The first thing to say about this book is that I adored it. I hadn’t heard of Ruby Elliot before, but now that I have, I’m a confirmed fan. This is a graphic memoir in which Ruby shares what it’s like to live with everything from social anxiety to body image issues to uncontrollable mood fluctuations. She uses her spare art style to starkly represent the sometimes scary, sometimes funny, sometimes worrying reality of living in a mind like hers. And I felt so, so seen.
This book is a brilliant balance of the heavy and the humorous, and it’s one of the most honest books I’ve ever read. It pulls absolutely no punches, and Ruby doesn’t try to downplay or gloss over any of the hard realities of what life is like for her. And yet, she never lets it get too dark, she never wallows for too long, and she is an expert at finding a kernel of humour or the ridiculous, even in the darkest of moments.
She also does an amazing job of sharing really important information about the various issues she’s dealing with. She dispels myths and provides some really useful information about how it feels to live with the various mental health issues she experiences. It’s so incredibly wonderful to find such accurate information sandwiched between such entertaining art and witty moments.
This is a book for everyone. If you suffer from any mental health issues, welcome. You will see yourself on these pages and feel heard and acknowledged. If you’ve never struggled with mental health but know someone who does and are wanting to understand what the world looks like through their eyes, here you go. This book will give you that. And if you think neither of these apply to you, I promise you they will – because everyone knows someone with mental health challenges, they just might not realize it or have noticed yet. No matter who you are, there is something for you here, and you should definitely pick it up right now.
“It’s her wry, silly sense of humor that keeps the book from getting too heavy, and Elliot displays a sharp wit that goes well with the way her honesty strips her bare.” The A.V. Club
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.
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.
*Voted onto the 2018 GREAT GRAPHIC NOVELS FOR TEENS list by the American Library Association’s YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association) – Goodreads
Book Title: It’s All Absolutely Fine
Author: Ruby Elliot
Series: No
Edition: Paperback
Published By: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Released: November 17, 2016
Genre: Graphic, Memoir, Mental Health, Humour
Pages: 256
Date Read: September 7-18, 2022
Rating: 9/10
Average Goodreads Rating: 4.16/5 (1,956 ratings)
Adding this title to my TBR. I am actually very excited to read it. I find that Graphic memoirs tend to really speak to me, too.
Oh this is definitely one to try, then! Also Debbie Tung’s books might be up your street!