When I saw this on Net gallery I immediately requested it. I was intrigued by what would be discussed and aso terrified. As someone who has been diagnosed with generalized anxiety and situational depression I was hoping I would see myself in this comic.... And boy did I. Some parts I related too, some I didn't. The biggest part I related to was the section on wishing the old me had more time. I was so accomplished, proud, productive, and organized from high school through 5 years of college.... Dreams awaited. Then everything changed. I changed. And ive learned that it's ok for change to happen, even if im not ok with it at first.

Actual Rating: 3.5/5

Lavender Clouds is a beautifully illustrated collection of comics centered around the author Bex Ollerton's life. As a fellow neurodivergent, I immediately jumped at the chance to read this one.

At first, I really enjoyed everything. The colour pallet and the illustrations themselves are so artfully done; I found a lot of joy just looking at them. I found myself relating heavily to a lot of the phrasing and words, sometimes even giggling at how true it all felt. However, then I found it becoming very repetitive and at times a little taxing on my own brain. It became tricky with the amount of negativity going on that my own brain starting feeling that like a mantra. All I can recommend is; if you are neurodivergent and struggle with feelings of inadequacy or negative connotations - this one might need to be read and enjoyed in small stages.

Thankyou to Andrews McMeel Publishing, NetGalley and Bex Ollerton for a chance to read this as an early release. Lavender Clouds is set for release June 25th, 2024.

I found some of these comics very relatable or introspective in interesting ways where it was like “wow yes someone put this into words/images!” But while I could tell the author put the comics together in a way for the best narrative sense, they still would often feel jarringly disjointed but in a way which made it hard to follow where one comic was ending and another was beginning. I think the art style is cute and love that the author isn’t afraid to play with color/designs to convey the emotion of the comic and I enjoyed seeing those deviations.

At first I liked this book. I am neuro divergent and could relate to what was being said. However it only focused on the negative and after a while it started to not only drag on and get repetitive but also make me depressed and anxious. I wish some of the positive aspects had been shown and/or the book had been shorter. I got an advanced readers copy from net galley but my opinion is my own.

"Lavender Clouds" is a graphic novel memoir by Bex Ollerton, in which the author depicts her struggles with Neurodivergence, including Autism, ADHD, depression, anxiety, social anxiety, and burnout. This book is beautifully drawn in lovely peaceful colors and is a warm-hearted portrayal of her neurodivergence. Honestly, I thought I was reading about myself for the majority of the book, as someone who is also neurodivergent and struggles with social anxiety. I genuinely cannot find a negative thing to say about this book. Thank you, Bex, for this amazing piece of neurodivergent representation!

I normally really like autobiographical graphic novels, especially about mental health as I appreciate the perspective they give, however, this particular one felt very discombobulated and was hard to follow. I wish it had been organized into sections with coherent topics.

I true and compelling depiction of being neurodivergent and having to deal with the everyday struggle that come with being an adult. Honest and thought provoking. A quick read.

This is such an affirming, wonderful comic about neurodivergence, depression, and anxiety. Bex's style is gorgeous, as is all of her art, and the color palette is lovely as well. This is a great book for anyone struggling with mental health and mental illness (which...in this day and age, is anyone not?!), or for anyone who knows folks who are. I can't wait to own a copy.

Lavender Clouds is a collection of graphic art that portrays the struggles of living with anxiety and depression as a neurodivergent person. I found the portions representing burnout, insecurity, anxiety, and depression to be completely relatable as someone who struggles with all of these. The illustrations are beautiful, and I really enjoyed the art style. I will say the overall tone of the book was a little more negative than I was expecting, so this book might be better read if you are not currently in a depressive episode.

I received an ARC from Andrews McMeel Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

*Lavender Clouds* by Bex Ollerton is a heartfelt and personal exploration of neurodivergence that resonated with me in many ways. The vibrant illustrations add a beautiful touch to the storytelling, making it an enjoyable visual experience.

The graphic novel captures the reality of living with Autism, ADHD, and mental health challenges, but the overall tone felt more negative and repetitive than I anticipated. The book leans heavily on certain struggles like the stress from appointments and text messages, which can overshadow other important topics.

Despite this, there were moments that made me feel seen and understood. The novel provides insights into the neurodivergent experience, but it could benefit from a more balanced approach that includes actionable strategies and a broader perspective on coping with challenges.

This book is a collection of short comic strips centered around the author's life and her experience with mental health, neurodivergence, burn out, trauma, healing and more in that field.
I have made it a goal of mine this year to read more books by and for disabled authors and audiences and in that regard this is definitely a very interesting book. I often found myself nodding along in understanding to some parts and relating the experiences of friends and loved ones to others.
And while I definitely don't think any memoir about mental health needs to be constantly upbeat and positive, I found this anthology a bit... taxing at times in its repetition of the negative aspects without any real strategies shown to deal with it. I had expected a bit more in the field of resilience and explorations of how exactly the fields of being an artist overlap with the authors experience of neurodivergence (there is some, but it doesn't really delve as deep as I had hoped it would). I unfortunately have to also say that my enjoyment of this book suffered since I a have been reading quite a few books in the field of neurodivergence and mental health this year and maybe that led to me just expecting a bit too much of this one.
The art style is very interesting and easy to follow and I particularly enjoyed the way art was used to portray various emotional states, I enjoyed that a lot! And despite my issues, this is a book I will be recommending to my neurodivergent artist friends, who might enjoy it more than I did!

3.5 * Rounded Up

The art in this was beautiful and engaging, the subject of mental health is such a personal journey but there are so many relatable parts in this collection. This was a collection of comics that explored everything from neurodivergence to anxiety to depression and various mental health battles. Overall while I think it was relatable, I don't suffer from neurodivergence I don't think, it was still somewhat relatable in the areas of socializing and feeling drained and the pressures we all face in adulting. For me I think it maybe was a bit too sad/negative which it makes sense but it didn't make it too enjoyable, I wished there was a bit more positive parts of life explored here as well but again its about the authors experience and not mine.

Thanks to Netgalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for granting me access in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars.

I like the art style and the themes are very relatable. I'm not neurodivergent, I don't think, but I've experienced many of the mental health things these comics explore. Especially, you know, having trouble socializing sometimes, not feeling like you're good enough, dealing with an inner critic, having trouble keeping in touch, struggling to get shit done, etc. However, I do think it starts to feel a bit negative after a while. The final thoughts are usually negative and I understand it's meant to be humorous, but it feels a bit bleak after a few comics. Maybe these aren't meant to be read in one sitting, to be fair, lmao. It does get hopeful towards the end, which was nice because the collection ends on a good note.

I didn’t realize I had ADHD until I was 42. That’s a long time to not feel fully understood, even by yourself. This is why I love this book, Lavender Clouds, so much. My neurodivergent nerds, you will feel seen & understood.

This is a series of cartoons about being neurodivergent as well as experiencing anxiety and depression. There is less story here and more in the moment reality sharing. It’s beautifully drawn and brutally honest. It can feel repetitive at some points but hey, so does anxiety and depression 🤷‍♀️ This book cuts deep and bares the writers deepest feelings about being neurodivergent and handling work, socializing, etc. This book is lovely and personally validating.

This is a wonderful little book that contains so much. It is essentially a collection of thoughts and reflections experienced by the author to do with mental health, neurodivergence, trauma, self-love, and more similar topics. It helped me gain a deeper understanding of what my neurodivergent friends might be experiencing in their day-to-day, and I can imagine that it will make a lot of people feel less alone when they read it. The illustrations are so cute and I love the colour scheme. If you're looking for an honest, reflective, and hopeful read - this is it!

Lavender Clouds is a collection of comics about the author's life. The comics touch on mental health, neurodivergence, burnout, asking others for help, and so much more!

I've read similar comics before and they can be on the cliché side (not that that matters if it makes it into the right hands at the right moment!), but I did not feel that way about this book. This collection is very relatable and I was impressed with the artist's ability to depict such deep thoughts, feelings and emotions in one-page comics. Self-care and prioritizing mental health is something we hear about a lot more these days, which is great, but it has also become a monetized trend, on social media especially. Lavender Clouds does not feel that way to me. This collection is real and honest and shows the realities of complicated feelings and how overwhelming life can be. At the same time it promotes taking care of yourself, treating yourself with kindness, and realizing that we all have our own paths and that there is no reason to rush through life or compare ourselves to others. The art is also stunning! This book would be a great gift for anyone having a hard time. It would be especially great for young people who are struggling with similar issues.

This is a fabulous graphic novel for anyone who knows a neurodivergent person (so, that’s ALL of you!). If you are a neurodivergent person, I think you will feel very seen by this beautiful book.

3,5 stars.
This was a very interesting graphic novel, the way it was written, it took me a bit to get into it. Every page was something new and it was a bit different than what I am used to.
But some of the pages made me feel seen and I could relate to some of it.

There were so many parts of this book that explained how I have felt in ways that I haven't been able to express! I think it was a great way to feel less alone and see that other people have the same thought process. I kept thinking "Exactly!!"

Some parts felt a bit repetitive and like she had already covered that feeling, but overall it was a good read. I am going to purchase it for the teen area of my library and I already know that it will be checked out a lot! It is an approachable way to feel understood and I really liked the artwork.

*I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.*

Likes:

Relatable. Copying behaviours to fit in, not knowing your true personality, always standing out, etc. I think even people who aren't neurodivergent will understand it and at least sympathise with the character.

Metaphors and drawings resembling them. Great way to understand things differently and perhaps even easier. Like a burn out where fire comes in your body.

Drawings. They are really cute and I think the crying eyes are top-notch!

Dislikes:

Never heard someone say 'lmao' out loud and I don't think that makes sense. Also words like tbh and stuff. I know it's slang in writing but in this graphic novel the character is 'speaking' and therefore it's a bit odd if they would speak those words out.

Many things are repetitive. Making the comic longer than needed and slowing the pace down. Like for example it was multiple times mentioned how stressful appointments and text messages are.

The main focus is on something that repeats itself too often. Making the other topics perish and forgotten by the readers. It's a shame.

Only informative, but not helpful. We get to know what neurodivergent is, but we don't get tips how to treat such people without triggering them and how to treat oneself with neurodivergent traits who perhaps have burnouts and such.

End note/Final thoughts:

Thank you for the advanced reader copy of Lavender Clouds by Bex Ollerton.

I think the comic was really cool and interesting, there are a few lacks here and there, but I would say it was still worth reading. It's nice to know how neurodivergent people are and what happens inside their head when you aren't one. Would definitely recommended it!



Started the book: 20. April 2024
Finished the book: 20. April 2024
Wrote the review: 20. April 2024