Sunflowers

by Keezy Young

An autobiographical comic about one person's experience living with bipolar I disorder. From mania to depression to the balance beam of the everyday, Sunflowers explores the human complexity of an often misunderstood disorder with honesty and vulnerability.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Comics, Nonfiction, Memoir, Mental Health, Graphic Novels Comics, Adult

24 pages, Paperback

Published February 21, 2024

Reviews

[s.penkevich [hiatus-will return-miss you all]]

Having loved Keezy Young’s work in Taproot, I was thrilled to discover they had a new, brief work out this year. Thank you Libraries. And thank you Keezy Young because this short but moving graphic novel, Sunflowers is as gorgeously illustrated as it is emotionally powerful and bravely open. Sunflowers is a brief graphic memoir with Young being open with their perspectives on experiencing both the highs and lows of bipolar disorder. There is an incredible vulnerability and grace shown in the writing, combatting the stigmas of those living with bipolar disorder and also discussing how it isn’t always terrible. It is a really well done read that would be a comfort to those facing similar struggles as well as an excellent examination for those who have not and a reminder to have empathy and patience. ‘It’s isolating,’ Young writes, ‘knowing that even in mental health spaces, even among loved ones, your experiences are too scary or unacceptable to talk about without making it weird.’ This book is a bold and beautiful attempt to help open space for that conversation without making it weird.

Image text: And maybe if I share a little bit of what it’s like, someone out there will realize that I’m not a nightmare just because I experience one some of the time

Sunflowers is artistically gorgeous as well. The art moves into very abstract and surreal moments that convey a lot of emotion and visually capture the experiences. It is very text heavy but it works on pages that are very busy but so carefully organized that the near overload on the page only adds to the experience. I also liked the yellowed pages that give this a very 80s-zine sort of feel. Innovative and empathetic, this is a lovely little book.

‘the problem isn't that I want to die. The problem is that I want to live too much for the world to contain me, and I need to break free of myself before it kills me.’

[Teresa]

The ‘subtitle’ on the front of this 23-page comic is “Most people think mania is fun.” It’s the opposite of fun and this autobiography shows why. It also brings in all the misconceptions people have and the thoughtless ways labels are used, and why this can cause real danger. I found it interesting that one of the resources listed in the back is An Unquiet Mind: A Memoir of Moods and Madness by Kay Redfield Jamison. I read that book years ago on the recommendation of its accuracy and it’s good to see that it still resonates with a later generation.

[Steph]

i adore the art in this very brief graphic novel about living with bipolar I disorder. the work is seriously so beautiful! i love young's muted vintage style.

for such a short volume, this is remarkably informative and moving. young talks about clichés and misconceptions about bipolar I, and shares the reality of living with it permanently.

particularly resonant is the anguish of being in a supposedly safe space and sharing your mental health struggles, only to realize it's too intense for the room. it's isolating to feel like everything about you is too much.

i'm grateful to young for putting this book out there, but i certainly wouldn't have minded a longer version. it made me very excited to read taproot!

[sophie]

mannnnn the art is so good and the writing so honest and profound. i would looove a collected series like this just about people’s experiences with their mental illness, it’s so interesting to see how and where it overlaps with mine and others’. information is power and this short comic is so powerful!!

[Jess Klug]

Very short but packs a punch! These lines gave me goosebumps: "...the problem isn't that I want to die. The problem is that I want to live too much for the world to contain me, and I need to break free of myself before it kills me."

[B. A. Balfour]

If you have a loved one with bipolar disorder, read this

[this_eel]

I don’t always add things this short to my goodreads tally but I love the art and this expression of bipolar experiences so much. Some things which should be said are said by them, here! Great book design and a really lovely little dip into the waters of what mania looks like from the inside.

[anna b]

Keezy Young's art is a gift, and this slim little comic about their experience with bipolar is so raw, real, beautiful.

"But it's isolating, knowing that even in mental health spaces, even among loved ones, your experiences are too scary or unacceptable to talk about without making it weird."

very very grateful for their honesty and vulnerability, putting this down on the page and out into the world.

[Haylee Perry]

This was very good. The artwork is beautiful, and the author did a great job at informing people about bipolar disorder

[Jenny E.]

Det var inte alls vad jag hade förväntat mig. Det var väldigt mycket text för att vara en grafisk roman. Dessutom tycker jag illustrationerna mest var färgkombinationer utan mening.

Jag rekommenderar att du läser "Taproot" istället för den här korta boken.

[hope h.]

this is such a lovely little graphic novel autobio - both informative and a delight to read. there's a lot of raw honesty here that is complemented perfectly by the art, which is BEAUTIFUL. just gorgeous work in a nice muted color palette and almost a sort of art nouveau style? i just loved everything about it.

[Rhys]

Sunflowers is a visually gorgeous and emotionally honest account of living with Bipolar I Disorder. It is succinct yet emotional, and both beautifully designed and illustrated. I really think anyone who would like to learn more about the first-hand experience (or would like to feel less alone in their own experiences) would benefit from reading this.

[SJARR ✨]

I pretty much have no idea how to rate and review a book that a person has written about themselves.
Especially about their own mind.
What do I say really?

I like the way that this acknowledges and challenges the way that people like to “romanticize” certain aspects of the more “interesting” mental health disorders.
I think I see this happen a lot, especially online. My educational background is in mental health- so it is always both somewhat fascinating (and always quite frustrating).
I appreciated reading about the perspective of someone with one of these disorders (in this case, Bipolar I), and how they view that whole situation.

I also like the illustrations, and I think they fit in well with the overall vibe that this story has. Sort of… all of the place and “frantic” maybe? I’m not sure. But, I see what they’re going for.

This is like, under 30 pages.
So it’s a quick read. But I think it says a lot in a small number of words.

[Brooke]

Always good to read stories about things I don’t know that much about. I appreciated the honesty about how hard living with bipolar disorder is and the way people may judge. As well as common misconceptions. I also really liked the art style.

[Natasha Alterici]

Raw and tender and incredible.

[chris]

this is a very validating read, I think, for anyone who struggles with mental illnesses that fall into the "oof that's a little too intense to talk about, bud" category.

[Noa]

I'm so emotional right now, because reading about someone talking about bipolar disorder in a way that is so fucking real makes me want to cryyyyy.

Before I start with this personal note: this short comic is FREE to read, it's only 24 pages long and it's visually so beautiful so NO EXCUSE NOT TO READ IT!!!!! You can read it here!

Finding good representation about bipolar disorder is so hard that I had completely stopped looking for it - I'm mostly disappointed about the different portrayals usually romanticising (hypo)mania, never getting anything right about the disorder and literally just bringing more stigmas to a disorder that is never truly taken seriously.

Here, Keezy Young shares their experience about living with the disorder, while focusing more on (hypo)mania, and I wanted to cry so bad every new page because I don't think I've ever read anything about bipolar disorder that is so accurate. I think it's the perfect introduction if you don't know much about this illness, but also if you want to understand how it actually feels like to live with it and understand people around you.

Just as Keezy Young explains it so right, everybody thinks they know what bipolar disorder is, when truly they really don't. Most people use the word bipolar as an adjective if not an insult, having not a single clue about what they're talking about. Flash news: NO , being bipolar doesn't mean changing moods every two minutes or being abusive, so NO you can't throw it around because you're pissed at someone! It clearly proves you don't have basic knowledge on what it is. So go read this short comic and save us some peace of mind for goodness' sake.

So many words in this comic hit home in a way I've never felt before, because YES living with bipolar disorder is so isolating, people don't understand how it works, how it impacts every aspects of your life, how even in the mental health sphere people still stigmatise it so much ( No , going out for a walk or taking a bubble bath will NOT cure my chronic mental illness). Knowing that it will never go away, that all your life you will have this disorder that can be so unpredictable even when you do everything you can to predict an episode, even when you try to have the healthiest and most stable life. For people we're either too much or never trying hard enough, either we're dangerous or we're just creating problems for ourselves. And let's not forget the good old 'it's just in your head'.
Spoiler alert: I live in my head, so yeah it might be in my head, but my brain controls everything I do therefore the disorder impacts most things I do!

Mental illnesses aren't pretty or aesthetic, nor are they words you can use to insult people you hate.

I'm so thankful for this comic that I will probably reread every week from now on, so thankful for Keezy Young for sharing their very intimate experience.

[Raith]

This is an excellent first hand account of a person dealing with the highs and lows (mania and depression) of bi-polar disorder. This would be super helpful to people who are trying to understand the lived experience better or find representation to feel less alone

[Lauren Bowman]

I was wandering a book store yesterday as part of a mental health day off from work that I desperately needed. My (late) dad’s birthday just passed, and the grief has been extra heavy this year. My dad was one of the most brilliant, visionary, intensely loving, creative, and talented people I’ve ever known. He also suffered from Bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. I was inexplicable drawn to the zines for the first time in my life and picked this up for purchase. I didn’t make the connection until now, after reading this beautiful depiction of what living with bipolar disorder is like. Thank you, Keezy, for bringing this beautiful piece of art into the world.

[K.C. Norton]

Keezy Young's graphic novel "Hello, Sunshine" was one of the best depictions if Bipolar I I've seen in fiction... everrr? So I was excited to read this. It's quite short, but still worth a read. Bipolar is one of those mental health conditions that not only gets misunderstood, but also massively villainized, right up there with DID and other condition that mostly pop as horror in the mainstream media. This memoir, while brief, is an interesting and worthwhile little insight; I would say it's particularly meaningful as an addendum to "Hello, Sunshine" which does such a fantastic job of visualizing an episode. This biocomic's a bit more text-heavy and lighter on the imagery.

[Theo]

Young's art is always a treat. They know how to deftly tell the complete visual story and move a reader through the page. There is always a lot of atmosphere and organic movement.

The narrative around their mental health is great awareness around bipolar manic episodes that include hallucinations and add a bunch of compassionate insights into living with this type of neurodivergence.

[Kasey Turner]

Young tells us what it is like for her to live with bipolar disorder. It is gorgeous and heartbreaking and hopeful all at the same time. Through Young's art her reader can see just a bit of the the joy and the crushing darkness of this disorder. She is open and vulnerable and honest.

I discovered Young's work with Taproot which I also highly recommend, and while this book is much shorter, it certainly sends a stronger important message and opens a subject for the possibility of understanding and discussion. Plus her art is gorgeous, clean and full of movement. I certainly hope to see more from her.

[Sara]

This was so interesting and devastating to read. I can’t say I understand, I don’t think anyone without bipolar disorder can say they do, but the author shared it so beautifully. Reading this almost felt invasive, like I walked inside a brain different from mine and saw the world with different eyes. 🌻

[Eliott]

Sunflowers
Overall Rating: ⭐ ⭐ .5 (2.5/5) or 5.28/10 overall

Credibility/Research - 5

Authenticity/Uniqueness - 6

Writing - 6

Personal Impact - 4

Intrigue - 5

Logic/Informativeness - 6

Enjoyment - 5

[Kayla]

I loved this. It’s a super short autobiographical comic about bipolar disorder, and I think it’s a great read for those who don’t know much about it and want to get a better understanding. There are also some great resources shared at the end!

[Stella]

An autobiographical comic about living with bipolar 1disorder. Very short but informative about what mania feels like. The depression aspect is covered by a descent into black pages in the middle, so less about that part. A lifelong condition that must be managed, with treatments but no cure.

[Amanda Esthelm]

I loved this, the art was stunning and this persons story was heartfelt in its pursuit to inform the reader of a struggle that is so stigmatized

[Niki 🍁]

This is a really good depiction of what bi polar disorder is like, in the mind of someone who has it.

[Bin]

Brutal and honest

[Adrian Lyle]

Beautiful art, page layout, and wow I'm so glad I picked this up on a whim today! The subject matter was so, so important and I feel like it really helped me understand bipolar disorder a lot more. mental health is so important.