Tender

by Beth Hetland

Carolanne wanted a perfect wedding, a perfect husband, a perfect family. She carefully performs her own roles (gal pal, bestie, girlfriend, wife, and expectant mother) and manipulates those around her to try and get the results she wants. Her desire to control the uncontrollable ultimately becomes her undoing. When things don't go her way, she exerts dominance over the one thing she does have total control her body; until that "betrays" her. After suffering a horrible loss, Carolanne spirals into a literal, all-consuming delusion causing her body to produce symptoms of a hysterical pregnancy — as a result of her slicing off bits of her own flesh and eating them.Chicago cartoonist and educator Beth Hetland’s graphic novel debut is a brilliant psychological thriller that tears down the wall of a genre — body horror — so often identified with male creators. Heady and visceral, Tender uses horrific tropes to confront women’s societal expectations of self-sacrifice despite those traditional roles often coming at the expense of female sexuality and empowerment.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Horror, Comics, Fiction, Adult, Mental Health, Graphic Novels Comics

166 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 12, 2024

About the author

Beth Hetland is an American cartoonist, illustrator and educator.
Hetland studied fine arts at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (BFA 2009) and comics at The Center for Cartoon Studies in Vermont (MFA 2011). She is now back at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago as an adjoint Professor, where she mostly lectures about cartooning and comics writing.
After self-publishing comics for years, her first major graphic novel, the psychological horror Tender, was published in 2024 by Fantagraphics.

Reviews

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had to let this sit with me for a day before I could even figure out what I was going to say. I was stunned by the ending of this horror graphic novel. But in between I felt like I was constantly being punched in the gut.

Did I know it was even possible to feel this way after reading a graphic novel? No. I didn’t. The triggers in this one are many. With self mutilation being high on the list. It really hit home as I was nodding. Pressure to make your life seem perfect can be a crushing feeling. I sympathized with the main character as this world isn’t meant for single women.

Excuse me while I go back and stare at a wall asking what the heck did I just actually read.

Thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for the arc of the graphic novel in exchange for an honest review.

[Kim Lockhart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not for the faint of heart. This is one of the scariest stories I've read.

[Rick Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love horror comics, books, films, etc. and generally consider myself as having a high tolerance towards the genre. It's rare to find something that'll get under my skin. But Beth Hetland's Tender is one of the few that really got to me. This is truly a disturbing read, largely due to Hetland capably weaving in realistic fears and a true sense of sorrow into the narrative. There is some body horror aspects here and there, but the imagery itself rarely got to me on its own. It's a combination of the protagonist's spiraling mental condition alongside the horrific imagery that makes Tender one of the more gripping graphic novels of the year.

The story follows Carolanne, a woman who has some pretty trivial goals in life. She wants to find a nice man, have a lovely wedding, start a family, and build a cozy little home life. She gets her wish when she starts dating one of her coworkers who she's crushed on for quite some time, and things take off from there. But as we follow Carolanne's story, we see her obsession with comparing her life to that of her friends and coworkers, particularly from the lens of social media. Her expectations from life comes from comparison to others - and Tender demonstrates exactly why it's the thief of all joy. Things crumble slowly for Carolanne, and the descent is genuinely harrowing because of just how realistic the circumstances are.

This is going to be a tough read for some since it touches on topics like self-harm and more, and it doesn't really do it in all that tender of a way. It's blunt and brutal in its depiction of depression and loss, and Hetland's very descriptive style of drawing doesn't make things much easier. Her illustrations are simple in design, but the expressions are evocative and touching, making her characters feel incredibly real. A lot of warning to those wanting to read this - Tender is really not something for the faint of heart.

[Kelly B · Rating 4 out of 5]

This unique graphic novel is just as sad as it is disturbing. It is a little bit gory, and there’s one part that I found upsetting.

I thought the writing was really good, as well as the illustrations.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Rod Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

Honest to god, I started reading this book without reading a word on the back and giving only a passing glance at the front cover, and having decided from the opening pages I was in for a bit of slightly off-kilter romance and domestic drama I was very unprepared for the direction the story ultimately took. I can't say I liked it or where it ended up, but I was genuinely caught off guard at least.

Still, it's a simple tale: a woman obsessed with getting married and having a perfect family does not cope well when things go wrong. "Cope" being a gross understatement. "Gross" also being an apt understatement.


(Best of 2024 Project: I'm reading all the graphic novels that made it onto one or more of these lists:
• Washington Post 10 Best Graphic Novels of 2024
• Publishers Weekly 2024 Graphic Novel Critics Poll
• NPR's Books We Love 2024: Favorite Comics and Graphic Novels

This book made the NPR list.)

[Maddie Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

This graphic novel was indeed graphic. I feel like I was left wanting a bit more from the story itself. The comic is so short that it feels difficult to connect with the main character before shit hits the fan. Maybe I'm an odd one out, but it was not my favorite.

Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read and review this ARC.

[patty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Disgusting and grotesque and horrifying.

I loved it.

[Jenni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Viscerally upsetting, I cringed multiple times. Carolanne is a woman is a woman so obsessed with fulfilling her vision of a perfect life that she'll do anything (except talk to people or go to therapy I guess).

Intense body horror.

[Elizabeth☮]

Carolanne is a young lady living alone with her cat. Her ideal life includes a happy ending with a husband and a family. She scrolls through dating apps and creates a book with various possibilities pasted in. It's all disturbingly desperate. When Carolanne finally is married and with child, it's not all she thinks it can be.

I think the subtext here is that in a society that prizes women as child-bearer and homemaker, women will go to any extent to force that dream to come true. To be clear, not everyone needs to be married and with family. Not everyone needs to stay home and take care of said children. Not everyone wants this for themselves and many cannot afford it.

When reading this graphic novel, you come from the perspective that the dream is a husband and kids. You sacrifice for the good of the family. It's a commentary on the sacrifice involved. And Carolanne sacrifices way too much of herself (literally and figuratively).

I'm not sure how to rate this one. It is intense. I had to go back to the beginning when it ended to be sure I was taking in the point it was making.

I will say this: body horror doesn't even begin to describe what happens on the page.

[Alexander Peterhans · Rating 4 out of 5]

Psychological horror that quietly trips into body horror, while being a sharp satire of online/insta culture, a world where you do not exist if you're not in a "happy" relationship with a forever expanding family.

The art has the feel of a graphic memoir, making the whole thing feel claustrophobic. The horror and story go places, and don't hold back, which I appreciate (poor Chip).

(Picked up a review copy through NetGalley)

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

That was gross, creepy fun. This would make a REALLY good film in the right director's hands. I kept imagining it with lots of weird, unsettling camera shots and I could see it going so well!

[Katie T · Rating 4 out of 5]

Completely gruesome and heartbreaking.

[Hannah Garden]

Holy shmagegs.

[Ghoul Von Horror · Rating 4 out of 5]

TW: Language, cutting, animal death (off screen), depression, anxiety, loss of baby, divorce, jealousy, nudity, mental health, postpartum

*****SPOILERS*****
About the book:A psychological thriller about a woman obsessed with her vision for a picture-perfect, curated life. Carolanne wanted a perfect wedding, a perfect husband, a perfect family. She carefully performs her own roles (gal pal, bestie, girlfriend, wife, and expectant mother) and manipulates those around her to try and get the results she wants. Her desire to control the uncontrollable ultimately becomes her undoing. When things don't go her way, she exerts dominance over the one thing she does have total control her body; until that "betrays" her. After suffering a horrible loss, Carolanne spirals into a literal, all-consuming delusion causing her body to produce symptoms of a hysterical pregnancy ― as a result of her slicing off bits of her own flesh and eating them.
Release Date: March 12th, 2024
Genre: Graphic Novel - Horror
Pages: 168
Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

What I Liked:
1. Story was dark
2. Writing was short and to the point

What I Didn't Like:
1. The art style
2. Story confusing at times

Overall Thoughts:
Carolanne being obsessed for the next step that she can't even take a second to really appreciate the one step she just had. She's a terrible friend because she is just more worried about herself and can't even be happy for her friends accomplishments. She barely even listens to them when they are talking to her.

So then she finally meets someone only to then become so obsessed with the idea of marriage and why hasn't he asked her yet. It's insane because it appears like it's only a few months into their relationship before they move in together and then she is asking for the next step - marriage. All this time she is dealing with her not being adequate enough (when she looks on social media of her friends successes with jealousy) by ripping her body apart. She pulls out hair, bites her fingers apart, and cuts herself til she bleeds.

She then gets pregnant but looses the baby after it is born. My heart ached for her for the way that Lee was treating her. I understand this is a difficult time for them both so I won't say who was in the wrong or right or even if there is a side to choose, it was just sad to see this. She spirals down for 90 days trying her best to get back to normal. She is finally ready to try again for another baby but Lee seems like he just doesn't care anymore.

I can't believe Lee just divorced her after she was depressed and she had lost the baby. Then his therapist telling him he should divorce her. Sick.

So with Lee gone and her going deeper and deeper into her depression and mental health she kills the cat (sad) and tells people that she is pregnant (she isn't). It seriously was so odd to read/see her putting lines on the pregnancy test.

I didn't understand though why would the doctor have to meet with the husband? What does he have to do with her body not bleeding?

Final Thoughts:
I though this graphic novel was pretty good. I didn't expect such graphic gory scenes to happen. Watching Carolanne's mental decline was so heart breaking and sad.

It ends on an ambiguous ending with never knowing what is really under her shirt making her look pregnant.

I just didn't care for the scratchy blue artwork.

If you love Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke you'll love this.

IG | Blog


Thanks to Netgalley and Fantagraphics for this ebook. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Irene ➰ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5

- Thank you to the author and the publisher for providing me a copy through NetGalley. -

I have to say I had an amazing weekend read-athon full of great reads!
This is one of the list.

Super duper disturbing, with very peculiar art and coloring.
I got sucked up into this world of expectations and time seemed so have stopped while I was reading it.

I got super invested, mainly thanks to the story that was super smooth.
This sense of quotidianity mixed with thriller and horror vibes, was the perfect mix to create this twisted graphic novel. All seemed normal at first, simply following the life of a couple.
Then we slowly discover that things are not always as easy as they seem and that it's easy to fall into a tunnel of no return.

Tragedies, very strong experiences and expectations can change people, but not always they decide to let it show.
And this is exactly what happens here. We follow and watch Carolanne falling into this dark and twisted abyss.

[Lukasz · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5

Whoa, it's surprisingly dark. It begins with Carolanne, happily married and pregnant. After a while, Hetland takes readers into the past to illustrate how the idyllics started. It's during this journey that you realize things aren't what they seem on the surface, or in the Instagram posts so important to the protagonist. The narrative is told with simplicity and good timing.

Carolanne is obsessed with an image of a perfect, happy life and yearns to control the uncontrollable. Once she experiences a devastating loss, the story transforms into one of obsession and body horror. It's a quick yet engaging read, well-crafted and compelling.

ARC through NetGalley

[Jonathan (Jon)]

*not rating*

I’m so confused about what I read after finishing this. It didn’t make sense to me, but I enjoyed the creepy feeling it gave. The illustrations were disturbing and gruesome, there were a few adult images here and there. I loved the idea behind this, portraying the negative sides of social media… but the book itself didn’t make sense to me.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with access to read this book!

[Sheyla Rabei · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow.

[Ags · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Wow, wow. Wow. Ugh. Eek. Bleck. Oh, wow. Wow!

Gosh this flipped my stomach inside out - and not just the (super thoughtful!) body horror, but how SAD this is. I also read this at a time in my life when it especially knocked me over then kicked me.

Loved the caring yet complicated female friendships, self-sabatoge, societal-sabatoge, and the horror + grief.

This is the kind of thing you read in like 15 mins, then sit there staring at the wall with it in your lap for another hour. Gosh.

There were two parts where the color was off, which I really wish an editor would have caught - otherwise, the all blue but then sudden bright red (and some orange) color was amazing. I had to look away multiple times. Bleck.

I'll read whatever this artist makes next!

[Javier RC · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely NOT for the faint-hearted 🫣

[rachel ~ trans rights are human rights · Rating 4 out of 5]

fantastic and disgusting!

[Daijah · Rating 3 out of 5]

actual rating: 3.5/5 stars

tender follows carolanne, a woman fixated on the pursuit of an ideal existence: a flawless wedding, a perfect husband, and a curated family. as she meticulously plays her various roles, manipulating those around her to fit her vision, her desperate need for controlcauses her to unravel. when faced with uncontrollable circumstances and a devastating loss, carolanne's descent into madness takes a horrifying turn as she engages in self-harm, consuming fragments of her own flesh in a desperate attempt to regain control.

the art is the main selling point of this graphic novel. the art has an interplay of colors which intensifies the more nightmarish scenes, effectively capturing the emotional turmoil within. however, the story itself tends to lean towards the straightforward, allowing the bold art to shine while falling short in fully exploring the complex themes promised by the novel's description.

the graphic novel challenges traditional body horror norms by presenting a female perspective on self-sacrifice, societal expectations, and the consequences of relentless pursuit of an unattainable ideal. while trying to have a in-depth exploration of these themes, the narrative fell short in delivering a comprehensive and nuanced discussion of these subjects. the graphic novel touched upon the psychological toll of societal pressures and the protagonist's descent into madness, but the depth of exploration into these themes remained somewhat superficial.

thank you to fantagraphics books and netgalley for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Aubrei K (earlgreypls) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tender is a graphic novel that is perfect for my fellow body horror girlies. I thought this was such a refreshing take on body horror because rather than being misogynistic and sexualized and written by men, this one is very obviously written by a woman, for women.

Tender is about Carolanne, a woman who cares a lot about how others see her. We see her progression through what she expects to be her dream future (work, boyfriend, marriage, husband, etc.), until something veers her off course and sends her spiraling.

This was a quick read and hard to look away from. I found myself physically cringing at some of the illustrations, but in a the way that we want to be disturbed by this type of story.

Tender was entertaining and explored women's societal expectations, female empowerment, motherhood, and more.

*Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the free digital ARC in exchange for an honest review*

CONTENT WARNINGS:

Body Horror
Animal Death (mostly off page)
Stillbirth
Divorce
Minor infertility

[Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

This gets three stars because it is legitimately creepy, borderline sick and disgusting. It’s a horror story that begins to reveal itself as such very subtly. The story unfolds in non-linear time to begin but the freaky creepy images that suddenly appear seem to be nightmares and maybe are but ultimately are more than dreams, I think. Overall I found it disturbing and very sad.

[Michelle Morrell]

After 24 hours I still have no idea if I should give this one star or five. That's gonna leave a mark.

Hardcore spoilers in the Goodreads main synopsis, so read that at your risk. Hell, read this graphic novel at your own risk.

[Megan Kirby · Rating 5 out of 5]

I mean this as high praise: yuck!!!!!!

[Jiro Dreams of Suchy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was hooked at the “ope” great Chicago horror. Not enough female centered Body horror. This one slaps

[rhiannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

wish this had gotten weirder and scarier lol but then again i am a freak and a pervert

[Przemysław Skoczyński · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Tender” klasyfikowany jest jako horror (lub „body horror”), które to określanie ma swoje podstawy, ale chyba za bardzo kładzie nacisk na emocje związane z wizualną stroną opowieści, a mniej na to co w niej najważniejsze, czyli sam przekaz. Bardziej niż creepy historią z momentami, w których chcemy odwrócić wzrok, jest „Tender” opowieścią o tym, z jakim obciążeniem zmaga się kobieta ulegająca presji związanej z przypisywaną jej rolą. Ma być idealną matką i idealną żoną, dbającą o porządek w swoim idealnym domu. A co jeśli coś pójdzie nie tak? Co jeśli przestajesz mieć kontrolę?

Wizualnie styl Hetland dobrze komponowałby się z komiksami Connora Stechschulte, przede wszystkim ze względu na monochromatyczne kadry. Autorka jednak zręcznie przełamuje monotonię wyrazistymi kolorami w momentach grozy, co bardzo skutecznie je potęguje. Sytuacji wywołujących odrazę nie jest wiele, ale właśnie dlatego działają mocniej. Większość fabuły sprawia wrażenie obyczajówki czytanej z mocnym przeczuciem, że coś niepokojącego czai się na kolejnej stronie, co jest w zasadzie słusznym tropem.

„Tender” jest komiksem, na podstawie którego zręczny psycholog czy psychiatra mógłby zrobić pracę doktorską i jeśli poczułem niedosyt to tylko dlatego, że brakowało mi jeszcze więcej kontekstu (całość jest dosyć dynamiczna i krótka), jeszcze pełniej pokazującego proces narastania w Carolanne obsesji, dotyczącej chęci spełnienia narzucanej przez społeczeństwo roli. Bohaterka nie ma świadomości, że to pewien konstrukt, z którego można się wyłamać. Ta rola staje się jej autentycznym pragnieniem, bo nie potrafi stworzyć dystansu między własnymi emocjami, a tym jak „powinno się” żyć. Gdyby postacie drugoplanowe i niektóre sytuacje były potraktowane mniej skrótowo, komiks by z pewnością zyskał, niemniej „Tender” i tak jest pozycją wartą poznania i zostającą z czytelnikiem jeszcze długo po lekturze

[Mitchell Friedman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Winner of the Lynd Ward Award. And I think the judges are using a very different criteria for judging than I would. Our main character was kind of meh leaning to vaguely awful. And then she lost it. There was something here that could have been interesting. And the non horror elements early had potential. But it is not like the relationship had more than a one-sided biological clock going for it. For me this was a yuck. 1.5 of 5