Thank you Girl Friday Productions, Flashpoint for accepting my request to read and review I Am Sorry, Art and Apologies on NetGalley.

Genre: Arts & Photography | Entertainment | Novellas & Short Stories

Different. I sat down unconsciously expecting a novel and immediately realized I was wrong. That did affect my thoughts on the book. The author takes a drawing, similar to the cover raw and crudely painted, and makes an apology with words depicted in the graphic. Example: A man carrying flowers in a defeated manner apologizes for missing the father--daughter dance. Each apology is recognizable.

There is a market for the book. I can't see where I would gift it or be okay with picking it up, i.e. a waiting room. The topics can be heavy. The author is attempting to atone for his younger self.

I would recommend reading one page -- looking at the illustration and reflecting the point as it relates to you before moving on to the next.

Stars: 2.5

Thank you Netgalley and the publishing house for sending me this e-arc to read and review. This is a nice little coffee table book but I wouldn't recommend someone to buy it just for its reading purposes.

I Am Sorry: Art and Apologies by Jack Bender - a Coffee Table book featuring art and post secret confessions of mistakes and wrongs the author or others have experienced. Saying I Am Sorry in the world today is an art long forgotten. Too many people are busy Gaslighting each other that the art of an apology-admitting what you did and saying you are sorry and then not saying something stupid that negates the apology- is so far down the rabbit hole the rabbits are charging rent.

My interest was piqued by this new to me author not because he was the Director on Lost or involved with The Sopranos or Game of Thrones. It was more niche projects he directed that drew me in because who could forget Under The Dome and The Last Ship if you watched them. They were must watch T.V. and I loved them.

This book's dedication gut punched reminding yet again how we've lost John Ritter - a brilliant actor gone too soon. I knew then and there this book would have me nodding and sighing.

Who knew I am Sorry for ... statements could make you cringe, laugh, stare at artwork in sadness, giggle recalling a day in your past.

The one that mentioned "Late night conversations kept you up". Well, that hits me very different than the author intended. My late night conversation was a Sunday night that a group of friends who came over for a Christmas party that went past midnight and a very angry 5th grader came stomping out to yell "Go to bed! I have school in the morning!". Much giggling ensued and the side eyed of said 5th grader made us guffaw.

There is a particular picture that goes with a statement about rehab. It really made me stop and think. If one takes their time with this book, that is the purpose. Yes, some of the statements are off the cuff. But most are for meditating, marinating a minute. I thought about the times I'd go driving by myself and end up somewhere. But I'd find my way home. That thought was prompted by a page from this book.

I think some people would find the art in this book off putting but that's because they just don't care for it. Fans of Lost will want this book immediately.

I am giving this 4 stars. I really did enjoy this and I would read more like this from this author and artist.

Thank you to NetGalley, Girl Friday Productions, and Flashpoint Books for this Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.

The art was beautiful but there was nothing else to it. Sometimes i didn't even get what was going on

The cover and title of this book piqued my interest. At 96 pages, it is an easy and quick read in which Jack Bender combines his art with apologies for something the person represented in the picture did or didn't do. Some were funny, some dark, some sentimental, etc.

Three small words but sometimes they're very difficult to say. Is there someone you should apologize to?

My thanks to Flashpoint for allowing me to access a DRC of this book via NetGalley. It is to be published on 9/12/23. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and have been freely given.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
I had no idea who Jack Bender is but I really liked the cover artwork on this book. He has a unique style, some of which I enjoyed and some less so. This is a quick read. Makes a good coffee table book.

This was a very quick read which left me wanting more. I loved the artwork and the messages/apologies. This is definitely a coffee table book, but a decent one.

I suspect this book will be more a favourite for people who are tuned into pop culture to a greater degree than I am (though I did watch Lost) but, as someone who doesn't really know much about Jack Bender, it's still an interesting book. I like the concept: apologies, both big and small.

We don't hear many apologies in today's world. We're all more inclined to go into self-defence mode. And when we do hear apologies, they're overwrought public displays of flagellation, the classic influencer apology video, The "I'm sorry"s in this book are a sentence each, cutting right to the core of an apology. The paintings add an element of art.

It's a bit pretentious; would make a good coffee table book. The last page with an explanation of the book is the most powerful part to me.