1000 stars would be the correct rating for this book. I felt seen and understood. Thank you Alfonso Casas <3

Do you know the movie Inside Out? Well, now imagine that, only instead of Joy, Sadness, Anger etc, the character's we're following, are Anxiety, Imposter Syndrome etc.

Alfonso Casas weaves a beautiful, touching and yet, very funny and relatable story, where his feelings and fears take the stage.

And he carries them with him everywhere. It seems like they won't leave him alone, like their live's goal, is to make him miserable.

This is a fantastic graphic novel about mental health. But don't fool yourselves, this is definitely not a downer! As mentioned above, it is funny and I did find myself relating with the main character's experieces.

Besides the very unique concept and its great execution, I also liked the ilustrations that accompany this graphic novel.
And I really liked that part in the end, where the main character stands up to his fears and negative feelings, and leaves them behind. But I also liked the " monsters' " reaction to this, which was something along the lines of "Our boy is finally doing it!" like they've become his friends.

I recommend this one to people who like fun and insightful stories, and to people who themselves face the same difficulties as the main hero of the book!

‘MonsterMind: Dealing with Anxiety & Self-Doubt’ with story and art by Alfonso Casas with translation by Andrea Rosenberg is a series of comics about the kind of monsters that many of us face and how to hopefully conquer them.

The main character is Alfonso Casa and, I assume, this is his account of things he's been through. The characters in the book include Mr Past Traumas, Mr Fear, Mr Social Anxiety, Mr Imposter Syndrome, and so on. Their presence in the author’s life prevents him from publishing and being confident but he learns how to overcome them and offers that advice to the reader.

I really liked this book. The advice given is pretty practical and could possibly really help people. The art is really interesting and I really liked it.

Thank you for approving me for this title! However, I unfortunately was unable to download/read this book prior to it being archived on Netgalley. I hope to read and review this book on my own soon, and hope to read other books from this author and publisher. Thanks again!

MonsterMind is one of my Top 12 Nonfiction Books of 2022! It features comics by the author Alfonso Casas and his experience with self-doubt, ego, anxiety, and more. The emotions are translated into creative, personally-inspired monsters. The illustrations are hilarious, heartfelt, and relatable. There are lots of inspiring, meaningful quotes. I will eagerly look forward to more art by Alfonso Casas.

Note: I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley. I was not compensated in any other fashion for the review and the opinions reflected below are entirely my own. Special thanks to the publisher and author for providing the copy.

A humorous and helpful look into anxiety and self doubt. I think this is a relatable guide and that many people (like myself) will relate to its message.

I adored the art styles and the narration. It was cathartic, but also humorous and heartwarming at the same time. I really enjoyed reading this. I feel like a lot of readers can relate to this book, so I would definitely pick it up if mental health is something you're interested in!

Amazing breakdown of all the monsters in the mind that haunt people. A visual guide to help better understand mental health issues that affect many of us. Art was simply stunning and fitting the narrative.

I only read a quarter of this book before it was archived. It was just not my style at all and I did not enjoy the characters. I would give it another try in print to see if it was just not catching my attention digitally.
I just reviewed MonsterMind: Dealing With Anxiety & Self-Doubt by Alfonso Casas. #MonsterMindDealingWithAnxietySelfDoubt #NetGalley

A brilliant graphic novel about the monsters in your mind. The situations in the story are very relatable and the portrait of the various monsters we all face some time are on point. I loved the art and everything about this book.

Thank you NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

As a person with anxiety and depression, I loved the creative flair Alfonso Casa played on these feelings which I (not to mention many others) have had throughout this thing we call life. I felt represented as I watched the main character and the mental health “monsters” interact as the story unfolded. This graphic novel grasped a serious topic and throughout the imaginative process created a unique tale which allows others to understand our invisible “monsters” or mind “demons”. In conclusion, I hope to see more in the future from Casa and other authors as they embark on helping others relate to mental health through writing. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

This was a really beautiful graphic novel dealing with mental illness, and it could have easily been just really depressing and glum, but the drawing style nicely balanced the heavy topics out, by making the monsters almost cute. It was a really quick read, but even though the book was short, it still managed to address quite a few topics concerning mental health. I would highly recommend this book to anyone, but especially people who love graphic novels dealing with heavier topics.

An absolutely beautiful graphic novel!
I really could see myself in it, my doubts, my fears and this portrait in fuzzy creatures.
It was really a great read and I would love to see more of the author and artist.
I am glad this topic about mental health gains more and more representation in our society nowadays and such graphic novels makes it easier for people to understand them.

This could have been a pure horror story if the "monsters" didn't look so cute, especially Doubt. I still felt triggered in some parts because, as also mentioned in the book, almost all of us are dealing with "monsters" in our minds; some of us less, some more. The imposter syndrome courtroom trial especially felt extremely personal.

I liked that the book wasn't too long. It's usually hard for people with anxiety to concentrate for a long time so the book would be an easy (and helpful) read for those who can relate to it and can be an informative one for those who know someone with anxiety. I liked the conclusion too. Overall, it was funny and heartfelt, and the artwork was cute. I wish the art was more colourful but it's just a personal preference.

I thought this was really good, it seemed very 'realistic' (I don't know if that's the best word to use when it comes to talking about monsters in your head but that's the best word I can think of) the way the book was split up made sense and the way in which it ended even though you've been reading about such a serious subject matter it filled you with hope and that everything is normal and okay.

Thanks to @netgalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

As a person who struggles with anxiety, it is always incredibly comforting to see my day to day experiences brought to life in a way that makes me feel heard and understood. Casas deals with this very well, as he gives faces to each of his "monsters" and details the way that our monsters affect us every day. This is the kind of graphic novel I would want to read whenever I am in a slump, as a reminder that we can live with our monsters and still have a life.

Thank you to Netgalley and Diamond Book Distributors for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the book.

This graphic novel tells about the author's journey in dealing with his mental monsters: anxiety, impostor syndrome, toxic thoughts, fear... and how he managed to get used to living with them, despite the difficulties.

It was an excellent read, addressing the struggles of dealing with mental illness and reflecting on how everyone is fighting some battle.

I loved the trace of the drawings, how each monster was represented and the dynamics between themselves and between them and the protagonist.

I found interesting the contrast of the character being surrounded by monsters and never alone, even if these were the worst moments and when he felt lonelier.

It was a fantastic narrative.

*Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for supplying a copy of this e-book in return for an honest review.*

An excellent graphic novel giving at once a visual memoir of one man's experience and a self-help guide for people surviving mild depression and anxiety. The artwork really makes this book alongside inspired storytelling of the different aspects of depression and anxiety visually depicted as different monsters. This visual element means the book could be enjoyed by a much wider - and younger - audience that can relate to the world of monsters. Certainly not suitable for those surviving higher degrees of these conditions but a competent beginners guide for survivors and those around them - aka everyone.

Review Time 👿
Title: Monster Mind
Author: Alfonso Casas
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was just the Graphic Novel I needed. This Author portrayal of
Illness and how we don’t deal with it was a masterpiece. Living a life where your always second guessing yourself or feeling less than. Never being able to obtain the unobtainable. The idiolized version of ourselves can break us down and let these intrusive thoughts run wild.

Alfonso showed that we should show ourselves Grace as well as others. During the pandemic a lot of us took it HARD. Mental Illness and all that goes with it was at a all time high. Due to the isolation, and unpresidented shift to life as we knew it. The illustrations used as well as the wording were like looking into a mirror.

The feelings and emotions depicted were so real and I know a lot of people can connect with them. Overall I loved this work of art and HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT TO EVERYONE.

Thank you NetGalley and the Author for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest review.

#AlfonsoCasas #BIPOC #reviewer #ebook #art #Digital#Mentalillness #LBGTQA #Monsters #Dealing #Pandemic #Netgalley #Latinoauthor #Graphicnovel #Stigma #Therapy #Realization #Acceptance #Livingwithyourdemons #Concuringyourmind #Onesmallstep #Monstermind

While this little Graphic Novel certainly isn't bad, it's also not good. I disliked the style but that's just personal preference.
Books talking about mental health and every-day struggles with it are generally great, it's also good to see a [presumably] man talk about his which is even more stigmatized.
But while this book might reflect his personal and real experience best, it was neither entertaining (in the interesting way, not the funny one) nor special but rather mediocre.
For me, the monster do not fit their "problems" visually and look more like a ridiculous version of imaginary friends. The plot of the strips this consisted of was not always understandable and boring. Combined with the style, it was a bummer.