Everything Is OK

September 12, 2022
Tung (Quiet Girl in a Noisy World) chronicles her struggle with depression and anxiety in short comics interludes drawn in clean, simple lines and written with equal directness. After a too-long period of feeling like she was “observing life from behind a thick, blurry glass wall” and experiencing a panic attack, Tung admits that drowning herself in work isn’t helping. With the support of her husband, she sees a therapist, learns to deal with intrusive thoughts, and wrangles the “monster inside my head.” Tung’s cute, friendly-looking self-portrait serves as a reassuring guide for readers who may feel lost in the darkness of depression, which she illustrates with images of herself drowning or falling into a pit. As she moves toward healing, the black-and-white, ink-washed art periodically lights up with flashes of color. Much of the second half of the book consists of self-care mottos (“Trust that good things can still happen,” etc.) that are illustrated with color splashes or images of Tung gazing at starry skies, walking forest paths, and swimming instead of drowning. For a book about dark thoughts, it’s lighter fare. Readers dealing with their own inner monsters will appreciate the gentle reassurance that “you are not alone, even if it feels like you are.” Agent: Laurie Abkemeier, DeFiore & Company.

December 2, 2023

Bedeviled by negative self-talk that mushrooms into a black toothy monster, introvert Tung (Quiet Girl in a Noisy World) sinks into unrelieved anxiety and depression. She overdoes her need to be productive, taking on too much contract systems work, and puts off what she really wants to do: create comics on commission or for publication. Terrified by suicidal thoughts, she finally sees a therapist who opens her eyes to her self-defeating obsessions, encouraging her to change them. And--with some failures yet also escalating successes--she does, with the support of her loving husband. Tung's narrative lapses into long stretches of encouraging suggestions and self-affirmations, her progress illustrated by the targeted use of cheery color instead of the smudgy grays and blues of the rest of the story. Her simple, winsome outline figures are framed in just enough background detail to complement but not overshadow them. VERDICT Those stuck in a destructive feedback loop of self-punishment will recognize themselves in Tung's account and pick up ideas for exiting the downward spiral, perhaps deciding to trust a therapist to help them. Helpful for young adults as well as their elders.

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