Thinking of You (but not like in a weird and creepy way) is a cute and uplifting graphic novel! It felt a little simplistic and repetitive at times, but I can see how it would be helpful for those going through a difficult time.

Self-help and motivational works are definitely not in my wheelhouse. I wish I’d know that this book is exactly that before I requested a review copy. Given the art style on the cover (as well as the funny title), I expected a more humorous piece. So, this was a big miss for me.

Of course, there’s going to be a lot of people buying this that have already followed Beth Evans on social media, and will be ready for exactly this. So, I can say, the quality is consistent and the messaging is always upbeat. If you’re in a depressive or anxious period, this might be a little pick-me-up while you wait for the more effective measures to kick in.

For me, it was just an overall average book. Your mileage will definitely vary. Good luck!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a simple and cute graphic book. It's comforting, inspiring and funny. The artworks are beautiful.

This is a sweet and simple collection of motivational messages. It could be Instagram posts or daily calendar pages. It might be a good gift for someone who needs support, but it wasn't really appropriate for this optimist.

Like a big warm hug!

This was an adorable read filled with useful affirmations and cute blob illustrations. I love how incredibly validating the book is and how it celebrates even the little things (which are sometimes also the most important things). I can see how handy this collection would be when one is feeling down or stuck.

Cosy, uplifting and the perfect pick-me-up. Would make a great gift too!

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I know this was a comic collection, but I was hoping there was some type of story behind each of the comics. Some of them seemed to just be there like a motivational poster. I get it, they are supposed to be motivational, but the style just wasn't for me.

Author: Beth Evans
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Publication Date: 2 May 2023

When I saw that this book was available to review, I thought that a collection of encouraging comics would be a nice thing to read. While

The art style in here, while very basic, conveys much love and caring. Sometimes simplifying things is the best way to get a message across. Each page has a different comic, each with it own words of encouragement. You could flick to a random page in this book and find a nice heartfelt message that should leave you feeling a little happier. While the concept of this book is very simple, it doesn’t need to be anything more than it is. I just feel like it is missing something, but I suspect that I am no longer the target audience of this book. High schoolers and young adults will probably find this book more meaningful.

If you want to have a smile on your face, then I would recommend picking up this book.

Publicity mentions Evans’ goal “to make her readers feel seen, uplifted, and not so alone in the world,” and uses words like “validating” and “encouragement”. Such material risks becoming sappy or so universal as to be meaningless, but Evans, based on my experience, actually succeeds.

She has a real skill in boiling down complicated emotions to those single-panel pages. She also takes the obvious beyond, as when a ghost labeled “embarrassing thing I did years ago” is answered with “please, I’m so much more cringey now.” I’ve seen plenty of everyday life strips that would have stopped with drawing the ghost, instead of recontextualizing it.

This book is comforting. The lump might be a lump, but it feels anxiety or pressure the same way we do, and that makes us not so alone. It got me to finally answer that email I’d been putting off and take a stab at fixing an over-long to-do list.

Another page simply thanks the reader for being themselves, which is basic but sometimes just what’s needed. There’s an underlying honesty that makes the affirmations more believable, as Evans demonstrates that things aren’t always going to be happy or as intended.

I absolutely adored this book of comics, I felt so validated and it just made me so happy to read it. I would highly recommend this book to absolutely anyone, whether they struggle with mental health or not.

This is a really cute and sweet book. It is like having your own personal cheerleader to get you through the harder days. It's an easy motivational comic with fun sayings.

Thank you NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for my ARC.
A wholesome collection of heartwarming cartoon hugs. This book is perfect for the occasional pick me up and motivational reminder. really took my time reading and taking in each of the images, and I have to say the experience was so worth it.
A perfect little pick me up!
4.5/5

After reading 'Thinking of You (but not like in a weird creepy way)", I was inspired by Beth Evans illustrations. Some of the sayings have lifted me up on days that just didn't go the way I imagined they would. Many of the the sayings are 'thought provoking', you read them several times because they could have several different meanings.This is a great book for a pick-me-up moment.

I don't know why I was surprised when I opened this book and found it only had FOUR pages that one could see and nothing left but white pages for the rest of the book, but I was [even though it seems that this happens more and more with graphic novel/comic ARC's. I was grumbly and disappointed, but because I wanted to really read this, I went hunting through my libraries and Hoopla and then remembered I now have Scribd, and that is where I found it. I immediately downloaded it and started reading.

Sigh.

Imagine my surprise when this book was...not really a book? It was just pages with one thing on each page [in a thought bubble, said by a "blob" {the author's own description of them}, basically echoing what all the other thought bubbles before had said. It basically was the same exact thing, said over and over, in slightly different ways and well, it was extremely disappointing [especially after the whole kerfuffle of trying to find the book]. I am not sure what the audience was for this, but I am absolutely not it. I hope that people find encouragement from this, but all I found was repetitive mumbo-jumbo and and by the end, felt it was a real waste of time. Such a shame.

Thank you to NetGalley, Beth Evans, and Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the ARC of this!

This was so cute and relatable. I loved the adorable little blob guys and their sweet messages. Perfect for fans of Debbie Tung.

Beth Evans' comic collection "Thinking of You (but not like in a weird creepy way)" is a heartwarming and uplifting read that aims to make readers feel seen, validated, and less alone in the world. I found the comics to be relatable and humorous, following Evans's endearing protagonist as they navigate through everyday struggles like social anxiety and panic attacks while remaining kind and patient with themselves and the world around them. The comics are funny, sweet, and timely, offering readers a warm hug. This comic made me feel tingly light inside. Looking forward to more of the author's works in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the opportunity to read this book in advance of its publication date. Thinking of You was a very cute, feel good comic. The visuals were elementary, but that worked with the aesthetic of the book. The messages were wholesome and heartwarming. We were not expecting for the comic to be one panel per page, which was a little disappointing, but other than that, it was a great little book to flip through whenever we were feeling down in the dumps.

Four stars! Such a positive one…

This was the ultimate feel good and cheer yourself up book. I admit that every time I looked at the cover on my digital shelf, it made me smile.
I appreciate the author putting so much love into this… It was a great reminder that we are all humans and even though some days are difficult, we can survive (and thrive!)… and other days will come.

This was wholesome, inspiring, sweet, and relatable. Perfect for anybody in need of a hug after a hard day. The minimalist but adorable blob was really uplifting. It's enjoyable, but I found it quite repetitive.

Thank you to Netgalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the digital ARC.

my heart is sooooo full right now. i needed this soooo badly. kind of teared me up!!!!!
thanks to the author for the much needed motivation!!!! 🥹❤️
*on my way to follow the account on instagram*

thanks to netgalley for the free copy.

This book… I don’t even know where to begin. Reading this was like receiving a hug from a good friend. Parts of it made me laugh and other parts made me cry because it said exactly what I would want a friend to say when I was down.