I really liked how simple, but also complex this book was. What do I mean by that? On the surface, the story is easy to follow a family is having a communication breakdown and they need help. The art does a wonderful job. The splotches of pink throughout the story do a nice job at showing a lot of what the characters won't always say their clothes often are indicators of just how deep or shallowly they follow the words of the spiritualist, who is the first instance of the color pink. I also liked that Thea wasn't outright manipulative, she ultimately still wasn't great for the family, but it was nice to see her character allowed to be a little more nuanced in an obviously complicated family situation. The art is lovely and the story is good too! If this sounds like something you'd like, I'd give it a read!

Amazing read!!! The storyline was very touching. I know dealing with depression is very hard but the father just very very selfish. I feel pity for the mom and his son for the sacrifices they have to make just to make sure there is no ‘negative energy’. I feel the pain for the mom since she is a working mom and she have to deal with her unresponsive husband and gave attention to her son. But i love the ending that the mom sticks with her son and be an open minded mother. She stood her ground for her son!! Amazing read!!!

Frank is a teenage boy, a talented artist and popular at school, he is also gay. His father suffers from depression, and after traditional methods fail to help him Frank’s mother turns to a crystal healer, unknowingly bringing a disruptive force into the household.

This book is a tender, thoughtful exploration of a young boy finding himself, and the importance of finding the right people to support and guide you. Claus Daniel Herrmann’s beautiful art is done mainly in grayscale, with the colour pink used to highlight emotions, it works really well, adding a deeper level to the story that would have been difficult to do with words alone.

A beautiful book, and an important read for anyone struggling with their own identity, or trying to support someone that is.

SUCH an interesting concept. I was initially taken aback by the color pink being used for what ended up being "the enemy", kind of, as well as the positive feelings and relationships in the main character's life. But then I realize that's the whole point. It's organic positivity vs. control cloaked as (toxic) positivity. GENIUS. I will recommend this book!

One of the important jobs of fiction is to present mirrors that reflect back at the reader and let them know themselves and be seen, (borrowing a concept from Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop), and Pink Monsters offers a gentle mirror. Any reader that had their own struggles with identity, parents with mental health problems, or. has been taken in by a charismatic leader would find a sign that they are not alone. Subtle art that uses grayscale with punctuating pink makes a dreamy world in an nonspecific era. Frank is easy to empathize with as he navigates confusing and charged situations, and there is space for both his pain and anger as well as his joy and growth. The final resolution is feels real, coming with some compromise and loss, but still a victory.

This is an easy choice to add to my classroom library.

Thanks to Netgalley and Oni Press for the ARC of this comic.