Baby Blue by Bim Eriksson

challenging dark mysterious Graphic Novel
5.0

Strange & Beautiful illustration that just add to the surreal nature of this dystopian tale.
What I loved 💕
💕Illustrations
💕Body horror aspect
💕Dystopian world is eerily close to ours
💕FMC is relatable
💕 I loved how even in the darkest of times you can find your people.

Not my cuppa tea ☕️
☕️I wanted more

Ideal reader:
⭐️ Fans of dystopian
⭐️ Fans of beautiful illustrations

Themes/Vibes: challenging, dark, emotional, mysterious, sad, tense, fast-paced
Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Rating: 3.5/5.0

Thank you to the publisher and the author for this NetGalley eARC!

At first I was confused, due there being only minimal dialog. I thought it was a mistake, but the more I saw the story unfolding, I realized this was intentional and I haven’t read anything like it. The art is really unique and the story strangely dark, with some hopefulness sprinkled in. Overall, I liked it! I don’t know if the dialogue would have added to or distracted from the plot. It felt familiar in some ways, but also new. I’d be interested to look into other works by this author, as well.

Received this book as an advanced review copy from Fantagraphics through NetGalley.

The book doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it was a good read. The classic feeling of impending doom when reading dystopia is there.

The flow of the book is smooth, and there is enough intrigue to keep you reading. I loved the wacky art, and the consequences of unchecked fascism are shown well. (Also, I loved that reference to a certain Jim Carrey movie I love )

If you already read a lot of dystopia, it might feel a bit uninspired. But if you are new to the genre, you’ll appreciate how accessible and easy to read it is. Overall, an easy recommendation from me.

while I did like the story, I didn’t like the drawing, the girls looked like trans woman, at first I thought that may be the queer side, but no… well for a dystopian story, it was ok, very much like 1984, people are under super-vigilance at all times..

did it stick on my mind… what stayed is that I didn’t like the drawing that much, but maybe its something you’ll like, just it wasnt for me…

Thank you NetGalley and Fantagraphics Books | Fantagraphics, for the free ARC and this is my honest opinion.

Thank you NetGalley and Fantagraphics Books, for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
An incredible and impacting story. Well narrated, with a simply expressive drawing.

A timely story that was originally published in 2021, now translated. I absolutely adored this. I loved the characters, the art style, and the world building. Highly recommended!

I absolutely loved this read! Dystopian stories with a badass resistance is always a win for me. I zoomed through this, loved every bit of it, the world building, the characters, Briana and baby would do anything for each other and I love seeing that kind of love in stories. Also theres an awesome playlist at the end that I'm listening to right now.

Very informative and deep. Really made me think especially with the administration that we have in office now. A very weird but enjoyable read.

In a dystopian future where emotions are regulated, showing emotions will get you locked up to get fixed. However, while in lockup, our hero meets the Resistance, and sees a different path forward.
The story was interesting, but I could not deal with the art style. I don't know why. Something about it was just super not my cup of tea.

The story and the art style are very unique. It shows Baby going through life in a world where mental health is problematic and a crime to have feelings. What I like about this story it shows how some people view mental health in today’s society and world. From how it is a struggle to find your identity and show emotion. I like how Baby found herself in a place where she belongs. Berina is there every step of the way with her showing her that there’s nothing wrong with her. The two together have a strong connection that brings them closer. Also shows just how much they found a place in someone that understands them. I enjoyed reading Baby Blue very much.

Disclaimer: I received an e-ARC from netgalley.

This graphic novel presents a dystopian fascist Sweden, where mental health is regulated and those who cannot present adequately are fixed. The main character Betty is trying her best to go through the motions and pass as normal and well-adjusted, but after witnessing a suicide and crying in public she is sent to a hospital for treatment. There she meets a woman wearing an animal mask, who seems unaffected by the lobotomizing drugs they are given just like Betty is and soon she’s part of a resistance movement fighting for autonomy.
The plot moves fast, only giving enough detail to build this world, most of it dark. I was reminded of another dystopian book called “Failure to Comply” by Cavar, both in the heavy control exercised over emotions and mental health of citizens to create a healthy populous, the dangers for those who cannot (for whatever reason) just be normal as well as the portrayal of the forest as a place to escape this control. What I also found intriguing is that any characters whose differences would be too visible (f.e. physical visible disability (two characters are blind in one eye, but cover that up most of the time) or more visible mental illnesses such as nonverbal autism or psychosis) simply do not exist in this graphic novel and hints of heavy eugenic population control are given (but not explored in detail). I definitely found it interesting to see, who was missing from this book and what that means about the society presented here.
I also enjoyed the art style, it was eerie and unsettling, presented in navy-blue and white and presenting characters with really interesting and varied body and facial shapes that made it easy to keep them all distinct.
All in all this graphic novel is a quite interesting story of resistance against oppression with a focus on mental health. It doesn’t dig as deep as I would like and a few of the horrors can only be inferred through looking at who is missing from the narrative completely, but all in all, I had a fun time reading this and enjoyed it.

TW: ableism, coercion, drugs, eugenics, governmental control, sexual assault, suicide, violence

Posted on Goodreads, StoryGraph, fable and Tome

4/5⭐️

This dystopian fascist society focuses on “improving” people’s mental health and they’ll stop at nothing at finding the perfect cure…even if it leads to death.

Betty…aka Baby(eventually) has always felt like she doesn’t fit in. She marches to the beat of her own drum and listens to forbidden music. When she’s seen crying by a peacekeeper, she’s swiftly taken to the hospital to begin a new treatment that will help cure her woes and make her a functioning member of society. However, it doesn’t end up working and she ends up making a friend who opens her eyes.

This sapphic dystopian has some of the funkiest artwork I’ve ever seen, but, I loved it. It tackles some very hard topics but that artwork distracts from the grimness of it.

Thank you netgalley, fantagraphics and Bim Ericksson for the opportunity to read this graphic novel.

4.25 Stars
Thank you NetGalley for giving me early access to this book. It's important to note that this is Brim Eriksson’s first US release and is an english translation of her book by the same name released in Sweden in 2021.
A very brief summery: In a not so distant future Betty lives in a society that “corrects” and punishes mental health issues. After she's caught crying in public, peace keepers take her to a facility that will help “fix” her. There she meets a friend who opens her eyes to what's really going on, and gives her an opportunity to live more freely.

So right of the bat I had 2 options: wow this is really interesting I can't wait to see where this story goes, and I’m not so sure if this art style is for me. I'm happy to report that I really enjoyed where the story went, and the art style really grew on me. The idea isn't something completely new, but I really enjoyed how Brim tackled this concept and where she went with it. I loved the ink being blue and think the pages were structured well and complimented the art style. I really don't have to much else to say other than I really enjoyed it and definitely will be recommending it!

I don't struggle with any kind of mental health problem (that I know) but if I had one, I would be part of the Resistance. I hope there's more books like this one.

3 stars

A dystopian tale set in Sweden. It's sad to say, but it is a timely story about oppression and silencing diverse voices. The plot is pretty straightforward so I won't say much, just that we are following a girl in her twenties, struggling with depression and feeling lonely. Her mood quickly catches the eye of the peacekeepers, and she is soon forced to start therapy and put on aggressive meds. In here, she'll meet a mysterious girl, someone fighting against injustice and oppression.

First, the positives. I really enjoyed the art style. It's not a common style, the character design is not pretty per se, but it's original. I liked the masks the characters wear, they are a bit grotesque sometimes but makes the aesthetic something unique. As for the plot, I liked that this story centers a lot in mental health. I also feel like the pacing is good, balanced.

When you have read other dystopian stories, they feel quite predictable and Baby Blue is not the exception. It was a fine graphic novel, but nothing that I could truly call special. I appreciate the message, as always, and sadly with the current political landscape stories like these are quite important to have. So, if you feel like supporting an indie author that is trying to elevate the voices many people are tryng to silence today, you should give this a try.

Thanks to NetGalley and Fantagraphics Books for this advanced copy of the graphic novel.

In a close-futuristic Stockholm, Betty is caught crying in public and gets taken in for mental health treatment. But everything is not as it seems, when she meets Berina, her eyes open up to the resistance.

We went on such a journey with Betty in this graphic novel! Her story is one that everyone experiences at some point in their life (hopefully), of going from a place of thinking everything is wrong with you to realizing everything is wrong with a world that made you feel that way. While this story is sad and dark, even more so because of it's realistic nature, I think it's a call of action. A call to community organizing, queer liberation, self reflection, and vulnerable friendships.

The one odd thing about the book was around the reveal of Berina's income and how the resistance functions in regards to gaining funds. It didn't make much sense to me, and we didn't get to explore that part of the plot. I was hoping for more in-tell on how the resistance organizes themselves especially in terms of leadership, as the information we got was rather sketchy and unclear. But I also appreciate that it wasn't the main focus of the story. I would have liked even more queerness, and norm-breaking characters and relationships in a book like this all around.

It is rare to get an adult graphic novel with such poignant themes for our time, with the most stunning, unique art. Especially fun as a Swedish person, seeing places and names that I know! Incredible line art, character illustration, that made the reading experience just that much more enjoyable. I really appreciate this novel, in all it's beauty. And it comes with a playlist!!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Fantagraphics for granting me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC of the English translation of the Swedish graphic novel. For a premise that is solidly dystopian, the tone and art style is surprisingly whimsical. It's an odd combo but that's what sets it apart from otherwise bleak works like Bitch Planet or Handmaid's Tale. I don't know if I've ever imagined a Scandinavian dystopia, but somehow this campy version with masks and underground resistance with music and racquetball and cats makes complete sense. That said, it's not super deep, mostly serves literally as Baby's introduction to anti-fascist resistance. And the biggest action piece involves a rescue from medical imprisonment by an autocratic regime, rather than something to topple the regime. Overall it's sweet and odd, but not particularly groundbreaking.

I really enjoyed this one, but I did feel like the ending was rushed. I gave this one 4.5 stars because of that. Thank you netgalley and the publisher for this arc!

Publishing date: 11.03.2025 (DD/MM/YYYY)
Thank you to NetGalley and Fantagraphics Books for the ARC. My opinions are my own.

TLDR: A woman in a dystopian world is different and had so become a rebel along with other rebels. Explores mental health and being different. 5 stars

In this dystopia you have to have a healthy mind and be a part of the flock. Any kind of deviance leads to you getting forcefully treated and/or detained. Our main character has a breakdown in public and gets detained for that. This leads to her meeting a rebel group and becoming part of them.

The character work here is stunning. They feel like people, not all of them are likeable, most of them have glaring flaws and unlikeable attributes, but they feel so human for that. Everyone has a reason for being the way they are and doing the things they do that feels "realistic". Stunning work.

The story was great, I related lots to the struggles and problems. I don't wish to spoil it much, but if you like hopeless underdog stories, this might be for you.

Pacing wise, it was fine. Moved very quickly along, maybe a little too quick. I wish it was longer and didn't stop where it stopped. Maybe the author has more in the works to expand on this.

The artstyle was a little hard to get used to. It reminded me a lot of corporate memphis (not a fan of), mixed with caricatures (fan of). I am still mixed on whether I like it or not, but it was very unique.

Audience is adults, more precisely adults that are fans of dystopia and mental health struggles.

I am giving this the full pot, 5 stars. I was blown away by this. I enjoyed it so much, and am still thinking about it. Love reading about controlling dystopias and groups that rebel against it. I will recommend it to all my other weirdos and strugglers. If the author makes any more works like this I will gladly eat it all up.

Thank you netgalley for allowing me to read this ebook! I loved the storyline and felt, unfortunately, that it definitely had some parallels to where we’re going. I also want to note the art style was uncomfortable to me but made sense with the story - awesome job!