Member Reviews
Cindy A, Reviewer
I found these simple drawings/comics pretty funny & could easily relate to quite a few! They're geared to adults, maybe with a drier sense of humor.... anyway, I mostly smiled through out the reading, & laughed out loud a couple of times. It's a fun book for a quick laugh, that adults will largely be able to relate to! This was the 1st I'd read of this artist, but his 3rd offering.....so I'd be interested in seeing his previous work. I received this e-ARC from Oni Press via NetGalley, in return for reading it & offering my own fair & honest review. |
Reviewer 740196
With dry, sardonic, biting wit dripping in sarcasm, this collection of pithy, relatable comics leaves you chuckling more than you'd expect. It is adorable, quick and pleasant to read. I personally devoured the entire thing in less than 45 minutes and since I don't follow Pie Comics online, the style, the art, everything, was all very new to me and I honestly loved it to bits. I'd suggest you go ahead and take a chance with it, especially if you’re in the mood for a quick read, a bunch of LOL moments, while simultaneously easing the existential dread. |
an interesting and hilarious take on life, work love and more. A graphic novel filled with witty discussions that had me laughing and thinking. I enjoyed the book and appreciate it for what it does. I am glad I read it . |
Michelle D, Librarian
Thanks to NetGalley for the review copy of this book. This was funny in a dark, brutal way. When it was done, I had been laughing and smirking, but felt slightly bruised too. I do love the illustration style, and I definitely did laugh. |
I follow John McNamee online of course, and his comics always make me laugh. I loved being able to read through them all in one go. |
Thanks to the publishers for sharing this one. It made me laugh a lot. My full review appears on Weekend Notes. |
This is a collection of short comic strips about the difficulty of life and fitting in, I guess. It...was just okay for me. I didn't find it particularly funny or memorable, except for maybe a couple of the comics, which is a shame since the art is really simple and fun. I'm not entirely sure why, but it just rubbed me the wrong way. |
⭐ 7.75 stars out of 10⭐ Witty and sharp but a bit dry. Keywords: comic, contemporary, social critics, comedy, 4-koma style REVIEW Just Act Normal is a collection of short stories that mostly criticized the way our society works. The topics are vast, ranging from bad parenting, expectations, life meaning, and even love. The tones are comedic, some are utterly funny and sharp. Those really hit the marks since I myself is an adolescence currently in quarter life crisis.. But some others feel a bit dry. Still it's a great quick read to fill your boredom with. Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for providing an e-copy of this book. |
This is a fab collection of comic strips. Ranging from the absurd and amusing to the enlightening and scathing McNamee consistently hits heights few others can match. The art is delightful. Doing simple well is not easy. I chuckled, and, guffawed all the way through reading this. There isn't a week strip in the collection; it is all top-quality stuff. McNamee is a gag machine who is equally skilled at making fun of mundane everyday life to more serious topics like depression and death. Utterly brilliant. Persistently entertaining and always funny. |
The simple comics in this graphic novel fit perfectly with the sarcastic humor of the text. I think this books sums up how we all feel in 2020, and because of that, it's a perfect read to cope! |
Thanks to the publisher, the author and NetGalley for providing me a free copy of this comic in exchange of an honest review The reason I found a few of these hilarious was because I could really relate to some of the everyday things it was based upon. I think what makes a great comic is exactly that: making fun of events and people we have to live with everyday. There were a few vignettes who touched some sensitive matters - like gender identity and gender roles - who were a bit harsh, but the other ones were hilarious. The drawings were basic but it completely matched the vibe for the comic, so it was the perfect call. |
I thought that this book was a lovely quick read The illustrations used in the book were great and they really enhanced the book for me. I read the book with my three year old daughter and she enjoyed it It is 4 stars from me for this one, highly recommended! |
I was not familiar with John McNamee prior to getting this e-ARC, which is a bummer. These comics are definitely my type of humor. Sarcastic, sometimes dark, and relatable for those of us just failing at adulting every day. Some of these were laugh out loud funny, very enjoyable read. |
Thanks for the opportunity to review this book. I thought this book was pretty funny most of the time! It has some dry wit, so you have to be in the mood for it. The graphics are cute. |
I loved this comic. It was deep and relatable, and humourous. It was sarcastic, and took a very different take on many serious issues people are facing nowadays. People want to fit it, and they get upset when they can't. Following dreams is hard. Being a child sucks. Being an adult sucks. How it feel to be different than other people around you. This comic deals with all this issues and more. The art style was simple, which made the jokes even more funnier. It's really amazing how simple drawings and simple lines could portray so much. About the humour, it wasn't for me, a laughed at a few pages but the rest wasn't that funny, but it still cheered me up. If you're in a mood for a short and fun read, this would be a good choice |
Claren G, Educator
Some images were spot on. Some didn’t make sense. Some were repetitive. Lots of different sections though. |
Just Act Normal: A Pie Comics Collection by John McNamee, Out November 2020. This is a lovely collection of simple and incredibly relatable comics full of dry sarcasm and biting wit. There is something for everyone in this collection as we laugh at what can even be considered normal these days. Some of these were laugh out loud while others weren't really my brand of funny, but the collection as whole is fun and enjoyable. |
Unfortunately, most of these comics were pretty forgettable to me. I just finished it two days ago and already can’t remember most of them. I do recall that the comic is broke up into sections related to coping with and attempting to act normal within different aspects of your life. Such as yourself, the world, and work. My favorite panels were under the ‘Coping with Love’ section. I definitely found those entertaining. I’m sure if you’re already a fan of John McNamee and his work then you’ll enjoy this one as well. However, this was my first foray into his work, and I can’t really say I related to much of what was written. That’s just my opinion though. Your mileage may vary. Received via Netgalley. All opinions expressed are solely my own. |
Rosie S, Reviewer
Such a lovely quirky read. This book has so many little comics in it that there is bound to be something for everyone. I found that so many of them spoke to me and had me chuckling aloud. The illustrations are perfect even though they are very simple. I read it on my kindle and I found that all of the strips translated very well to black and white, there wasn't any time that I struggled to make out the illustrations. They do also look lovely in colour. This book was exactly what I needed to cheer me up, especially with everything kicking up again. It is surely one that I will go back to in the future. I am already excited to share some of them with my husband, I mean where does all the toilet paper really go? |
A lively collection of cartoons which speak to the statement that there is no such thing as normal. Many of the comic strips, broken into different sections, gave me a chuckle or two. I didn't quite laugh out loud. I would have loved to have had even more drawings included. At 128 pages, this was a breeze to go through. |








