Posted on Goodreads:

I took a few days to mull over this horror graphic novel before writing a review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Though it’s got its horrifying elements, I found this to be more gut wrenching and devastating than anything. Women are constantly fed the narrative of what our job here on this godforsaken planet is. Get married, have kids, be good to our husbands. But in that narrative we blindly promote the utmost difficult and non existent aspect of perfection.

Carolanne is obsessed with having the perfect life, perfect husband, perfect wedding, perfect marriage, perfect pregnancy…perfect everything. Women feed each other this narrative and our FMC is eats this up. At Friend brunches they feed each other this narrative.

Carolanne is so obsessed that she doesn’t realize her world is falling apart and refuses to believe it. Even in the end while she eats, she hopelessly hangs on to the idea that her obsession is right.

That ending….ooof.

TW: grief, child loss, self harm, animal abuse

Thank you netgalley, fantagraphics and Beth Heylsnd for this ARC.

3.75 . This graphic novel was dark in ways I was not expecting. It really made you think about the things women go through in an attempt to meet the standards society has set.

The dream sections while interesting and abstract and beautifully drawn, I did struggle to understand the meaning for some of them.

This was a really hard one for me to read. While I never experienced the things in this book myself I know several people who have and I know what it did to them. That being said I do think this really captures how grief can slowly eat you alive piece by piece. I do think this is a book you need to be in the right head space for or it could put you in a really dark place so definitely read this with caution.

i didn't realize body horror would feature heavily, which is one of my smaller triggers so i'm putting that first incase it's a trigger for anyone else. i will say that i liked the concept of settling into what society expects of you (getting married, having a baby, etc.) and then staying in abusive relationships because that should feel comfortable. i just wish the main themes around this had more breathing room to flesh out carolanne a little more.

This was a mesmerizing read, and I really like that it was a graphic novel. I appreciated it from the perspective of a woman who doesn’t want children, but knows that for some women it’s absolutely everything. I thought the author showed how suffocating your environment can be when you can’t attain the life you desire. I did feel like the ending was a bit rushed, and I would have liked a bit more time with this character to fully understand her traumatic responses.

A psychological thriller in a graphic novel format is intriguing to me personally, because it is bound to leave a lot open to interpretation, and because of that you are going to find yourself flipping back the pages a lot too.

In Tender, the "body horror" genre of psychological thriller was laid bare, and as such I was hooked. Self-harm as a theme is sensitive, and the thing with illustrative expression is being able to say a lot without using words.

The illustrations were also very clever at a lot of times...showing half-cut text when Carolanne was zoning out in her conversation with Taylor. it did use archaic expressions, like who says "make an honest woman out of you" anymore? I quite liked the subtle references to Jim and Pam and Lorelai Gilmore, and if it were up to me, I would let it simmer for a while.

Overall, a decent read.

I had to let this sit with me for a day before I could even figure out what I was going to say. I was stunned by the ending of this horror graphic novel. But in between I felt like I was constantly being punched in the gut.

Did I know it was even possible to feel this way after reading a graphic novel? No. I didn’t. The triggers in this one are many. With self mutilation being high on the list. It really hit home as I was nodding. Pressure to make your life seem perfect can be a crushing feeling. I sympathized with the main character as this world isn’t meant for single women.

Excuse me while I go back and stare at a wall asking what the heck did I just actually read.

Thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for the arc of the graphic novel in exchange for an honest review.

This is definitely being filed in “WTF did I just read and why did I like it?” As someone who has experienced two losses, I will say this was somehow relatable and so depressing. I didn’t expect this to be in comic-form, but it worked for me and I enjoyed the illustrations. Since it’s more of a graphic novel, (I think that’s what it would be characterized as?) it reads incredibly quick. Thanks to the publisher for my eARC.

The impact of reading this was truly hard-hitting. The narrative delivers a powerful punch, unfolding the unsettling journey of a woman striving to project a picturesque life. As fragments of her world crumble, she succumbs to maintaining a façade, allowing it to consume her, distancing herself from reality. "Tender" is a disquieting yet brutally honest exploration of the pitfalls associated with the pursuit of an ideal life. The protagonist's descent into psychosis driven by her yearning for motherhood adds a chilling layer.

The artwork also stood out with its unique blend of colors and dream sequences. I found every aspect of this eerie tale captivating, appreciating Hetland's portrayal of societal expectations surrounding marriage and parenthood. The depictions of body horror, particularly Carolanne's self-mutilation, were vividly illustrated and challenging to read at times. Fortunately, it was a quick read for the story that it was.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a grim and unnerving graphic novel but was also compelling and commanding of your attention.
I can't go in to any detail on the plot for two reasons. Firstly, I have no idea how to summarise it and secondly, I'm still struggling to figure it out! That's not a bad thing. I think that's big reason I enjoyed it but it's also the reason I can't give it a 5⭐
I think the author did an amazing job and the artwork really helps to drive the direction of the story.
I would however recommend that people look at trigger warnings. The biggest one being body horror

That got dark in a hurry. The book is wonderful and fearless. Hetland has no qualms showing her look at mourning.

A haunting unraveling of a women's descent as she strives to curate an image of a picturesque life. As parts of her life fall apart and she works to keep up the facade, she let's it eat herself up, falling further away from reality. A well paced psychological horror.

Tender was very disturbing, but also very honest in looking at how desire and wanting the "perfect life" can be unhealthy. The main character goes into psychosis with her desire for a baby. I liked the illustrations and they were gruesome but were needed to get into the main character's brain.

Thank you for this advanced read!

So this was somewhere between a 2.75 or 3 for me. It was very much like an A24 film. Slow, eerie, and off. At times unnerving. The medium used to tell the story was very effective and ultimately made this a quick read.

A dark, fascinating storyline that was intensified by an expert use of color. I don’t usually read dark stories, but this was so creative and intriguing!

This book is disturbing and sometimes (often) hard to look at but it gets to the heart of the myth of women being able to "have it all" and create the Instagram perfect life, at the cost of their self-esteem and sanity.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader's copy! The juxtaposition of that dollhouse and the bloody piece of flesh drew me in right away. Tender is easily one of the best graphic novels I have read this year.

I loved everything about this haunting tale and how it was illustrated. Hetland depicts an examination of societal expectations concerning marriage and having children. This work also speaks about issues of isolation, delusion and obsession. I was captivated at once and finished this graphic novel in one sitting.

The depictions of body horror as shown through Carolanne's self-mutilation were evocatively illustrated. As the reader I had a very amplified physical and emotional response to the artwork and colour choice. I gasped aloud several times and also felt my stomach turn somewhat- (in the BEST way possible)!

A compelling, fascinating story with potent illustrations.
The entire work is still playing out in my mind's eye!

4.5
Tender by Beth Hetland is an incredibly creepy and stomach-churning graphic novel about a woman whose desperate need to have the “perfect life” turns truly horrifying as things don’t go to plan. Hetland crafts a masterful sense of unease as she slowly reveals the extent of the psychological terror simmering under the surface of Carolanne—who, like so many of us, just wants to keep up with the life milestones of her closest friends.

When she suffers a terrible loss she resorts to exerting control over the only thing she can—herself, her own body. As Carolanne’s mental health unravels, so too does Hetland’s art style. And the effect is perfectly rendered. It’s gruesome, it’s sad, and it’s not for a reader averse to body-horror, that’s for sure. What an accomplishment, though. I was freaked out and when I finished it—I was totally stunned.

For fans of horror, psychological thrillers, and that special feeling of ending a book wondering WTF did I just read? This would be one you might want to check the trigger warnings for before you dive in.

This was very strange and sad, I felt like it got confusing at some points and I’m not sure if I really understood the ending of the spiralling

This was an interesting little story about a woman obsessing over other people's lives going the way she wish hers was. I was iffy on the graphics at first, but they grew on me. Some of the writing was a little hard for me to read on the pdf, though.

I did enjoy how not everything was explicitly told to us. But it was clear what was happening and how the main character was feeling through the visuals and the framing of the art. I'm not sure how much men would relate to this; I assume it would be less accessible to them.