This graphic novel is a mix of social commentary and autobiography. It opens with important contextual information about the culture and social climate in India during the author’s childhood and adolescence. The rest of the books describes how she built a life and a home for herself in New York, finding solace and comfort in a city that was once inhabited by her favorite authors.

I enjoyed the artwork and the insight into Kay Sohini’s story and values, and it was interesting to see how she went from feeling lost to finding freedom and a sense of belonging in the city. This book celebrates the many cultures and experiences that exist in NYC, despite the city’s imperfections. It made me want to revisit New York and soak in the sights and sounds of the city once again.

I thought this graphic memoir was beautiful illustrated and the writing was very compelling. I loved reading about the authors experience moving from India to New York. I also love how the authors love of food was incorporated through out the book. This definitely a fun and unique graphic novel for any fans of memoirs, non fiction, or graphic novels. I highly recommend picking this one up once it's released on January 28th!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I enjoyed reading this. I think it captured the dream a lot of people have of moving to a new place they’ve imagined themselves living in for a while.

"This Beautiful, Ridiculous City" is a mesmerizing memoir of growing up, belonging, and finding your place in this vast world.

I found it surprising how much I resonated with Kay Sohini's story - surely a girl from the Balkan Peninsula had nothing to do with either New York or India. However, I soon realized the foolishness of my presumption. As the author wisely quotes James Baldwin at the beginning:

"You think your pain and your heartbreak are unprecedented in the history of the world, but then you read. It was books that taught me that the things that tormented me most were the very things that connected me with all the people who were alive, who had ever been alive."

There is no better quote to describe my thoughts about this book.
It's a story about trauma, family, surviving, and finding yourself. Of building a home.
Of questioning who you are and who you would be if some peculiarities of your life were different.

I was encaptured by the stunning art in this book and I was in awe of all the little details that the author included in each page. I was enthralled in finding all the references and little hints on the pages of this book.

Some readers mentioned that they found the order of the text boxes confusing and hard to follow. I never had that problem.
On the other hand, my preferred books are Graphic Novels and Comics, so maybe I am just a "veteran".

This is the first book in a long time that left me sad about finishing it, and I wish I could have read so much more.
I would highly recommend it, and plan to buy it.

Thank you to NetGalley, Kay Sohini, and Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Kay Sohini’s This Beautiful, Ridiculous City is a heartfelt graphic memoir that tells the story of her journey from Calcutta to New York City. The book explores big themes like trauma, belonging, and what it means to rebuild your life. The illustrations are beautiful and bring her story to life, making it easy to feel her love for the city and her struggles as an immigrant.

The book, however, felt a bit all over the place at times. It didn’t seem sure if it wanted to be a history book, a personal memoir, or a love letter to New York. But maybe that’s what makes it special—life itself is never just one thing. It’s made up of so many different experiences, and the book reflects that.

What I loved most were the small moments, like the references to DDLJ and the descriptions of food. They made me feel connected to the story and reminded me of how comforting familiar things can be, even in a new place.

The illustrations were stunning, but sometimes there was too much information on the page, and it wasn’t always clear how to read the text. It made some parts a little confusing, which was a shame because the art and story are so emotional and powerful.

Overall, This Beautiful, Ridiculous City is a touching and visually beautiful book. While it has its flaws, it’s a thoughtful story about finding yourself and your place in the world. It’s definitely worth a read for anyone who has ever felt lost but still hopeful.

Thank you to NetGalley and Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press for the advanced copy!

In this graphic memoir Kay Sohini takes you on a journey through New York and her life.

She ponders about the question: is a city capable to comfort and heal a person?

It all starts with the Love of literature and identification with the written word. As a child and a young adult Kay hears all kind of wonderful promises about New York.

On the hand of what famous writers and films say about New York, you tumble deeper in the life of Kay. You discover about her youth in India, and why one day she decides to leave India to set foot in the city of dreams. But will this city provide her with the things she is looking for?

This story paints facts, photographs, sweet memories, traditions and complex mental health topics and trauma into a brilliant work of art.

When I turned over the last page, it left me with a feeling: I should buy a ticket and travel to experience New York. And next to it the question: is there anything else this author wrote? Because I want to read that now!

Ten Speed Press provided an early galley for review.

From the dedication, Kay reveals that she worked more than full time (twelve or more hours a day) for six months on the drawing for this book. And it truly shows in the end result. Each page is full of vibrant details and gorgeous perspective. The layouts are creative and encourage the reader to fully engage in the flow that only this kind of format can deliver. The colors give off an energy that hums, much like the city that is at the heart of the narrative. Her story is a moving one that touches upon so many themes (family connections, the power of food, surviving an abusive relationship). The choice of presenting all this through a visual medium works extremely well.

Like Kay, from a very young age I too was fascinated by the siren song of the city that does not sleep. Though, I never made it my home (yet), I enjoyed visiting a few times in my twenties and would always welcome any opportunities to do so again. Her memoir manages to capture all of the wonder of New York.

This book seems short but gives you so much to think about and to reflect and learn. I want to go to New York now, her colourful drawings made it so enjoying to follow her story, even though it's hard and it's not an easy read. I think you should look up content notes before reading this. I learned so much about Indiann culture but also about the everchanging city of New York and I'll hold my eyes open for more by this artist and author!

Beautifully illustrated! Though sometimes I got a bit overwhelmed with the amount of information, and the reading order of the text wasn't always very obvious. Still, this was a good read!

Thank you to the publisher for providing a review copy in exchange of an honest review.
I love the artwork in this graphic novel, it's vivid, incredibly colorful and personal.
I sadly could not fully get what was trying to be convey in it's storytelling but i still enjoyed it.

This is an ode to New York City the author of this gorgeous graphic novel escaped an abusive relationship left her country and came to Ny to heal.New York is a magical invigorating city so much to do to see to keep you busy.This was at times a heart wrenching story but the authors strength and courage shines through. # netgalley #clarksonpotter

It's so hard to rate memoirs because you're reading someone else's experience. That being said, I like this one. I went back and forth a bit in the beginning because I did not expect a history lesson in addition to a personal history (not that it wasn't interesting, just unexpected). The illustrations are what kept me engaged and curious to see where this book was going. For me, there were a small handful of relatable experiences which drew me in even more. All around a good, interesting read.

I really loved the artwork but I couldn't get into the plot as much as I had hoped I could. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for this free eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I was given This Beautiful, Ridiculous City in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley.

Sohini's This Beautiful, Ridiculous City is a unique experiment for a graphic novel, functioning as both a love letter to her family and a love letter to the city that she likely won't ever leave.

It's a sociocultural novel about the rise of India. Undoubtedly, anyone without much knowledge of Indian history will absorb a land in flux. The drawings are beautiful, although the constant text script change was sometimes problematic.

Sohini attempts to connect with New York as a beacon of renewal and explores New York from its cultural origins. Perhaps she could have brought some of the friendships she made in New York into the picture. The rhetorical writing style, especially in New York, worked but could have been slightly fine-tuned. There was a lot of passive phraseology.

Overall, I found this a pleasing journey into somebody's life, but one which I didn't feel too attached towards. It'll work beautifully as a coffee book and touch those who enjoy travel, food (lots of food descriptions!) and existential questions about life as an evolving journey.

I love graphic novels and the illustrations in this one were beautiful! However the story was a mixed bag. I feel like this graphic novel was having an identity crisis - it couldn't decide if it wanted to be a dry history textbook or a memoir or a love letter to New York City. The story felt a bit disjointed because of this and every few pages felt like it was a different book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press for the advanced copy!

⭐️⭐️⭐️ Liked it, fun while I was reading it
This is a beautifully illustrated graphic memoir is about how a city can save you, namely New York City. There were parts more disjointed than others but all in all an enjoyable read.

Thank you to Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press, NetGalley, and author Kay Sohini, for providing me with a digital ARC copy of this graphic novel in exchange for an honest review. This Beautiful, Ridiculous City is out January 28, 2025.

Interesting if brief graphic memoir of the author, inter-folded with a sort of memoir of NYC itself as an often exported cultural concept. The artwork is is intriguing, a mix of photos and clear drawings that privilege architecture and food with detail while using a rather detail-free approach for people. TW for domestic violence and suicide attempts should be posted, although how does one trigger warning ones own life?

“You think your pain and your heartbreak are unprecedented in the history of the world, but then you read. It was books that taught me that the things that tormented me most were the very things that connected me with all the people who were alive, who had ever been alive.” - James Baldwin

This graphic memoir begins with one of my favorite James Baldwin quotes and that quote is one I have seen and felt over and over during this very tumultuous week. It felt like I had been waiting to read this book for this moment.

As I turned the pages, I felt so connected to the author because Kay Sohini’s connection to books and reading mirrors my own. Regardless of time and space, I found so many similarities between us among our differences because that is what the human experience is all about. Sohini shares her life, the light, the dark, and everything in between, in a raw and striking way. Her strength and prose are equally inspiring.

I am a South Jersey and Philly girl who, ironically, counts The Great Gatsby as one of my top classics and How I Met Your Mother as my favorite show of all time and both of these are pictured on the same page of this book. There are bookstores, like the full-page-worthy Strand, in the city that stole my heart from the moment I stepped inside. Sohini is right: “Everybody— visitor, native, and transplant alike— has their own New York.” Even though I am not always a fan of books where New York City becomes more of a character than a setting, I recognize what NYC represents in literature, publishing, culture, and dreams and I deeply understand the feeling of being haunted from afar by what we read. Anyone who reads this will feel its effects long after they put it down.

The art in this graphic memoir is stunning and works in tandem with the words on the pages to bring the author’s story to life. Just as NYC dazzled to the people she read about and to her, the art dazzles the reader on this journey in India and America. Incorporating some family photographs was also a wonderful touch.

As someone born in the mid-90s who either did not exist or was not old enough to comprehend its complexities, I also appreciated the history embedded in the story to help me learn about India and contextualize what I already knew about the country and the world at large during this decade and going into the new millennium. In terms of colonization, consumerism, culture, economics, education, globalization, identity, industrialization, politics, relationships, and more, I have a greater understanding of the time because of Sohini’s story. All of the more current information spoke to my own experience as a late-20-something just 100 miles from NYC and the experiences I know of others, too. The mix of “at-large” and “close-to-home” in this graphic memoir makes it both a window into a time period and into a specific life. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

“This Beautiful, Ridiculous City” is a gorgeous book! Kay Sohini’s beautifully rendered illustrations show the people, food, architecture, and other aspects of New York off to its greatest advantage. This graphic novel is both her personal story, and the story of a city that has lured artists, writers, creatives, and so many others, over the years. She attempts to explore her love for a place that can be forbidding in so many ways—she offers statistics that explain why living there is so challenging—and acknowledges how sometimes things about the city simply defy explanation. When I finished reading her words I went back to look at her graphics, layout, and illustrations again. I loved reading her illustrated memoir and I know that others will too. Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC and the opportunity to provide an honest review.

Kay Sohini’s This Beautiful, Ridiculous City was a well written and well illustrated graphic memoir. It was not what I was expecting, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. The art is downright gorgeous though!