**Disclaimer: I received a free early access copy of You Died by Kel McDonald and Andrea Purcell through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this opportunity.

You Died: An Anthology of the Afterlife by Kel McDonald and Andrea Purcell is a graphic novel anthology about death and the afterlife.  It was published on September 22nd, 2020.  I rated it 5 stars on Goodreads.


Here's the summary from Goodreads:

Death—the one aspect of life we all have in common—is waiting for everyone, yet our practices, beliefs, myths, and stories about it are as diverse as we are. You Died celebrates these vibrant cultural expressions of the great equalizer in a thrilling, life-affirming whirlwind of a book, an inspirational volume to be treasured through times of both loss and abundance (and every day in between).
At turns both brazen and insightful, morose and optimistic, You Died asks a wide array of cartoonist newbloods and all-stars to relate their most unforgettable tales of death and what comes next. Filled with beautifully illustrated accounts of grief and mourning, ancient myths, memorial rites around the globe, afterlife in the far reaches of space, and the simple and touching ways both the living and the dead carry on, this lively collection starts a comforting and much-needed dialogue about death as a natural part of life.
Featuring an introduction by death positivity movement pioneer and activist mortician Caitlin Doughty and a murderer’s row of comics talent, including Raina Telgemeier, Shae Beagle, and Lisa Sterle.

This was an exciting read for me because it came from my first auto-approval on NetGalley.  I didn't request this one, but I'm really excited about the fact that I got to read it.  

This was really interesting because I'd never read a graphic novel anthology before.  It was really interesting to read all of the different takes on death and the afterlife.  Each of the artists/story tellers had such a unique and interesting voice that it really brought each and every story to life for me.  I loved how different each story was and how they explored all different aspects of death.

There were some stories that genuinely made me tear up and that's never happened with a graphic novel for me before.  I loved how it depicted grief and people dealing with the loss of people you love and care about.  I really liked the different depictions of the afterlife and what that might look like.

Overall, I really cannot recommend this graphic novel enough.  Please check it out!

2.6 stars is my actual average rating, but I'm rounding up because I like the concept behind this anthology and overall I feel like it's a three-star read! There was good diversity in representation, art style, cultures, beliefs, and storytelling method. Read my thoughts and opinions on each individual story:

"What Eats Us" by Letty Wilson ⭐️
Wasn't a fan. Confusing, not much story/meaning for me, and I wasn't a huge fan of the art style.

"Ghost Friend" by Oliver Northwood ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I thought that this art style was really beautiful and fit the story perfectly. I also really enjoyed the story itself and thought it was super bittersweet. It made me feel all the feels!

"Inanna's Descent To The Underworld" by Ahueonao ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Was sort of confused by this one in the beginning, but as the story progressed I definitely got more into it and became really attached to the characters and the story itself. I think the art style is very fitting for the story and I can appreciate it for that.

"Bone, Oak" by Laura Ketchum ⭐️
I didn't like this one at all which actually surprises me since I was an anthropology major and this sort of stuff is normally my JAM. I just didn't like the way it was told. The pages were kind of clustered and it made the story a bit confusing to follow. Blah.

"Remember" by SE Case ⭐️⭐️
I wasn't a huge fan of this art style, I found it kind of basic and lacking. But I really appreciate the message behind the story and it definitely played on my heartstrings a bit lol.

"Mourning" by Karoline Gronvik ⭐️⭐️⭐️
I found this infographic about Victorian-style mourning practices super interesting and I learned a lot from them. It's just crazy to think that all of these practices were just second nature back then! I can't believe it. It's so interesting!

"Beyond the Cosmos" by James Maddox & Jeremy Lawson ⭐️⭐️
I really did not get this one and the art style reminded me SOOO much of The Grimm Adventures of Billy & Mandy cartoon from back in the day. I didn't mind the art style, but I just felt like this was kind of out of place in this anthology.

"All Souls' Day" by Danielle Chuatico ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
A super cute short graphic about Filipino culture and mourning/death. Such an adorable art style and I really appreciated learning about another culture and their views!

"The Spark Divine" by Sally Cantirino and Jordan Alsaqa ⭐️⭐️.5
I thought this was interesting enough, but I just didn't connect with it the way that I have with some of the other stories in this anthology. Still super intriguing and loved the sci-fi element though!

"Herd" by Shae Beagle ⭐️⭐️
I really liked the art style and shading in this one, but I just didn't have a connection to the story that I think was meant to be there. I didn't feel anything :(

"First Law" by M.Cat.White ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Certainly an oddball out in this collection, but I really appreciated it and actually liked it quite a bit. The art style wasn't my favorite (felt like ClipArt?), but I liked the message enough to make up for that fact!

Agnes & Patsy by Holly Adkins ⭐️⭐️
This one has a really cute concept and I appreciated the story, but it just became kind of confusing at some points. Whomp Whomp.

"Here among the Chrysanthemums" by Luyi Bennett ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I thought this was a really beautiful and heartwarming story!!! I liked it a lot.

"The Last Wreath" by Julette GMM Lopez ⭐️⭐️
I absolutely loved the art style of this. It gave me so many Studio Ghibli vibesssss! The story itself though I just really didn't like and there were a couple of grammatical errors in it as well that threw me off.

"Okaeri" by Jackie Crofts & James F. Wright ⭐️⭐️⭐️
This one wasn't good and wasn't bad. Sweet, but nothing special!

"Still Life" by Ale Green & Fanny Rodriguez ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
I really loved this one so much. I thought it was heartwarming and bittersweet all at the same time. Overall, I just really really enjoyed it!

"Many Happy Returns" by Rhandi Fisher ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
I thought this was so so cute and funny! It gave me a mix of Wreck-It Ralph and The Good Place vibes, which I never knew I needed until now. This was the only one thus far that had some humor elements to it and I really loved that about it.

"Third Option" by A. "Miru" Lee ⭐️⭐️
I thought this one was just okay. A very interesting concept, but, again, just not one that I connected with very much.

Funeral In Foam by Casey Gilly ⭐️⭐️⭐️
This one also had some comedic elements to it! I liked it quite a bit and the art style was also really cute and fitting for the storyline.

Ankou by Isabelle Melancon ⭐️
Completely unfinished and some pages with art, but no script/dialogue. Tried to follow this one, but just couldn't since it was incomplete. The art that was done though was AMAZING!!

“You Called To Me” by Nadia Shammas ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Such a tragic and sad story about a woman grieving over her deceased partner. I enjoyed this one quite a bit!

“I Promise” by A. Shinozaki & Cheryl Young ⭐️⭐️.5
I thought this was cute, but it was over before it even began. I definitely wanted more details and a little bit more plot. It just felt super rushed at the end.

“Hive Mind” by Dani Colman & Maddie Kathleen ⭐️⭐️
This one really confused me at first, but at about the halfway point I started to pick up on the concepts behind it. Still, though, I just wasn't as impressed by it as I wanted to be.

“Bone Ink” by Grace F. Fong & Rhiannon Rasmussen ⭐️
This one had a really cool concept, but it just wasn't a story that I felt like I could get behind. I still really like the art style though!

Thank you to NetGalley and Iron Circus Comics for an advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own!

I want to thank Netgalley, Kel McDonald, Andrea Purcell, and Iron Circus Comics for giving me a chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book has an interesting way of talking about death in a nice and subtle way. I know some people will be not comfortable of talking about this subject, but for me I think this book is awesome.

Some part of this book is so warm-hearted. I know it's weird to say but it kinda gives me a comfort by things that are commonly scary. I also like it that it talks about dealing with grief in a nice and understandable way.

This is also educational when it comes to giving facts surrounding the subject of death. I honestly found fascinating when it discussed about how Victorians mourn.

Some people might find this book upsetting but I like how it tackles death in a positive way. It does not romantacizes it, it's just discussing the theories of what is the afterlife look like. And it does not give me a thought that it's "morbid", it makes me feel fascinated with the subject and so eager to learn of all the theories and what ifs of death.

This is a series of short stories in graphic novel format about death and the afterlife. Some of the stories are funny and some are not. There is a bit of everything in here. The cover will grab someone's attention, but I might have rearranged the stories a bit and put a better one up front. One of my favorites is about the gods and the underworld.

This book is a collection of stories about death. How one may experience it as the dying person, how the people left behind experience it, the different beliefs surrounding it and different thoughts each person may have in regards to it. The stories take place within various periods of time, with some being set in the past, some being contemporary and some having a sci-fi touch to them.

First of all, I love how inclusive and diverse it was. The stories featured protagonists of different ethnicities, different social backgrounds and different sexualities. This is true when it comes to the creators as well.

I also loved how vastly different each story was from each other and how unique each artistic style was. And I also liked how vulnerable the protagonists of every story are, which is fitting, when you think about the book's topic.

And yeah, I know some stories were not realistic at all or as realistic as others. You probably don't use an ouija board to communicate with your deceased loved ones (or maybe you do, who am I to tell you what to do) but that doesn't take away anything from the beauty of the stories or from the messages they intented to put out. Even if you are like me, and don't believe in any form of the afterlife, in my opinion you will enjoy the more allegorical stories as much as the more realistic ones.

Needless to mention that some of the stories hit quite hard, and gave me chills or straight up had me trying to hold back my tears.

My only complain is that one of the stories near the ending, was half made using pencil, the designs had very thin lines and the words were barely visible and readable. I don't know if that was an artistic choice or there was some kind of mix up while putting this together.

But other than that, I really enjoyed this. I totally recommend it to people who like graphic novels and would like to try something softer and more emotional.

These thoughts will also be shared on my Youtube channel! Subscribe to my channel: Pam's Shenanigans!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me a chance to read the e-ARC of this book. This does not, in any way, affect my thoughts and opinions about the book.

"But as profound and universal the first law may be, Death is still a change, Where the result is an unknown but inevitable variable. And when I get overwhelmed by the weight of that, I look at the stars, who use all their energy to keep shining, despite being surrounded by the void of the unknown and inevitable."

You Died is part of this death positivity movement that helps mourning people have an open dialogue and outlook towards death and the afterlife.

This is an amazing collection that portrays death as not a fully negative thing that happens in our lives. While the goal of the creators of this anthology was to shed a different light on the perception of death, it doesn't invalidate the pain and heartache it brings. This anthology just shows how death is a natural part of life and isn't something that should always be feared.

Another favorite part is the myths, folktales, cultural expressions, and traditions highlighted. One that stood out to me was, of course, the one about the Philippines where every year, during All Souls' Day, families would gather around their loved one's grave and commemorate that person's life by sharing stories over scrumptious food!

The art styles per story were also unique, strong, and amazing in their own ways. Partnered with poetic and lyrical stories made for a great reading experience!

Trigger/Content Warnings: death, death of a loved one

'DEATH awaits us all'

Death is universal but the practices, belief, myths and stories that we have and know of it is diverse. The way death is celebrated varies depending on who, how and when a person dies. It is never easy no matter how prepared one seem to be or how distant the deceased was, death is a constant pain in the ass, really. It reminds me of something I heard a while back, 'Death is a friend we all wish we don't meet but it is a companion we all will one day have'
This book is a collection of short stories from different contributors, there are a few that really stuck with me.

Ghost Friend by Oliver Northwood: Follows a girl who cannot move past the death of her best friend. She has found a way to summon her and every night she would make her circle and call upon her. She could not move or make new friends because her friend kept coming whenever she called on her. Until one day, her friend told her to stop summoning her and try to make a new friend and stop hanging unto her.

Peat, Bone, Oak by Lauran Ketchum: this has to be my favourite in the whole book. It explores how bodies of people who have died long ago are dug up and learnt from. I know some people think it is inappropriate to dig up tombs for the sake of science and I agree. However, we would not be able to learn or even know much about things that have happened in the past without them. The best way to express this is to use the author's own words
"Bog people draw attention to the dichotomy present in the brain's denial of death's reality and yet fascination in the face of it" and the "yearning of the soul mixed with unsettlement that draws me to the bog people". We all want to understand death one way or the other.

There are a lot more in this book including how people used to mourn back in the Victorian era, different cultures and religions perception of death, dealing with the loss of a sibling, parent, spouse and the beauty and acceptance of the transformation/ transfiguration that follows death. It's more like, death is a process that goes past the stage where one is dying. I think it is a process rather than an abrupt halt.

Thanks to #Netgalley and Iron Circus Comics for making this graphic novel available to me.

Just finished up a quick read through of this graphic novel collection.
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I'm not generally a fan of graphic novels but the subject matter here interested me. A mixed bag of approaches to what happens after death in a variety of styles. Some were sad, some funny, some poignant. Fans of the macabre, death culture, and even those interested in the beliefs of different religions will all find something interesting here.

You Died is a comic book anthology where each separate story deals with some aspect of death. Although I enjoyed some stories more than others (which is to be expected for an anthology I suppose), I found this book to be pretty great overall. If you have bouts of existential anxiety like I do, I found that reading this book actually helps. The first story especially really resonated with me, it was beautifully drawn and the concept really well executed. If you like Caitlin Doughty, no doubt you'll enjoy this book too!


I was provided a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

A truly stunning work of art. Every single story in this is a work of art and beautiful in its own way. I would love to read more like this and was previously interested in the author, but now I will definitely be reading more of her work.

I always love a good collection of short stories by many different authors! It always amazes me how many different styles you can find there.

This one is no different. Sure, some stories were not really all that good in my opinion, and I didn't enjoy all of the art, but there were quite a few that left me thinking and/or wanting for more.

I also liked the topuc of this book very much. What happens after you die is a question we all want answered, in a way.

Thank you for allowing me to read and review this ARC!

This is a tricky one to review! I loved a few of the stories but I didn’t like many. I think the description is misleading. I definitely thought it would be about death and burial practices of different cultures. I found it to be more about grief.

I've always been interested in the idea of an afterlife, but never really found anything interesting to read/watch on that theme (Except for the All Dogs Go to Heaven), which is why I was so happy to run across the You Died.

This was an intriguing read, I liked it very much!

You died is a collection of stories about death and what might happen after you die. (If someone missed the description).

There were a couple of stories I didn't quite like, but most of them were certainly interesting.

I like every art style, they were all unique and special in their own way.

All in all, I enjoyed reading this, I may as well reread it soon!

Thank you for allowing me to read this.

First I want to make some trigger warnings on the book obviously the book talks about death but also heavily represents depression, suicide, terminal illness, dementia, and more I would only recommend reading the book if you are in a good mental place and think you can handle it.

Second, I love the cover it is stunning and one of the main reasons I wanted to read the book.

The book is a collection of short comics all around the theme of death and its folklore around the world. I really love the book but had to stop a few times and take a break because some stories were intense and really hit the feelings.
However, some of the short stories were not captivating at all and boring so I skimmed over them.

'You Died: An Anthology of the Afterlife' edited by Kel McDonald and Andrea Purcell is graphic novel featuring 24 stories by differing creative teams and an introduction by Caitlin Doughty.

From the death of creatures to the death of loved ones, this collection examines our final moments from both sides of the grave. There are stories of pride and humility. Death plays no favorites, so the stories run the gamut from scary to heartwrenching. My favorite might be Remember by SE Case about a woman who can't let go and has a conversation with someone from her past.

The stories are all really good. The art varies but it's all pretty good. The variety of the stories makes for a good anthology.

I received a review copy of this graphic novel from Iron Circus Comics and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this graphic novel.

I must preface this with I read a lot about death. In all different sorts of contexts, but mostly from the view of the trauma it causes, folklore around it, and how people deal with it. So I thought that this book was right up my alley! And check out that amazing cover!

Unfortunately, most of the stories just didn't do much for me. I think I've read too much on the subject already, but that this would be a great collection to start with. My main quibble is that the stories had some interesting ideas, but most were too short to do much with the ideas they brought up. There is a version of the Mesopotamian myth that Persephone is based on that got some decent space. Since this is well worn territory and content available lots of places, I was disappointed to see that other, more unique, takes didn't get the same space.

For those especially interested in LGBTQIA+ representation, science fiction, and/or anime type graphics, I especially recommend you pick this up. I could also see it being useful with those who are grieving or who haven't thought much about dying.

Thank you to Iron Circus Comics, all the authors, and Netgalley for an advance ecopy in exchange for an honest opinion.

Ok, first things first, I looove this cover, and that's what grabbed my attention to begin with! This was really fun, very different from anything I have read before, and even from what I was expecting. This is a collection of shorts themed on the idea of death and the afterlife, including sad, sweet, knowledgeable, and fun stories. the graphic style is different for each story, to better suit it, and that's what I really liked about this collection, the attention to details, and brilliant storytelling through graphics! This is the kind of book I'd love to get my hands on and keep it on my physical shelf and savor it in small bits!

Thanks to Netgalley, artists, writers, and publishers for the review copy. All opinions are my own,

I had something of the same experience reading this book as I did reading Atul Gawande's "Being Mortal": we don't talk enough about death. About coming to terms with the fact that we are all mortal, about cherishing life, and helping our loved ones understand how we wan to die. Gawande's book was much more shaded to dealing with the medical system, while these comics are much more personal. The ones that were less impactful dealt with the realization of the newly dead that they were in fact dead. A few were moving, but most imposed a spirituality that I don't necessarily believe and therefore their attempted comfort was misplaced. But the stories about the dying and those who survived were great and moving and left me thinking about the conversations I need to have more of with my mom, friends, wife, and kids.

This thoughtful and varied graphic novel story collection was really comforting to me. After a year of so many kinds of losses, including the death of my mom, these stories offered different takes on death and grieving. There was something really hopeful in the connections between this life and the after...

This may be a powerful salve for many of my students. Eager to share it with them.

You Died is a collection of comics centered on death, grief, and the afterlife. It offers a wide range of stories following characters on either side of the great divide along with supernatural beings who help souls traverse between worlds.

To say I liked this collection would be an understatement. I loved every single part of it and I cried through much of it which was unsurprising. It was healing, comforting, and exactly what I needed. As soon as I can get my hands on a copy it will be taking up a special place on my bookshelf as something to come back to over and over again.