The story and the art style are very unique. It shows Baby going through life in a world where mental health is problematic and a crime to have feelings. What I like about this story it shows how some people view mental health in today’s society and world. From how it is a struggle to find your identity and show emotion. I like how Baby found herself in a place where she belongs. Berina is there every step of the way with her showing her that there’s nothing wrong with her. The two together have a strong connection that brings them closer. Also shows just how much they found a place in someone that understands them. I enjoyed reading Baby Blue very much.

Disclaimer: I received an e-ARC from netgalley.

This graphic novel presents a dystopian fascist Sweden, where mental health is regulated and those who cannot present adequately are fixed. The main character Betty is trying her best to go through the motions and pass as normal and well-adjusted, but after witnessing a suicide and crying in public she is sent to a hospital for treatment. There she meets a woman wearing an animal mask, who seems unaffected by the lobotomizing drugs they are given just like Betty is and soon she’s part of a resistance movement fighting for autonomy.
The plot moves fast, only giving enough detail to build this world, most of it dark. I was reminded of another dystopian book called “Failure to Comply” by Cavar, both in the heavy control exercised over emotions and mental health of citizens to create a healthy populous, the dangers for those who cannot (for whatever reason) just be normal as well as the portrayal of the forest as a place to escape this control. What I also found intriguing is that any characters whose differences would be too visible (f.e. physical visible disability (two characters are blind in one eye, but cover that up most of the time) or more visible mental illnesses such as nonverbal autism or psychosis) simply do not exist in this graphic novel and hints of heavy eugenic population control are given (but not explored in detail). I definitely found it interesting to see, who was missing from this book and what that means about the society presented here.
I also enjoyed the art style, it was eerie and unsettling, presented in navy-blue and white and presenting characters with really interesting and varied body and facial shapes that made it easy to keep them all distinct.
All in all this graphic novel is a quite interesting story of resistance against oppression with a focus on mental health. It doesn’t dig as deep as I would like and a few of the horrors can only be inferred through looking at who is missing from the narrative completely, but all in all, I had a fun time reading this and enjoyed it.

TW: ableism, coercion, drugs, eugenics, governmental control, sexual assault, suicide, violence

4.25 Stars
Thank you NetGalley for giving me early access to this book. It's important to note that this is Brim Eriksson’s first US release and is an english translation of her book by the same name released in Sweden in 2021.
A very brief summery: In a not so distant future Betty lives in a society that “corrects” and punishes mental health issues. After she's caught crying in public, peace keepers take her to a facility that will help “fix” her. There she meets a friend who opens her eyes to what's really going on, and gives her an opportunity to live more freely.

So right of the bat I had 2 options: wow this is really interesting I can't wait to see where this story goes, and I’m not so sure if this art style is for me. I'm happy to report that I really enjoyed where the story went, and the art style really grew on me. The idea isn't something completely new, but I really enjoyed how Brim tackled this concept and where she went with it. I loved the ink being blue and think the pages were structured well and complimented the art style. I really don't have to much else to say other than I really enjoyed it and definitely will be recommending it!

I don't struggle with any kind of mental health problem (that I know) but if I had one, I would be part of the Resistance. I hope there's more books like this one.

3 stars

A dystopian tale set in Sweden. It's sad to say, but it is a timely story about oppression and silencing diverse voices. The plot is pretty straightforward so I won't say much, just that we are following a girl in her twenties, struggling with depression and feeling lonely. Her mood quickly catches the eye of the peacekeepers, and she is soon forced to start therapy and put on aggressive meds. In here, she'll meet a mysterious girl, someone fighting against injustice and oppression.

First, the positives. I really enjoyed the art style. It's not a common style, the character design is not pretty per se, but it's original. I liked the masks the characters wear, they are a bit grotesque sometimes but makes the aesthetic something unique. As for the plot, I liked that this story centers a lot in mental health. I also feel like the pacing is good, balanced.

When you have read other dystopian stories, they feel quite predictable and Baby Blue is not the exception. It was a fine graphic novel, but nothing that I could truly call special. I appreciate the message, as always, and sadly with the current political landscape stories like these are quite important to have. So, if you feel like supporting an indie author that is trying to elevate the voices many people are tryng to silence today, you should give this a try.

Thanks to NetGalley and Fantagraphics Books for this advanced copy of the graphic novel.

In a close-futuristic Stockholm, Betty is caught crying in public and gets taken in for mental health treatment. But everything is not as it seems, when she meets Berina, her eyes open up to the resistance.

We went on such a journey with Betty in this graphic novel! Her story is one that everyone experiences at some point in their life (hopefully), of going from a place of thinking everything is wrong with you to realizing everything is wrong with a world that made you feel that way. While this story is sad and dark, even more so because of it's realistic nature, I think it's a call of action. A call to community organizing, queer liberation, self reflection, and vulnerable friendships.

The one odd thing about the book was around the reveal of Berina's income and how the resistance functions in regards to gaining funds. It didn't make much sense to me, and we didn't get to explore that part of the plot. I was hoping for more in-tell on how the resistance organizes themselves especially in terms of leadership, as the information we got was rather sketchy and unclear. But I also appreciate that it wasn't the main focus of the story. I would have liked even more queerness, and norm-breaking characters and relationships in a book like this all around.

It is rare to get an adult graphic novel with such poignant themes for our time, with the most stunning, unique art. Especially fun as a Swedish person, seeing places and names that I know! Incredible line art, character illustration, that made the reading experience just that much more enjoyable. I really appreciate this novel, in all it's beauty. And it comes with a playlist!!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Fantagraphics for granting me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC of the English translation of the Swedish graphic novel. For a premise that is solidly dystopian, the tone and art style is surprisingly whimsical. It's an odd combo but that's what sets it apart from otherwise bleak works like Bitch Planet or Handmaid's Tale. I don't know if I've ever imagined a Scandinavian dystopia, but somehow this campy version with masks and underground resistance with music and racquetball and cats makes complete sense. That said, it's not super deep, mostly serves literally as Baby's introduction to anti-fascist resistance. And the biggest action piece involves a rescue from medical imprisonment by an autocratic regime, rather than something to topple the regime. Overall it's sweet and odd, but not particularly groundbreaking.

I really enjoyed this one, but I did feel like the ending was rushed. I gave this one 4.5 stars because of that. Thank you netgalley and the publisher for this arc!

Publishing date: 11.03.2025 (DD/MM/YYYY)
Thank you to NetGalley and Fantagraphics Books for the ARC. My opinions are my own.

TLDR: A woman in a dystopian world is different and had so become a rebel along with other rebels. Explores mental health and being different. 5 stars

In this dystopia you have to have a healthy mind and be a part of the flock. Any kind of deviance leads to you getting forcefully treated and/or detained. Our main character has a breakdown in public and gets detained for that. This leads to her meeting a rebel group and becoming part of them.

The character work here is stunning. They feel like people, not all of them are likeable, most of them have glaring flaws and unlikeable attributes, but they feel so human for that. Everyone has a reason for being the way they are and doing the things they do that feels "realistic". Stunning work.

The story was great, I related lots to the struggles and problems. I don't wish to spoil it much, but if you like hopeless underdog stories, this might be for you.

Pacing wise, it was fine. Moved very quickly along, maybe a little too quick. I wish it was longer and didn't stop where it stopped. Maybe the author has more in the works to expand on this.

The artstyle was a little hard to get used to. It reminded me a lot of corporate memphis (not a fan of), mixed with caricatures (fan of). I am still mixed on whether I like it or not, but it was very unique.

Audience is adults, more precisely adults that are fans of dystopia and mental health struggles.

I am giving this the full pot, 5 stars. I was blown away by this. I enjoyed it so much, and am still thinking about it. Love reading about controlling dystopias and groups that rebel against it. I will recommend it to all my other weirdos and strugglers. If the author makes any more works like this I will gladly eat it all up.

Thank you netgalley for allowing me to read this ebook! I loved the storyline and felt, unfortunately, that it definitely had some parallels to where we’re going. I also want to note the art style was uncomfortable to me but made sense with the story - awesome job!

Thanks to Bim Eriksson and NetGalley for this ARC!

I absolutely loved this take on dystopia, it felt so original and so bold in its take on resistance. I love how queerness is an important but also an incredibly realistic and non-sensationalised part of the narrative. Really really enjoyed it.

Happy almost-release day! And what a book this is. O my god.

Baby Blue is about Betty, who lives in a near-future version of Sweden, a fascist world where mental health is strictly policed. Being what they call a burden to society is punishable, and displaying behavior deemed abnormal gets you flagged and dealt with.

Thanks to NetGalley and Fantagraphics Books for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for a review. This is my honest opinion and entirely my own. I recommend this to readers who want to stay politically engaged through fiction, but also to those who can appreciate dark dystopian stories in which queer people aren’t forgotten.

During the first 20 pages of this book, I mostly found myself thinking “what the actual fuck”, while still getting used to the art style. But once you push through that initial bewilderment and adapt to the style, you’ll still be shocked — because it’s probably not what you expected. I personally found it quite creepy at times. The art style helps with that: it’s very consistent, but it doesn’t try to be aesthetic or pleasing to the eye. Instead, it helps you focus on the story itself and works hard to carry that weight.

Baby Blue delivers powerful commentary on one-sided and censored news coverage, on what it means to participate in a society you don’t fit into, and for some readers it might be a bit of an eye-opener when it comes to our current world.

While at times both incredibly funny and extremely dark, I think this is an easily accessible read about the shift in our political climate, how our actions matter, and how queer people still have the right to exist — and be happy doing so — even if that means fighting against everything we’ve ever known.

Here is a (incomplete) list of trigger warnings, which could be seen as spoilers:
Suicide, depression, violence, and medical horror/torture.

Scandinavian authors have a particular knack for creating disconcerting dystopias, very European in their coldness and efficiency - here's another one! And it's actually not that cold, with a lot of outsiders finding and supporting eachother. This is all very timely, of course, with real life turning into, or already being, a dystopia, with a constant 'othering' of people and trying to erase them from existence.

That all sounds quite heavy, but the book is much lighter, with a beautiful surreal tinge and lots of humour. In fact, the book might even be a bit too positive for my tastes, with a too hopeful ending, but on the other hand, that's probably what we need now; a message of hope.

The art is absurd and wonderful, really quite excellent. Overall, an excellent book for our time.

Baby Blue by Bim Eriksson is about identity and the need to express yourself in a world that dictates what is considered normal or abnormal. Going in, I wasn't aware of how dark the comic would've been, which definitely caught me off guard a bit. The graphic novel is easy to get into and the story was delivered well. There were some moments where it felt like the characters were relaying info in chunks rather than in bits and pieces of how society works or how the resistance works but the pacing moves pretty fast, so I understand the need to fill in the reader as quickly as possible. I'd say I'm not used to a very unique artstyle as I'm only used to a more anime or superheros styles, so this was a nice change of pace for my eyes. It conveyed the story effectively, which is the part that really matters. Overall, I breezed through it, and I have no other qualms about it. The topic of the book might be a bit heavy for some people, so that's something to keep in mind. To note, this is not a romance graphic novel, as the romance plays a very miniscule part in the story.

𝘔𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺, 𝘍𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘴 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘉𝘪𝘮 𝘌𝘳𝘪𝘬𝘴𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸. 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴.

Thanks to Fantagraphics and NetGalley for this eARC. It is a interesting dystopian story with very unique art regarding masks and proportions.

I requested and received this book from NetGalley. My opinions are my own.

"Baby Blue" is dark and relatable, especially especially for right now, and for people like me. People like Baby, Berina, (and others not mentioned in the blurb). The art style is so unique. I loved it, it's a reminder that I'm not alone. That people like me are not alone. In fact we're everywhere.

Betty feels like a total outsider - she lives in a society where everyone is happy all the time, and she is not. When the wrong people find out Betty's emotional state, she is taken by the government for "treatment." In the hospital, Betty meets a mysterious woman in a dog mask who she connects with. Betty is quickly introduced to a new way of life, a resistance to the status quo.

Thank you Fantagraphics Books | Fantagraphics for granting my request wish!

Baby Blue is a funky little dystopian nightmare in a fascist Sweden that shoves those that even seem vaguely mentally abhorrent into the medication machine... except for few secret enclaves of resistances. In "Baby"'s story too is a little sapphic love story and the beginnings of what could be a sort of new found family, people like her that can't so easily conform to the system.

The art is pretty wild but it grew on me over time, and the heart of the story is enough where it didn't really detract for too long (but also I read a lot of graphic novels so it's easy enough for me to acclimate). Well worth a read, especially how the world is leaning at the moment.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this.

This was an okay read, though very timely.
As an introduction to reading about fascism it is good, but in comparison to similar stories, it doesn't do anything new.

The art style is very unique. While not being something I want on my wall, I know it will be loved by many people.

On the back it is described as 'haunting' and a 'thriller'. In my opinion, neither of these words are very accurate. Because I have read similar stories it was all quite predictable, therefore taking away any and all thrills and nerves. I also found there were some plot holes/ lacking plots. Though these will probably be rectified if there are follow ups.

I think this was very good. The art was a really interesting style that I enjoyed and I found the pacing to be great which kept me engaged throughout the story. It was a good read