I admit I didn't finish this book. Because I am an elementary school librarian, I thought this would be an interesting graphic novel for teens. I didn't realize until shortly into the book that it was more geared for adults. Thanks to NetGalley for a free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

I think this made me a better person?

This story is told with such pathos and humor that it is staggering, yet simple. I laughed aloud throughout the book and was constantly struck by how well the levity bled into seriousness. The book is a masterclass in weathering detachment while never feeling preachy.

IN was a really insightful graphic novel. The existentialism that was so relevant throughout the novel is something that so many of us experience on a daily basis. I think it was really well portrayed by the author in the fact that we as readers could relate to it so much.
And the whole idea around the fact that how we are so distanced from even our dear ones - oh that was so profound. Despite the close relationship we have with them, there is a vast ocean that engulfs all the real connection and communication that we might have had with them, easily.
A stunning and fantastic work!

Beautiful and heart breaking. I guess I identified with the slightly existential aloof nature of the book and it sort of resonated in that way. There were some parts that made me smile and the dialogue and thought processes kept things moving and gave a real sense of the characterisation. Overall I would recommend to biographical graphic novel fans.

"In" gave me a lot to think about and probably because the graphic novel centres itself around connections.
Genuine, human connections are something that Nick struggles with and he truly wants to experience what they may feel like.

Nick lives his life like he is the main character of his story, but he so desperately wants other people to be part of his story too.

The grey and white drawings almost emphasise his exhaustion at just flitting through life without those human connections. He knows they are important, but he also doesn't quite know where to start.

The moments where we do get colour in this novel feel like an explosion on the page. I was always taken aback by the panels in colour because they invited the reader to see the inner workings of Nick's mind other than the outside perspective of the black and white world.

Nick grows in this story, he learns he is needed and has valuable contributions to make to the people around him and those that care for him.

While I don't think the story itself is anything new or revolutionary, the way "In" presents itself and is told hits all the major themes I look for in a coming-of-age story. "In" reads like a coming-of-age story for adults and I adored it for that reason.

Thank you to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for providing me with an e-arc to review. All opinions are my own.

Excellent and quick graphic novel read. Beautifully done story and unique combination of colorful and grey illustrations.

This book surprised me. I was not sure what to expect but it packs an emotional punch. The end message of what has not yet happened is a real kicker.
There is humour and the cultural references made me smile.
The illustrations are superb, in particular the colour sequences. Nick’s emotional and imaginative journeys suck you in with their colour and beauty.

Provided by the publisher, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, in exchange for an honest review.

I feel so honored that I was able to read this awe-inspiring work of art. I tend to not feel much. I'm not proud of the fact, but it's true. Yet, without attempting any cheap emotion-grabbing gimmicks, McPhail was able to make me both feel and relate to our lead character, Nick Moss, in far less words and fewer pages than any novel.

The artwork is sublime. The limited, but expertly used color was (at the risk of being redundant) so expertly done. The dialogue was great and real, but it was Nick's inner monologue and the ever-changing names of the chic coffee shops that sealed the deal for me.

Nick Moss is a millennial. What's worse, he's a millennial artist. And he, like most of us, is missing an authentic connection with other people. He recognizes that most conversations and meetings are mere formalities. They don't matter. They're a waste of words. They're a waste of time. As Nick realizes this, he doesn't refuse to enter in like so many of us do. Instead, he presses in as uncomfortable as it may be. And when he does, the world around him shifts. The blacks and whites on the page blossom into color. For a few moments, Nick gets to explore the beautiful landscape around him. These moments are certainly the highlights of the graphic novel.

In is a perfect story that is perfectly told and I wish everyone would have the chance to not only read it, but to learn from it as well.

I thought the illustrations in this book were amazing and easy to look at. All the characters were very raw and you could see yourself in them. I especially liked the main character. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a short, no stress read.

Wow.
I was not expecting for this graphic novel to make me feel so much and yet it did.
Such a good, real, accurate, punch-you-in-gut portrayal of loneliness from how we live our everyday lives, to how hard a simple conversation can become in an attempt to establish an honest connection. (loved page 73 where the main character is reflecting upon his conversation with the plumber who comes over and what it could have been had the right words in the right order had been used.)

I really really loved it and would recommend it to everyone who can stomach an exposure to all these raw and real emotions.

Trigger warnings: depression, loneliness, hopelessness.

I would love to purchase it and I must say I almost never say that for graphic novels.

5 stars from me!

Thank you to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for giving me this book in exchange for a honest review! / ¡Gracias a NetGalley y Houghton Mifflin Harcourt por darme este libro a cambio de una reseña honesta!

English Review:
5 / 5 stars
In is an incredible graphic novel that tells us the story about Nick, a guy that is looking for the secret of human interaction in coffee shops, other people, songs, etc. During this process, Nick faces a lot of obstacules, like the lack of his self-confidence, the fact that he doesn´t know how to change, and a girl he meets in a bar named Wren.

I think the adjective that will describe this story the best is beautfiful: this is a beautiful story from beginning to end, specially because of the way the novel handles important subjects like love, hope, etc. Nick is really present throughout the story and we get to know him and his insecurities about really well; the way Nick sees and talks about life itself is really inspiring and I think that´s what draw me into the story more and more. The difference between really living and just existing is portraited in this book so well that it is the most cautiveting thing I´ve seen in a novel for a very long time.

There really isn´t much I can say about this book that will make it justice of how great it is, and, in conclusion, I´m really proud to call it the first graphic novel I´ve read.

Reseña en Español:
5 / 5 estrellas
In es una novela gráfica increíble que nos cuenta la historia de Nick, un chico que está buscando el secreto de la interacción humana en cafeterías, otras personas, canciones, etc. En el proceso, Nick se encontrará con muchos obstáculos, como la falta de autoestima, el hecho que no sabe como cambiar y una chica que conoce en un bar llamada Wren.

Creo que el adjetivo que describiría a la perfección es hermosa: creo que es una hermosa historia de principio a fin, especialmente por la forma en la que la novela trata temas importantes, como amor, esperanza, etc. Nick está muy presente dentro de la historia y llegamos a conocerlo y a sus inseguridades muy bien; la forma en la que Nick ve y habla sobre la vida en si es muy inspirador y creo que eso fue lo que me atrajo a la lectura más y más. La diferencia entre lo que de verdad están viviendo y lo que simplemente existen son manejados de una manera cautivadora, algo que no he visto pase mucho en la literatura de los jóvenes.

La verdad no hay mucho que pueda decir este libro que le haga justicia a tan increíble libro que es una maravilla. En conclusión, estoy muy orgullosa de finalmente animarme a leer una novela gráfica,

This will definitely not be a 5-star book for everyone, but it is so precisely, exactly my shit. Wren is exactly my dream girl and I was just so delighted with her character throughout. The writing definitely has a strong voice, which I don't think will be everyone's jam, but I doubt anyone can take issue with the art. I loved how color was incorporated into the story and overall the drawing style is so incredibly gorgeous. I might read it again?? Reading something once is hard enough and my TBR pile is enormous, but I really liked this.

A content warning for potential readers: there is a character dies from cancer. If that's a thing you avoid, avoid this!

Simple panels following the main character who asks the question, what do you ask someone to connect? This book has stayed with me for days. Connect with strangers and most importantly, those you love before it's too late. This story weaves together a beautiful story.

I’m not familiar with Will McPhail’s work, but after reading”In” I will check out his work in The New Yorker. Equal parts humorous, heartbreaking and heartwarming, “In” beautifully paints a portrait of a young millennial man who longs to make an authentic connection with anyone around him, from his family to the beautiful woman at the bar to the plumber assigned to fix his toilet. Highly relatable with affective illustrations to boot.

A well done graphic novel that straddles the line between artsy and conventional perfectly. This is about Nick's journey to learn how to make honest connections with people and what happens along the way.

Long story short, his relationship with Wren is the best part. I liked the whole thing, but Wren was the best.

There were times when I lost the plot but I was able to figure out what was going on fairly quick. This is a bittersweet story with emphasis on the bitter. The ending, without spoilers, is not without hope, though so In did leave me smiling.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for allowing me to read this for free in exchange for an honest review.

A clever, heartbreaking, funny slice-of-life story of a young cartoonist searching for meaning. An expertly crafted story with a dry wit and weighty subject matter. My biggest challenge in reading this is the way the characters’ eyes are drawn. They look out of place—big and bugged-out, like every expression is one of complete horror. It took me 1/3 of the book to get used to such cartoony eyes on otherwise realistic-looking characters.

This graphic novel follows Nick, an artist who has been gliding through life, not feeling much. It tells the story of Nick consciously deciding that he wants to be more meaningful with his words, and what happens when he does. There's definitely a theme of missed chances/connections here.

I was not entirely sold on this book at first but about halfway through, it began to pick up and a lump filled in the back of my throat. I was expecting to feel something based on the description, but was not entirely sure what kinds of feelings. A common issue with graphic novels is that they often don't have very fleshed out characters, and I think that was present here but the artist did an excellent job of portraying Nick's emotions through his expressions that I definitely feel like I got to know him. I definitely recommend this to anyone that enjoys contemporary graphic novels or wants a quick but substantial read. Also, I definitely want a physical copy of this for my shelves.

Content Warnings: death of a loved one, cancer, mental illness

If this review is editable, I will insert a link to my Bookstagram review when I post it!

This was so incredible. I choked up several times while reading the sudden episodes in color. Very well done.

Our character, Nick, is surrounded by people in whichever city he's in, a city that's full of the worst coffee shops with the widest spread of milks but just the worst names, and nobody in that city is communicating. Testing out the waters as a sad man, doing sad things like going to sad bars sadly alone, he meets a girl, Wren, and they hit it off, but surely in amongst that welter of humanity there might be a friend? Someone who doesn't shout him down for sketching her on the subway, someone who is not being a barista in between other, equally unimportant jobs, someone who deserves more connection than just shitty small talk?

I don't do small talk, so even though Nick is defined as a millennial, I could still wholly relate. The sparse pages – some only with two panels on, tucked centrally amidst acres of white – and the generally quiet-seeming, unshowy pencil work, show the sort of characterless drift into silence Nick could be facing. Also, however, we get full-colour dreamscape scenes, that convey the steps he makes when he does converse – one is a huge climb up a cliff-face of ice with a mountain as a goal, but another shows the damage that might be done when he gets admired by his nephew.

However then we see a completely different side to this book, which was quite a hard switch to take, it being unexpected and all that. I won't say more than that it's something which shuts Nick up hard, even though it also reminds him of times when he should have, perhaps could have, been talking to people, and wasn't. The jump is so great, however, that I'm not sure if the book ended up being about Nick – it could be said to be about this other. So without the forewarning I didn't get (the foreshadowing of it is very minor, and like the rest here, quite low-key), I'm not sure if I completely liked this. To the right reader this is a wonderfully crafted, subtle, love letter, and I did admire what it was trying to do, but I felt the lurch into that particular subject pulled the rug from under my feet a little too strongly. Three and a half stars – although I am sure re-reading would hike that up, now I'm forearmed.

Will McPhail delivers a lovely assembly of words and images that lead the reader into a realistic and literary graphic novel experience. There’s something like the work of Daniel Clowes here, but McPhail makes his own stamp.

I loved how coloring in the illustrations played a role in across the pages, and this book felt like a study of character in picture. A most enjoyable experience!