It's All Absolutely Fine

A candid account of what it's like to live with mental illness. Ruby addresses depression, self-sabotage, misconceptions about therapy, self-care, comparing yourself to others, eating disorders, body image, adult responsibilities, and (reluctantly) interacting with others. She writes about how messy dealing with a mental illness can be; the section that meant the most to me were her thoughts on the word “recovery.”

Despite the heavy subject matter, there's is a lot of humor in this book. Many times I found it quite inspiring and motivational. If I could only use one word to describe this book, it would be ‘real’. I really appreciated Ruby’s honesty. Her drawings have so much personality and mesh well with her sense of humor. You can see more of Ruby's work at http://rubyetc.tumblr.com .

This was brill. Super funny and the illustrations were the best. Great book!

This book changed me. It really did. I have never read a book that reflects so much of myself and my struggles as this book as. It seemed like I wroted it (if I knew how to write and draw of course).

Ruby covers it all: Depression, Anxiety, Self-Sabotage, Self-Harm, Eating Disorders, Low Self-Esteem, Procrastination and Socializing.

And let me tell you, I have struggled with all these and am still dealing with some of them. I admire Ruby so much, mostly because these are not easy topics to talk about and honestly sharing this much about your life when most people still don't view mental illnesses as a real issue is almost heroic.

I cried and I laughed, I saw Ruby and I saw myself in these drawings. I appreciate so much that Ruby actually wrote little essays about each topic because sometimes a drawing can't tell everything, but the art was also good. It was simplistic as you can see by the cover but in conjuction with the essays they made the perfect tool to get her point across.

A perfect and simplistic way to experience what it is like to deal with mental illnesses.

As one of Ruby Elliot's many Instagram followers I already knew I was likely going to enjoy reading this book, but I didn't realize quite how much I would love it until I began reading it. This book does so many things really well - I loved Elliot's comics (obviously, - but as a side note: if you don't enjoy her art style this may not be the book for you) & her writings on her own experiences with mental health were also really great. It is never easy to discuss anything related to mental illness & I love how open and honest Elliot is about her struggles, while also making me laugh at the same time

Great take on her bipolar disorder. The cartoons depict things we all feel sometimes. Loved it.

Thanks to Andrew McMeel Publishing for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

If you have spent any time on the internet at all ever, you are likely familiar with Ruby Etc's work, if not her name. Known for her characteristic sketch style and emotional honesty, Ruby's work pops up frequently on Twitter, Facebook, and all sorts of other sharing sites, typically without credit associated. If the phrase "matchy matchy" means anything to you, or if you are aware of dogs always "knowing the right thing to say," you've encountered Ruby's work. If you haven't, you're in for a special experience, especially if you suffer from anxiety or are socially awkward.

Rather than simply collecting Ruby's illustrative work, this book is a combination of brutally honest prose exploring her psychological state and illustrations to accompany it. Each page will make you laugh, think, or thaugh, the dreaded combination of thinking and laughing that comes from identifying so deeply with something so intense. The illustrations are simple, as is Ruby's trademark style, but convey a tremendous range of emotion.

Ruby's work easily combines deep emotional trauma and struggle with levity and humor. Mixed in with the variety of emotions in the book are lightning bolts of positivity, including a reminder to think of unproductive days as "loading" time. The book is deeply identifiable for anyone who has struggled with their own mental health, and I believe it would make a great gift for a friend who might need a reminder that their bad days do not define them.

I've been an avid devotee of rubyetc's illustrations on social media for years, and I'm thrilled she's finally getting the recognition she deserves for creating deceptively simple yet gutwretchingly truthful comics about the struggles of everyday life. As a neurodiverse person with anxiety orders and depression I relate so much to her work, and find comfort in knowing I'm not alone in feeling the way I do. I love her wit and humour and williness to both laugh at herself and put difficult and intimate things on display for the world to see, so we can laugh and relate to them too.

I was familiar with the author's tumblr, and the book follows along the same vein as the content she posts there! Very funny visual style, very self aware and self deprecating content handled with humour. Rose is really relatable and honest, which shines through in this debut novel. A quick read, but there are so many little moments and funny expressions that you'll think back to and laugh about.

I'd compare her writing / drawing style to Hyperbole and a Half, so if you enjoy that you'll probably really enjoy this as well.

Ruby Elliot's book "It's all Absolutely Fine" is an account of Ruby's daily struggles with her mental health. It includes issues such as anorexia, bulimia, depression and bipolar disorder.

I really enjoyed this book, especially the written sections. It read like a stream of consciousness and really helped me get an idea of what Ruby had to deal with.

I also enjoyed the drawings- they gave me a great insight into the realities of struggling with the various issues and in places found them relatable.

I thought in some places it was trying too hard to be random and at times reminded me of David Shrigley (not that this is a bad thing).

This was a personal yet accessible book about mental illness which I did over all enjoy.

Arc received from Netgalley

I thought this one was great! Loved the illustrations & appreciate the relevant, important content. Elliot clearly has talent and, while I myself have never struggled with depression & have no idea what that feels like, her honesty should be commended. I think this could encourage people with similar issues to, at the very least, talk about them. My only complaint is that the book overall is a bit disorganized. That being said, I will definitely be recommending it.

A personal yet very accessible take on depression, bipolar and eating disorders, and other topics we usually don't want to talk about due to the shame and stigmas associated with them. These cartoons seem to be the perfect medium to provide digestible sized looks on life with mental illness

Although it's mostly a "picture-y" book, I think the strongest parts were the essays. I think it's because I don't care for the art style at all, and apart from a very select few pages I found them distracting. I mean I can appreciate the message, but not the form. Which is perfectly okay, by the way. Not everything has to be black or white.

Ruby Elliot has done an incredible job of summarizing what life is like with a mental illness. I wish I had this book a couple of years ago when I was first diagnosed with depression and anxiety. It is a new take on explaining mental disorders through drawings and speaking in such a brutal yet personal way, that makes it a little easier for the reader--or possible just myself--to open up and reflect on what I went through, to talk about it. This is just a great book, and one that I would recommend to anyone who wants to understand what a loved one is going through, or those with mental health problems who want to see how others relate.

This book is funny and witty but also very inspiring at the same time. The illustrations are simple black and white but very painfully relatable. If you want to see more of Ruby's work, check her Tumblr here: rubyetc.tumblr.com.

- I received a copy from Netgalley

Ruby Elliot's life has not been all sunshine and roses. She has suffered from intense anxiety and eating disorders, leading to severe ups and downs during what most folks take for granted as normal day to day life. In her new book It's All Absolutely Fine, Elliot draws her responses to mental illness in a way to bring it closer to home with humor and poise. That being said, It's All Absolutely Fine is not a simple read that you will hash out in one sitting. The subject matter is intense, and even with her spots of humor, it is a book that takes focus and empathy.

It's All Absolutely Fine is a candid look inside the world of suffering from a mental illness. One of the most poignant comics involves a young woman asking Elliot's self portrait why she isn't skinny if she has an eating disorder. Elliot's response is to ask the girl if she has a toaster. When the girl replies that she does, Elliot points out that having a mental illness is like having a toaster; you can't necessarily judge that someone has it just by looking at them. The book covers anxiety, self-harm, depression, eating disorders, and trying to live a semblance of a normal life while going through them. I particularly loved a panel where Elliot's self portrait drops a large brick on a scale and then goes to hang out with an alligator named Judith, as Judith has "good scales." These moments of bizarre levity carry the reader through difficult topics and out the other side.

For women who suffer from mental illness, or even family members who want to understand it better, Ruby Elliot's book is a life saver. Images of dogs wrapped in blankets admiring their loveliness, insecurities over nail polish, and other fabulous additions make the book laugh out loud funny, even with such a serious subject matter.

It's All Absolutely Fine is available from Andrews McMeal Publishing on January 31, 2017.

AN extremely important, heartwarming and lighthearted approach to explaining and dealing with depression that helps sufferers to realise they're not alone. Highly recommended read. Great illustrations and anecdotes!

"It's all absolutely fine" is a very accurate portrayal of mental illness, which is expected because Ruby Elliot has been struggling with mental health since she was a teenager.

It's very interesting because her drawings and comments can be funny, but they are also meant to raise awareness and show this reality lots of people are dealing with (even if others can't see it). Although it's an enjoyable read, it faces difficult issues such as depression, bipolar disorder, self-harm, eating disorders, and anxiety.

This book is important because it's very illustrative, so people who don't know about these subjects can learn a few things about them; and it's helpful because people who suffer mental illnesses can relate to the author and the things she talks about.

I love this book so, so much!! Honest and moving (and hilarious) accounts of living with mental health issues. Adore this.

FANTASTIC READ! Recommend this to fans of Allie Broch and Noelle Stevenson

Not everybody copes with life the same way. Ruby Elliot, author of <I>It's All Absolutely Fine</i>, has found a unique way to share her perspectives on coping through her quirky doodles and drawings. Developed with a comic strip feel, each of the designs and dialogues compels readers to look deep into the inner angst of depression and solitude to find a way to draw parallels to others out there living with the same feelings of inadequacy, loneliness, and/or pain. In addition to her artistic scrawls Elliot adds to her book by including a collection of accurately articulate essays pertaining to her experience with and feelings surrounding mental illness. Readers will appreciate the fluctuations between Elliot's prose and sketches. Both of which are laced with a comical air despite the sad and gloomy nature of the topics. Through it all, the author at no time suggests these feelings of self effacement or self deprecation should be taken lightly, but instead recognizes that even when things are at their worst there is always an opportunity to find relief and seek solace in just surviving and acknowledging you're not alone.

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing this advanced review copy.

In It's All Absolutely Fine Ruby Elliot explores the topic of mental health and getting through life when you think you are the only one that's just not getting how easy this is all supposed to be. While the drawings are often humorous, they do tackle serious topics like body image issues, anxiety, depression and more. It's biographical to the author while retaining enough generalities to relate to the reader.

I first discovered this author/artist through social media, and while I'm not a huge fan of this particular drawing style, the subject matter of the cartoons is enough to want to read more and enjoy it--even if it comes down to secretly loving the idea of knowing someone else could be having a miserable day just like you. It approaches the highs and lows of mental health in a relatable way, especially when it comes to others' reactions to everything you do ("Get over it", "You'll be okay", "Just be positive" -- as the author points out, not helpful. At all.). It's what you want to read on the bad days to make you smile.

// Trigger warnings in this book: eating disorders, depression //

As someone who has been struggling with eating disorders, anxiety and depression for years this wasn't the easiest of books (comics) to read. It offers an accurate description of what it's like to be consumed by something that will never be in your control. How to approach the world when you feel that your place in it isn't something you entirely deserve.

But it's not just that, there's healing as well. Ruby Elliot manages to combine all of that with just the right amount of humor that didn't dismiss it.

It's poignant and hilarious. Pick it up and see for yourself what I mean by that.

I’m familiar with Ruby through her tumblr. Her quick sketches are funny and relatable and get lots of attention. This wasn’t necessarily marketed as a self-help book, but I absolutely love the way Ruby chose to write this. Yes, there are jokes and humor. Yes, there are relatable and silly comics. But the tone of this book is not just about acknowledging and laughing at depression and pain. She writes chapters within these comics to explain her own journey with depression, self-harm, therapy, bipolar disorder, and the way she talks about her life is so open and honest that it’s inspiring.

This book at first glance looks like a few other “quirky depression comics” out there, but I honestly enjoyed the writing more than the comic story lines. Don’t get me wrong, I still want a lot of these comics as magnets on my fridge.

Ruby Elliot writes and draws about her own experiences with depression, eating disorder, self harm that has a perfect mix of seriousness and humour. Ruby is so open and honest about her experiences. I laughed out loud several times reading this. If you liked Hyperbole and a Half, then you'll enjoy this book.

If you know someone who is depressed and you simply cannot understand them, this is the book for you. The author shows through words and very simplistic drawings, what you feel like when you are depressed. Although, seeing how she really feels might frustrate people who have never been depressed. But please know, we know our thoughts aren't rational- often times, that doesn't help stop thinking them. No one really wants to feel like they are horrible and no one likes them.

For me, it was a bit too close to home.

10/10, an amazing read!

Dry, witty, raw, honest and hilarious!
Ruby Elliot is a talented artist and observer of all the absurdities of life. Totally relatable and comforting that day-to-day problems which you can think you're crazy for not being able to handle are difficult for lots of people. Encourages a sense of community and normality, this book actually helps me to feel normal.
Lots and lots of respect for Ruby.

I absolutely loved this book! I'm just so thankful that this book exists, thank you Ruby Elliot!

The drawings were so funny and so relatable! I think I've come across a few bits of Ruby's art on Tumblr but I never really knew who she was until I read this. She gives such an accurate representation of what's it like to live with a mental illness, bad self-esteem, bad body image issues, a bad relationship with food (she had bulimia, I do not but still could relate to what she said) and she also explains how she overcame her issues. When I read books, I highlight things that resonate with me in some way and I pretty much highlighted the entirety of this book! Plus she's absolutely hilarious, she puts things in hilarious terms, this book is laugh-out-loud funny!

I would 100% recommend this. It's brilliant. I would read more by Ruby Elliot in a heartbeat!

*I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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"If I don't feel real then why would I bother feeding myself as if I were?"

"But this was different; this was as if an actual steamroller driven by a crazy grinning idiot had trundled through the door and flattened my entire life into a sad pancake of nothingness."

"No one wants to be permanently on the edge of bawling because their reality is one of life being utterly futile and pointless."

"Then there's neglecting to shower or eat or go to bed before 5 a.m. because you can't quite bring yourself to look after you properly even though you know it's what is good for you."

"So actually, scraping yourself up off the floor and asking for some assistance even when every inch of your brain is screaming at you to lie there alone in your pile of brain melt is BLOODY HARD and the acts of someone who is brave."

"My brain is wired to run on tangents and "what if's," and has a horrible habit of taking something small and snowballing it around the insides of my skull until it's twelve times its original size."

"Whenever I meet someone with a strong personality I balk, because working out what I am is hard. A combination of shit self-esteem and adolescence entirely subsumed by illness left me spat out feeling like an unfathomable question mark of a person in a world full of self-assured humans who appeared to know exactly what they were doing. It's been painstaking trying to slowly escape enough bits of me back together and build new ones that I can use to anchor and contextualize myself and present to the outside world as being Mine. I've got a few, and relatively speaking I feel more of a Person than I used to, but that doesn't stop the emptiness from lingering like a clingy unwanted bastard that it is, poking holes in my certainty from time to time with its jabby little fingers and making me feel like a sad nubbin of Swiss cheese."

"What happened to me from quite a young age, and certainly as I got older is that my brain decided to use my body as the focal point from which all my value as a person had to be measured."

"...my procrastination and avoidance is not often borne out of laziness or being a useless bastard; it's the result of over-whelming fear and very low self-esteem."

4 helms

Please follow me on my blog :) Review originally posted on Vellum Voyages (www.vellumvoyages.com)

Randomly requested this when I got trigger happy on Netgalley and what an eye opener to mental illness this was! Such an honest, darkly funny look at the everyday ups and down a person with mental illness may go through and Ruby portrays it simply yet effectively. Don't let the funnies and simple drawings fool you, as there is a highly educational and effective message also conveyed.

I'm grateful to have had a chance to have an insight into her life and be a smidgen closer to understanding the struggles she has had to face through her daily life while battling her various issues of body image, anxiety, bulimia etc. This definitely is not an easy road and thank you again, Ruby, for sharing some of your experiences with us and allowing us to be a part of your life.

*Thank-you Ruby Elliot, Netgalley & Andrews McMeel Publishing for the ARC.

Anyone helping the cause of mental ilness to be more understood is admirable. This cause touch me very much, there`s so much people suffering and this graphic novel is a great way of making people more sensitive about a subject they don't understand.

This book is very important for people who struggle with literally everything this book stands for. Not only does it explain things that people with these issues can not speak but it also gives you a little humor to get through the rough times. This books helped me to understand that it's not bad to have the feelings you have, you just have to understand them. Understand how to deal with them and do so with a little humor. One behalf over everyone like me, thank you.

Funny, sad, honest, and all too often, stunningly relatable - Elliot's comics and commentary offer sharp and frank insights into a life with mental illness. In a wonderful combination of lighthearted and very serious observation, Elliot brings the reader on a journey and offers an underlying message of acceptance - in addition to providing several laugh out loud opportunities that will draw the reader in with relative ease. In fact, it's the author's willingness to share such open and personal reflections that endears the reader to her story, and perhaps even helps them to heal as well. A thoroughly enjoyable read.

It's All Absolutely Fine is one of those memoir graphic novels that, if you are a little bit of human, makes you empathise and feel deeply for the author. I am not sure if I had come across Ruby's art before (I probably have), but reading her book and seeing her art has been inspirational and motivating and educational. She tackles depression, the highs and lows of bipolar disorder, anxiety, eating disorders, introversion, frustrations at the thing that is life so very well and expresses it perfectly through her art and, also, her words.

I felt for her through her journey and often I related with her frustrations. It was relatable and easy to see my own struggles in her comics and I am so glad to have read this book. Thank you, thank you, Ruby for this. I can only finish this review with the same words:


What did you do today?

Managed.


Recommended to anyone dealing with mental illness and/or is frustrated with the world and adulthood. 5/5 stars for hitting home.

Ruby Elliot (or Ruby Etc as she's more commonly known) is a legend on tumblr. She makes the most interesting humorous mental-health related comics, I've been following her for years because they hit close to home.
This book is exactly that, her typical style or mental-health related comics, interlaced with her typical wittiness and relatability. She also has written a few passages that talk about her mental-health, and again they're witty and relatable. But best of all, the art is amazing.
It took me one sitting to finish this one, I really wanted to see what was next.

If you have the chance to read this book - do it. I promise you won't regret it.

I can't believe it's 2017 and people STILL doubt the debilitating effect that poor or bad mental health can have on a person. I was officially diagnosed in 2014 and though I'm doing much better, I still have to remember to take care of myself and take a step back and realise when something is Not Me and the Bad Brains instead. But it's slow process and I'm still learning. I honestly wish I had this book back then because this is pretty much the "self help" book I needed when I entered THE VOID for the first time.

https://hercommonplaceblog.wordpress.com/

I confess I don't have a lot of experience reading graphic novels, but when I saw It's All Absolutely Fine at Netgalley I was immediately intrigued by the promise of a combination of simple drawings and a down-to-earth description of the daily struggles of life with mental illness. It is a topic that has always interested me for various reasons... And It's All Absolutely Fine is without doubt another title to add to my list of favorites talking about mental illness. Why? First of all, I found it really easy to connect to the little stories. Ruby Elliot shows life as it is without trying to hide the ugly parts, and I can really appreciate the sincerity of it all. This bundle switches between short essays and illustrations that show the reader Ruby's experiences living with social anxiety and the daily struggles of life with mental illness. Simple drawings of sometimes 'simple' situations, but with a huge dose of sharp humor for maximum effect. Ruby Elliot's drawings are sometimes brutally honest, but they always feel 100% real. It's both an entertaining and eye-opening read that will appeal both to anyone interested in the topic and fans of memoirs such as Furiously Happy.

Well-done graphic non-fiction dealing with depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, eating disorders and body image. The graphic medium is well suited to creating empathy and understanding where works alone don't quite capture the experiences of these mental health issues.

Ruby Elliot has lived with depression, an eating disorder, bipolar disorder, and other struggles. To cope, she draws. She has shared her drawings and musings on the internet (rubyetc.tumblr.com), and now in an actual book, It's All Absolutely Fine: Life Is Complicated So I've Drawn It Instead.

Elliot's reflections on life are achingly honest. She describes her feelings as a teen, just beginning to deal with depression:
No one wants to feel so desperate that they end up in a psychiatric ward being asked to rate their mood on a scale of 1-10 as they watch their laces being yanked out of their shoes and taken somewhere out of reach. But these were all things that happened to me because I was depressed.
For other young women who are struggling with some of the same issues, It's All Absolutely Fine will be therapeutic and empowering. Elliot wants the reader to recognize that depression isn't just a matter of being in a bad mood, bipolar isn't just mood swings, and you can't tell by looking that someone has an eating disorder.

The odd thing about the book is how hilarious she is when writing about some pretty grim experiences and feelings. Mental health is complex and, for some people, very fragile. Elliot's work is entertaining for anyone, whether or not one struggles with mental health issues. But more than that, I think it can be therapeutic for those who are depressed, bipolar, have body image problems, are self-destructive, deal with anxiety, etc., especially if they are women in the teen-to-twenty-something demographic.

Elliot succinctly describes her battle:
I forget that I'm a capable human who just happens to have a very thinky brain, and see myself instead as this awful, ineffectual lump of idiot. It's a very horrible and isolating place to find myself. And like all these things, it's an uphill battle developing insight into what's going on and in trusting that insight enough to harness it positively.
She has harnessed her self-awareness positively for the great benefit of her readers--as well as for a few laughs! Carry on, Ms. Elliot. You're doing great work.




Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!

This was fabulous. As a person struggling with mental illness this was a very moving read. I could have quoted/highlighted 80% of this book as I saw and felt myself in it.

The write ups were honest and to the point compared to many wordy mental health materials. I enjoyed this more then Hyperbole and a Half (It only received a 1/5 from me). This was well organized into sections, had autobiographical content to match illustrations, didn't try to pander or entertain anyone and didn't have so many f-bombs.

F-bombs are not necessary and having content with a huge percentage of them can very well become a library policy content issue. I don't believe in censorship but I don't need parents or staff (not often students) barging into the library or principal's office to complain about a book with swearing. Library and administration staff are already busy. We do not need to add to our to-do list.

I recognized so much of myself in this book that I feel I should buy a copy for myself and keep it on hand when I am unable to put into words what is going on inside. It wouldn't only help me but the people around me to get an idea what I am dealing with.

1 of out of 5 people have a mental illness in Canada. Many staff and student struggle or knows someone who struggles with it. It is nice to know we are not alone in the struggle. Mental Illness has a stigma and those living with it learn about it faster than anyone else. It is hard to explain to people who do not struggle with mental illness in some form of their lives. Materials like this can help bridge the gap to what those suffering and suffering with them. Sometimes words aren't enough. Sometimes an image is more useful. If one scribbled illustration from this book can help some recognize or share how they feel to someone who does not know the daily struggle then this book is a success. It is to me in my mind.

Ruby Elliot just gets it.

She understands, and communicates in such a funny and thoughtful way that it makes you love her, and love yourself a little more for the simple fact that you are not alone and that someone Just Gets It.

I am not alone. You are not alone. We are not alone.

I love you all.

I actually found a lot of very relatable things here, although I don't have anxiety and depression quite on the level of the author. I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who deals with these things! Some of the drawings were pretty funny and very on point.

4 stars, recommended for anyone dealing with anxiety/depression.

I went into this expecting a light, funny graphic novel, and was surprised when I found a very real account of the struggles of depression. Ruby meets the reality of mental health head on and doesn't sugarcoat anything. She has a talent for finding the comedy in things and the book is scattered with such accurate portrayals of life experiences that I found myself chuckling while feeling sad at the same time.

I would recommend this book as a great resource for mental health. It is full of truths and deals with heavy subjects but you leave with the knowledge that it's all absolutely fine. Sort of.

This was a really enjoyable book dealing with a serious subject. No, I do not suffer from anxiety myself but do have close friends that do. This book described mental anxiety pretty much the same way as my friends, but with the added benefit of drawings. For someone with anxiety the book is great as a way of knowing that you aren't alone and that there is nothing wrong with you. For people who aren't suffering from anxiety (like myself) this is a great book to get some insight into what people with anxiety or other mental disorders are dealing with every single day.

A clever and insightful look into mental illness. The comics are relatable, and often times, very funny.

These are not necessarily my style, though I know that so many people will enjoy and even benefit from them.

This is a collection of cartoons and personal observations by someone dealing with mental illness. It's at times funny, sad, heart wrenching and completely relatable. It will definitely hit home for anyone who is depressed, bipolar or even an introvert. It's not a self-help book, it won't solve any problems. But it will let you know there are people out there facing similar struggles... and sometimes that's what you need.

Amazing! Hilarious! Real! Sarcastic! I love it. I'm happy that the author decided to "write" a book to put together all this work.

It's All Absolutely Fine feels like a great commiseration session with someone who is going through hard things like the hard things in your life. Ruby is honest about her struggles without being overly detailed and hopeful without being annoying. Her drawings are whimsical and relatable, filled with characters that don't always make sense, but seem to fit the world inside her head.

Highly recommended for those who have struggled with eating disorders, depression, severe procrastination, or just adulting.

I loved this book. Ruby Elliot's drawings might look simple but they exactly capture what it feels like to function with depression and anxiety. The portions of longer text help give context to Ruby's story, but the pictures are so relatable that I think anyone who has experienced mental health problems, or who loves someone who does will get a lot from this book. I'd definitely recommend it to pretty much everyone!

A poignant drawing in the book is a face asking another face...What did you do today? The face responds with three ... and then says "managed" with the last drawing of the two faces cuddling.

The reality is that some people only just manage to get through the day, but some people aren't as open about mental illness as Ruby Elliot and it is refreshing to see. If this book only helps one person then it has done its job. I like that this book is predominantly picture based because it makes it more simple for the reader, especially with someone whose head is already buzzing and concentration is already hard.

I also believe that the book isn't over complicated with every illustration being in black and white with a few limited paragraphs of writing.

I believe this book is suitable for teens and adults. it is dark in places and there is swearing, its also honest which can be confronting. Overall this read will not suit everyone but will be a refreshing look at an often taboo (STILL!) subject

This "Emotional Smoothie Recipe" is Grand (4 stars)

I hate winter. By early February I'm ready to crawl into bed and never come out. Vitamin D supplements help a lot but they don't quite make me laugh like a good humorous book can. I picked this one up not being familiar with Rubyetc other than having seen a comic or two online. It was totally worth trying a new comic.

Simple and goofy the art may be, but these comics are quite affecting. The kind that'll make you laugh until you cry because they're quite relatable if you suffer from mental illness as I do. In fact, I found the title fitting from two different angles... that of someone who says they're fine when they're not and that of someone who knows it's okay to be struggling, afraid, lacking confidence.

If you enjoy the work of Jenny Lawson or Allie Brosh this is right up your alley!

I’ve read many accounts of mental illness over the years and, if I’m honest, I have never been entirely sure exactly what it is that I’m looking for. Taken at its most basic, I suppose that you could describe this impulse as that basic need that we all seem to have of trying to find representations of ourselves in the art that I love. Sometimes, no matter how strong we are in our convictions, we need to be able to find some sort of hint that the slightly damaged thoughts that we have exist outside of ourselves.

If this logic holds true then I think it’s fair to say that I’ve found various mirrors of myself during this subconscious pursuit. I’ve had my fears reflected in Joan Didion’s memoirs, the ridiculousness of the situations my mental illnesses can put me in echoed in my beloved Allie Brosh’s Hyperbole and a Half, and I’ve found slivers of all sorts of other wayward emotions in the fiction that I’ve read, all the way to characters from high fantasy and mystery. But, despite all of my apparent searching, I don’t think that I ever really knew what I was looking for until I read It’s All Absolutely Fine by Ruby Elliot.

I have never found anything as wholly confrontational as this book. Glimpses of my glee at my own self-sabotage? Check. Diagrams of all the twisted feelings that I have towards loved ones who try to make it better? Check. Whole page spreads of the complications of being at once nothing and everything? Check, check, check. There is all is, in this tiny book: the thoughts and feelings that, as someone with depression and anxiety, a terrible relationship with food and horrible impulse control, I have jealously guarded. There was every petty little thing I thought, there was every grubby little thing I did to try to make myself feel better even. If. It’s. only. For. Five. Minutes. Please. God.

No one likes to see the worst of themselves, let alone feel like they’re sharing it with the world. Except that’s exactly what Ruby Elliot does with this book. Halfway through, I could hear the shells of thousands of people around the world cracking as they realised that they were not the only ones who experience these destructive, obsessive little thoughts that keep trying take over every waking minute of the day. I could just as loudly hear them recoiling as I did moments later, realising that now other people can see them, there, in stark black and white.

Ruby Elliot is a brave lady. I don’t think I could have gone as deep, looked as hard, been as stringently honest as she has been. I don’t think I could have picked myself apart like that. I don’t think that I could have identified half of the despair that she taps into. And, while it was undoubtedly therapeutic and cleansing and, perhaps most honest of all, really blood shit while she was doing it, part of me believes that Ruby unconsciously thought outside of herself in the biggest way by sharing this experience with other people.

I hope that one day I’ll be able to be brave enough to hand this book to some of the people in my life and say: here. This. Me.

It’s All Absolutely Fine by Ruby Elliot explores the highs and lows of modern life through the sharp, dark wit of Ruby Elliot—creator of the massively popular Tumblr account, Rubyetc, which has over 210k followers and growing. Ruby’s simple drawings of not-so-simple issues capture the humor and melancholy of everyday life. Her comics appeal to both new adults who are beginning to explore these subjects and to battle-tested veterans of the daily struggles of life with mental illness. It’s All Absolutely Fine is an honest and unapologetic account of day-to-day life as a groaning, crying, laughing sentient potato being for whom things are often absolutely not fine. Through simple, humorous drawings and a few short narratives, the book encompasses everything from mood disorders, anxiety, and issues with body image through to existential conversations with dogs and some unusually articulate birds. Through the drawings, the reader is shown that it is okay to struggle, and that it is okay to talk about struggling, to not undermine oneself by yelling ‘it’s fine’ when it isn’t, and while all this is going on to know that it is absolutely possible to hold on to hope, and of course humor.

It’s All Absolutely Fine is a collection of art and words that can shown readers that they are not alone. Anyone dealing with anxiety, feeling lost or alone, or battling any mental illness can find bits of their struggle on these pages while offering support and encouragement to keep on moving forward. I found the read made me smile, cry, and feel more empowered in dealing with the world around me and moving toward the future. Fans of Rubyetc's huge online presence will find more of what they love here, and I think the book will foster new fans as well.

It's All Absolutely Fine (well actually, it isn't) is a mixture of comic-type drawings and personal essays from Ruby Elliot. In this collection she dives deep into her emotions and past to express with total honesty, her feelings and fears about herself. She gives the reader an inner look into the mind of someone that experiences anxiety, bipolar disorder and depression.

I really appreciated her ability to make the situation lighter while also capturing how she actually feels in those situations and describing them so well that another person can actually feel that too. Her drawing style was a favourite of mine, but the scribble type scrawl was hilarious at times and did capture the sort of chaos that these feelings can project onto a person. If you've ever been affected by these feelings or illnesses or are just interested in learning more about them then this book will definitely be interesting or useful to you.

Honestly, many thanks to the author. There is nothing better than reading something like this when dealing with your own deep depression. So, thank you!

And people, stop telling people to just "get over it" or "smile, it can't be all bad." Look, my brain doesn't know that. It never got the memo, and it never listens to me. I'm working on it, but it's a process and it's difficult.

Read this if you suffer from depression, read this if you know someone who does.

This book is so good. It's an incredibly candid book about mental health - it looks at depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, OCD and eating disorders - and not only is it amusing and easy to read, it gives a genuine and honest insight into what it's like to live with a mental illness.

I suffered with clinical depression as a teenager, and have had a battle with PTSD in more recent years. I'm now recovered from both, although I do have to be mindful of my triggers, but books about anxiety and mental health still appeal to me. I like to see what's out there and to read it from a point of view of remembering how I felt at the time and whether a book would have been of use to me, and also from my current perspective. It's good to consider whether a book is one I would recommend to someone going through this illness now, or if it would help someone who had no idea about mental health understand what it's like. Some books hit one mark and not another because a target market has to be aimed at, and I do get that. This book, however, ticks all of the boxes for me. It's absolutely brilliant.

This is a book predominantly told through illustrations and it packs such a punch with simple drawings. Some images made me hold my breath because I remember those moments of not being able to function, some images made me wryly smile because I remember being aware of how silly I felt at not being able to do something and yet still being unable to make myself do it. Ruby Elliot has written her own story in this book and as a result it is so easy to identify with; it's told with great compassion and empathy for others whilst being so honest about her own emotions. You feel like you're reading your own story.

I took a screen grab of a couple of pages from It's All Absolutely Fine because they really resonated with me - partly, through remembering feeling like that in the depths of my anxiety, and partly because I have occasional days like this whilst dealing with my physical health. I'm including these two images in my review because they really do give such a great example of the humour and the complete empathy and understanding in this book.

This is such a candid book, Ruby Elliot doesn't shy away from tackling what it's really like to live with mental illness. This book is absolutely essential reading for anyone going through depression and/or anxiety, and for anyone who wants to understand what it's like to live with these conditions. It's a book that will help sufferers feel less alone but without feeling the pressure to sit and read a whole book during the times when everything feels too hard.

I read this in ebook format but I'm definitely going to be buying a print copy, and I will absolutely be recommending this book to so many people.

It's All Absolutely Fine by Ruby Elliot is out now and available here.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a pretty great book. It’s an illustrated memoir – it is unflinchingly honest but also sidesplittingly funny.

It is down-to-earth and relatable to nearly everyone, and it a great portrayal of mental illness in the multi-dimensional – good days and bad days.

I recommend it greatly.

I thought this book was a fun and interesting read, something completely different than what I usually read.

When you suffer from depression and/or anxiety, you often feel like no one else understands exactly what you are going through. If you're lucky, you come across a book like this. Ruby Elliott's simple drawings and their accompanying text resonated deeply with me. It is one of those books arrived in my life at the perfect time.

I hope that, as was the case with me, it helps other readers feel less alone.

I can relate to certain things in the book and that felt great. Even when I haven't been in the shoes of the author, I still get a sense of being close to her and somewhat able to empathize. Funny, quirky, page turning and awesome! A must read for everyone.

One of those books that assures you that even though you may feel like you're losing your mind sometimes, things will generally be okay. It is wonderful that Ruby Elliot has shared her story in such a relatable, interesting way. The content may be a little emotionally draining at times, but Ruby is saying some really important things, and the topics she discusses should absolutely not be taboo.

Absolutely hilarious book. Ruby does brilliant illustrations.