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Bottled
A haunting portrait of millennial alienation, tinged with body horror and Greek tragedy, glamour and terror.
Jane is sick of her dead-end life in the suburbs, and desperate for a change. Her old friend Natalie made it out, living in Japan as a fashion model. Now, as Natalie comes back to town on business, Jane sees a way for her friend to do her a favor... whether she likes it or not.
Jane is sick of her dead-end life in the suburbs, and desperate for a change. Her old friend Natalie made it out, living in Japan as a fashion model. Now, as Natalie comes back to town on business, Jane sees a way for her friend to do her a favor... whether she likes it or not.
287 pages, Paperback
First published September 19, 2017
8 people are currently reading
816 people want to read
About the author
Chris Gooch
21 books45 followersChris Gooch (b. 1993) is a cartoonist based out of Melbourne, Australia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 124 reviews
February 15, 2018
Twentysomething Jane wants to move out of her increasingly-toxic parents’ house but doesn’t have the cash for a deposit. Then her bestie from high school turned rich’n’famous H&M model, Natalie, comes back to town and, following some shocking revelations, Jane begins plotting a dark and bitter plan to get what she needs…
I’ve never read anything by writer/artist Chris Gooch before but I definitely will again after finishing his impressive comic, Bottled! What starts out as a seemingly mediocre angsty millennial soap-opera takes a sharp left turn into much more dramatic and exciting territory after Jane and Natalie’s friendship completely disintegrates.
It’s a compelling story about what happens to high school friendships as time moves on and people drift apart as their lives take them in different directions. How do they continue after the relationship dynamics change dramatically when one person prospers and another festers and what does that do to their psyches?
The writing was very strong. Gooch shows a keen and proficient understanding of the language of comics and the storytelling was really on point. I loved the sudden switch in tone and pacing halfway through and I couldn’t have predicted how it was going to play out – I was hooked to the very end.
My only critique is regards the art which wasn’t that special. Some of the character designs were quite weak and indistinct. They seemed to shift depending on the angle, making it hard to tell who was who in a scene – I’d rely on the colour of their clothes more often than not! It’s not a visually striking comic.
Still, I really enjoyed Chris Gooch’s debut book. It’s a slow-burner and takes a while to get really good but it’s definitely worth sticking with. Bottled is an original and gripping comic by a talented new creator.
I’ve never read anything by writer/artist Chris Gooch before but I definitely will again after finishing his impressive comic, Bottled! What starts out as a seemingly mediocre angsty millennial soap-opera takes a sharp left turn into much more dramatic and exciting territory after Jane and Natalie’s friendship completely disintegrates.
It’s a compelling story about what happens to high school friendships as time moves on and people drift apart as their lives take them in different directions. How do they continue after the relationship dynamics change dramatically when one person prospers and another festers and what does that do to their psyches?
The writing was very strong. Gooch shows a keen and proficient understanding of the language of comics and the storytelling was really on point. I loved the sudden switch in tone and pacing halfway through and I couldn’t have predicted how it was going to play out – I was hooked to the very end.
My only critique is regards the art which wasn’t that special. Some of the character designs were quite weak and indistinct. They seemed to shift depending on the angle, making it hard to tell who was who in a scene – I’d rely on the colour of their clothes more often than not! It’s not a visually striking comic.
Still, I really enjoyed Chris Gooch’s debut book. It’s a slow-burner and takes a while to get really good but it’s definitely worth sticking with. Bottled is an original and gripping comic by a talented new creator.
January 15, 2018
Bottled is the debut long form graphic novel by zine-ster Gooch, from Melbourne, whom I saw at CAKE this past year. It is a tale of a series of unlikeable, morose characters with a faintly dark sinister aura, featuring two millennials, Jane and Natalie, who were once best friends. There's a whiff of menacing (millennial version 3.0) Greek(ish) tragedy in it; betrayal, loss, the interpersonal failings of family and friends, unfaithfulness, and so on, reflecting the unease of a generation and its ensuing alienation. Drawn in black and white and red with an almost classical tone. No one is likable, the story isn't all that compelling to share, but there's something haunting about it. I might just like it better if I read it again, later, because artistically, this is strong work from an emerging young artist.
February 21, 2018
This was one of those ambiguous reads where there are no clear villains or hero's and most of the action has already happened. An up and coming model returns to the small town and the best friend she left behind where old arguments and mistakes soon bubble to the surface with horrific consequences.
Chris Gooch is a very impressive writer and artist. There's a terrible bitterness to his figures, everything feels incredibly cold and austere but there's also no pretense to any of the characters. These are cold and lonely people who are trying desperately to eek out the tiniest bit of happiness from their meager lives. Successful, world traveling model Natalie looks just as hard as her left behind best friend Jane and her life might look more exciting but its just as empty below the surface.
There's a desolation to this whole story that was hard for me to connect with but I appreciate that there was real depth to these people, its not just a simple case of hometown girl comes back a jerk and small town girl is the hero who just needs to believe in herself.
This is a very impressive debut but left a bit too bitter of a taste in my mouth.
Chris Gooch is a very impressive writer and artist. There's a terrible bitterness to his figures, everything feels incredibly cold and austere but there's also no pretense to any of the characters. These are cold and lonely people who are trying desperately to eek out the tiniest bit of happiness from their meager lives. Successful, world traveling model Natalie looks just as hard as her left behind best friend Jane and her life might look more exciting but its just as empty below the surface.
There's a desolation to this whole story that was hard for me to connect with but I appreciate that there was real depth to these people, its not just a simple case of hometown girl comes back a jerk and small town girl is the hero who just needs to believe in herself.
This is a very impressive debut but left a bit too bitter of a taste in my mouth.
March 26, 2018
Nothing special. Just a story about a girl who finds out that her best friend and her boyfriend made-out once, so she plots revenge against both of them.
There was barely a whiff of complexity to any of the characters, and the character artwork was just there, no depth of emotion in their faces or posturing. I did like the coloring though. The whole thing was done mostly in black and red, which added a menacing/horror element to the story.
There were a lot of themes the writer touched on - true friendship, betrayal, whether revenge is justified - but it was all done on the surface level, though, making this a light read I wouldn’t recommend.
There was barely a whiff of complexity to any of the characters, and the character artwork was just there, no depth of emotion in their faces or posturing. I did like the coloring though. The whole thing was done mostly in black and red, which added a menacing/horror element to the story.
There were a lot of themes the writer touched on - true friendship, betrayal, whether revenge is justified - but it was all done on the surface level, though, making this a light read I wouldn’t recommend.
November 27, 2018
Hmmm … so Jane is sick of living at home with her parents. She wants to move out, but is having trouble coming up with the money to do so. Opportunity knocks in the form of her friend, Natalie, a fashion model recently back from Japan. But just how far will Jane go to secure the funds?
This is a graphic novel about morally questionable choices. Gooch does an excellent job of conveying motivations. You may not agree with everyone's actions, but you certainly understand them. I found myself hoping that the characters learned from their actions, and will generally be better people after the events in this book. It bodes well for Gooch’s talents that I became so invested in them like that.
This was fun. Chris Gooch is a talent to watch. Recommended!
This is a graphic novel about morally questionable choices. Gooch does an excellent job of conveying motivations. You may not agree with everyone's actions, but you certainly understand them. I found myself hoping that the characters learned from their actions, and will generally be better people after the events in this book. It bodes well for Gooch’s talents that I became so invested in them like that.
This was fun. Chris Gooch is a talent to watch. Recommended!
August 15, 2018
Ugh.
I suppose there should be some credit given for trying to write about only unlikable characters, but they were still quite two-dimensional in their baseness.
The final showdown scene was well portrayed, but everything else was just a slog.
I suppose there should be some credit given for trying to write about only unlikable characters, but they were still quite two-dimensional in their baseness.
The final showdown scene was well portrayed, but everything else was just a slog.
February 12, 2018
I placed a hold for this on a whim when it came up in the "on order" list at the library. I was initially pulled in by the cover and then convinced to try it when I saw that it was published by Top Shelf. I'm happy to say that this was a good find!
Gooch's story mostly deals with middle-class ennui but from a millenial's point-of-view, as the protagonist Jane tries to find a way to move out of her her parents' house (who are having marital woes). She's found a room that to rent that would be the perfect means to get away but she lacks the financial means to do so. When an old friend (but is she?) comes back to Australia after working as a model in Japan, Jane concocts a plan to secure the funds she needs.
The plot sounds a bit trite on paper, but it's the atmosphere that Gooch conjures with his art that made this a riveting read for me. Jane and Natalie (the model friend) are fucked up people who do fucked up things, but they're loneliness is palpable. With regards to success and advancement, they're on opposite ends of the spectrum, but clearly neither lifestyle affords a reprieve from the isolation they experience. This obviously doesn't condone either of their actions, nor does it romanticize their VERY toxic friendship, but Gooch has a deft hand when portraying these fucked up girls.
Gooch is young (only 25!) so I can't wait to see what he puts out next.
Gooch's story mostly deals with middle-class ennui but from a millenial's point-of-view, as the protagonist Jane tries to find a way to move out of her her parents' house (who are having marital woes). She's found a room that to rent that would be the perfect means to get away but she lacks the financial means to do so. When an old friend (but is she?) comes back to Australia after working as a model in Japan, Jane concocts a plan to secure the funds she needs.
The plot sounds a bit trite on paper, but it's the atmosphere that Gooch conjures with his art that made this a riveting read for me. Jane and Natalie (the model friend) are fucked up people who do fucked up things, but they're loneliness is palpable. With regards to success and advancement, they're on opposite ends of the spectrum, but clearly neither lifestyle affords a reprieve from the isolation they experience. This obviously doesn't condone either of their actions, nor does it romanticize their VERY toxic friendship, but Gooch has a deft hand when portraying these fucked up girls.
Gooch is young (only 25!) so I can't wait to see what he puts out next.
December 14, 2017
The three-toned colour palette and the millennial angst captured spoke to me but I wasn't a fan of the weak plotting.
May 6, 2018
A slow building character piece about disintegrating relationships and a crime gone wrong, I found myself getting more and more drawn in, all the way to the satisfying conclusion.
December 14, 2017
I saw the book at my local bookstore and really wanted to read based off its synopsis. Chris Gooch's Bottled reminded me of a slow burn epic with Amadeus type undertones. It's quite simple: Jane and Natalie are old friends from uni. They're both in their early 20s.
However, Jane is still living at home with her mom and cheating boyfriend while working a dead end job. She also has a boyfriend named Ben, who does a bit better than her. She wants to move out her own but can hardly afford the down payment and deposits.
Natalie got out and is now an international famous model. She seems like she has it all but fame has its price to be paid. Her apparent superficial loneliness might be hiding a deep loneliness.
Nonetheless, Natalie is coming back to Australia from Japan and wants to hang out with Jane. After some miscommunication and Natalie ditching Jane at a party to schmooze, Jane grows increasing annoyed and resentful of Natalie's charmed life. Unfortunately, this will lead Jane and Natalie down a path jealousy and revenge.
Gooch's Bottled reminded me of those Greek dramas. Everything was so, to repeat myself, epic. However, there was a scary kinship I felt with it. I'm not as young as both Jane and Natalie are but I know how it is to be the Jane type millennial. Jane's life is not going well and Natalie comes bursting in smelling of wealth and fame. Also, she doesn't act as a good friend.
As much as I can relate to Jane, I felt really bad for Natalie. Yes, she did a messed up thing to Jane and maybe it was too little, too late to make amends but Jane put her through her a lot. It was sad to realize that Natalie wasn't a bad person who fame went to her head. She did get lonely. She loved coming home. She loved seeing her friends.
I'm glad that graphic novels are getting the attention and respect they deserved. Gooch wrote and illustrated a very good graphic novel that, for some, will got too close to home.
However, Jane is still living at home with her mom and cheating boyfriend while working a dead end job. She also has a boyfriend named Ben, who does a bit better than her. She wants to move out her own but can hardly afford the down payment and deposits.
Natalie got out and is now an international famous model. She seems like she has it all but fame has its price to be paid. Her apparent superficial loneliness might be hiding a deep loneliness.
Nonetheless, Natalie is coming back to Australia from Japan and wants to hang out with Jane. After some miscommunication and Natalie ditching Jane at a party to schmooze, Jane grows increasing annoyed and resentful of Natalie's charmed life. Unfortunately, this will lead Jane and Natalie down a path jealousy and revenge.
Gooch's Bottled reminded me of those Greek dramas. Everything was so, to repeat myself, epic. However, there was a scary kinship I felt with it. I'm not as young as both Jane and Natalie are but I know how it is to be the Jane type millennial. Jane's life is not going well and Natalie comes bursting in smelling of wealth and fame. Also, she doesn't act as a good friend.
As much as I can relate to Jane, I felt really bad for Natalie. Yes, she did a messed up thing to Jane and maybe it was too little, too late to make amends but Jane put her through her a lot. It was sad to realize that Natalie wasn't a bad person who fame went to her head. She did get lonely. She loved coming home. She loved seeing her friends.
I'm glad that graphic novels are getting the attention and respect they deserved. Gooch wrote and illustrated a very good graphic novel that, for some, will got too close to home.
December 25, 2017
Inconsistent art and hateful friendship.
June 5, 2024
Jane is a floundering college grad. Natalie is her college bestie whose post-university success as a high-profile fashion model highlights the hollowness of Jane's life and drives her to take drastic measures.
Halfway. That's how far I got before Bottled became worthwhile. Up to that point it read like a narcissistic adolescent soap opera.
But for once the juvenile angst has a point as it leads directly to something substantive. When Gooch gets to the meat of the story, it all pays off.
The black-white-red color scheme is spare but feels right. The fireworks pages are wonderful, all the more so for accomplishing it with only two colors of ink.
Plot points:
Halfway. That's how far I got before Bottled became worthwhile. Up to that point it read like a narcissistic adolescent soap opera.
But for once the juvenile angst has a point as it leads directly to something substantive. When Gooch gets to the meat of the story, it all pays off.
The black-white-red color scheme is spare but feels right. The fireworks pages are wonderful, all the more so for accomplishing it with only two colors of ink.
Plot points:
November 7, 2017
This was a great look at alienation, and the ways people become more and more unlovable when they feel unloved. Maybe I'm a sucker for characters with deep, buried rage, too? Win-win! It gave me a sort of Ghost World feel.
March 19, 2018
Oof, “Bottled” by Chris Gooch is one gut-punch of a graphic novel. With a combination of Charles (“The End Of The Fucking World”) Forsman’s suburban brutality, Tillie (“Spinning”) Walden’s evocative art, and Adrian (“Shortcomings,” “Killing And Dying,” etc.) Tomine’s dry wit, “Bottled” is grim, nerve-shredding work and Gooch has immediately shot into my upper tier of comic creators to keep an eye on.
The plot of “Bottled” is relatively simple: Jane is desperate to escape her boring suburban life so, when her self-centered childhood friend, Natalie, returns from a modeling stint in Japan, Jane hatches an underhanded scheme to blackmail her bitchy “frenemy” for the cash she needs to start a new life. I absolutely don’t want to give away any more but let me just say this: wherever you think “Bottled” is going, chances are you’re wrong. Gooch keeps the dread at a constant simmer and his panels are sparse but extremely efficient. “Bottled” goes beyond the idea of “good guys” and “bad guys” to an even darker place. I was mesmerized.
I get a lot of my comics from the library. “Bottled” is one of those books that I’m definitely going to buy so I can have my own copy. It’s the kind of comic that lurks in the back of your mind and I just know I’m going to want to read it many more times.
The plot of “Bottled” is relatively simple: Jane is desperate to escape her boring suburban life so, when her self-centered childhood friend, Natalie, returns from a modeling stint in Japan, Jane hatches an underhanded scheme to blackmail her bitchy “frenemy” for the cash she needs to start a new life. I absolutely don’t want to give away any more but let me just say this: wherever you think “Bottled” is going, chances are you’re wrong. Gooch keeps the dread at a constant simmer and his panels are sparse but extremely efficient. “Bottled” goes beyond the idea of “good guys” and “bad guys” to an even darker place. I was mesmerized.
I get a lot of my comics from the library. “Bottled” is one of those books that I’m definitely going to buy so I can have my own copy. It’s the kind of comic that lurks in the back of your mind and I just know I’m going to want to read it many more times.
April 20, 2018
This graphic novel is not about wine.
I'll admit, before I read the back, I thought this was going to be a light-hearted romp a la Sideways. I was very wrong.
This is the story of an angry girl, a weak boy, and a dark plot. Things go from bad to wrong to worse very quickly. Jealousy and desperation twine together with an old high school relationship, leading to bad decisions. I guess I'm being vague because the plot is actually very simple and the read is very quick. It's worth exploring for yourself. The writing is strong and the illustrations fit the bill - simple, stark, not overdone. A strong debut.
I'll admit, before I read the back, I thought this was going to be a light-hearted romp a la Sideways. I was very wrong.
This is the story of an angry girl, a weak boy, and a dark plot. Things go from bad to wrong to worse very quickly. Jealousy and desperation twine together with an old high school relationship, leading to bad decisions. I guess I'm being vague because the plot is actually very simple and the read is very quick. It's worth exploring for yourself. The writing is strong and the illustrations fit the bill - simple, stark, not overdone. A strong debut.
July 9, 2018
Struggling with this one. I thought it would be spookier, more unsettling, supernatural, but instead is just another text enamoured with the ways people can be shitty to one another. Good for what it is, yes... but I’m also just so tired of people being shitty to one another.
March 15, 2018
Angry girl blackmail story with mediocre art.
November 19, 2020
This is the graphic novel debut of the young Australian artist/writer Chris Gooch.
Bottled is a dark and sinister tale. It's an ugly little story, full of morose and unlikable characters making difficult choices with the cards that fate has handed them. It's a millennial tale, well-rooted within the confines of that generation. You have the protagonist, Jane, trying to get enough money to get out from under her parent's roof to get an apartment of her own with her boyfriend. You have her high school friend Natalie, now a model, instagram influencer, some such reputation as that, coming back into town for a spell and the falling out that exists between them.
How do you connect with people, when the life they live is now thousands of miles away and worlds apart from your own personal experience? Are all relationships worth saving, when the person keeps secrets, and keeps you apart? These are the questions grappled with, and only slightly answered within the pages of this graphic novel. It's an easy read on difficult subjects, and the stark art and brevity of the script kept the book living on in my head for a while.
As far as debut novels go, this one shows a hell out a lot of promise and I'm looking forward to reading more by the author. Or should I just say, experiencing more by him?
Bottled is a dark and sinister tale. It's an ugly little story, full of morose and unlikable characters making difficult choices with the cards that fate has handed them. It's a millennial tale, well-rooted within the confines of that generation. You have the protagonist, Jane, trying to get enough money to get out from under her parent's roof to get an apartment of her own with her boyfriend. You have her high school friend Natalie, now a model, instagram influencer, some such reputation as that, coming back into town for a spell and the falling out that exists between them.
How do you connect with people, when the life they live is now thousands of miles away and worlds apart from your own personal experience? Are all relationships worth saving, when the person keeps secrets, and keeps you apart? These are the questions grappled with, and only slightly answered within the pages of this graphic novel. It's an easy read on difficult subjects, and the stark art and brevity of the script kept the book living on in my head for a while.
As far as debut novels go, this one shows a hell out a lot of promise and I'm looking forward to reading more by the author. Or should I just say, experiencing more by him?
August 29, 2019
A haunting story of Jane, a girl unsatisfied in her life and searching for a way out. Her mother is in an awful relationship, her boyfriend is hiding a secret from her, and she is struggling to find enough money to move out. When her best friend returns home for a short while, Jane sees an opportunity to turn her life around at her friend's expense. I had a dark sense of foreboding while reading the novel, and thought Jane was a frightening character. I was glad to no longer follow her life. The illustrations were unique, but the coloring really added to the sense of dread I felt. An interesting story.
August 22, 2019
This reminded me of a Bret Easton Ellis novel (in a good way). Ellis wrote fiction about how terrible generation X was, and here we have a story about a millennial behaving like a sociopath. At least that's how I read it-as a reflection on a detached generation. There's glamour and the grotesque in close proximity, and a hollowness that compels us to keep reading, just like with Ellis. I really like this style of art as well. It's a chilling story because the hate-filled actions depicted seem so plausible.
October 30, 2023
2.5? this made me very sad. maybe it was supposed to. it also made me feel Gross and a bit melancholic and haunted and weird. i liked the style of the landscapes and backgrounds but not the people (it was fine, I just didn’t really love it).
the message of this book is like… growing up is hard, being alone is hard, relationships are hard, friendships are hard, family is hard
the message of this book is like… growing up is hard, being alone is hard, relationships are hard, friendships are hard, family is hard
June 3, 2023
4 | Read this in one sitting - it’s a fast read, and I wanted to keep going. A little bizarre but definitely a unique, layered plot and characters. I wasn’t exactly sure where it was heading based on the summary (which is always appreciated), and I liked how it ended.
August 13, 2023
The book was drawn phenomenally with great graphics that pull you in and framed to perfection. The characters were developed. However, the plot felt a little lacking and seemed like it ended without being wrapped up.
April 21, 2018
2.5 stars, really.
December 19, 2022
Zie laatste mijn laatste update.
April 12, 2024
I had read this before and didn't realize it. Gooch is so good with his characters, they feel real. Can't wait for more from him!
May 6, 2023
Un roman graphique prenant sur ce que peut provoquer la jalousie et la colère.
September 14, 2020
This young graphic novelist is gifted!
August 31, 2018
Immediately after reading Bottled, I told myself this book had no merit. Then I thought about it a little more.
I still feel like I wasted my time (but thankfully not my money - S/O to my local library branch, lol) hence my rating but I can see why others might like it. Gooch did such a good jobhammering the theme into the reader's head depicting emotions bubbling underneath that I felt the anger and desperation. The major problem, for me, was that none of said characters are likable. Not one. And it wasn't because they're horrible people who do bad things... it's because they're one-dimensional characters doing bad things. Which sucks because I think if Gooch spent more time developing every character, I would've enjoyed this book. Because the ending was quite interesting despite the obvious route the plot took. But Gooch didn't and now I'm here complaining about his lackluster work. Oh well.
Additional notes: TWs for knives, vomit, emotional abuse, mental health, and slight body horror
I still feel like I wasted my time (but thankfully not my money - S/O to my local library branch, lol) hence my rating but I can see why others might like it. Gooch did such a good job
Additional notes: TWs for knives, vomit, emotional abuse, mental health, and slight body horror
June 9, 2018
I honestly hated this graphic novel. I never liked the art style from the beginning, but was willing to get through it for a good story with possibly good characters. All the characters throughout the story were honestly awful people in my eyes, so I never bonded with them. The story seems nonsensical at times, with lots of decisions made on the fly. It was a quick read, but nothing from the story will stick with me.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 124 reviews