This is the type of books, the type.of stories deserves to be told.
I live for this illustrations, really love it. The colors, the edition, and all was really perfect. I conected so good with the storie and that is something I really need when I'm reading.

I was immediately very bored. I am planning to try to (re)read this book since I did have to dnf it. I can't really say why I didn't enjoy this one, but that's fine.

'Mis(h)adra' with words and art by Iasmin Omar Ata is a story about trying to live with an illness that no one around you understands.

Isaac is a student, but he has seizures, so he misses a lot of classes.  His father doesn't understand, and Isaac is irritable with everyone around him.  As he becomes more isolated with the people around him, he finds a new friend that wants to help.  When doctors won't seem to understand, his friend Jo is there to help out.  When Isaac reaches the bottom, Jo shares her own experiences.

This book at first was kind of a chaotic mess and it kind of drove me crazy, until a light went on that it was supposed to be that way.  At over 200 pages, the story could have been a bit shorter, but by the end, I really liked it.  Especially when I found out the story was based on the author's experiences.  This seems like a scary thing to go through, and surviving it took courage.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Gallery 13 and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

The review is too long to post here - pls read link

The review is too long to post here - pls read link

The review is too long to post here - pls read link

I loved this. It's an exploration of epilepsy through the lens of one character's struggle, and the art in this graphic novel is so unique and evocative that I am now insisting on showing it to everyone I know.

The depictions in this book of a student living with epilepsy are absolutely astounding. The graphics are clean, and the color choices and abstract themes evoke the feelings of overwhelming confusion and loss of control that seem to dictate the protagonist's struggles with productivity and relationships. The fact that the protagonist is Arab-American is also awesome- it's never the point, which I think is where need to go re: diversity in comics. People of diverse backgrounds can have stories that aren't about explicitly about their race/class/gender. A beautiful book that I was more than happy to buy for my local library.

Mis(h)adra is a gorgeously drawn novel, and much like the author, the style falls somewhere between Eastern and Western styles. We follow the story of a college student struggling with epilepsy while trying to navigate a family in denial, his own denial about his condition, the rigors of life, and the pull of depression and addiction.

A beautiful portrayal of the struggles of a student fighting with epilepsy displayed through masterfully done art. Absolutely stunning and memorable.

I really loved this novel for its originality of story. This kind of tale doesn't get told everyday and its really important that it does. I didn't share anything in common with the narrator, but I still connected with him and was geniunely interested in what happened. Also, the artwork is lovely and riveting.

The topics weren't something I was used to read about and they surprised me greatly, in a good way. The art was striking and fit the themes perfectly. Overall pretty good.

Amazing, semi-autobiographical graphic novel centered around an Arab-American university student and his experience with epilepsy. Iasmin Omar Ata beautifully captures what it is like to actually experience a seizure. Would definitely recommend for anyone wishing to know more about epilepsy, or for anyone looking for a good graphic novel.

Mis(h)adra follows the story of Isaac, who has epilepsy, and his journey of friendship and personal acceptance. 
This was a beautiful and heart wrenching graphic novel. I don't suffer from epilepsy but I do have a chronic illness so I related with Isaac so much!
I understood what it was like to want to give up because everything just hurts too much and it's all too hard so you lay in bed and refuse to do anything, only that makes it worse when you do try and do things because now you're behind or in trouble. 
It feels like you walking through quicksand. No matter what you do, you still feel like you're sinking and when you're in that frame of mind it is so very hard to let people in, to let people help. 
I think this story will resonate with a lot of people fighting invisible battles. It was such a painful read for me, but I'm thankful for it nonetheless.

Wow - love this art. 

Another good book with subject matter that helps me learn about living in someone else’s shoes. 

The art is amazing. And the story about someone learning to live with epilepsy is intense. 

The minimalist use of color was an excellent choice - and the color changes when he has a seizure is jarring. This is really different, and it’s really well done. 

A bit experimental. Definitely different than what I’m used to. Which is a good thing. Definitely worth reading. 

Highly recommended. 

<i>Thanks to NetGalley and Gallery 13 for a copy in return for an honest review.</i>

This beautifully done graphic novel depicts the struggle of Isaac, a student who lives with epilepsy. Besides the stress of epileptic attacks, which are preceded by an aura, represented by knifes ready to strike, he has to deal with his classmates', family's and doctors' ableism. He finally made his first friend in a long time, who tells him that it will get better, but Isaac is slowly losing hope.

This is a heartfelt and absolutely stunning graphic novel. The art is amazing and truly beautiful. I especially liked the jarring change from softer colors to black/red during seizures, because it emphasized their suddenness.

And while I think the story does a very good job of portraying how Isaac's epilepsy takes over his life, shortening the time he can spend with other people and sometimes feeling like they take ages, shown in page after page, I would have liked some more plot and knowledge about Isaac's relationships with other people. 

There is also a lot of internal monologuing going on in this book and barely any dialogue, which I found a bit weird at first, but it actually shows how isolated Isaac has become quite well and I grew to enjoy it a lot.

The end is not very satisfying as it happens pretty quickly and wraps up too fast for my taste, but I adored the rest of the comic quite a lot.

This story also deals with depression as result of chronic illness and also with the darker things in life, so please be warned for suicidal ideation and mentions of self-harm in this book. Some of the drawings are pretty gore-y and bloody too.

This is a beautiful illustration of a condition as difficult to comprehend as epilepsy - the illustrator is able to show how epileptic aura (the horrible promise of seizures to come) follow Isaac around just waiting for the opportunity to strike.

This isn't a dramatic story, it's reads more like a memoir that shows a young man coming to terms with his diagnosis. It's purpose is to give you, the reader, an insight into the life of someone suffering from epilepsy - from seizure triggers to the weight of carrying the risk of seizure around with you every day. The ending of this novel isn't particularly satisfying, but if there's anything to be learnt from this novel - it's to make the small wins count.

I would recommend this graphic novel to absolutely anyone - the message will benefit everyone and the artwork is simply wonderful.

This was a beautiful story depicting the struggles that individuals with disabilities and chronic illnesses go through in their everyday lives. It's a tough read, but the artwork soothes the soul while you learn about the trials and victories that come along with the life of a disabled individual (in this case, a boy with epilepsy). I appreciated the insight into this world, as the author also has epilepsy.

This is such a brilliant story and very powerful too.

 It depicts the author's struggle with epilepsy by telling the story of a young man named Isaac who has epilepsy and it tells his story through art. I have read a number of graphic novels which focus on health issues and I feel that the graphic novel is a very powerful medium for explaining the struggles and victories of people who live with serious health conditions. 

This novel is definitely worth reading. It is thoughtful in the way it depicts Isaac's struggles. The real beauty about this story is that the artwork is quite simple and the language that accompanies the art is also simple, but at the same time the message and the impact of the story is very hard hitting. I felt that the art uses a limited range of color but this actually works. The use of black and red depicting when Isaac has his epileptic attacks and the blue thread showing the aura before an attack impresses upon the reader the way Isaac is rendered helpless and that this is approaching danger. It conveys this effectively and without the use of words. It also has a way of drawing the reader into the epileptic episode. 

We are also shown the power of friendship and community, and at the same time the barrier and challenges that Isaac has to face in order to receive strength from being part of this community. Frustration is also another emotion that is quite clearly conveyed in the story and as a reader we get to experience Isaac's frustrations both with his health condition and with the medical establishment and their refusal to listen to him and take his complaints seriously. Then there are all the difficulties with family and how Isaac struggles to get them to understand the seriousness of his condition.

This is this is a thoughtful story and very emotional too. As I read it I wanted to be the friend who was relentless in her support of him. Everyone needs someone like that in their lives even if they don't have a health condition. The book shows quite clearly that empathy can help a person who is struggling with life and once again it shows this in a subtle way without directly telling us.

 I really enjoyed reading this. Epilepsy is not something that I am familiar with but through this book I feel that I have actually come to understand a little bit more about it. This is definitely a graphic novel that is well worth reading.

Copy provided by publisher via net galley in exchange for an unbiased review.

When it comes to illnesses, especially those that feed on emotional reactions to external stimuli, it is wise to not assume too much but listen to its sufferers and do what you can to empathise - even when you do not understand half of what is being said. This is because, unless you have come under the hand of the illness itself or you are close to someone who has, you may never truly understand what its sufferers go through. The graphic novel, Mis(h)adra, shines a clearer light on this for me, as I realise the emotional and psychological toll epilepsy takes in its sufferers. 

Mis(h)adra is a fictional account (loosely based on the author's own life) of an epileptic patient called Isaac. The book chronicles how neighbourhood noises, insensitive comments, and Isaac's own negative thoughts, contributes to a debilitating anxiety that gives the illness more power to manifest itself. The book also shares how easy it sometimes can be for people suffering from epilepsy to develop an addiction for the medicine they are taking and from there take an overdose. Most importantly, Mis(h)adra reveals what it sometimes takes for epilepsy sufferers to rise above the illness. The book shows that reaching out, taking one day at a time, not giving up is key to managing it.

For those who know little or nothing about epilepsy but want to have a basic understanding from the perspective of a patient, Mis(h)adra is a wonderful educational tool. Also, those with the illness can read and take encouragement from Isaac's story, using it as an emotional and psychological boost towards managing the illness.

Lest I forget,  the art style in Mis(h)dra is unique. Its use of colour to heighten emotional effects works well. The whole reading experience stayed with me for days. Mis(h)dra is a book worth reading.

Mis(h)dra is published by Gallery 13. Many thanks to them for the review copy.

A quick but striking read, Mis(h)adra shares the story of Isaac, an Arab American college student struggling with epilepsy. Represented by hanging knives, Isaac's epilepsy is the one constant in his life. Attending college and working are hard enough, but Isaac's epilepsy means he's also struggling with having the energy to deal with daily tasks, an unsupportive family, medical professionals who won't listen, and his own reluctance to open up to those around him. 

While the story is solid, it's really the art that does the heavy lifting here. The use of color and line work to illustrate not only the day to day tension of possible epileptic seizures but the seizure themselves is remarkable. The shift to a black and magenta color palette from the softer tone of the main story both emphasizes and empathizes Isaac's seizures. Presenting the attacks so jarringly makes it easier to relate to Isaac's struggle with the violence and disruption of epileptic seizures.

Mis(h)andra is a solid book with art that elevates it to must pick up, if only to marvel at Ata's mastery of color and tone.

Mis(h)andra is the story of Isaac who struggle to live his normal live while having seizures. I love the story, it seems very realistic to me especially since this is an #ownvoices book. The way the art and the dialogues are presented make the story real and we can symphatize with Isaac.