This was so lovely and so heart-breaking.
Nick is a wonderful protagonist; he’s awkward but funny and likable and compelling. He feels very real.
And Wren, omg Wren is who I want to be when I grow up – a wonderful character.

The story is told with economy, but each page has impact. And, there are some truly spectacular jokes mixed into this very poignant story and all are told in gorgeous artwork. The narrative (and aesthetic) use of color is so well done.

My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of In.

I wasn't sure what to expect from In; I enjoy graphic novels but they usual contain zombies, people running from zombies, violence and bloodshed, the supernatural or people killing zombies.

In's premise was intriguing and I'm pleased my request was approved.

In has a thoughtful premise about a young artist seeking a connection in our modern world filled with distractions, frustrations, and pretentious coffee shops.

At first, I found it difficult to get drawn into the story; I worried the tone was geared toward a younger crowd, millennial readers, but I found Nick to be a relatable character.

Nick is searching for a connection, a way to converse honestly and learn something about a person, whether it be his nephew, sister, mother, or the plumber, he's trying to do better with daily interactions because, let's face it, it's hard to connect, more so now in our plugged in world.

There are some funny moments; the way coffee shops are described (so true!), his sexy romps with Wren, and there are also the sad and tragic; loss, grief and sorrow.

The art is simplistic but works so well; Mr. McPhail conveys so much emotion and feeling from wide eyes and slack jawed expressions that I found myself either laughing out loud or nodding my head in agreement.

In is a thought provoking read that makes the reader consider his or her place in the world and how we are (dis)connected not just from nature, family and friends, but from ourselves.

It takes serious effort and discipline to connect with others, but also with yourself. Take that first step. And all the steps after. It's worth it. We're worth it.

I couldn't put this book down and read it in one sitting. Drawn with such a simplistic attention to detail, the brilliant artwork comes off looking easier than it could ever be in this story of Nick, who feels alienated to others and wants to be able to relate. There are some laugh out loud funny things in here, such as the night he has a bit of a romp with a woman after an impromptu date, as well as sad moments, and those that just make you think. Nick is a universal character that most of us can identify with. All the stars.

I've enjoyed McPhail's illustrations in The New Yorker before so was intrigued when I saw he was releasing a graphic novel. <i>In</i> makes for a poignant read, focusing on finding connection in our day to day interactions with each other through a semi-autobiographical lens. Touching on grief, love and dating, this had a deep impact even with a relatively short page count.

The illustrations were beautiful, and I can only imagine this would be better in hard copy form. Recommended!

In this Graphic Novel, Will McPhail perfectly illustrates the difficulty of finding meaningful connections in our daily lives. The main character Nick weaves in and out of coffee shops and bars providing a window into the life of a Millennial trying to discover himself through the interactions with others. My favorite part is the discussions Nick has with his Plumber which are oddly profound. This book experiments with the contrast between black and white images and color images to emphasize important discoveries which is a new experience for me. Will captured the facial expressions of the characters so perfectly I could not see this book as being in any other form than the Graphic Novel. When I finished this book, I felt that I had gone down the water slide along with Nick and pushed about the bowl of life to come out the other end dazed and confused but at the same time uplifted. The images from this book are exquisite and will stay with me long after I have finished reading this masterpiece.

this started of by making me laugh with all it's sarcasm and millennial humor. then it made me feel seen, that way we all want to connect but have no idea how to do it these days. and it ended up making me cry, i wasn't expecting the story to take such a deep and emotional turn. but it was great. i really like the at style, specially the color pages.

This graphic novel managed to make me feel very empty inside though there were plenty of scenes that made me laugh out loud. The art style is very interesting and fitting. In the beginning, I wasn't sure where the plot was going but it seems to tell more than one story and I like that. The characters and their relationships to one another are really well done as well, perhaps that is even one of my favourite things.

Everything that happened seemed to make sense and/or well thought out and it's a story that goes deep. Good read!

I had to fight the very millennial urge to go “oh mood” while reading this which is both great and also terrible because I was under the impression I had the ability to form real sentences. Apparently not.

So.

Oof. What a mood.

I loved the story and the design so much ; im very excited to have a real copy in hand versus a digital one so I can experience the illustrations up close. This was very near and dear to my heart and also like something of a fairytale. I’m living it but know how it ends ? Eventually. Hopefully.

Anyways! I loved it. And I have very few eloquent words to express that. #millennials

McPhail's main character is the embodiment of detachment, a theme that is definitely both personal and universal in this particular historical period - feelings are repressed more and more and relationships come to a standstill as people do not know how to communicate with each other.

In. is a graphic novel by New Yorker cartoonist, Will McPhail. The artwork stands out primarily as the author has successfully incorporated the millennial generation's woe in connecting with people deeply, and also describing the protagonist's experiences of communication blending in the magic realism.

Nick is a young illustrator (one can take it as a semi-biographical story) who fancies visiting coffeeshops and bars because they seem cool. And I loved how each coffee shop and bar is described in a genius manner. The illustrations are mostly portraited in black and grey, but there are bursts of vivid scenes with gorgeous colours when Nick connects to a person while conversing. He is astounded by the dream (or nightmare) like scenarios that he gets drifted into when he makes a connection with the person on a deeper level. He wants to communicate, however, he hesitates thinking talking might probably be a waste of time for others. He wants to talk to his sister, mother and a girl that he likes. But it is only when he actively takes part in communicating his thoughts rather than just observing as an artist is what makes the story complex yet beautiful at the same time.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this graphic novel. It is minimal in art yet has an impact on creating wonderful scenes that makes you reflect on how we bond with people in such a distraction-filled environment. The story is of Nick - it is simple. But the inner monologues of the illustrator warmly touches you even after you are finished reading.

Dnf at 28%

I got the ARC for this from NetGalley. I was intrigued by the description, but I wonder if it had clearly specified that the target audience for this was adult readers (given mature content) would have changed my mind.

In first third of this story (i.e. upto where I read), McPhail gives us a character who is witty but going through apparently a “millenial” existential crisis. I put that word in quotation marks because I don’t like to paint my entire generation with the same brush stroke...are we all like Nick and Wren?

I imagine this might appeal to readers who find porn, one-night stands with strangers, and lewd interactions as normal occurences — yes they’ll recognize they’re not very idealistic but hey that’s life, it happens, move on...

Even if the character arc set out for this story suggests that the protagonist will redeem himself and there is actually a beautiful lesson within the story, I personally could not move any further; I find it difficult to invest in books where the protagonist is intentionally shown to indulge in serious self destructive behaviour explicity for casual humor. Dnf’ed for the sole reason that this is not the kind of book for me.

This is a humanistic work of art. This book makes way with the human experience, interactions between family members, and romantic interest much in the same way as Oliver Assayas did with Summer Hours and Terence Malick did with The Thin Red Line.

This book is the best graphic novel that I’ve read since Adrian Tomine’s The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Cartoonist. It reminds me a lot of the deeply human experience of reading Colum McCann’s masterpiece, Apeirogon.

The book follows Nick, a young illustrator, who suddenly feels he can’t be stuck in his same forms of interactions. Opening up to a plumber starts shaping consequences that are very strange to Nick, and he dithers into entirely new worlds.

This is a masterpiece. 5/5.

A beautiful graphic novel. I absolutely loved it. It had humor, real life questions, was very relatable, and an overall joy to read. The story follows Nick, a young illustrator, who can’t shake the feeling that there is some hidden realm of interaction beyond his reach ( and I mean we all have had this feeling). He floats from place to place trying to just connect with someone or some feeling. He has very interesting and sometimes funny interactions with his neighbors, the bar man, his plumber, and a potential new relationship with a girl named Wren. But besides these human interactions, there is also another story told and its about how Nick deals with one of his family members getting cancer and how their relationship progresses. As someone who has had a family member pass from cancer, I found this to be very accurate and touching. The portrayal was so beautifully done and every interaction and lesson is just so heart felt. I truly loved this book and everything in it. I would highly recommend it for everyone as it is equal parts hilarious and heart-wrenching.

*Thank you Netgalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

“In” is about detachment. Nick walks through life, past millennial-y named coffee/tea/lifestyle shops feeling– or rather, not feeling at all. He has a sister who, when he asks her how she is, tells him not to bother. A mother who he calls to help with leaks. Seemingly meaningful relationships of any sort. I know – so far this has the incredible potential of being an extremely self-indulgent story about an emotionally constipated 20-something-year-old where boy who goes through life not understanding why no one likes him. But then... it’s not that. At all.

One of “In”’s strong points is the fact that it doesn’t try to hang its main character’s issues on anything. Considering he’s supposed to be a millennial, the potential for making social media and phone-to-hand connection the Big Bad seems imminent. But it’s not. Nick longs for solitude. No, that’s not entirely true. He longs to be unobserved. To feel without necessarily having that feeling be seen and approved by others. He uses an example from his childhood, the experience of being in a water park and going through the tunnels alone. He feels great there, feels the desire to share that feeling with his friends. And as soon as they’re there, it’s not the same anymore.

A ripple effect, then, and Nick is 20-something and doesn’t know how to share anymore, because what will that lead to? What’s that invisible barrier that stops him from talking to family, and to anyone, really? For us as readers the barrier is manifested literally, each frame bordered by a dark, solid line. That is, until Nick - fragmentarily - starts to open up, and the lines of not only the border, but also his own person start to blur, and we as readers start to actually learn more about him and his family. And he/we learn(s) that even if you try, it still might not be easy. In a conversation I think most children will have, whether internally or in real life, as they grow up and learn to start to see their parents, Nick says to his mother, “I’m trying to talk about you.” She says, “You weren’t asking about me.” He says he was, and she says, “I’m not just who I am to you, Nick.” And his world opens up.

There are stories that work when they are made into graphic novels. Then there are stories that are made to be told as graphic novels. This is definitely the latter. The art style, the use of framing and colour, the layout are all meaningful and intentional at every turn of the page. The feeling of emptiness and then space that are created when Nick shifts between not-feeling and feeling become tangible. I love graphic novels that are this purposeful.

And on top of that this book is just really funny. The coffee shop jokes got me every time. It teased millennial culture without being an asshole about the things that matter. I laughed out loud multiple times. A bit cheeky, a bit tongue-in-cheek. It really worked for me.

I think the concept as a whole could’ve been driven further, deeper. I’d maybe have liked it to hollow me out a tad more than it did. But it was really good nonetheless. Not to go full circle here, but now that I think about it, maybe “In” isn’t about detachment. It’s about what happens when that detachment ends (because something does).

I received a free ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This graphic novel is poignant and heartfelt. It is the story of a millennial who is desperate to make personal connections with others and when he finally does, his life dramatically changes in unexpected, impactful ways.
I laughed at the dry humor and was left teary-eyed at the end due to the unexpected emotional impact of the story. This is truly well done.

Advanced readers copy provided courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book a great deal. While the subject matter could be overdone/overexposed I really liked the art style and pacing. The detours into a sort of surrealism combined with flashes of color really delivered the "true connection" feeling that I think the artist was going for. It made me laugh out loud a few times, and I was actually late for an appointment because I had to finish reading this.

There is something in the blend of different styles, the windows into the souls of others, the worlds they contain that lingers after finishing it. We follow Nick in his struggle to connect and understand the silence, the quiet wall, that exists between people. The description mentions millennial, but I feel many have felt the push to individualization. Some know of a "good ole day", while other don't. It is a lost connection with people that makes us wary of even talking, being open, being honest. There is a lot to reflect with this title and I recommend it for public library adult graphic novel collections.