Hardcover, 211 pages
English language
Published Aug. 30, 2019 by Graphix.
In Guts, young Simon wakes up one night with a terrible upset stomach.
Guts is a graphic novel memoir, following Smile and Sisters. Thoughtful, charming, and funny, Guts brings readers a true story of growing up and gathering the courage to face—and conquer—one's fears.
This was good! I felt so sorry for the protagonist! And it sounds like it was based on the author’s own life. I feel like I’ve had glimpses of this kind of crippling anxiety, and I definitely sympathize.
Is it too on the nose to say this book resonated with me viscerally? Probably, but it did. Phew. That mind-body connection between your digestive system and your brain is something so, so many of us experience but that so rarely gets talked about. Telgemeier tackles all the complicated-ness of being "sick, but not sick" from anxiety with her trademark honest reliability. This will be hugely popular for good reason, and I'm hoping it changes the culture around talking about mental health. Love.
