Review by Booklist Review
This gem of a book examines a wide range of mental-health issues as well as Cunningham's personal experiences with mental illness. Chapters cover dementia, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, suicide, antisocial disorder, and, perhaps most movingly, Cunningham's own struggle to overcome depression. He also notes important historical figures who suffered from mental illness, such as Winston Churchill, who is now believed to have been bipolar; Brian Wilson, who suffered from hallucinations; and Judy Garland, who was beset by anxiety and depression. The concise and poignant tales, while self-contained, build upon each other and create a framework that allows Cunningham to effectively question the stigmas associated with mental illness. His inviting cartooning style mixes contrasting backgrounds with simple line drawings that leave a stark impression. The overall message that mental illness is biochemical in origin and deserves the same kind of sympathy as other serious illnesses is one that deserves to be heard.--Weiner, Stephen Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
In this debut book, Cunningham tells his reader right away that he has a message to impart. Having worked for years as a health care assistant in a hospital's psychiatric ward, he states his intent to counter the stigma surrounding mental illness and to represent the patients who suffer from "this most mysterious group of illnesses." The down and dirty truth about what it takes to care for dementia patients, the acts that self-harming patients are capable of, and the conundrum of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia all make for powerful, informative, and sometimes difficult reading. Cunningham's message, that "a mental illness is a brain disease just as a stroke or a brain tumor is a brain disease," is delivered in direct, no-nonsense language, while black and white drawings convey the hectic life of the disordered mind. Cunningham frequently speaks directly to sufferers, telling them that their symptoms are not their fault, that there are ways of dealing with them and simply that "you can survive." Speaking with compassion and clarity, Cunningham tells of his own struggles with severe anxiety and depression. creating a valuable tool for both those within the mental health profession and casual readers who may know someone with mental illness. (Feb.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Kirkus Book Review
An illustrated primer on mental illness that builds to personal revelation.Despite the title, most of these chapters are not traditional tales with narrative and characters. They are, instead, explorations of various psychiatric illnesses common in the wards where Cunningham worked as a health-care assistant. In his book-length debut, the author, who created the Web comics Super Sam and John-of-the-Night and The Streets of San Diablo draws on his experience with patients diagnosed with schizophrenia, dementia, depression, bipolar disorder and other illnesses. Despite the darkness of much of the materialas reflected in the black-and-white drawings, polarities that the illustrator exploits to creative effectthe prevailing tone is one of compassion. As Cunningham explains in the introduction, this is "intended to be a stigma busting book...needed because fear and ignorance of mental illness remains widespread in society." Most of the text is similarly straightforward, but the art is more revelatory, as it illuminates brain patterns, brain disease and psychological conditions. Yet there are flashes of deadpan humor as well, particularly in the chapter titled "Anti-Social Personality Disorder," in which the author relates how a condition that sometimes results in criminal behavior shares traits that society generally considers normal: "Selfishness, lack of empathy, superficiality, and manipulativeness...are highly valued in the worlds of business, politics, the law, and academia." In the chapter titled "People With Mental Illness Enrich Our Lives," the author focuses on a variety of luminariesfrom Winston Churchill and Judy Garland to Nick Drake and Brian Wilsonwho have struggled with mental conditions. "How I Lived Again" provides testimony on how the artist's own mental illness led to his interest in the subject (as well as his employment in the field) and how his art proved crucial in his recovery.The illustrations are compelling throughout, but the narrative is more powerful when it is more personal and specific.]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
