting into a puddle of your sadness, or if you just want to see a shark called Dave I drew this one time, then this book, filled with drawings about all the terrible and strange and hilarious things life can do at you, will almost certainly be something you'll probably enjoy. *** Opening up about her own struggles with mental health, Ruby draws about everything from depression, body image and eating disorders to anxiety, low self-esteem and working out how to be a 'grown up' in the most inverted comma-y sense of the word.

Maggie Gordon

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 :)

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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!

Zoe Smolen

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.

Samantha Starr &
It's All Absolutely Fine by Ruby Elliot

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It's All Absolutely Fine by Ruby Elliot