This was a tough one as someone also struggling with mental illness so I think for some people it’s definitely going to be too much but I was able to get through it with needing just one little break! I did feel off and on that things were kind of all over the place but felt that could partially be related to how depression itself is.
As someone who reads a lot of graphic novels - I loved the art style and the mix of styles she included as well.

I wanted to love this. It's not for me, but it's still beautiful and incredibly well done. Zoe is in the midst of a mental health crisis and decides to chronicle 6 months of her life where things will hopefully change. It's an introspective piece. I found myself needing to take breaks - it was a triggering read for me personally, it's hard to be in that headspace for such a long time. Thorogood did a great job of evoking that emotion, and I needed to get out and touch grass after reading it.

Thank you Image comics for a copy of this book!

I really feel conflicted by this. I want to like it but it also feels wrong to say that because it’s such a sad and intimate look into the life of Zoe. I did like reading this and being uncomfortable at how closely I was peering into the writer’s mind. The drawings were phenomenal and took my break away. There were parts where I laughed and parts where I was deeply confused. But I think if I read this book going “yeah, I get that. Yeah I totally understand” then that would be phony. I don’t think we’re supposed to fully understand this because the audience shouldn’t even exist. Does that make sense? I think the Zoe wrote this for herself and decided it was okay to share with us and that is okay! I really liked reading this and can’t wait for more!

Thank you net galley for letting me read this graphic novel for free. It was definitely an interesting read .. kept me wondering what was going to happen next

An autobiographical graphic novel about depression, art, and figuring out why we are here. It was so real, so raw, disturbing and funny yet also sad and a bit spooky.

Thank you to Net Galley for the ARC of this story (even though it’s already out, but I was still given a reviewer copy for free somehow. So thanks!)

I really loved this graphic novel. The author is honest, raw, funny and sincere. I could see myself being friends with her in real life. She talks about some really serious issues and feelings but somehow it is graceful.

This is my first time reading something by this author but it won’t be the last.

So, my favorite kind of read is one that’s fearlessly original, inspires me to see things in a different way, and most of all- honest.

And this is all of those things…and more!


It’s Brechtian. Its Dada. It’s…completely aware of its own ego, and that keen sense of observation (and self deprecation) is disarmingly charming.

An autobiographical graphic novel that comments on itself to the point of exhaustion could so easily alienate the reader but instead, acts as an invitation into the author’s one of a kind mental landscape…and I’m thrilled to have found my way onto the guest list.


Thank you NetGalley!

I found this graphic novel to be a deep and engaging story that explores a variety of complex themes in a refreshing and realistic way. The focus on issues like depression, self-sabotage, and personal growth can resonate with many readers. Readers looking for a slice of life story with depth and authenticity may find this comic to be a worthwhile read.

In her autobiographical graphic novel, Zoe Thorogood bravely shares her battle with depression, illustrating how it permeates her daily life and relationships. The artwork, with its varied styles and colors, creatively portrays different mental states, making the experience vivid and compelling. Thorogood's narrative doesn't offer a neat resolution on mental health; instead, it emphasizes the role of creativity and storytelling in navigating personal struggles and finding meaning in life.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

When I read the description for It’s Lonely at the Centre of the Earth I was very excited to read a graphic novel about mental illness. Unfortunately this just didn’t hit the mark for me.

The book is an auto-bio graphic novel about the authors struggle with depression over a sixth month period. The art style was very unique and changed up quite a bit and I really liked it. I also enjoyed the book for what it was but it was at times hard to follow and hard to figure out what the writer wanted you to takeaway. There were a lot of kind of time jumps and it just didn’t flow nicely to me. The writing had some really deep and quotable moments that I enjoyed, and the book was decent, but it just wasn’t for me.

I was really interested in reading this based on the description, but ultimately it’s just incredibly strange. There were only a couple panels I enjoyed, the rest was too bizarre for me.

It feels hard to rate and review this. I think some of it felt relatable (ha!) which helps the connection you feel, makes it emotional. But there was a lot I really didn't connect with, and a lot of it felt so disjointed and awkward to read.

The art itself was gorgeous, and I think I'd love, love, LOVE to read some of Thorogood's other works.

I'm just not sure this was a "fun" read, so I'd give it 3 stars I think, but the art, and the very obvious emotion from the author throughout this, has boosted it to 4. Not that those numbers mean anything, let's be honest. I'd recommend this, but know going into it that it's not for everyone, it's a bit of a difficult read.

ARC courtesy of NetGalley.

Life was made for art and art was made for life.

A truly unique and innovative comic that is going to stick with me. Thorogood's honesty and frankness, as well as her diverse art style, pushed this book into my top tier list of autobiographies that I've read. I will be checking out her previous book as well as keeping an eye out any future works. Thanks both to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a review copy.

And thanks to the author as well for making this book that was not supposed to exist. Was anything ever supposed to exist?

After learning about Thorogood's battle with depression and thoughts of suicide, I was drawn to this graphic novel, hoping to find insights or connections, especially since my sister has faced similar struggles for years. However, the experience fell short of my expectations. While the artwork was often impressive, alternating between vivid detail and whimsical characters, the narrative lacked coherence and felt overly pretentious, leaving me questioning the author's true message. It's disheartening that discussions about mental health in the 21st century are often stymied by superficial expressions of support like "stay positive" or "you'll be fine," failing to capture the depth of these issues. Zoe's graphic novel, "It's Lonely at the Center of the Earth," bravely delves into her personal struggles with depression and anxiety, using a mix of humor and diverse art styles to convey her journey. Her creativity shines through, crafting a surreal yet profound piece of art that resonates deeply. Despite its artistic merits, I hesitate to call it universally relatable, as each person's mental health journey is intensely individual. Yet, as someone who navigated my own challenging year, I appreciate Zoe's courage in sharing her story and creating such poignant art amidst her struggles.

Beautiful and embarrassingly exposing.

As a former weird kid who just grew into a weird adult, this one plucked at all my insecurities and felt like a stream of consciousness pulled from my own brain. Among other shit, I also have depression and use anti-depressants to get through life, and for the sake of trying to avoid the word "relatable", it really touched me. Im also (attempting to be) an artist - funny how a lot of us follow the same stream length, grow up believing we are watching the whole world from behind a glass wall, when theres a whole huddle of us peeking through the glass. If only we turned around right?

In this autobiographical graphic memoir, Zoe talks about how she feels uncomfortable with people referring to her and her writing as “relatable”. However, I’m struggling to think how to describe how I felt about her words other than a strong sense of familiarity and relatability.

Though I was approved for an ARC of this (thank you NetGalley) I have to admit that in the time between requesting it and being approved, I got too eager and found a copy in my local reading room (thanks Gabi). I just knew I’d love it and I couldn’t wait the couple of days over a long weekend to get that email notification that I had access.

I can’t remember the last time I took so many photos of a book. Every other page felt like it had been plucked straight from my own head circa 2020-21 (isn’t it weird thinking back to that point in time now???)

Zoe’s style is so quirky and individual, feeling uniquely digital (even in hard copy) and ‘cyber’ inspired, combining digital art, collage, and original hard sketches. It’s a must read for any graphic novel aficionado, or anyone who spent 2020 feeling like an alien who’d landed on the worst planet ever and was stuck there.

reading this was like staring at the mirror for so long your eyes start to blur and you crash your head into it while bits of glass get stuck into your arms and face, bathroom water mixing in with the blood and tears. it hurt and i loved it

What I like about this graphic novel and what I pose as a constructive criticism stem from a similar source: the art styles used are curious, funny, thought-provoking and I am a fan of the artist's signature. She uses multiple mediums and techniques and switches between them seamlessly. I also enjoyed the honesty, authenticity and the musings that came with the self-reflections in this book. The themes were relatable, timely and interesting. As for the overall structure, cohesion, and plot, I found myself wanting more, looking for more depth and a clear journey at times.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

It's Lonely at the Centre of the Earth by Zoe Thorogood is a non-fiction graphic novel about depression, dealing with being known, and the struggle of making connections. When Zoe’s precious graphic novel gets popular, she's invited to a convention that gets post-poned due to COVID and starts to consider her own depression and suicidal ideation.

I don't think I've ever seen someone communicate their depression in a way that hit this close to home. When Zoe says that she's had a lot of luck and maybe she's selfish and evil and deserves the bad things but that her younger self didn't, I cried. It was a very cathartic moment for me and I still tear up thinking about it. It's a brief moment, but that idea that the adult you isn't worth anything but the younger you deserved the world and trying to reconcile those two parts of yourself is so hard to articulate. I thank Zoe Thorogood for putting in in the graphic novel because it made communicating my own feelings a little bit easier.

Zoe Thorogood plays a lot with form throughout, often breaking the fourth wall, showing different parts of herself depicting others as people with animal heads or basic faces while injecting bits of color. You have no idea what to expect as you turn each page and it really works to the story’s benefit because mental illness is exactly like that. It can be unpredictable and bits of color can seep through or maybe you have a monster following you wherever you go.

One thing I really liked was how the graphic novel tackles relatability. The term gets thrown around all the time, creators are encouraged to be relatable, exposing parts of yourself makes people see themselves in you. But how do you deal with that when you feel like you can't connect to anyone and it feels like everyone is leaving you? When people draw connections to your characters and your life and you don't really want to admit that you made an idealized version of yourself? Or when the person that should understand you the most is the person you can't ever seem to see eye-to-eye with?

I love this graphic novel because the only answer it provides is to try to see the good in the world and to try to not let the depression consume you, but it doesn't give easy answers. It's not a self-help books, it's not a feel good story; it's a story of someone dealing with their own brain trying to escape as nothing in their life seems to be working out. We need things like this, too, even if they are a bit uncomfortable.

I would recommend this to readers looking for stories about depression and suicidal ideation, fans of non-fiction graphic novels that deal with difficult topics, and those looking for graphic novel that plays a lot with the medium.

WOW. That graphic novel was simply great. I loved all of it. I won’t say it was relatable cause I think the author heard that enough, but it helped me put words on feelings I have since forever. Thank you for your art, thank you for being you.

That graphic novel is about being human, simply. I recommend it to everyone. It has great illustrations, it’s funny, inspiring, it makes us think about life, it’s short and yet I would have took more.

I will definitely be reading everything she ever did and everything she ever will make.