TWs - mental illness, suicidal ideation, pandemic

This is a really creative way of visualising mental health issues. In this non-fiction graphic novel, the quthor recounts his struggles through depicting his mental health issues as different monsters that take up physical space in his life. The push him off the couch, they wreck his flat, they push him out of bed and generally just make him really uncomfortable.

Picturing mental health issues as monstrous roommates is a really creative tool the author uses masterfully to relate his issues to the audience and cause them to think 'what do my demons look like?'

I really enjoyed the art style too, it was funny and quirky and leant itself to the stories being told very well.

My only critique is I think this idea and style works better as a web comic/static cartoons than it does in a book because there were some issues with flow between scenes.

Overall I think this is an enjoyable and relatable graphic novel and I recommend it to anyone who's struggled with their mental health

Thanks NetGalley for providing me an eARC of this graphic novel

Amazing!
This graphic novel really captures how it is to deal with anxiety, fear, doubts, toxic thoughts... I find it very relatable and it helped me to see that there is a way to deal with those monsters. Art is really excellent, cute and a little creepy.

This is a great graphic novel. Mental health is still a tough subject for some. I think this book will help a lot of people.

Inside Out but for adults who suffer from all sorts of mental illness and turmoil.

This graphic novel was so good at expressing what so many of us go through and deal with when it comes to things like self-doubt, anxiety, depression & more. It was so refreshing to see these things drawn out and written out in a way that made them so validating and real. People often feel as if they're struggling alone with their 'monsters' and the message of this graphic novel is the exact opposite.

Our struggles can overwhelm us and dictate our entire lives if we let the shadow of them bury us. Sometimes may not even realize its happening as the progression of drowning in it can be so slow- a chipping away bit by bit that we wouldn't even see until too much of our original selves is already gone and we don't recognize who we're living as anymore.

This graphic novel really symbolized so much in such a unique way. The art was great and the dialogue flows very smoothly. I would definitely recommend this to others!

4 star
Mental Health is not really talked much today, and this graphic novel really did a great job in capturing importance of mental health and what it feels like to go through one. Each of the monster has a personality and the illustrations in this graphic novel is so well-done.

It was a relatable book. I like the way anxiety, depression, trauma and the others were displayed as monsters that one can't get rid off. I like that the character developed and the monsters didn't just disappear, they were there but the character learnt how to deal with them better.

Insecurity, childhood trauma, sadness, doubts, impostor syndrome, social anxiety, obsessive / toxic thoughts and fear of the future are the New Monsters. Alfonso Casas manages to describe survival with these monsters in my head so well that it scares me, since he also talks about and to me.
It's amazing how people who don't know each other can share the same paranoia, the same doubts.
The book manages to tell a story of inner oppression but also of growth and acceptance of one's monsters, because the difficulty lies in living with anxiety.
I like how the monsters have been graphically represented, they reflect very well what they embody.
In the first part, monsters loom over the pages, they are the real protagonists of the story, while after becoming aware, it's the protagonist who emerges, the monsters become secondary, surrounding the narrative.
The title of this graphic novel immediately captured me, I was not expecting something superficial and in fact I was very satisfied.
Recommended!

Alfonso is dealing with a plethora of unwelcomed guests - Anxiety About the Future, Doubts, Fear, Imposter Syndrome, Past Traumas, Sadness, Social Anxiety, Toxic Thoughts, and The Unknown. After failing to evict them, he bargains, and even goes to trial, for a chance at a normal life with his boyfriend.

Anytime books or comics about mental illness are released I have a tinge of fear that it’s going to fall into the trope of toxic positivity. “Just be happy!” “Who needs meds when you have nature!” Alfonso’s acceptance that the monsters will never go away is a warm embrace of reality. We learn to co-exist so that we may exist. "This isn’t the triumphant tale of a hero who defeated his monsters. It’s just a story of somebody who’s learning to live with them"

Generally, I’m turned off by black and white comics (gasp!) but knowing that the state of our minds lingers in the areas of grey fits the story well.

All of the monsters are lively and authentic. My favorite, the drinking bird (aka past traumas) is a humorous take on the trivial experience from childhood that causes us lifelong anxieties.

With a 16+ rating, I expected a deeper discussion of the impacts of mental illness. As someone very open about their mental health struggles, I didn’t gain any new knowledge from it. For neurotypicals, I don’t think there is much here to learn from. It's a too simplistic description of the monsters that control our lives.

We all need gentle reminders that we’re not alone, that these monsters exist outside of our own minds. It’s a comforting read for all of us struggling to manage our monsters.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

MonsterMind is a graphic novel that deals with the pesky monsters that occur in many of our heads - like anxiety, doubt, fear, etc. Many of the chapters illustrate what feeling that emotion is like, which I appreciated since not everyone is familiar with certain things like social anxiety. I wish there had been more within each chapter though - sometimes it felt hard to identify the monster (there is a guide at the end!).

It also talks about how to deal with these monsters in our minds. I think this is super relatable - I just wish it was a little longer/had more explanation in areas!

This book is all visuals and story, which follows our protagonist as he learns to wrestle with mental illness; from the struggles of living with them to discovering how to mange them.

I think one of the best points of this book is the art, with its black and white pallete, the aspects of mental illness are portrayed as ‘monsters’, creatures that hug the line of cute and scary which works in the favor of the story, making them all both unassuming but dangerous to the protagnonist.

The style is reminiscent of a newspaper comic strip and deals with very harrowing issues that one can very often relate to. There is no ‘defeat the monsters’ narrative in this one. It is a very realistic take on how one deals with mental illness told in chaptered stories that linearly portray one’s acceptance with their problems.

The plot was very relatistic and rings true to home, with interesting visual concepts and story arcs that keep the story interesting.

Great for a quick but substantial read.

Thank you Netgalley and Diamond Book Distributors for a copy of the book in exchange for an honet review.

The book was very relatable from the illustrations to the things the main character said/did and it made me feel seen.
Going into the book I didn't realize that it will hit me this much because the blurb doesn't do the book any justice.
The book showed us how the mc realized what he had and how he did little little changes in his life that in the end made a big impact and I got a great message from the book.
Highly recommend this!

This graphic was quick to read and very relatable as it covers a topic we all deal with, mental health. Wether we feel self doubt, anxiety, fear or sadness, this graphic novel brilliantly uses the monster metaphor to describe what goes on in our heads.
I definitely enjoyed reading this one and would be interested in reading more from this author!

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers Diamond Book Distributors and Ablaze for an advanced copy of this new graphic biography/ self-help book.

Comic books are a visual treat allowing artists and writers to use art and words to tell amazingly complex stories taken from the minds of the creators and given to the reader to enjoy. Comics can also give you glimpses into the minds of these same creators, allowing them to display their inner world with all its doubts and fears, creating works that can be much scarier and disturbing then the most speculative of fiction. Bestselling Spanish author and illustrator Alfonso Casas in his new work MonsterMind: Dealing With Anxiety & Self-Doubt, gives life to his fears and phobias in a very personal story, a biography of his fears and phobias all brought to life on the page.

The comic starts with one or two monsters, but soon the cast expands as Mr. Casas allows these monsters more and more room in his small apartment. Mr. Fear, Mr. Social Anxiety, Mr. Sadness and more crowd him, first on his deck, his couch, his bed and soon every waking thought. These monsters never shut up, informing and sharing "their" thoughts on his life, his failures, his aloneness, and his attempts to stop letting these monsters rule his world. As the global pandemic starts to get worse and worse, Mr. Casas tries something new.

The story is a very personal and raw in many ways, with an art work that is both realistic, and surreal when it comes to the monsters that are his fears. Many of his visitors are creatures that I struggle with, and I could identify and laugh at some of what was written, while being very bothered by it also. The good thing for a reader that might share these feelings is that you are not alone. We all share these inner voices. Mr. Casas's way of approaching them might not work for all, nor even for some, but seeing someone come to grips with their problem, and moving on with their life is very rewarding. And understanding that there is no one cure, but lots of work, is another good lesson to show.

The story with the art is quite good, honest, painful and yet hopeful. Recommended for people who are struggling, and especially for teens who have more of a familiarity with graphic works. Representation, even if it is of shared inner voices is important. A lot of people have doubts, dealing with them and asking for help is a tough thing. Maybe reading this graphic novel might aid in that.

What an honest, brave portrayal of the anxieties, depression, trauma, etc that the graphic novellist is experiencing.
Drawn in black and white, it was insightful and had so much depth.
Recently, I have been facing some depressive moments myself and reading this, then going to the end of the comic where there were items listed for consideration was so insightful.
A book for those going through a tough time, those who know of people going through a tough time, and those who want to better understand those going through mental health issues.

I really liked this book! I think the different aspects of mental struggles, like anxiety, depression, imposter syndrome, etc. were each drawn out in such a perfect way and even given personalities. The personification was perfect. It would be a great book to teach young people about mental health and how to deal with struggling with it. I also LOVE that it has tangible, doable practices at the end of the book that helps readers learn how to cope with their own “monsters.” I’d love to pass this on to some of my current college students if I could, because lots of them are just now starting to meet their monsters for the first time and having to learn how to cope with them. This is a great educational tool.

I really enjoyed this one. I love the drawings of each of the “monsters” and I appreciated how the author didn’t romanticise the idea of “Yaay, he’s rid of his monsters”— the concluding notion is that we can only recognise, acknowledge and manage each of our “monsters”
Good read 👌🏾

It's an incredibly personal and approachable story that perfectly illustrates mental health issues without ever getting into too dark territory. Casas relates how it started, how they overwhelm, and how something can be done to work in overcoming the challenges they create.
Casas gave some of the worst feelings and sensations some of the cutest little monster looks and I love that it works to make them feel less daunting. It adds to the approachability of the story and makes it feel like facing those awful terrors can have a lighter side.

Happy thanks to NetGalley, Diamond Book Distributors, and Ablaze for the great read!

This book was not only a visually appealing novel but a relatable one as well. Each page resonated with me, so much so that I immediately recommended this to friends. Even if you have never dealt with a mental illness, you will relate to Casas and his monsters. I've definitely had Mr. Past Traumas and Mr. Sadness make an appearance in my life and keep me up at night.

Casas's artwork, at first glance, looks simple but if you pay attention you see these small details that Casas has put in that really does take his art to a whole other level. As far as the story goes, I did love the evolution of Casas's relationships with his monsters, as he goes from hating these monsters to acceptance of them.

Overall, a fun and interesting graphic novel.

First off the pictures in this are incredible. It’s visually appealing and just well done.

Second, the visuals and story both give an accurate representation of what I feel everyday. It helps to know that I’m not the only one who feels like this.

I really loved MonsterMind by Alfonso Casas. As someone that has anxiety, I really felt that this was a great depiction of anxiety and all the monsters that hold you back and I really felt that the cadence in the story telling is perfect. I loved how the author found the pandemic as the force to break through the anxiety. It's impressive.

I really enjoyed this. Special thanks to NetGalley and Diamond Book Distributors for the advanced copy!