An interesting assortment of snapshots and reflections accompanied by photos and drawings. There is no clear through line, just moments.

Thank you to netgalley and Levine Querido for allowing me access to this book. I really enjoyed the story.

I just loved this memoir and I'm going to be buying it for my library. Jonell Joshua has created a memoir unlike anything else I've seen. There's vignettes, commentary from her family, and comic interludes. These snapshots give us an insight into what is clearly her--and her family's--most important and memorable memories. She gives us stories of how she and her brothers moved around, how they experienced their mother's mental illness, their joys, their sorrows. And despite the hardships, the family remains strong and open to understanding the past that created them into the adults they are today.

I'd definitely recommend this to children of parents with bipolar disorder and young artists. Also, to those who simply like memoirs, because this was a really great one.

I have to be honest that I did not finish this book. The cover drew me in with its’ multimedia style so I expected a really interesting memoir. But quite frankly, I was so bored by 37% that I couldn’t continue. The book begins with the author’s childhood, family background, and random memories. The reader learns some big events and some trivial events out of order, and they never seem to connect. I did quite enjoy the illustrations. I don’t want to discredit the author’s hard work of putting together their memories but I wasn’t sure what the message was. Memoirs are always hard to rate because who am I to say if someone’s life experiences are worthy of reading or not?

I decided to try a new genre so I picked Jonell Joshuas book to try it out on. I was very impressed with the written and artistic mediums. It seemed to work pretty well for me. I found her life a very interesting one from going to different states to caring for a mentally ill Mom. It chronicles her life from childihood to college and her faith and struggles throughout that time in short stories. She is definately a survivor and has overcome a lot through her life. It is a tale of love and not giving up. The photos and drawings are a nice added touch to add to the story and give a more personal touch to the story.

A stunning and creative memoir that honestly captures Jonell’s experiences as a child of a parent with a mental illness. A truly worthwhile read.

It's not that this book is bad, but marketing it as a graphic novel is just incorrect. There are a variety of graphic interludes and mixed-media images, but the majority of the book is large swaths of text. As a librarian, I'm not sure what type of reader I would hand it to because the pieces feel so disjointed. I was hoping for a more engaging, illustrated book that might be a good fit for reluctant readers. Joshua talks about a lot of difficult experiences is meaningful wats, but every time I time I came to a block of text after an illustrated section it felt like defeat.

I am curious to see what she does in the future! The art/mixed media that was included was lovely and it was so fun to see different illustration styles in one book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Reading How Do I Draw these Memories? Feels almost wrong, like reading your sibling's diary while they are out.

I enjoyed how although we grew up in different countries, there are similarities in our childhood. Perhaps rolly polly hearding is a universal childhood activity.

Like all life stories, there are events that may bring out different emotions.

In this memoir, the author recounts her memories and experiences from childhood to college through short stories and illustrations. She recalls her family's life as they moved back and forth between Savannah, New Jersey and New York, working together to surmount obstacles and find joy even in dark times. The story focuses on the mother's mental illness and on showing how the children supported their mom and each other through difficult times.

I really like this format for a memoir as it allows a creative use of many different art forms. Here, the author and artist used short stories, drawings, collages and little comics to really bring her story to life. It was funny and endearing because it gave the book a kind of childish charm.

I'm going to be honest, I only really got into the book toward the end, when Jonell talks about her college experience but I still enjoyed it. The writing is simple and it flows nicely. There's a good balance between the written content and the drawn ones. I just wished it had discussed mental health more, especially since, upon reading the blurb, I really hoped it would give that subject more space.

If I were to recommend this book to a specific audience I think I would mainly suggest it to millenials and early Gen Z readers because the story is filled with references to the late 90s and early 2000s pop culture, from video games to music. I'll also recommend it to people who might be starting college because the last few chapters talk a lot about the fears and doubt that we may feel as we're approaching those huge decision-making moments.

Overall, I enjoyed this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Levine Querido for providing this ARC; all opinions are my own.

This isn't an unpleasant read, but it's not what I expected. The style is sweet, and often moving. The childhood photos, and artist drawings, are a really neat format. But it just couldn't hold my interest for very long.

This was a really interesting memoir of a young girl growing up between New Jersey and Georgia, with her mother, two brothers, and two sets of grandparents. I enjoyed the mix of text and comics, though the majority of the book was text.

I thought this was going to be a graphic novel rather than a mixed format book (some text, some comic-esque sections with some photos and little drawings interspersed throughout), but you know what? I actually think that's a pretty good format to portray memories

It got me feeling nostalgic for my childhood as well, as I think Jonell and I grew up around the same time, albeit in different parts of the world. My Fisher Price cassette player / recorder was also my favourite toy, and I also enjoyed the Junie B. Jones books!

There was a lot of love put into this book, and I'm glad the author shared her fond experiences with the world like this and I got to read an ARC. Thank you!

If you are have ever sat with someone as they shuffled through a box of old photos, pulling them out at random and telling you about them, you'll have a good idea of how this memoir is told - through flashes of disconnected memories, occassionally out of order, but somehow precious and full of family and life and love. This book is a true time capsule of what it was like to grow up in the 90's and early 00's.

What I liked:
- The unique story telling style where it's mostly told through text format, but switches to graphic novel format or the sharing of photographs.
- The huge dose of nostalgia this book gave me, filling me with memories of my own childhood and family.

What I struggled with:
- The memories shared throughout the book are disjointed fragments that don't follow a natural flow of storytelling and feel like random moments that the author is reflecting on. The end does come together somewhat, but overall the fragmented storytelling was difficult for me.

To be quite honest, I wasn't expecting the flow of this book to be the way it is, but it's BRILLIANT!
I skimmed through it the first time and it threw me off guard; however, the second time I was enticed to learn more about the stories that followed. The artistry was heartfelt throughout the entire piece. Keep goin Jonell Joshua!!

The close family relationships that Jonell Joshua had growing up are so well-written, they eminate from the pages. It is evident that despite the adversity and challenges, her family support and the love she has for her family buoys her. I love the medium of collage for a memoir because the reader instantly feels a part of the story, and this was an engaging, fast-paced read that I looked forward to turning back to again and again.

I would recommend this for schools, and libraries, and anyone working with teens or tweens who need to feel seen in a book.

Okay so I’ve never read MANGA and I don’t know if this format is typical for MANGA (I suspect not), but I am absolutely obsessed with the way this was formatted. It’s a mix of beautiful illustrations with text, almost like you would see in a children’s book, then cartoon slides— which I think is why this is labeled as MANGA— and then also just full
chapters of text detailing certain memories! I read this fairly quickly but definitely will go back to read it more closely. Very interesting book and unique concept. Great commentary on race and gender. Fun way to memorialize these memories too. Loved this!