This is one of the most uniquely written graphic novels I’ve come across—I absolutely loved it. It was raw, real, and passionate in every way. The author notes added such a personal touch, and the illustrations were the cherry on top. The art style felt so refreshing and different. I’d highly recommend this to anyone looking for something bold and honest in graphic novel form.

I really wanted to connect with this book — and I can see how many others might. It’s ambitious, emotionally raw, and visually striking. But despite that, The Past is a Grotesque Animal just didn’t work for me.

The book is a collage of short stories, diary entries, photographs, and artwork, and while I can appreciate the experimental, scrapbook-like structure, I found it hard to engage with. Many of the stories felt emotionally distant or abstract, and though they touched on themes I usually find compelling — identity, relationships,, isolation — they didn’t resonate with me in the way I’d hoped. The storytelling seemed adrift, and instead of drawing me in, that disconnection left me feeling… well, more disconnected.

Visually, Parrish’s style is undeniably unique — soft, hand-painted colors and exaggerated forms that lean into emotional truth more than realism. But I struggled to follow some of the storytelling because of the art, and that barrier only added to my sense of frustration. Maybe it was just too introspective, too fragmentary for my taste.

That said, I know this book will mean a lot to others. There’s value in art that pushes against traditional forms, that embraces messiness and pain. I just didn’t find much of myself in it — and maybe that’s okay, too :)

I’m starting and ending this review with quotes because the language of this is so stunning:

“They’ll try to isolate you because in the loneliness of isolation lies the core of their power to coerce us into assimilation.”

I really enjoyed this. The collage vibes made me think of It’s Lonely At The Centre Of The Universe by Zoe Thorogood. However, I couldn’t rate it higher simply because the ARC quality was so poor that I couldn’t read several of the pages. The pages I could read were incredible, but it was such a large proportion of the book I couldn’t parse that it impacted the experience.

“They will make you beg on your hands and knees for the scrap of space your existence occupies.”

The Past is a Grotesque Animal is a rich, deeply personal scrapbook of stories, images, and reflections that explore the messy, beautiful complexity of human connection. Tommi Parrish, a trans Australian cartoonist with a distinctive voice, crafts over two dozen short pieces that dive into themes of identity, desire, trauma, and the fluidity of relationships with emotional honesty and lyrical grace.

This isn’t just a comic collection—it’s an intimate journey through fear, loneliness, masculinity, and queer longing, all balanced with moments of tenderness and hope. Interwoven with diary entries, photos, and paintings from Parrish’s own life, the work blurs the line between autobiography and art, inviting readers into a world both intensely personal and universally resonant.

The Past is a Grotesque Animal is a deeply human, multifaceted collection that blends short story comics, journal entries, artworks, and advice comics into something raw, vulnerable, and utterly compelling. Tommi Parrish’s ability to shift visual styles—ranging from realistic to cartoony to abstract—adds emotional depth and texture to each piece. Despite the variety, there’s a clear throughline of style and voice. Each piece feels considered, with every artistic and narrative element working in harmony to convey a specific emotional truth. It’s intimate, experimental, and full of heart.
I loved how human the whole experience was, and ultimately it made me feel alive.

Thanks to NetGalley and Fantagraphics for the e-ARC.

I feel like I just stumbled across an artsy literary magazine found on a college campus, which is good in the sense that I liked seeing the different formats and art styles (I definitely preferred the photo collages though) but also bad because it was just a discombobulated assortment of something one after the other (and a lot of the art styles weren't that appealing to me)

Tommi Parrish’s The Past Is a Grotesque Animal is not your typical graphic novel. It is at once abstract, intimate, disjointed, and brutally sincere. Calling it a “book” feels insufficient—it’s more like a deeply personal collage of visual diary entries, anonymous confessions, doodles of dread, and silent screams given shape through form-bending comics. The often-cited descriptor—“scrapbook”—isn’t merely aesthetic; it is structural and emotional.

The book is animated by a raw emotional throughline: the desire to make sense of life’s contradictions—love and fear, intimacy and alienation, vulnerability and numbness. Many pages feel like found memories that are only just beginning to understand themselves.
Parrish has a gift for capturing the feeling of thoughts that don’t have words yet. And for readers who are willing to surrender to the mess, the book can be quietly stirring.

If you’re willing to sit with abstract-ness and let meaning emerge slowly, this book will stay with you long after the last page.

A stunning collection of interludes dealing with a variety of topics extremely relevant to today's world - its art will grab you and its message will hold on long after the last page. Highly recommended.

The best word for this collection is definitely a scrapbook. It’s a collection of art and stories and photos all surrounding the themes of identity, belonging, and relationships. They have a very distinct style and I really resonated with some of the pieces in the book.

I received a copy of the book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

fantastic, moving art...but the order was a little confusing. this is definitely more of a scrapbook than a collection (which i love the concept of), but i felt that the different artworks lacked cohesion at times.

[thank you netgalley and fantagraphics books for an advance copy. all opinions are my own.]

My Goodreads review will be posted on October 7, 2025.

Thank you Fantagraphics for providing me with an arc via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

This book was absolutely beautiful to look at. The art style is unique and just honestly gorgeous! This book consists of many short stories (in graphic novel format), as well as journal entries and a few other bits and bobs. This book is largely a reflection of social issues and how they affect individuals on an emotional level. I personally prefer a more linear narrative when reading graphic novels, so the penultimate short story resonated with me the most.

Overall this is a stunning book, but I wish the stories were expanded on a bit more!

Thanks to Fantagraphics and NetGalley for the ARC.

“The Past Is A Grotesque Animal” by Tommi Parish is a truly fascinating and engaging read.

In the summaries that I saw for this book, one specific word sparked an interest in me- “scrapbook.” While possibly innocuous to some, the connotation of the word and the unique cover art evoked such a powerful and exciting idea in my head that I was anxious to read it.

Upon completion, “scrapbook” serves as a perfect encapsulation of this collection of photos, art, ramblings, and revelations.

Often, when authors create a work such as this, the themes are either so blatant that it would be impossible to misinterpret, or so obscured that even the most astute reader will be unable to walk away with anything. But this collection walks the fine line straight down the middle. Themes of belonging, acceptance, identity, and isolation weave in and out of the blended mediums, but often, a comic might end with frames of abstraction. Often, meaning is found through a mix of the explicit and implicit, allowing the author’s emotions to be the driving force behind understanding the work.

While I could imagine some being put off by the interplay between mediums, emotions, and themes, I believe they only further enhance the over-arching narrative centered around the impermanence in ordinary lives. Highs and lows, uncertainty and clarity- such is life.

A beautiful read. Highly recommend.

**First Person ARC Review: *The Past is a Grotesque Animal* by Tommi Parrish**

Reading *The Past is a Grotesque Animal* felt like being cracked open. It’s raw, intimate, and visually arresting in a way that’s hard to put into words. I didn’t just read it—I *sat with it,* feeling each page press something sharp and honest against the soft parts of myself.

Tommi Parrish doesn’t shy away from discomfort—in fact, they lean into it with an unflinching vulnerability. The art is expressive and strange, bodies melting and morphing in ways that reflect the emotional instability of the characters. It’s messy in the most intentional, human way. Every panel feels like it’s pulsing with unspoken need and regret.

The story explores connection—how we reach for each other, miss, hurt, repeat. There’s queerness, loneliness, self-destruction, and brief flashes of tenderness that hit like a sucker punch. It doesn’t offer resolution or redemption, but it *does* offer truth, and that felt more valuable.

This isn’t a book that holds your hand. It trusts you to sit in the ambiguity, the sadness, the strangeness—and I appreciated that deeply. *The Past is a Grotesque Animal* is the kind of graphic novel that lingers, like a half-remembered conversation or a feeling you can’t name. It’s brutal and beautiful, and I won’t forget it.

The Past is a Grotesque Animal is an extremely interesting experience that pushes the medium of graphic storytelling to its limits.
Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for this advanced reader's copy.

I did not entirely enjoy this book. I liked the art and art style especially mixing the real photos and drawings. Overall, I gave this book a 2/5. It just wasn't for me, and I did not understand it.

I'm not a big graphic novel/comic reader, but Tommi being a Trans artist caught my attention. I was immediately consumed by this work. It was dark, emotional, intense, vulnerable, and like nothing I've ever read before.

This graphic novel shares the author's inner most desires and struggles from their own experience. These very personal story would touch your heart if you are in the LGBTQ+ community,