This read at times very much like my brain works - random facts, lots of bullets, adhd-skipping all over the place. Which is precisely why I liked it. As someone who is neurodivergent reading through this was easy (because who doesn’t love doodles). An illustrated memoir was a wonderful choice to tell this story and I enjoyed this formatting and storytelling.

This book is so honest and raw, I was flinching many times throughout my reading. It’s a real portrayal of the life of one person living with mental illness. One of her diagnoses is borderline personality disorder, and she is here to break and remake the stereotypes surrounding it. Expertly done and intense.

A gorgeous meditation on mental illness, womanhood, and young adulthood. A masterclass in genre-hybridity!




Thanks to NetGalley and Tin House for the ARC!

Very interesting and unique concept of a graphic memoir. Slightly problematic in the subject matter, and reads a bit like a teen/young adult at times and very adult at others. Hard to categorize in the library.

This is a deeply personal look at one woman's life with BPD, depression and anxiety. It's colorfully illustrated with whimsical drawings, self portraits and even Venn diagrams. I applaud Cook for being so honest with her story but also kept feeling that many people unfamiliar with BPD are likely to come away from it thinking that she depicts the "average" person with BPD. There are a lot of characteristics of people with BPD that are very common but every person is different. Her very specific way of self harming, for instance, is very specific to her and is not necessarily something that the average person with BPD does (self harm in general is very common with people with BPD). This is excellent as a look at one person's life with Borderline Personality Disorder and it is a fascinating one. I also would have liked more of a wrap-up of her life now, and perhaps something offered to readers who either have BPD themselves or who love people who do.

I have loved ones with BPD and I ultimately decided not to get them copies because it did not feel like a book that would offer comfort or healing strategies and might even be triggering for some harmful behaviors. Cook also seems to come from a life of great privilege (though she doesn't acknowledge this) and her experience may be quite different from some people with BPD for this reason too. It was an interesting look into her life, but some readers may not be able to extrapolate a lot for their own lives or gain knowledge in general about BPD.

I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for review.

The Way She Feels: My Life on the Borderline in PIctures & Pieces is a graphic memoir of the author's life with borderline personality disorder. A combination of an overview of the disorder, details of the author's memories and experiences, and lighthearted moments in between, this book uses illustrations throughout each chapter to provide the reader with a unique look into the numerous aspects of the disorder.

I was drawn to this book based on the topic of borderline personality disorder alone and was surprised and impressed at this specific take on a memoir, especially one based on a mental illness. The author did a fantastic job detailing an often misunderstood disorder and is very brave in the amount of information that she shared; this is so important in increasing understanding and eliminating stigma surrounding mental illness. Thoughtfully illustrated throughout the book, the art added an extra element to the story, especially when the subject matter became heavy. And in my opinion, the highlight of this book is the chapter on the author's google search of the disorder and how it led to her writing this book. This book is great approach to a difficult topic and is a book that I would recommend.

Thanks to Netgalley and Tin House for this ARC; this is my honest and voluntary review.

I have to state that I admire Courtney for being brave enough to write this book. It was an emotional, heartbreaking and very personal take on borderline personality disorder. I hope others take from this that labeling people as ‘crazy’ is just wrong and hurtful. That being said I had at times a hard time following the direction of the stories. One minute it was about her dad and then it switched to another story of traveling which was confusing for me. I was surprised that the ending felt unfinished. I wanted more of how she was doing today versus 10 years ago. Overall, this was a good story of a young lady living with borderline personality disorder. I highly recommend it. I wish her the best.
I received this Arc from the publisher and Netgalley for my honest review and opinion.

I really enjoyed the first half of "The Way She Feels", but the second half became a little repetitive. I appreciate the author being candid about her experiences coping and living with borderline personality disorder. BPD is a very complicated mental illness for the general public to understand. I've met people in the past who are extremely judgmental when it comes to those who suffer from BPD. Courtney Cook does her best to explain what it's like for her inside her brain and body. The way she fears being abandoned, unloved, criticized, etc. There are some trigger warnings like self-harm (cutting), unhealthy relationships, picking at her skin, etc. Courtney lays it all on the table. The truth will set you free. I thought the illustrations were cute. I also have a deep love for sugary cereal. My main gripe however was the overall tone. Sometimes the writing felt heavy-handed and melodramatic. Again, I commend the author for sharing her hardships with complete strangers. It's not easy to put yourself out there. I wish her nothing but the best.

Thank you, Netgalley and Tin House for the digital ARC.

A moving and creative graphic and prose memoir from a young artist who struggles with depression, anxiety, and borderline personality disorder. This book does a great job humanizing the diagnosis and heling people understand what borderline feels from the inside. The mix op of art, comics, lists, and short prose pieces keeps the topic from being too oppressive. I really learned a lot from this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is a heavy topic made into an easy to understand, and relate to, book. The light and airy illustrations add a lot but doesn't discount the seriousness of living with BPD. I think I would've liked this more if I had read it as a teenager.

I probably would have loved this book in high school. As an adult it’s still an enjoyable enough read due to a peppering of very funny moments, interesting tidbits on BPD, and some cute artwork.

*Thank you to Tin House publishing, Courtney Cook and Netgalley for providing me with a E-ARC of "The Way She Feels" in exchange for an honest review.*

Wow, this was relatable. As someone with BPD I definitely related to Courtney's experience (the feeling of abandonment, always feeling numb,ect.) This was definitely a powerful read. I also appreciate that Courtney put trigger warninga at the beginning of her book, as some of the topics she discussed are triggering.

The Way She Feels was a difficult read because of the layout. The first part of the book was laid out in bullet points; each point had a characteristic or an experience of the author’s. The illustrations were childish. Her story is unique and I like the premise. I would like to read this book if it was laid out in a more regular fashion.

This book was fairly heavy, but it deftly matched the heavy content about self-harm, suicide attempts, suicidal ideation, and BPD/depression/anxiety with much light[er] fare. Cook's art style is whimsical and fun, and it by turns punctuates and emphasizes the written content. It's by turns informative for readers who might not know much about BPD (or might only know incorrect/stereotypical/ableist 'information') while also being (presumably) a useful set of stories for people who DO understand and might experience some of Cook's mental illnesses. It also seems like a great sign that more nuanced and ownvoices accounts of BPD are coming out.