I am not okay with this by charles Forsman

What drew me to graphic novel was the fact that Netflix turned it into a tv show. I mean, if it is popular enough to become a show had to mean something, right? So here I am hoping to read something with a bit of a dark comedy feel to it, but NOPE. This graphic novel decided that it wanted to focus on this character’s depression, sense of loss, and just steered hard into that sadness. I am all for a writer embracing the darkness, but there was nothing in this novel that made me want to even try this author’s other books. The concept seemed so interesting, but it fell totally flat.

Where should I begin? First this was not a graphic novel intended for a younger audience. There are sexual acts and adult concepts through out the comic. The main character laments that she can’t get off sexually because her powers go wild, make her black out, and then she appears elsewhere. The topic of sexuality came up several times in this book. The main character is bisexual and struggles with this. Another adult theme discussed was PTSD, he father suffered from it. I don’t want to give any spoilers away but one night she finds him crying in the dark and she helps him end his pain.

Oh did I mention that she can explode things with the power of her mind? you would think that would have been a major focus of this graphic novel but Nope…not at all. She uses the power twice against bullies, once in a flash back (this was more insinuated), once to blow up her finger, and then at the finale of the graphic novel. These powers took a large backseat to the story line of her own depression. Seriously, it seemed like the author just wanted to reader to feel hopeless. There was even a line where the character says something along the lines of people always think the world would be better without them, but that for her family it was true. As someone who has lost friends to suicide, this was a bit triggering. And the ending! I will admit that I want not okay with that ending. Holy Hannah, what a waste. This story could have gone into so many directions but to end like that! Just no.

Overall, I really did not enjoy this graphic novel. I think it send the wrong message. The story didn’t really flow properly and it seemed like the author never really decided what it wanted for the character. Well, maybe that isn’t true, it seems like from the start you were supposed to feel that this character had no reason to live. I feel like there was definitely an interesting story that could have been told but I guess we will never know. All I know is that I personally wouldn’t recommend this graphic novel to anyone. Are there people out there that would like this graphic novel? Absolutely. It’s just not the type of novel I would choose for myself. And no, I am not even going to bother seeing what Netflix did with this story.