Brittle joints

This chronicles Sweeney's experiences as an adoptee, born in Moldova and raised in New Jersey, living with her ever-progressing chronic condition known as Bruck syndrome. Bruck's gives her brittle bones and joint abnormalities, leading to breakages too numerous to continue counting over the years and the mobility differences that result. Painting in strokes of brilliant color against more muted earth tones across the decades of her life, Sweeney makes visible the invisible, those daily nothings that those not experiencing chronic illness take for granted. Even the simple pleasure of studying at a local coffee shop can require careful planning when the world is not designed for accessibility first. As readers will recognize, navigating the U.S. health-care system is never enjoyable, but, as Sweeney deftly illustrates, it is all but bureaucratically impossible for those with chronic ailments in need of specialized care, particularly those seeking pain relief in any form available. Sweeney does not shy away from the frustration, asking, "Why am I constantly at the mercy of people who often don't experience the same struggles?" While the struggles are real, so too is the community and joy found within it. By highlighting both the truth of the struggles and the joys, Sweeney presents a fuller picture of the disability experience. Will appeal to readers of comics like Peter Dunlap-Shohl's My Degeneration (2015).

Cartoonist Sweeney debuts with a candid portrait of life with a disability, drawn in delicate brushstrokes and natural colors. Born in Moldova in 1994, Sweeney showed early signs of Bruck syndrome, which causes fragile bones and joint contractures. After her birth parents placed her in an orphanage, she was adopted by an American family and grew up in New Jersey, where she was wracked with searing joint pain and frequent bone breaks. Through a series of short chapters illustrating various stages of her life, Sweeney shines a critical light on the ableism she was forced to contend with, including a lack of affordable transportation, an expensive and out-of-touch healthcare system, and even the high hospital counters she couldn't see over when sitting in her wheelchair. Yet despite these challenges and her constant physical pain, Sweeney finds peace among her friends, with her boyfriend ("It feels good to lean on someone"), smoking marijuana, and in nature. It's a revealing visualization of a rare, "depersonalizing" condition and how Sweeney finds "drops of disabled joy whenever I can." Sweeney's subtle and elegant art reflects the nuance of her moment-to-moment struggle to ground her self apart from chronic pain. Fans of Ellen Forney's Marbles will want to add this to their list. (July)