There is no avoiding death in this collection, which might trigger distress in some readers or offer comfort to others.

A wide variety of snippets addressing grief and the afterlife. Almost a prismatic effect, as none of the stories are particularly long or have much depth, this collection forces the reader to confront death over and over again in a repetitive and echoing fashion, with the barest of pauses in between.

Death is oft-avoided and tends to carry a sheen of ick and taboo.

This collection is not perfect, but should inspire conversations and some healthy consideration of what is to come.

I'm always going to love a book that is death positive. This collection had some amazing entries, as well as not so great ones. The concept of looking at the moments after death with the main character coming to grips, or the ones speculating on and afterlife tended to be a little boring for me. I was personally more interested in one that really took an emotional hold.

Interesting, melancholic read about death and dying. The art was lovely for this collection of short graphic stories. The pacing was challenging. It is a book you have to commit to.

I really liked this book. The different art and comic styles really highlighted the different ideas and view points about death and life after. There wasn't too much darkness or any gore which is good in a book where the idea is to try to get young adults and readers comfortable with death. There is a little something for everyone between the pages.

Though I did enjoy the different stories within, there were times that I felt a little bogged down by the content. Not sad, just a little bit bored? Maybe? It could also have been that I was starting to get tired. Over all I think this book is probably a 4/5 for me. I would recommend it to others, but it isn't necessarily something I would pick up more than once.

I liked the different art styles and the different cultural styles. I really liked the Bambi style one and the one with the robots.

Thank you for providing me with an arc. I found the novel to be overall quite thoughtful and thought-provoking! I wasn’t sure this would be as good as it was and it exceeded my expectations. I am definitely looking forward to what this author is going to put our next! Thank you for providing me with an arc. I found the novel to be overall quite thoughtful and thought-provoking! I wasn’t sure this would be as good as it was and it exceeded my expectations. I am definitely looking forward to what this author is going to put our next!

*Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for review*

There's quite a variety of stories in here, in tone, subject matter, and style, which is nice. But most of them are so short there really isn't time to develop any emotional connection, and some ("What Eats Us") are just facts being presented to the reader. Not bad, and engaging in some parts, but not something that has a huge audience. I did find some typos and a few mistakes.

This collection of stories stretches far and wide. Covering the idea of life after death, experiencing death first hand, loss of a loved one, and so much more.

From different cultures to different walls of life and their beliefs. This collections covers it all.
Some stories are very touching and heartwarming, while other had me feeling lost, like they were incomplete.

All and all I'm happy I got to experience these stories.

**Thank you to Iron Circus Comics Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. **

This was a really interesting and entertaining anthology about death and what comes after. "Funeral in Foam" by Casey Gilly and Raina Telgemeier was my favorite story of the bunch.

I really enjoyed reading a bunch of different perspectives on death. So many of the stories were beautiful and even peaceful and seeing the beliefs from different cultures was fascinating. The format made it a quick read and could be enjoyed in bite sized pieces.

I have never been disappointed by any anthology done by Iron Circus. This is no exception. I vastly enjoyed this not so little look at various afterlives done by some incredibly talented artists and creators!

You Died - An Anthology of Afterlife by Andrea Purcell & Kel McDonald is a nice collection of stories on a vey different subject, Death. I liked some of the stories from the book. My favorites are Innana's Descent Into The Underworld by Ahueonao and What Eats Us by Letty Wilson. The stories have optimism, faith, fear of loss and grief. But, I could not connect to some of them. The authors have a beautiful message for the readers that Live Your Life To Full Before Death Comes.

But, I felt that some stories were incomplete. So, I could only give it 3 stars. Thanks to Netgalley for giving me an opportunity to read the book.

Author Kel McDonald, Andrea Purcell has wevaed the story with utmost care and attention. Illustrations were superb.Overall, a great experience. Highly Recommended.

Perfect portrayal on different tradition and death! Illustration are so great to look at and wonderful story plot too

This was such a creepy and scary little book in all the best ways possible. The art was really well made, you just stare and stare and are fascinated. And the different stories are creepy in a way I truly enjoy. Interesting and intriguing!

An interesting look at death and mourning. I really liked how many different cultures and beliefs were in here and how each short comic was unique in its' portrayal of death. I enjoyed some stories compared to others. I'd say my favorite was (predictably) All Souls' Day. It was short, but I truly think it captured the traditions of Filipinos and how much importance and value is placed on family and family relationships. Another one that I loved was Here Among the Chrysanthemums. The ending was brilliant and I think the symbolism was nicely done. Funeral in Foam as well was wonderful, and I really appreciated the message that it portrayed. There are a few tear-jerkers while there are others that have a touch of humor in them as well. Overall, one of the better graphic novel anthologies I've read and would really recommend.

Absolutely beautiful. A fantastic collection of different artful stories about our experience with death and grief and letting go. I honestly was moved to tears by some of the stories, and others hit me deep in my soul with their views on life and our place in the grand scheme of things. This is a hauntingly beautiful collection and I cannot recommend it enough.

You Died is an excellent anthology about death, dying and what may or may not happen after death. It's consists of several graphic novel stories by different artists.

As a whole, I think this collection had a lot to offer. Some stories had stunning artwork, others had a beautiful storyline, and a lot of them had both. Although death is usually a rather heavy subject matter, this book talked about it in a special way that embraces death as a part of life. It created opportunities for an open dialogue about death without invalidating the hurt and grief that comes with it. Some stories even made me laugh; one story almost made me cry because the situation was similar to one I have personally gone through.

I think many of the stories were quite unique. Some of them feature different views on death and traditions around it from all over the world. I'd have to say my favourite stories were Here among the Chrysanthemums, Many Happy Returns and Still Life.


I'd like to thank Iron Circus Comics for providing this copy via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

**Disclaimer: I received a free early access copy of You Died by Kel McDonald and Andrea Purcell through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this opportunity.

You Died: An Anthology of the Afterlife by Kel McDonald and Andrea Purcell is a graphic novel anthology about death and the afterlife.  It was published on September 22nd, 2020.  I rated it 5 stars on Goodreads.


Here's the summary from Goodreads:

Death—the one aspect of life we all have in common—is waiting for everyone, yet our practices, beliefs, myths, and stories about it are as diverse as we are. You Died celebrates these vibrant cultural expressions of the great equalizer in a thrilling, life-affirming whirlwind of a book, an inspirational volume to be treasured through times of both loss and abundance (and every day in between).
At turns both brazen and insightful, morose and optimistic, You Died asks a wide array of cartoonist newbloods and all-stars to relate their most unforgettable tales of death and what comes next. Filled with beautifully illustrated accounts of grief and mourning, ancient myths, memorial rites around the globe, afterlife in the far reaches of space, and the simple and touching ways both the living and the dead carry on, this lively collection starts a comforting and much-needed dialogue about death as a natural part of life.
Featuring an introduction by death positivity movement pioneer and activist mortician Caitlin Doughty and a murderer’s row of comics talent, including Raina Telgemeier, Shae Beagle, and Lisa Sterle.

This was an exciting read for me because it came from my first auto-approval on NetGalley.  I didn't request this one, but I'm really excited about the fact that I got to read it.  

This was really interesting because I'd never read a graphic novel anthology before.  It was really interesting to read all of the different takes on death and the afterlife.  Each of the artists/story tellers had such a unique and interesting voice that it really brought each and every story to life for me.  I loved how different each story was and how they explored all different aspects of death.

There were some stories that genuinely made me tear up and that's never happened with a graphic novel for me before.  I loved how it depicted grief and people dealing with the loss of people you love and care about.  I really liked the different depictions of the afterlife and what that might look like.

Overall, I really cannot recommend this graphic novel enough.  Please check it out!

2.6 stars is my actual average rating, but I'm rounding up because I like the concept behind this anthology and overall I feel like it's a three-star read! There was good diversity in representation, art style, cultures, beliefs, and storytelling method. Read my thoughts and opinions on each individual story:

"What Eats Us" by Letty Wilson ⭐️
Wasn't a fan. Confusing, not much story/meaning for me, and I wasn't a huge fan of the art style.

"Ghost Friend" by Oliver Northwood ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I thought that this art style was really beautiful and fit the story perfectly. I also really enjoyed the story itself and thought it was super bittersweet. It made me feel all the feels!

"Inanna's Descent To The Underworld" by Ahueonao ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Was sort of confused by this one in the beginning, but as the story progressed I definitely got more into it and became really attached to the characters and the story itself. I think the art style is very fitting for the story and I can appreciate it for that.

"Bone, Oak" by Laura Ketchum ⭐️
I didn't like this one at all which actually surprises me since I was an anthropology major and this sort of stuff is normally my JAM. I just didn't like the way it was told. The pages were kind of clustered and it made the story a bit confusing to follow. Blah.

"Remember" by SE Case ⭐️⭐️
I wasn't a huge fan of this art style, I found it kind of basic and lacking. But I really appreciate the message behind the story and it definitely played on my heartstrings a bit lol.

"Mourning" by Karoline Gronvik ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I found this infographic about Victorian-style mourning practices super interesting and I learned a lot from them. It's just crazy to think that all of these practices were just second nature back then! I can't believe it. It's so interesting!

"Beyond the Cosmos" by James Maddox & Jeremy Lawson ⭐️⭐️
I really did not get this one and the art style reminded me SOOO much of The Grimm Adventures of Billy & Mandy cartoon from back in the day. I didn't mind the art style, but I just felt like this was kind of out of place in this anthology.

"All Souls' Day" by Danielle Chuatico ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A super cute short graphic about Filipino culture and mourning/death. Such an adorable art style and I really appreciated learning about another culture and their views!

"The Spark Divine" by Sally Cantirino and Jordan Alsaqa ⭐️⭐️.5
I thought this was interesting enough, but I just didn't connect with it the way that I have with some of the other stories in this anthology. Still super intriguing and loved the sci-fi element though!

"Herd" by Shae Beagle ⭐️⭐️
I really liked the art style and shading in this one, but I just didn't have a connection to the story that I think was meant to be there. I didn't feel anything :(

"First Law" by M.Cat.White ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Certainly an oddball out in this collection, but I really appreciated it and actually liked it quite a bit. The art style wasn't my favorite (felt like ClipArt?), but I liked the message enough to make up for that fact!

Agnes & Patsy by Holly Adkins ⭐️⭐️
This one has a really cute concept and I appreciated the story, but it just became kind of confusing at some points. Whomp Whomp.

"Here among the Chrysanthemums" by Luyi Bennett ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I thought this was a really beautiful and heartwarming story!!! I liked it a lot.

"The Last Wreath" by Julette GMM Lopez ⭐️⭐️
I absolutely loved the art style of this. It gave me so many Studio Ghibli vibesssss! The story itself though I just really didn't like and there were a couple of grammatical errors in it as well that threw me off.

"Okaeri" by Jackie Crofts & James F. Wright ⭐️⭐️⭐️
This one wasn't good and wasn't bad. Sweet, but nothing special!

"Still Life" by Ale Green & Fanny Rodriguez ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
I really loved this one so much. I thought it was heartwarming and bittersweet all at the same time. Overall, I just really really enjoyed it!

"Many Happy Returns" by Rhandi Fisher ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
I thought this was so so cute and funny! It gave me a mix of Wreck-It Ralph and The Good Place vibes, which I never knew I needed until now. This was the only one thus far that had some humor elements to it and I really loved that about it.

"Third Option" by A. "Miru" Lee ⭐️⭐️
I thought this one was just okay. A very interesting concept, but, again, just not one that I connected with very much.

Funeral In Foam by Casey Gilly ⭐️⭐️⭐️
This one also had some comedic elements to it! I liked it quite a bit and the art style was also really cute and fitting for the storyline.

Ankou by Isabelle Melancon ⭐️
Completely unfinished and some pages with art, but no script/dialogue. Tried to follow this one, but just couldn't since it was incomplete. The art that was done though was AMAZING!!

“You Called To Me” by Nadia Shammas ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Such a tragic and sad story about a woman grieving over her deceased partner. I enjoyed this one quite a bit!

“I Promise” by A. Shinozaki & Cheryl Young ⭐️⭐️.5
I thought this was cute, but it was over before it even began. I definitely wanted more details and a little bit more plot. It just felt super rushed at the end.

“Hive Mind” by Dani Colman & Maddie Kathleen ⭐️⭐️
This one really confused me at first, but at about the halfway point I started to pick up on the concepts behind it. Still, though, I just wasn't as impressed by it as I wanted to be.

“Bone Ink” by Grace F. Fong & Rhiannon Rasmussen ⭐️
This one had a really cool concept, but it just wasn't a story that I felt like I could get behind. I still really like the art style though!

Thank you to NetGalley and Iron Circus Comics for an advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own!