Everything Is OK - Debbie Tung

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Author: Debbie Tung
Illustrator: Debbie Tung
Genre: Sequential Art, Mental Health.
Rating: 4.25 stars.

A brilliant graphic memoir depicting the author’s battle with depression and anxiety, and her journey towards recovery.

I have read plenty of sequential art novels, and though I have many favourite artists in this genre, my absolute favourite is Debbie Tung because I feel like she GETS me. Her art speaks to introverts as well as book lovers, and I am very firmly in both categories. Her “Quiet Girl in a Noisy World” is my number one recommendation in the sequential art novel category.

With this book, Debbie ventures into more personal territory, as it describes her struggles with anxiety and depression. As someone who has taken a long time to be (somewhat) comfortable in her own skin, I, once again, found myself enamoured with her words and her thoughts.

This book is for everyone who is feeling lost or overwhelmed. Debbie honestly portrays all that she felt during the dark days when depression took over – feelings of inadequacy, not wanting to get out of bed, not being able to speak for herself, imposter syndrome, social anxiety,… Outwardly, she still went, “Everything is ok/fine”, but inwardly, she was floundering. The twist in the situation comes when she acknowledges that she needs help, and that asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness. After this point, the book depicts the change in her mindset. No, it’s not a miraculous turnaround; this isn’t fiction after all. Debbie is very real in her approach, depicting how she still finds it difficult to face life on some days. But small progress is still progress, and every bit of positive thinking helps alleviate the monster in the mind. The final section gets a tad too motivational/self-help for my liking and feels a bit random in its sequencing. But on the whole, brilliant content.

Debbie was lucky to have a supportive husband and an outstanding therapist. Family and medical support are crucial in battling mental health issues, and I am so happy for her that she had both in her life.

Her art style in the books I’ve read has a dominant B&W colour palette. This style works wonderfully for the topic at hand. In this book, she also incorporates a rainbow-style colouring on a few pages, to distinguish them from the negative ones. These are the thoughts that are more hopeful. I loved this contrast and it works wonderfully in sync with the content.

If you are someone batting mental health issues, OR you know someone facing this problem and you want to be a good family member/friend, pick up this book. It offers you a genuine glimpse into the minds of sufferers, and of what can help them. It is important to remember that this is from the point of view of the patient and not the disorder itself. There are no textbook definitions or explanations of what anxiety or depression means. No medical jargon at all.

I won’t count this work as my favourite Debbie Tung book, but I still feel that is a must-read in today’s world where mental health issues are growing more common but are still taboo to talk about. Strongly recommended.

My thanks to Andrews McMeel Publishing and NetGalley for the DRC of “Everything Is OK”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

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