Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
I absolutely loved this book. The comics and short essays were very relatable and well written. The author gives an honest view of the struggles that anxiety and depression can throw at you.

This was a really good story that truly told the struggles of living with anxiety well. Coming from someone who lives with this mental illness, this was really important to read and it made me feel seen. Mullins divides it into three different sections, Bad Times, Relationships, and Positivity. Each one delved into the struggles of going through daily life while baring the heavy weight of anxiety on the daily.

It is a hard thing to deal with and even harder to talk about how one feels about their mental illness. This book is so important, and the art style and pigeons attempt to soften the blow of anxiety as a whole.

Half comic, half written, this book is a self reflection by the author on their life dealing with mental illness. It is both heartbreaking, and heartwarming. In general, it showed the many facets of Mullin's mental illness, and it will certainly be relatable in parts to some.

It was also humorous in parts, and that helped relieve some of the tension within the book itself. I think using a pigeon relating back to a story they tell, was well done. It flows in a way that really works. Mullin also talks directly to the reader -- it feels as if you're a close acquaintance or friend. You don't feel alienated by anything they say.

I think this book is going to be good for people both with mental illnesses and those without. It is a reminder to those who may be friends with/in a relationship with/related to those with a mental illness that we don't see everything. We don't know everything.

Overall, I think this was a well done book!

I loved Chuck Mullin's little pigeon comics, so when I saw that she was releasing this collection, I jumped at the chance to read it — and I'm so glad I did.

The comics are spaced out with a couple of pages here and there that tell the author's own story with her mental illness, treatment, and her journey to the self-love she's begun to find for herself, and it's really wonderful and touching. I definitely teared up a few times over how much I related to her thoughts and worries, but it was also so comforting to see that she's found things that work for her, and it gives me hope that I can find things that work for me, too. (I've even opted to steal a few of her ideas, like saying one kind thing to yourself in the mirror every day)

If you struggle with mental illness at all, especially anxiety and depression, I can't recommend this collection enough. You'll laugh, you'll get all kinds of Feels™, and I can almost guarantee you'll love these little anxious pigeons as much as I did.

Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

A description of anxiety and depression that manages to be ultra-personal and relatable at the same time. The essays are insightful, if perhaps repetitive at times, but hey...so is anxiety, and in a way, it just reflects the fact that mental illness is not generally a short-term situation. Mullin avoids an overall feeling of monotony, though, with the organization between the (adorable) comics and reflections. Easy to read in one sitting, or across several. This book will likely be a gift for several people I love this year.

Very relatable for people with clinical depression. This was at times touching and inspirational with a lot of good information. Good for people who enjoy short webcomics and struggle with mental illness.

Tediously long essays on anxiety interspersed with repetitive, one-note and unfunny strip comics featuring pigeons who whine about being anxious over and over. Very dull and unenlightening.

Everyone has to find a way to cope with the things that bother us in life.

Chuck's way to do this was to draw how she felt in different situations, but as a bird.

She tackles family, friends, work, anxiety. It is a tough world out there, and not all meds help the same way.

<img src="https://g2comm.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/bird-brain.png" alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-5478" />

<img src="https://g2comm.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/bird-brain1.png" alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-5479" />

<img src="https://g2comm.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/bird-brain2.png" alt="" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-5480" />

It is a bit repedetive, but that is probably because it isn't always easy to pull oneself out of the illness.

This should allow others with the same anxiety and mental health problems a good place to connect

Not a coffee table book. .

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

3.75 stars ⭐

no joke this is probably the best depiction of anxiety I have ever seen. not only that but mental health as a whole. nice job Ms. Chuck!

Author and illustrator Chuck Mullin has mastered the art of depicting his mental health struggles with depression and anxiety in cartoon form. As someone who struggles with both these conditions, I could relate to almost every graphic. Who knew I could relate so well to a pigeon? ;)

Mental Illness is a topic that isn’t discussed enough. People do not understand it. They lack empathy and are not sympathetic towards those who suffer.

About 20 years ago I struggled with depression, anxiety and panic attacks. I have been lucky in that we found a medication that works with few side effects. My son has sever anxiety as does his partner. I have so many friends and family who suffer ... many in silence. We must do better. This little graphic book is written by a young woman in London who suffers. She opened her heart and mind and shared it with us. Her drawings are expressive and and artistic. The vignettes are astute.

If you know someone who has difficulty understanding what a loved one is experiencing, gift them this book. It releases on 19 November.

Thank you to Netgalley, Andrews McMeel Publishing and the author for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I expected a book with just comic strips, but Bird Brain is actually interwoven with short essays. The comic strips and the text accompany each other very well and I think the amount of each is perfect. The book is focused on the mental health journey of the author. The highs, the lows, and the in-betweens.

I think that this book is great both for people who have anxiety and those who don't. It could be very beneficial for people who are not mental health aware because the comic strips really provide the gist of how anxiety feels and what it does to a person. The textual intermissions of the author give a reader a better understanding of what she tries to show in the strips too. Maybe it could help someone to understand that people suffer from anxiety and it is not as simple as to say to oneself: I’m going to be happy. And on the other hand, the people who suffer from anxiety or have any experience with it, it is to put it simply, relatable. It is a great feeling to be reassured that no, you are not weird, other people feel the same as you. You are not alone.

I'm really happy for the author, and also thankful that she created this book because I think many people will enjoy it.

Bird Brain by Chuck Mullin is a detailed personal reflection on the author's experience of social anxiety and mental illness, as charmingly portrayed by pigeons. Yes, you read that correctly. Although I have not read a vast amount of material on the topic of mental illness, this is the most illuminating, honest, and personal account that I have experienced. Presented through alternating essays and comic strips, the latter featuring said pigeons, I was unprepared for just how relatable so much of the material was and, as a result, this book really resonated with me. I firmly believe that most readers will find the same as they see themselves reflected on these pages.

This book provides an often humorous look at a weighty topic, and I am pleased that the author has found a creative outlet that will surely inspire others. It is heartening to see that the book moves in the direction of positivity and hope. And who doesn't love a googly-eyed pigeon? Recommended.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for this ARC,

I initially thought this was gonna be just a collection of comic strips but it ended up being equally divided between them and short essays introducing each chapter’s theme that I ended up being just as in love with.
The comic strips are so funny and to my surprise, I even recognized some of them but what made me love them were how honest and easy to identify with they were. It was also really uplifting to see the way that the illustration style and the pidgeon’s own positivity evolved throughout the book. It made me hopeful and for that I’m thankful.

The text was written in the first person and directed at the reader so while reading this book I felt like I was talking to a friend. I’m so, so happy for Chuck and wish her all the best because that was what she wished me in this book as well.

Not only that, this is a super funny book and if it can make you feel a bit down because of the theme, you will have a better grasp of what anxiety feels like after reading it and will probably close this book with a smile. I know I did.

Thank you to Andrews McMeel Publishing and NetGalley for this DRC.