I wasn't sure what to expect from this graphic novel, yet I was both surprised, but also felt a little...bored at times?

The thing about graphic novels, is the medium let's you really showcase things without the need to narrate a lot. I feel this title didn't do that well. A lot of things were told how hard life is as a mother. And as a husband who knows how much his wife does for both me and our daughter, I'd love to see that portrayed well in a graphic novel style. But in here it's just mostly told, and very very long winded. I'm not familiar with Mary Catherine Starr, so she might be a big author, but this felt like one of her first, if not first, comic/graphic novel. It doesn't read as well in that format IMO and felt like this maybe should have been a regular novel instead.

However, I did still enjoy the message. Some great parts, including the rough process for pregnancy, and of course the feeling of being alone when doing so many things by yourself, even if you aren't by yourself, that feeling can be rough. And I enjoyed those moments as well as the ending, which fit the themes well, and really turned me around on the family we got to know.

So overall not perfect, I think the format is new to the author, and she'll only get better at it for sure. But it's still a good book into the life of motherhood, which is NOT easy folks. A 3 out of 5.

Mary Catherine's book blends the tough narrative about parenting inequality with the more light-hearted feel of a graphic novel. While her illustrations were phenomenal, the content was serious and so relatable to anyone who is more Type-A and has experienced motherhood. I connected so deeply with this book. I'm so grateful to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC. I will definitely be purchasing the hard copy when it's released on March 11th. *I received a complimentary e-ARC exchange for an honest review.

Mama Needs a Minute! by Mary Catherine Starr is an honest, compelling and funny account of one woman's path to parenthood and what that means for her relationships, her children and most importantly, herself.

Told with a mix of humorous illustrations of Starr and her family as well as poignant essays on her personal path to parenthood., Starr discusses her early childhood, how she met her husband, their path to parenthood and what their lives have looked like since they had their children. She is very candid about her birth experience with her daughter and all the apprehension, worry and love that comes with being a first-time parent. She also emphasizes that despite all the planning you can do, life will inevitably throw you curveballs.

This is a book for the parent (both mothers and fathers) who finds that despite the myths of joyous bonding with their newborn, struggles with the workload of being caregiver. Starr is honest, almost brutally so, about her struggles with trying to maintain who she was before having her children and fulfilling all societal expectations that women especially are given once they become mothers.

She also addresses the inequities in shared parenting that she and her husband experienced and how they were able to work through it so that though they each handled parenting differently, it didn't mean one was better than the other.

Having discovered Starr's work through her Instagram account momlife_comics, I was very excited to see her illustrations combined into a book. This is the book I wish I had when I was a new parent, struggling with post-partum depression and anxiety and wishing that I could talk to someone about all of the feelings. While this isn't a how-to book, it is a a book full of parenting insight. I feel that's better than a how-to, which can make you feel judged, but more like a friend's hug, something you can lean on when you need it.

Note: I received a copy of this book for the purposes of review from NetGalley.

Through the use of both "comics" or illustrations, and written reflections, Mary Catherine Starr writes about her evolving relationship with her husband, the transition to motherhood, and provides a realistic account of what to expect out of motherhood.

The way that Starr addresses topics such as burnout, managing the mental load, and the transition of shared responsibilities as they shift from married-without-children to married-with-children was my favorite aspect of the memoir, as I appreciated the way that Starr incorporates her perspective as a woman and a mother, as well as including her husband's perspective. I personally related to Starr especially because, as Starr describes, I am an anxious and type-A person who likes to plan everything in order to get a grasp on my anxiety! Additionally, Starr presents and normalizes frustration, disappointment, resentment, and the resounding experience that occurs when a life event does not go at all the way that you expected. For mothers-to-be, Starr provides a very candid account of pregnancy, child birth, postpartum, as well as balancing marriage, parenting, and being a mother.

One topic I appreciated was the "peanut butter" metaphor addressed early on, where Starr illustrates the importance of your partner showing that they want to improve your life, that they're thinking about you, and demonstrate it through "the small things". I also appreciated Starr's reflection on topics such as the way that she and her husband planned for the arrival of their first child, and the things that they would have done differently if given a second opportunity to work more collaboratively and be equally prepared and educated prior to baby's arrival. With situations such as these, the way that Starr both writes and illustrates the examples are done in an easy-to-digest way that would allow any reader to share with a friend, a therapist, or a partner in conversation and implement into their own life after the reader has done their own reflection.

By reading the cover and title alone, I was expecting this memoir to be almost entirely, or entirely comics/illustrations. That being said, I was surprised to find so much text and written information with maybe about half of the book being comics/illustrations. Another important note is that this book is not to be considered "parenting advice" (and isn't trying to be) - so, the reader should consider why they are picking up this memoir before opening it before making a judgment! Not all of the choices that Starr's family made will work for everyone, and that's completely okay. This is Starr's story and personal experience, not an advice column.

Thank you to Netgalley and Chronicle Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

When I saw this title, Mama Needs a Minute, I knew I had to read it. This graphic novel uses humor to highlight some of the issues mothers face. The author shows her journey into motherhood, how her marriage was impacted, and the adjustments they need to make as a family

I related to a lot of the topics discussed in the comic. As a default parent, I was able to relate to some of the struggles she faced. It validated some of my feelings surrounding parenting. The comic approach was relatable. I would highly recommend this to anyone who would like to understand parenthood and being the default parent. I also encouraged mothers to read it if they wanted to feel seen.

**ARC provided by NetGalley for honest review**

Mama Needs a Minute! by Mary Catherine Starr was unfortunately not the light-hearted and funny comic book about parenting that I was hoping for from the cover. This is definitely more of a serious memoir about one woman's relationship and parenting struggles and came across really negative to me. Nothing wrong with that of course, it just wasn't what I was hoping to read about. I got maybe a third of the way through before I gave up, knowing it wasn't for me. This could be a really healing story for some, but I wouldn't go in looking for laughs.

This is a graphic novel/memoir about Mary Catherine Starr's life from a single woman, to a wife, and now a mother/wife/business owner. I'm glad this book is being published; parents (and soon-to-be parents) everywhere will benefit from hearing this story. Maybe it'll just be validating for you, maybe it'll be informative and helpful either as you prepare to be a parent, or if you have loved ones that are parents. Most of all this story needs to be told because for so long mothers were suffering in silence with the heavy physical and mental burden of managing a household alone without support from their partners, family members, and community. There came a movement where mothers were speaking out about the struggles of parenthood and lack of support instead of just pasting on a smile. This has been very freeing and validating as a mother myself to read about Starr's struggles and the dynamic between her and her husband and how they are working on reversing that narrative that mom has to do it all. However, this book was too wordy to keep my attention. Almost every other page was a full page of text without illustrations, and when there were illustrations, the talk bubbles were packed full of long sentences and rambling thoughts. I can see the reason for these decisions, but I had a difficult time getting through the long blocks of text and ended up skimming certain parts that didn't resonate with me. Overall, I'm very glad I read this book and would recommend it to others!

This was extremely difficult to finished and not pleasant. I didn’t liked the format, the style, the art, and/or how many times she repeated the same thing, over and over. If I had been able to look through this book before reading it, I would have immediately returned it to the shelf. It's not what I expect from a graphic novel. Although all situations are real, I found them too dramatic and not at all funny. All I can see is a control freak person who suffers from anxiety disorder. I wouldn’t recommends it to anyone,

This was honestly perfect. As a mom of 2 under 3 I definitely find myself saying I need space. Or I need a minute multiple time a day. I’m a stay at home mom so this book hit close to home and I absolutely loved and needed it.

A well illustrated book portraying the exact experiences of motherhood.

Thank you NetGalley and Chronicle Books for the gifted copy!

Soy una mujer casada, que no tiene hijos, y no me esperaba para nada lo que estaba en este libro. La autora usa dibujos para contar su historia (aunque gran parte estaba escrita). El libro se lee de manera balanceada, entre dibujos y prosa.

Es un libro que está claramente dirigido para las madres y padres (habla de los dos roles). Yo —que no tengo hijos pero algún día quisiera tener— lo leí de manera informativa. Al principio fue algo lento para mi, pero mientras llegaba al final la historia fue tomando más velocidad.

La autora cuenta su historia de ser novia, esposa y madre; y como todo eso ha hecho que ella cambie para bien o para mal. Cuenta sus buenos momentos y frustraciones. No es un libro de consejos para la maternidad, pero si uno puede tomar algo de ello. Este libro es más bien un medio en el cual ella se expresa para ventilar y que por su experiencia ha ayudado a muchas personas sentirse identificadas. Es algo interesante que leer si estas por comenzar una etapa como madre/padre o si estas dentro de ella. Y, sí, sería bueno que lo lean los padres pues demuestra de manera visual como las mujeres piensan cuando le dicen o les piden algo a sus esposos y como se sienten durante la maternidad y crianza de los niños.

I really loved this! Starr’s cartoons are hilarious, and have a healthy dose of truth. Not only did I enjoy this book, it actually helped me better understand my husband, and the dynamics of our marriage. And I really enjoyed reading about the journey of Starr’s relationship.

Highly recommended for mothers, fathers, and anyone seeking a greater understanding of how certain families function.

WOW! How much I was able to relate to this author. The story of how her and her husband met, fell in love, and began a family, I felt like I was reading about my own life. She dives deep into the struggles of every day marriage and what it's like to be a parent. So many times I would scream "YES! SOMEONE UNDERSTANDS"! Going in I thought this was going to be more humorous but I quickly realized it' deals with more serious issues. I did enjoy the illustrations! They were fun and brought some humor to the story. For all you moms out there, I do recommend picking this up, but prepare for it to bring up lots of emotions.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

ALL. THE. STARS.

As a mom of a three-year old, and pregnant with my second child this was just like reading my life and mind. I laughed, teared up, and just felt seen reading this book. I HIGHLY recommend this for anyone planning to start a family or in the pits of newborn and toddler life.

This graphic memoir was so funny and relatable! I knew I had to read it the moment I saw the cover. As a single mom, I completely understand that desperate need for just one uninterrupted bathroom break—only for everyone to suddenly need you right then and there!

Starr takes readers through her personal journey to motherhood, shedding light on the double standards moms face and the sheer chaos of it all. Her voice is sharp, honest, and hilarious, and the art style perfectly complements the humor and emotions packed into each page. This book is a must-read for parents who need a good laugh and a reminder that they’re not alone.

I would love to gift this to friends expecting their first child—it’s the kind of book that makes you laugh while also making you feel seen. My only complaint? Some of the relationship-focused content felt more about marriage than parenting, which wasn’t as relevant to me as a single mom. But overall, this is a fantastic, heartfelt read that perfectly captures the exhaustion, absurdity, and beauty of motherhood.

This book felt like seeing and hearing narration of my own experience as a new mom. Very raw, but twinkles of hope. Great advice like connecting with other moms and prioritizing time for yourself, while not coming across as an over-prescriptive self-help book.

Mama Needs A Minute! is a comic memoir of motherhood. I wasn’t familiar with Mary Catherine Starr or @momlife_comics before picking this up, but I am a big fan of Paula Kuka @common_wild who wrote a similar book called Mumlife a few years back. Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I had hoped. Most of the illustrations felt repeated with slight changes and the lack of facial details began to bother me as the book went on.

The book is a memoir, so it can be a bit wordy at times, again with very similar comic pictures that didn’t keep me intrigued to the storyline. I guess I mostly found myself bored trying to get through it, versus excited to see what hilarity would ensue. I think many moms may find the shared experience validating, but to me it just felt kind of depressing. I really enjoy art in a comic style, but this just felt too generic for me. I didn’t feel like I gained much from the reading experience, which is how I know I will recommend a book.

There is an overall message of inequality in the workload between mothers and fathers and trying to find balance in parenting. I totally agree with this, but it also felt like a topic that’s been explored many times within parenting spaces. I was definitely hoping for more originality.

Thank you to NetGalley, Chronicle Books, and the author and illustrator Mary Catherine Starr for an ARC of Mama Needs A Minute! in exchange for an honest review.

This book felt so true to me that I almost feel that I could have written (at least parts of) it. The situations, feelings and complexities of being in a relationship and being a parent rang so true. I think that this is especially true of the woman/mother’s role as it comes across here.

I think that there is a lot of minimizing what it is like to become a parent; that barrier is broken here. Why do we do this? Would it not be better to acknowledge that, no matter how wanted a child is, the transition can be overwhelming. Not only is there responsibility for a small, helpless being but relationships transition as well…and sometimes there are resentments.

Those who have gone through the stages in life that the author describes will ruefully recognize much in these pages. For those who aren’t there yet, don’t panic but think about what the author says. It might help.

This book has both humor and heart. Highly recommended.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for this title. All opinions are my own.

This was such a great book! I'm always interested in reading other mothers' perspectives on motherhood. I thought it was refreshing that Starr included not only the fun parts of parenting, but also the not-so-fun parts. The comics touched on topics such as the double standard of parenting and society as a whole, burnout, work/life balance, etc. She included things that worked for her family. This was a great book on modern motherhood.

I really like Starr's graphic book about her experiences as a parent. However, I just couldn't connect to it all and while I understand the communication issues between Starr and her husband, I almost felt like I was seeing too much of their marriage and wish I hadn't known the ins and outs of their fights.