Thank you to NetGalley and publishers for this ARC

A weird graphic novel, not sure how I felt about it if im honest

I think this book gives an really good and important look at mental health. The artwork is amazing and fits right in with the theme.

This was an interesting read for me, it hit close to home. When I was five, my mother had a psychotic break, and she spent the rest of her life doing that dance you do when you're mentally ill- in and out of hospitals, on and off medications, in and out of treatment. Her diagnosis was originally schizophrenia, later changed to major depression with psychotic features, so her illness was different than Mathis', but the stories she told me when I was older are similar to Mathis' accounts in this book, so all of that rang very true to me, meaning I don't think he exaggerated any parts; if anything, I suspect he may have downplayed bits. The thread in this book meanders quite a bit, skipping around, getting confusing in places, and that also rings true; it can be hard to keep events in the right order when you're not sure if they really happened or not. Hospitalizations blend together, as do the other patients and staff. Often, the delusions are more real, more tangible than reality. Mathis did a good job relating his story in a way that made it understandable to someone who hasn't gone through what he has.
The art fits the story well, with quiet bits of madness creeping into everyday life. For example, shadows are lurking everywhere, swirling around people, especially Mathis, like smoke, but they never seem menacing- they're more like companions. The art style doesn't change going from reality to delusion and back again, which adds an authentic feel. I would recommend this graphic memoir to anyone who'd like a peek into the mind of a mentally ill person to gain a better understanding of what they go through.

#Psychotic #NetGalley

First of all, the art and composition are marvelous, fitting and absolutely psychedelic. It served really well the themes of the book and the story. Jacques and Sylvain must have collaborated very closely to achieve such a coherent style while still representing Jacques' psychosis.
The story is obsviously important, I think all stories about mental health are important and this one gave me an outlook on what it can be like to live with psychosis and be in a mental hospital, the experience of having to take meds that dull you, the experience of having to live in a world that hurts when you can embrace a delightful world that don't exist for other people.

3.5 stars

A very readable & relatable graphic novel memoir of Jacques, a French filmmaker with bipolar disorder, in which he recounts his experiences with psychosis, mania, depression, & extended stays in mental hospitals. The art is also nice.

[What I liked:]

•This is not long, overwhelmingly detailed, depressing, or difficult to read. Jacques’s writing is articulate & I was able to relate to many of his feelings & experiences, & visualize/try to understand some of his experiences I can’t personally relate to. This is a balanced account that covers joy & depression, reality & delusions, & the liminal spaces in between.

•The art is colorful, detailed, & layered. It evokes the mystery & otherworldliness of some of Jacques’s experiences, as well as portraying the small details of daily life. I really like how most characters, as well as some objects & concepts, have a “shadow” that represents how Jacques views or perceives them.


[What I didn’t like as much:]

•There isn’t a clear structure to the book. The narrative jumps around chronologically & topically—not in a way that’s confusing, since the chapters are adequately introduced & summarized, but the organization decisions still felt a bit random.

•It would have been nice to have a few more orienting details (how did Jacques end up in Strasbourg, what decades did these events take place in, etc.)

CW: mental illness, bullying

[I received an ARC ebook copy from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Thank you for the book!]

3 out of 5 stars!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

I think talking about any form of mental illness is very important and especially when its in such a 'digestible' way.

I really enjoyed the style of the artwork and the simplicity of it. I think this is impactful and a great read

I recommend this

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Jacques writes about his life and experiences with psychosis in graphic novel format. Though it was interesting, it also felt a bit unsettling. I suppose this could be great for understanding what it may be like to live with psychotic episodes, but beyond that, I wouldn't really recommend it.

I felt this was a very honest expression of mental illness. The artwork was amazing. The content was very intense however and I found I had to read it over a few sittings because of it's intensity. For me, it jumped around a bit - but it was an insightful read.

This is an intense, interesting and important story about what being psychotic can be like, from the perspective of someone who went through it several times. I love how it plays with colours and pictures, and so puts more emphasis to the words.

A slight bump in the road of reading 'Psychotic' in one sit like I did, for me, were the letters. Especially since reading this was so intense already.

Still I think this is something everyone should read. Especially since it's so, so important to give an audience to the voices of the people actually experiencing things like this.

The premise of this book is pretty interesting. Unfortunately I’m not really a fan of the framing device. In a very meta setup the book illustrates the process of being written before diving back into the author’s past struggles. These sections could have been cut out without removing anything important from the emotion or themes of the book. I would have appreciated a bit more context about the time when this all took place. The book kept jumping back and forth through time which left me a bit confused.
I liked the bright colors of the art and I think this book did a great job of showing the loneliness of mental illness.

A unique and insightful look at what it means to live with a severe mental condition, and the ways in which it can impact your life but also uplift you and bring bright colors into your world.

I was really excited for this graphic memoir about the author's experiences with psychosis because it's an important topic and I think it's all the more important to get perspectives and thoughts from those who experience it.

However, I felt really disappointed reading Psychotic. The memoir felt very disorganized - it would jump between the past and Mathis' experiences and then a sort of current day time where he is writing this very book and working on it with the illustrator but the boundaries between these two time periods are very fluid and at times confusing. I often was confused as to who people were or when things were taking place or what it had to do with the rest of this narrative.

For example, there is a chapter that flashes back to Mathis' childhood where he is exploring an old abandoned bunker with his two friends, playing a game where they collect ammunition left behind for points. However, Mathis' parents show up to lecture the children and there seems to be an explosion off-page? But no one is hurt and the parents only scold them for being reckless before taking the unnamed friends back to their own parents. The author's feelings from the event are not reflected upon and I was left wondering why this anecdote was the one shared from his childhood.

Another subplot that is threaded through the present-day events is Mathis wanting to break up with his girlfriend in Paris. We never see them speak or interact, even in flashbacks - we have one panel of his girlfriend reading the letter he left on her doorstep to say goodbye and that's it. We don't know why he's breaking up with her or how they started dating, etc., so I felt very little emotions about their relationship or break-up.

So much of the book feels unrelated to other parts that it felt more like a rough draft or an outline of ideas for a memoir than an actual memoir.

I did really like Dorange's art and how Mathis' mental state is represented. I also liked that Mathis shares his experiences from being institutionalized with a critical eye; he questions the force and violence used against patients and wonders if there isn't any better way for treating those hospitalized, wonders if some of his current state hasn't been caused by his treatment there. He shares what isolation was like when he was held alone in a padded cell with nothing to do but think. He questions the chemical straitjacket that he feels he's in to control his psychosis. I liked these parts and I liked these reflections and his honesty; however, I felt that these sections were far too few and bogged down by the disorganization and confusion of the memoir.

I want there to be more conversations about experiences and living with mental illness but I just didn't enjoy this one. I think it would benefit greatly from some editing and clarification. If anyone is interested in another graphic memoir about living with Bipolar disorder, I would definitely recommend Marbles by Ellen Forney instead.