Thinking of You

by Beth Evans

Cartoonist and Instagram sensation Beth Evans (@bethdrawsthings) has one goal and one goal only, and that’s to make her readers feel seen, uplifted, and not so alone in the world. She successfully does that yet again with Thinking of You, her new collection of humorous and validating comics.
In her newest collection of comics, cartoonist Beth Evans is back with the internet’s favorite amorphous blob of encouragement and optimism— and just a hint of social anxiety. Thinking of You follows Evans’s iconic protagonist as they navigate their way through online dating, awkward social interactions, and the occasional panic attack, all while trying to remain kind and patient, both with the world and with themselves. It’s a struggle but they are here to remind us that we don’t have to do it all alone.

Funny, sweet, and timely, Thinking of You is just the warm hug you’ve been looking for.

Genres: Comics, Graphic Novels, Self Help, Adult, Nonfiction, Humor, Mental Health

128 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 2, 2023

Reviews

[Rosh · Rating 3 out of 5]

In a Nutshell: Grabbed this because I thought it was a humorous comic collection. It turned out to be a self-help/motivational book, a genre I dislike with all my heart. So please take this review with a pinch of salt. It’s definitely not the book but me.

The book comprises a series of motivational messages that aim to make you feel uplifted and positive about facing the drudgeries of life. All the pages are addressed to ‘you’ – the reader. It’s like having your own personal cheerleader, with myriad motivational messages sprinkled across the pages. Some are as simple as ‘You deserve love’ or ‘You are special’ or ‘You are doing your best!’; others, slightly longer and deeper.

The title, or rather, the funny-sounding part in the brackets, made me assume that this would be a humorous graphic novel. But it turned out that not a single page induced laughter.

The artwork is exactly as you can see on the cover. Simplistic and sweet.

If you follow author-illustrator Beth Evans’ account on Instagram, you will be better prepared for the content. (Needless to say, I wasn’t among her Insta followers, and hence I was caught unawares by the serious tone.)

If you need someone to root for you, cheer you on, motivate you onwards when you are struggling with thoughts or work or life in general, this might work for you. I am not at all a fan of the self-help genre, and as such, I find such books repetitive and boring.

In short, ignore my review if you are a self-help fan because you will definitely find the book more supportive and inspiring.

Recommended to those looking for a light and quick motivational comic of sorts.

2.5 stars, rounding up because I know I was the wrong reader for this.

My thanks to Andrews McMeel Publishing and NetGalley for the DRC of “Thinking of You (but not like in a weird creepy way)”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.




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[destiny ♡ howling libraries · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so wholesome and sweet — honestly the epitome of a warm hug from an old friend who's rooting for you every step of the way and just thinks you're an incredible human being worth every ounce of space you take up, and sometimes we all need that. ♥

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy! All thoughts are honest and my own.

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[Chantaal · Rating 3 out of 5]

"As long as I have a package to obsessively track, I can probably get through anything"

Dang, just come for my throat I guess.

Thinking of You is a very cute series of comics all with the theme of giving people positive affirmations and showing that not everyone is as alone as they think they are. It feels like the type of self-help that's more gentle and affirming than hyper fixating on fixing something in your life, and I appreciated it for that.

I think it is incredibly simple, however. Each comic was its own page, providing a little nugget of optimism or connection in a way that felt like this could have been made into a 365 page a day calendar instead.

Generally cute, and does exactly what it sets out to do.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC; it will be published in May!

[Rae | The Finer Things Club CA · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thinking of You (but not like in a weird creepy way is a collection of heartwarming comics from cartoonist Beth Evans. The intention of the book is to make people feel seen, comforted, and less alone with simple but sweet illustrations of an amorphous blob trying to deal with everyday struggles, manage big feelings, and handle hard things. I would say this book is less on the laugh-out-loud funny side and more on the cute, uplifting side of the comics spectrum. It’s not necessarily my cup of tea, but I can see how it could serve as quick pep talk or pick-me-up for others.

Thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Ray Flores · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of heart-warming comics that feel like a warm hug from a friend. Even if the author doesn’t know us personally, any person who’s adulating in the current year surely can resonate with them.

I’m sure everybody, at some point, has felt like they’re giving their best and yet it is not enough. Sure, the world isn’t mostly fair but these comics are saying that it’s good that you’re trying, even if you don’t have it all figure it out at the moment.

These comics express kindness, self-love, and talk about mental health in a way that feels organic, not like a pep-talk from someone who’s judging. All the contraire.

I think it’s perfect for people who need a bit of an emotional boost. I know it worked well for me.

I received an e-book ARC in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley.

[rae ✿ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of wholesome, heartwarming comics by Beth Evans that feels like a hug from a loved one. 
Looking back at me from two years ago, when I was struggling with my mental health and reading this book, it feels like I am cheering and telling my past self that I survived. And on, however I am currently struggling, it will pass. 

This isn't going to last forever.

Thank you NetGalley, for the e-arc!

[el (celestialbronz) · Rating 2 out of 5]

idk. it's similar to Loading Penguin Hugs by Jacqueline Chen but not better than that. not even close.

its just the typical affirmative encouraging words, paraphrasing quotes that felt familiar, accompanied with blob figures. and the content is so random, so general. put "sometimes" here and there to not overgeneralize things, and voila.

[Ghoul Von Horror · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is definitely cute in certain ways. I guess I was hoping for more comic relief and more artwork vs the 2 blobs with quotes about how great/loved/wonderful I am/will be/could be. It felt repetitive in ways.

Perhaps I am not the demographic for this book. I'm not a person that reads self help or posts those memes to remind myself to just breathe when times in life sucks.

[Cherlynn | cherreading · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like a big warm hug!

This was an adorable read filled with useful affirmations and cute blob illustrations. I love how incredibly validating the book is and how it celebrates even the little things (which are sometimes also the most important things). I can see how handy this collection would be when one is feeling down or stuck.

Cosy, uplifting and the perfect pick-me-up. Would make a great gift too!

Thank you to Andrews McMeel Publishing for the Netgalley ARC.

[Reading_ Tamishly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, I love when it comes to such collections of confessions and self acceptance notes with cute illustrations. Such books are meant to destress us and it works like charm!

The book is short yet it feels like I just had some quality time spent with someone close to me.

Love it.

Thank you, Andrews McMeel Publishing, for the advance reading copy.

[Amanda [Novel Addiction] · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredibly uplifting. I wanted to cry a few times because I needed to hear some of this.

[tia ❀ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think that Beth Evans did exactly what she set out to do: make a wholesome, emotional support comic that will warm your heart. The thoughtful, encouraging sentiments shared are nothing crazy new, but they're still uplifting and validating nonetheless. Evans addresses themes like mental health and battling anxiety of everyday tasks, which reaches a broad audience. Reading through all of them in one sitting felt a little repetitive, but I enjoyed every single page!

These adorable blobby comics could easily be sold as little posters as everyday encouragement or something to put on your desk to make you smile. I think it would be best as a coffee table book where people can aimlessly flip. "No one who worried about not doing enough ever did too little." made me tear up a bit. Even the simplest of sentiments can mean a lot to you at the right time!! I wouldn't hesitate to gift this funny little book to one of my loved ones who needs some cheering up. If you need a pick me up, this will definitely do the job!

Thanks to NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

[Elizabeth Mellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the ARC of this!

This was so cute and relatable. I loved the adorable little blob guys and their sweet messages. Perfect for fans of Debbie Tung.

[Vidhi Aggarwal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a 5☆.
It's the best self-help book I have ever read. I love this book more than every book I have read. This is a perfect self-help book. When a person needs someone to tell them they've got this, you can do this, but unfortunately have no one, this book is going to tell you and cheer you. It will make you feel like you're not alone. This book is so therapeutic. It's going to help you deal with whatever you are dealing with in your life. This book is like a cheerleader. It will cheer you up.
Beth Evans did such a great job. I am looking forward to buying this one whenever the hardcover will be available♡

Thanks, NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book. This will not affect my review.

[Kaye · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book filled with simple positive messages. It is thoughtful and uplifting with and the blob type drawings are simple and cute. Sections with introductions include: Everyday Struggles, Big Old Feelings, Go You, Hard Things and Validation, and Uplifting Messages. I was expecting more humor from the blurb on NG. I can see this as a book to be read for a daily affirmation or self help more than something to plow straight through. Thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the temporary ARC in exchange for a review.

[Gabriel Noel · Rating 2 out of 5]

ARC given by NetGalley for Honest Review

A collection of doodles paired with vague self-help "insta inspo" style quotes. I'm a fan of Beth Evans cute little blobs but they do better on the internet. This book is barely a coffee table book. The issue with Instagram based self-help things is that they always come off as shallow and impersonal.

I would have much rather read a cute lil blob story about something personal to Evans.

[Bunny · Rating 2 out of 5]

Received via Netgalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review

So, these are....sweet.

These comics are really fun, motivational, wholesome little bites. I looked the artist up on Instagram, and have followed her, because everyone needs a bit of wholesomeness while doom scrolling.

However, taken as a collection, this goes from fun little bites to a really big double fudge cake that is entirely too much in one sitting. It gets repetitive. Your eyes grow heavy. Your attention drifts.

I think this could be fun as a gift for someone. Or as a coffee table/bathroom book to be picked up, opened to a random page, and then set back down again.

Tiny bites.

[Dr. K · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Beth Evans on Instagram, so I was really excited for this book! While the comics are really cute, it left me wanting (hence the lower rating).

From the title and cover, I was expecting a little bit more cohesion between the comics (and perhaps even multi-level stories). Instead, this book is really just a collection of Beth's instagram comics, one per page, grouped by theme. This unfortunately renders the book somewhat repetitive, and best as a coffee-table book to open at random than something to sit down with.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC!

More thoughts here: https://youtu.be/7rhiwvWp9YY

[Leonie · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is basically a collection of very minimalistic comics with uplifting / inspirational slogans for each panel.
I can see that those cartoons might have a certain appeal to some people, but I personally was not the target audience.
I think I'd find those cartoons somewhat cute if I saw them on Instagram every couple of weeks or so, but as a collection both the art and the slogans were incredibly repetitive and boring.


[I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.]

[Liv · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF. I thought this would have little comics and stories, but it’s almost entirely made up of one-offs (one panel) and life advice. I grew bored of this style quickly.

[Hazel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some really lovely parts, but there is more "fluff" than I would have liked.

One of the early pages actually addresses toxic positivity and how just pushing "self-love" can dismiss and invalidate years of trauma. This is also repeated about halfway through, where the author talks about it being okay to feel the "bad stuff" and not forcing yourself to only see the positives. However, the book also focuses largely on platitudes like "believe in yourself", "you matter", "you're phenomenal" and "you've got this".

It's a nice little book if you want to dip in and find a positive quote or affirmation. The illustrations follow the author's cute, simple style (which I do like), but they are repetitive in this collection. This becomes more noticeable when you read several pages at a time, rather than dipping in and out.

I know the author's aim was to offer support and acknowledgement to those who are struggling. I think that is a great idea, and one worth doing. I really love the "Certificate of Getting Through Stuff" signed by the author.

I love this author's style and have followed her work via Twitter for a long time, so I was very excited to review an ARC of this book. Unfortunately, this particular collection has fallen flat for me on this occasion. It's a short book (less than 150 pages) but by halfway through, it was a struggle to keep reading. I think these comics work better as one-off comics on the merch the author has designed.

In summary, love the author, love her work, I just didn't love how this collection was put together. I've rated it three stars, but maybe you'll disagree with me when you read it?

Thinking of You (but not like in a weird creepy way) comes out on 2nd May 2023.

Thank you to Beth Evans and Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing me with a free advanced reader copy of this book for review purposes.

[Dawn Michelle]

I don't know why I was surprised when I opened this book and found it only had FOUR pages that one could see and nothing left but white pages for the rest of the book, but I was [even though it seems that this happens more and more with graphic novel/comic ARC's. I was grumbly and disappointed, but because I wanted to really read this, I went hunting through my libraries and Hoopla and then remembered I now have Scribd, and that is where I found it. I immediately downloaded it and started reading.

Sigh.

Imagine my surprise when this book was...not really a book? It was just pages with one thing on each page [in a thought bubble, said by a "blob" {the author's own description of them}, basically echoing what all the other thought bubbles before had said. It basically was the same exact thing, said over and over, in slightly different ways and well, it was extremely disappointing [especially after the whole kerfuffle of trying to find the book]. I am not sure what the audience was for this, but I am absolutely not it. I hope that people find encouragement from this, but all I found was repetitive mumbo-jumbo and and by the end, felt it was a real waste of time. Such a shame.

Thank you to NetGalley, Beth Evans, and Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beth Evans really makes a point to try and comfort people like she knows exactly what they are going through. She said this herself in many of the pages and it’s something that you can tell throughout her work.

I struggle with reading positive affirmations quite often. They usually make me feel worse more than anything, but that wasn’t the case here. Maybe it was the cute little blobs or my state of mind, but this was a lovely book.

It would make a good coffee table book. Each page is it’s own affirmation, so anytime someone needed one they could open up to a random page for an affirmation. It could also make a cute lil calendar.

Thank you Andrew McMeel Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Crystal D. Budy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an arc in exchange for my honest review.

This was cute. It's a collection of wholesome comic pages featuring little blobs to uplift you. While it was cute and heart-warming, I honestly think it would be better suited in a daily format like perhaps a day-by-day calendar. Reading all the pages at once is a bit much.

It could also be cute as a sort of tear-off page book where you could take a page out and maybe put it in a card to give to a friend. I don't know that I would ever give this entire book to a friend...it's a lot. Tends to get repetitive and by the middle of the book, I was lagging.

But taken as bite-sized pieces rather than once huge chunk, it's a nice bit of wholesomeness in a world full of the opposite.

[Diany (Diany_in_bookland) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew I wanted to read a good graphic novel but oh my goodness I didn't know how much I needed to read THIS graphic novel! It was so cute and wholesome and exactly what I needed after a day of overthinking and over-worrying about things completely out of my control. If anyone needs words of affirmation, a nudge in the right direction, or a little blob on a piece of paper to just tell you you're doing great and that everything's going to be okay, please do yourself a favor a pick this up. Be nice to yourself today and just remember, you're doing your best and that's all anyone can ask of you<3

[Corlyn (Riverside Reader) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thinking of You (but not like in a weird creepy way) by Beth Evans is like reading a comforting hug in a book. I requested to review this book after I discovered Beth on IG. Her cartoons are extremely relatable and reassuring. She promotes acceptance, self-love and caring. I need this book to also be a stack of cards, a daily affirmation calendar, or posters. I highly recommend this book to anyone at any stage of life. We all deserve a hug!

Thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for an advanced digital copy of this book.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been feeling all in my head this week and anxious. I hate the feeling where my brain just feels too full. I decided to sit down and read this book and it was so validating and comforting.

This book features comics about mental health, feelings, and tough times. It ranges from comics with humor to others cheering you on through the hard stuff. It’s separated into different sections including:
-Everyday struggles
-Big old feelings
-Go you!!!
-Hard things and validation
-Uplifting messages

This is a book that will comfort you through tough days and be a perfect read for the Sunday scaries. I highly recommend! Thank you Andrews McMeel for a review copy.

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

Thinking of You is a really wholesome, sometimes humorous, and quickly read comic book with themes of mental health, reassurance, self love, and compassion. I would absolutely gift this to others to read on their dark days to remember that the light exists. In my opinion, it isn’t necessary to read sequentially and could be opened anywhere for a pick me up. The book is divided into themed sections though to give you what you need.

This is a really great book for anyone going through a difficult period of mental health. It would be really great for see this book pitched as a gift to be given to support friends and family in need. Having gone through a really bad peak year of OCD last year, I related a lot to the shame and anxieties outlined in the comics, and could have used the reassurances in this book. That being said, with those limiting beliefs during this bad mental health period, it would have been difficult for me to have picked this book up for myself.

Lastly, with the prominent themes of mental health, it would be great to see a list of mental health resources at the back of the book with the author’s note. Books are wonderful, but sometimes you need extra help to break down the barriers on your mental health journey.

[Ankita Goswami · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book felt a lot like a Rupi Kaur poetry book in the sense that the content is great for Instagram but not really a good fit for a book. I follow Beth Evans on Instagram and I enjoy the same comics there - the art is cute, the texts are mostly funny and comforting - from time to time. However, reading them all together felt a little tiresome and preachy, and the novelty wore off pretty quickly for me.

[Radwa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This wasn't what I expected but it was very welcome at the time I read it.

I thought it would be funny in a comic relief way, but it's wholesome comics repeatedly saying how amazing and wonderful I am for getting through tough times, and you know what? sometimes I do need to hear that for more than 120 pages told to me by cute blobs, so I'm not even mad. I liked it and I'd recommend it if you need the same boost.