Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Everything is OK is a story of depression in graphic novel format. Throughout Debbie's journey we watch as she begins her struggle with depression and anxiety, seeks help and ultimately learns how to cope with the difficulties associated with these mental health issues.

This is so beautifully written. I think the author does an amazing job at illustrating and communicating the difficulties those dealing with depression and anxiety face in their everyday lives. Keeping everything simple yet well explained 'Everything is OK' is a great book for someone who is trying to understand depression and anxiety.

I definitely related to so many aspects of this book and it always help to know you're not alone with what you've been through. I really enjoyed going through Debbie's growth and what the process of discovering their own anxiety and depression. I absolutely adore the art work and the story overall is inspiring and I hope ill be able to have my own similar ending one day. Thanks for sharing your story!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
I always look forward to reading Debbie Tung's book. Each of them are very relatable and offer the reader a chance to know that you're not alone. The illustrations are excellent, as always.

"Everything is OK" is an internal look at anxiety and depression from someone who has seen the darker sides. Debbie walks the reader through trying to decide when her feelings were bad enough to warrant help, as well as through starting therapy.

The color palette the author uses is perfect for the subject matter; most of the panels are done in shades of blueish-grey, and they definitely give the feeling that the author is struggling. Positive messages and moments are illustrated in bursts of color: sunsets, starry nights, or even just bright watercolors to highlight how her life is changing.

As someone who has suffered with both depression and anxiety myself, I found this book very uplifting. Many of the positive, bright panels in the book would make for beautiful notecards or framed art as reminders that things do get better in time with help from others.

Everything is Ok is a nice graphic novel memoir that follows the author's journey of struggling with mental illness, being diagnosed, and learning to live with it and accept it rather than hiding it or trying to ‘get better’. I thought it served its purpose of talking about that experience well, but it didn’t go any further and felt like a very surface level look at it. I feel that this would be great for younger audiences or people who are just beginning to struggle or look for help with their mental illness. However, as someone who has been living their life with a mental illness and was diagnosed many years ago, I felt that I didn’t gain anything from it. It didn’t really teach me much that I haven’t already heard before. There’s nothing really wrong with that, I just think that it’s not for me, but would maybe help other people, specifically someone who may have just been diagnosed and is struggling to accept that. The art I felt did the job, the blues really fit the subject matter, but for the most part didn’t really stand out to me. There were a few pages where the watercolour art style was really utilized and as a result were really beautiful and eye-catching. One of the main parts of the medium of graphic novels is the art, but unfortunately I didn’t find it to be very interesting in this. It wasn’t bad, however, especially considering some pages were really great, it just didn’t feel super creative or interesting. I wouldn’t really recommend this except in very specific situations, such as if someone I knew was just diagnosed with depression, then maybe this would help them with that experience. Overall I gave this a 3.25 stars.

Everything Is OK felt like reading a book about the struggle that I am going through (except that don't have a partner, or a job and I also haven't found the light at the end of the tunnel).

Anxiety and stress and depression are problems many of us have struggled for years and it is always so important when someone comes out of the shadows and shares their experience for the rest of us who feel alone. Debbie Tung did something that felt personal and so helpful to me: she used colours and words to tell her story and gave it hope. Gave me hope.

The illustrations were so sweet and the moments of colour were, to me, the moments of love and hope and happiness in a world that was dark and negative. A story so complex about something so hard deserves so much love and support that it felt right to rate it 5 stars, for the smiles and tears it brought to me.

So thankful I was able to read this before it comes out, no doubt it will be a must-recommend to all my friends and family!

Signing off,
B.

A while ago I read the graphic novel, Book Love, by Debbie Tung. It’s such an adorably sweet book, you never would have guessed that the author was struggling with anxiety and depression – and that’s the point, you just never know.

Here, she uses her artistic skills to share her experience with mental health struggles. It’s heartbreaking at times, and then so lovely as she shows the path to enjoying life again. That sounds a bit glib in a short review, but over the 200 pages the struggles are detailed, and that the path is never straight – days are sometimes good and sometimes still bad. But overall, it’s a happy story.

I think most of us struggle with anxiety, and many with depression, but you don’t need a medical diagnosis to gain a huge amount from reading this book. Everyone has tough days, days when things feel impossible to surmount. This is a book of hope that if you keep going, keep trying, you can improve things and find balance.

Personally I needed this book. I have, indeed, been going through some tough times, and often it looks like the way back to ‘normal’ is just insurmountably hard. Reading this reminded me that I’ve been through a lot and survived. I’ll cope with the next bit. And by monitoring my thoughts I can help myself face it all and do it well.

Hugely, hugely recommended, this is just a lovely, fabulous, gentle warm hug of a book for life’s hiccups or darkest moments.

I must start with a confession: this is the first comic book I read by Debbie Tung. I am not particularly known for spoilers, but here you have one: I finished reading Everything is OK and not only did I pre-ordered it, but I also ordered Book Worm and Shy Girl in a Noisy World. Yes, that is the impact this book had on me.
And it couldn’t have come to my hands in a better time, that’s also something I need to say. I struggle with anxiety for several years now, the utterly non-compression of what my own mind, my own body is doing, how is reacting. And I pre-ordered Everything is OK because I feel like I need a physical copy, bookmark some of the strips, and maybe even read them to me out loud when things start to go awry.
I highly recommend it to anyone who is both suffering with anxiety or knows someone who is and wants to help. It felt simply extraordinary.

I don't even know what to rate this, to be honest. It was really difficult to read.

I guess I got used to indie/self-pubbed books have content warnings in the beginning... And this did not have it.

Be aware, if you read this and have trouble with your mental health, that it is heavy.

This is such a brilliant read. The author takes the reader on a journey as she grapples with depression, anxiety and mental health. Her story is one that is common in our societies but one that is hidden because mental health conditions are generally stigmatised and misunderstood. It is such a simple graphic novel but a memoir that is powerfully told and it is deeply moving.

The author shows her emotions, struggles with work and struggles with everyday life and towards the end we see her seeking professional help and receiving it. The book explores the authors own experience of depression because of course it will be different for different people, but readers will gain insight and understanding if they take the chance to reflect on Debbie’s experience.

Although readers will experience the author’s struggles they will also experience her journey to some form of ‘recovery’ and the memoir is very hopeful. Although depression is a complex issue and can be painful I was left thinking that I had been given a gift through this book and a chance to learn about depression and anxiety and how it can affect the lives of others. The author is both very brave and highly talented and the book is definitely one to hold on to for future references and learning, and also for sharing with others.

Copy provided by Andrews McMeel Publishing via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

This was my first work of Debbie Tung, and I actually related to some parts. I found the artwork enjoyable and liked the dark vs. light panels, especially with the watercolor style.

Before picking this one up, keep in mind that it is a collection of comics about anxiety and depression. All these comics together form somewhat of a story, the journey of the author about her struggle with anxiety and her experience with depression. Personally, I like there to be more of a clear storyline, because the comics sometimes felt a bit repetitive.

Overall I liked reading this comic. Checking out the author's social media will give you a good impression of what the book is all about en what you can expect. Thanks to Netgally for a copy to review.

This graphic novel was so heartbreaking and heart warming at the same time. As someone who struggles with anxiety myself, I could relate to most things that were described in this book extremely well. I felt seen and recognised and respected, and that was beautiful. It made me want to make all my friends and acquaintances read this so they can understand me better.

I also really adored the drawing style and the way the illustrations and use of colour went together with the topics that were touched upon, and managed to convey a hopeful and inspiring outlook. Truly a stunning piece of art!

4.5/5 stars.

This graphic novel/comic was just what I needed to read today. It brought tears to my eyes as I was reading because it hit home in so many ways. Honestly, there is not a day where I do second guess my life choices & then berate myself because I have it so much better than other people. So what if I went to college but have never used my degree. So what if I don't make a ton of money at my job. I have my health, a beautiful family, and a roof over my head. What is there to be anxious or depressed about? These are things Tung touched on & resonated with me deep in my soul. Recognizing these moments, when I put myself down is the first step to understanding its okay to not be okay, and that someday I will be. I am so glad I came across this book here on NetGalley and I plan to purchase and keep it handy to remind myself it will get better, just take a day at a time.

Thank you NetGalley and Andrews McNeel Publishing for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest.

Debbie Tung is one of my favorite comic book artists and this latest one from her cemented that feeling. This is a powerful and inspirational graphic memoir that now touches on mental health. Like with all of Tung's books I felt deeply connected with the stories that she writes. In combination with the beautiful illustrations that make Tung's personal experiences really come to life. If you haven't read Tung's books, then this one is perfect to begin!

Omigosh I don't even know where to start. This book brought me to tears. It resonated with me so much. It made me realize maybe I need help. I wish I would have had access to a book like this as a young adult.

The illustrations are beautiful. The use of color is fantastic. The author does such a good job destigmatizing mental health. She shows her own personal journey but in a way others can relate to. I related to it deeply. I'm definitely going to check out other books by this author. I can't say enough good things about this book..

Be kind to yourself.

That is the message of the latest book out by Debbie Tung that goes over her journey with depression and anxiety. She starts the book with being depressed for several months, until she finally breaks down and seeks help. We go along the journey with her, as she explains that she feels she has to earn rest, and how she doesn’t know how to turn down non-paying gigs.
Beautifully, painful book, but good to get the information out there, so that others who might not recognize depression and what to do about it, can work on getting well.
As she says, no one knows what they are doing, and we are all on a journey, and we have to be kind to ourselves.

Wonderful book.

<em>Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.</em>

Title: Everything Is OK
Written by: Debbie Tung
Pub Date: 06 Sep 2022
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Genre: Comics, Graphic Novels, Manga

Everything is OK is a comic based on the life experiences of Debbie Tung. It explores life with mental health struggles such as Depression and Anxiety. Though some of the experiences are personal to Tung and not all readers will have been through those exact scenarios I think that most will still see some form of similarity.

As previously mentioned the book deals with mental health. But one thing this comic doesn't that most books that deal with the subject tend to do is, it doesn't pretend that it or anything else is a cure for mental health. This comic makes it very clear that there is no quick fix for mental health problems.

Ugh I can't begin to explain how much I related to this book. Even though Tung has been in some negative situations I have never been in, I could relate to both the feelings and reactions. I felt seen and understood with this work, which is not always the case with woks on this topic.

The art work alone really struck me. Feelings I have failed to put into words my whole life were now sitting on a page and instead of feeling unbearable (as is sometimes the case with voicing feelings) It made me feel whole. Here is at least one other person who get this.

I felt like it was a very honest approach, sugar coating, no talking down to the reader just. I read somewhere that this was funny, I don't remember finding it funny, but I do remember finding it brutally honest and I respected it for that. At the end like I said, it didn't pretend there was a cure but it did give realistic hope.

As a comic it wasn't everything is ok it was just simply EVERYTHING. I wished I had a physical copy just so I could hug it. I suggest buying a box of tissues when buying this book.
5/5

When I read that this book was a "graphic memoir" I was expecting a more structured story. In reality, it is mostly a stream of consciousness about the author's journey and struggles with mental health issues. What I mean is that you could take almost every page individually, and it would still make sense. That said, it isn't a bad thing at all, it's just not exactly what I was expecting.
Now, I think I have never felt more represented by a book about mental health. Debbie Tung was able to show how powerless and hopeless depression makes you experience. Through her own experience, she conveyed the feeling of not being able to escape from the mental illness spiral. I especially loved how she showed that it's the small things that shape our life, both positive and negative.
Her drawing style is one of my personal favorites: simple enough not to distract from the actual message of the page, but at the same time extremely expressive. The coloring added a layer of quality to the whole book, from the simple black and white watercolor drawings to the astonishing colorful pages with rainbows and night skies.

If I could give this 10 stars, I would!

What a great read. As someone who has lived with depression and anxiety for 30 years, this story really spoke to me from beginning to end. The feelings are real. The thoughts in her head are real. The physicality of it all is real.

What I also love is that this tells the truth. Be kind to yourself. Treat yourself as you would treat others. “Love yourself a little more today.” The author lets you know that you’re not the only one going through this and that it can be ok. It can also be tough but to remember there are good days ahead.

Highly recommended for anyone who has depression or anxiety, loves someone with either and wants to understand them more, or for someone who has been there and needs a little reminder once in a while that some days can still be hard but you can do it!

I was so excited when I found out the Debbie Tung had another graphic book coming out. I previously read her book, Quiet Girl in a Noisy World and loved it.

Everything is Ok is a collection of comics about anxiety and depression. Debbie shares her experiences with anxiety and depression as well as her road to recovery.

The illustrations were amazing. There were a few things that I could relate to. I think the book covered anxiety and depression well. Overall, I highly recommend this book.