A very conceptual graphic novel with art that captures the essence of the fractured mind. There are sharp angles, bold colours, dark patches, bright patches, and images that clash and collide. The images mimic Yasmin's crumbling state of mind, but also Amal's as she tries to achieve success with her first client. Instead of using her own instincts, Amal continues to follow the 'script' of prompts, which creates a clinical distance between herself and Yasmin. Her following this script is in contrast with Yasmin's choice in theatre, which is metatextual unscripted forms of entertainment that blur reality and the stage.
This graphic novel does not shy away from mental health and the system that patients must go through in order to find treatment that works for them. Yasmin mentions her mental health journey, from the start of her schizophrenia to becoming a patient of Amal's. It is not an easy road, and one must be dedicated to seeking help. But, as Yasmin continues to have to find new doctors, she begins to feel dejected and lost, especially when a new doctor means starting all over again. Amal is desperate to do well, that she pushes aside all the times she does seem to connect to Yasmin instinctually and follows the script of psychiatry. All the ways in which Amal finds herself and Yasmin to be similar could have formed a bond with which to help Yasmin, unfortunately Amal does not see that until it is too late. Amal's doubt about herself, her own lack of confidence, propels her to failure; until she learns to confront her own misgivings. I like how this book does not do neat and tidy because mental health is not neat and tidy. Often those with mental health problems are lost in their own pain, and lost in a system that works against them. Mental health is not something you cure, but something you continuously live with and treat. This is also a book about embracing who you are, of reconnecting to those you love, and trying to do better. There are colours throughout the book that when they come up relay a specific kind of emotion. Green is Amal's safe space, her home, where she can be herself with her lover. It is there she can confess how she feels about her sessions with Yasmin, how she believes she is letting her patient down, and how she is not sure how to handle the escalating situation. Yellow, which often is a colour to do with happiness, is horrific in this book. It is this bright yellow that appears to Yasmin in her dreams and leaves her feeling trapped, motionless, helpless. Red represents past and memory, but tinged with horror and fear. When Amal is talking to her mentor his office is always orange, just a shade away from the yellow Yasmin is always feeling, it conveys a similar idea that Amal does not feel heard by her mentor the same way Yasmin does not feel heard by Amal. Just a wild ride of a graphic novel that touches on very deep topics about mental health, confidence, fear, self worth, imposter syndrome, and so much more. If you love strange, dark books with images that pop and feel sharp and modern, than this graphic novel is a sure bet and you should pick it up immediately.
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