Oh boy, this one hit close to home. It is a blunt and stark look into the life of someone living with mental illness and it is so TRUE. I'm unashamed to say I was so touched my parts of this that I cried. A gem of a book.

I loved the frank way that Zoe Thorogood approaches depression, loneliness and isolation. I imagine that this would have been a wonderful read during the pandemic. "It's Lonely at the Centre of the Earth" was wonderfully poignant, especially the insightful comments during the process of creating the book itself (how meta). As an art teacher, I also appreciated the variety of different cartoon and art styles (one minute there are some colourful and collaged-like stickers, and gothic and dark in another).

I appreciated what the author was expressing throughout this book. It vividly depicts her own struggles with her mental health, and that's such an important topic to discuss.
For me, while parts of the book were great, interesting and engaging. I Also found myself not being drawn to this particular art style, or perhaps I should say some of the art style, as parts were great, while others didn't suit my taste.
I think a lot of people will be able to relate to many of the authors struggles.
Personally for me this was a good read, I just didn't love the art style and found the story a little disjointed at times. But the overall premise was great, with some fantastic humour and a lot of emotions.

A graphic memoir about the author’s struggles with putting her life together over the span of 6 months. This book is on the weird, abstract, psychedelic side, and maybe not for everyone. Through illustrations, text, and metanarrative thoughts, we explore d3pression, mental health, and dark thoughts. I enjoyed the various art styles but the book was a bit confusing for me. Thanks NetGalley and Image Comics for the copy!

It's lonley at the centre of the earth - Zoe Thorogood

Huge shout out to @netgalley and @imagecomics for the graphic novel.

It's lonley at the centre of the earth is the profound insight of the life of the author, Zoe .
It follows a 6 month snippet of her life in which we join her and her struggles with mental illness.

I don't really know where to start with this review and it might sound like I didn't like the graphic novel but I actually really did. It made me uncomfortable, but uncomfortable because I saw so much of my own self destructive habits and thoughts in it. I don't want to use the word relatable (you'll understand if you read it) but it was relatable.
It was confusing, but confusing in the same way that your mind can be confusing. Confusing in the same way when you're talking to your self but also having multiple different conversations at the same time with your different voices.
The end was fantastic and I really do hope that the snippet of healing continues.

The art was fantastic. The use of colours and lack of colours, multimedia and various art styles really draws you into the feelings of confusion.

thank you NetGalley for my copy. all opinions are my own.

i can see where a lot of people wouldn’t enjoy this story or the art, however, for someone who also struggles with depression, persistent depressive disorder, dysthymia, depressive personality disorder, or whatever title you want to tack on, i felt not only seen but understood while reading this story. i also think the art and the way Thorogood uses her artistic talent to portray unspoken messages was distinctly unforgettable. if this story/script was simply written down in words only, i don’t think it would have the same depth of impact that it has as the graphic novel. i think the ending/message the book leaves with the reader is something we all need to be reminded of regardless of our mental health diagnoses.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This is an interesting approach to a biography and the first graphic autobiography I have read. It's a great read and quite emotive to see Zoe’s journey through mental health with her ups and downs throughout the time she was writing. I also think that art for survival is a great idea and could be a helpful thing for more people to try.

Introspective and unflinching Zoe Thorogood depicts the realities of depression, self deprecation, imposter syndrome, mental health, and the struggle feeling like you don't fit in anywhere. A little chaotic at times but accurately describes the weight of feeling as though your mental health is making it impossible for the people around you to love and understand you. Reading this feels like being given a cup of your favorite drink and sitting with your favorite person in a comfortable silence: full of healing and understanding.

This graphic novel used its medium to the fullest. I loved the way the different avatars of zoe represented and communicated different things. I was appropriately (I think) freaked out by the representation of her depression. I didn't necessarily relate to her struggles to connect with people, but I felt I understood and empathized with her.

Zoe Thorogood is the future of comics or whatever.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Sometimes I read something that describes me so perfectly that I absolutely hate it. I hate it partly because I don't like looking in a mirror, partly because I'm narcissistic enough to think my feelings and experiences are totally unique, and partly because I'm jealous I didn't already say it and publish it so other people were reading my work and feeling the same way I feel now.

I am nearly 26, not 23 like Zoe was when writing this, and I've managed to create an illusion of stability for myself, by god if this comic didn't stab me in the gut and curbstomp my face. One of my favorite things about It's Lonely at the Centre of the Earth is that not only is Zoe plagued by a No-Face depression monster, not only is she self aware of the selfish, narcissistic inner thoughts, she's also self aware of the self awareness. It can turn into this vicious circle and there's no way out.

This is my first exposure to Zoe Thorogood so I don't know any of her other stuff and I don't know how she's doing now, but I hope she's at least doing okay. Thanks for letting me read your diary. It's a lot cooler than mine.

I didn't realize when I requested this book that it actually was published a couple of years ago. The cover really drew me in, and I generally really enjoy journal comics, slice-of-life and graphic novel memoirs. The change in art styles made it hard for me to stay engaged with the book, though they were interesting and I appreciated the inventiveness. This one didn't stick with me as much as I had hoped.

This book was not my favorite. I know it is a story about the author, and she isn't/wasn't happy with herself. But to tell the truth, I really didn't understand anything that was happening in the book. The illustrations were confusing and the story too abstract for me. I am sure others will understand, but I did not.

A beautiful and succinct deep dive on how it feels to live with depression, beautifully drawn with a blend of art styles.

This book was odd. I think it appeals to a certain group of people, but I was not a fan. I liked the message, though the plot was shakey (purposefully so).

Thanks to the publisher Image Comics. Inc and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest book review.

I really enjoyed this innovative graphic memoir about Thorogood’s experience of depression. This graphic memoir hops around in time, draws attention to the artifice of what it is to be a writer, pastiches a videogame and melds genres.

The examination of what it is to be depressed to the point of being suicidal makes this an important account and a reminder that nothing is permanent and that things do get better. After all in the author’s own words "this book was not supposed to exist".

I would recommend this book to those that are interested in the graphic novel form as I think that the meta narrative that runs through it is groundbreaking. It’s an important book and could well be instructive and helpful to someone experiencing depression. The need for a more open discussion around mental health has been highlighted even more by the recent tragic suicide of the author’s brother. A graphic novel worthy of a wide audience.

A stellar, beautiful, and hard memoir. The writing and illustration are lovely and reflect both the beauty and the challenge of mental illness.

“It’s Lonely at the Centre of the Earth” written by Zoe Thorogood (4 Stars) is an excellent, but painful read about the artist's self-reflection on living with her own depression and through the stress and strain of a global pandemic.

This graphic memoir is difficult to read at times. Zoe’s self - loathing, her obvious desire to live but not be, and her brutal confessional style all make this hard to read and hard to put down. She does an amazing job of describing the imbalance of self-loathing coupled with self-obsession that depression requires, and ‘watching’ her battle to live, and celebrate, and enjoy, while she desperately doesn’t want to exist at all is one that I’ve seen and struggled with alongside deeply depressed loved ones. I both want to share and want to not share this book from young adults that I know, that might benefit from seeing another with similar thoughts and responses.

As always, I appreciate the opportunity afforded me to have an early read by netgalley and Image Comics, as well as the author. The opinions in this review are expressly those of ButIDigressBookClub and are intended for use by my followers and friends when choosing their next book. #butidigress #butidigressbookclub #itslonelyatthecentreoftheearth #zoethorogood #netgalley #netgalleyreviewer #arc #arcs

Details
Review Shared on Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6812028260
Publishing Review 09/29/2024

This was both heartwarming and heartbreaking. I found it unfortunately easy to relate to Zoe Thorogood and the comic is beautifully illustrated but does handle some difficult topics so I would advise checking trigger warnings before delving in.
Thank you to NetGalley & Image Comics for an eArc in exchange for an honest review.

Was a lovely read, I enjoyed how raw it was. Zoe felt very relatable and put emotions that I personally could never properly explain into perfectly nuanced panels and dialogues. I look forward to reading more from this author.

"I'm gonna be scared, alone... heartbroken, travelling thousands of miles to find myself- with nothin' but the worms in my head and the art on my back!"

Heartwarming and heartbreaking all at once. Heavily relatable for those of us that struggle with severe depression, especially living with severe depression as an artist who makes a living off their art. It's hard to separate the two sometimes, but the author reminded me that both can and do exist at once, and we continue on despite it all.

Massive thanks to Netgalley for this.