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Amalia
Amalia est au bord du burn-out. Dans sa famille, où elle s’occupe de sa fille Lili, 4 ans et subit sa belle-fille Nora, 17 ans, ça crie et ça claque les portes, sans répit. Dans l’entreprise où elle est coach, on parle rentabilité, process’, elle perd le sens de ce qu’elle fait. Dans les campagnes alentours, elle voit la terre épuisée par la pollution et à la radio, les nouvelles du monde sont loin d’être rassérénantes. Alors Amalia fatigue et s’épuise, Amalia craque.
148 pages, Hardcover
First published January 21, 2022
5 people are currently reading
514 people want to read
About the author
Aude Picault
35 books59 followersAude Picault is a French cartoonist and picture books author.
Picault was born in 1979. She graduated from the 'École nationale supérieure des arts décoratifs', a renowned art university in Paris, in 2005.
Picault started her comics career when in university with the slice-of-life Moi Je (2004). From 2006 to 2009 she collaborated as a cartoonist with the weekly French magazine Voici, while also working as a children's books writer and illustrator. During the same period, she was part of the web-comics collective Chicou-Chicou.
Among her graphic novels are Papa (2006), Les Mélo Maniaks (2008), Transat (2009), the erotic Comtesse (2010), the travel comic diary Parenthèse Patagone (2015), Idéal Standard (2017) and Amalia (2022).
Picault was born in 1979. She graduated from the 'École nationale supérieure des arts décoratifs', a renowned art university in Paris, in 2005.
Picault started her comics career when in university with the slice-of-life Moi Je (2004). From 2006 to 2009 she collaborated as a cartoonist with the weekly French magazine Voici, while also working as a children's books writer and illustrator. During the same period, she was part of the web-comics collective Chicou-Chicou.
Among her graphic novels are Papa (2006), Les Mélo Maniaks (2008), Transat (2009), the erotic Comtesse (2010), the travel comic diary Parenthèse Patagone (2015), Idéal Standard (2017) and Amalia (2022).
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February 1, 2023Amalia es una mujer atosigada por sus obligaciones hasta que, un en un momento dado, su cuerpo le avisa de que tiene que echar el freno. Desde ese momento se replantea su relación con el trabajo, con sus obligaciones familiares y con su vida cotidiana, y trata de construir un día a día en el que pueda disfrutar de las pequeñas cosas sin verse superada por lo que le rodea.
Este cómic me ha parecido una interesante reflexión sobre el ritmo de vida que llevamos en la actualidad. Me gusta que sus protagonistas se paren en seco y se pregunten «¿Y todo esto para qué?».
Este cómic me ha parecido una interesante reflexión sobre el ritmo de vida que llevamos en la actualidad. Me gusta que sus protagonistas se paren en seco y se pregunten «¿Y todo esto para qué?».
May 1, 2022
Après avoir beaucoup aimé
Idéal Standard
(et aussi, mais dans une moindre mesure
Transat
) je me suis plongée dans cette nouvelle BD d'Aude Picault, le temps d'une matinée et c'était... bien ?
On comprend que l'intrigue se passe dans un futur indéterminé, le Covid est passé, mais le monde est toujours en quête de rendement, et tout le monde (ou presque) vit à cent à l'heure (et porte un nom issu de Game of Thrones ?). Amalia est débordée entre son boulot, sa vie de famille, une petite fille de 4 ans, un compagnon qui l'aide somme toute assez peu (mais lui reproche de ne pas faire l'amour le soir....) et une belle-fille accro à son smartphone et à une influenceuse en particulier. Et elle craque.
Petit à petit, elle reprend vie, en ralentissant, en allant au contact de la nature, pour finir par changer de vie... et dans tous ses changements, sa famille l'accompagne et change elle aussi (pour le mieux).
C'était à la fois assez chouette, mais manquait un peu de nuances, et tout semblait un peu trop.. cliché ? Le début de la BD est aussi quelque peu déprimant, tant le monde décrit est très (trop) proche de notre réalité.
En somme une BD sympathique mais pas inoubliable à mon sens, à découvrir à travers un exemplaire issu de votre bibliothèque par exemple !
On comprend que l'intrigue se passe dans un futur indéterminé, le Covid est passé, mais le monde est toujours en quête de rendement, et tout le monde (ou presque) vit à cent à l'heure (et porte un nom issu de Game of Thrones ?). Amalia est débordée entre son boulot, sa vie de famille, une petite fille de 4 ans, un compagnon qui l'aide somme toute assez peu (mais lui reproche de ne pas faire l'amour le soir....) et une belle-fille accro à son smartphone et à une influenceuse en particulier. Et elle craque.
Petit à petit, elle reprend vie, en ralentissant, en allant au contact de la nature, pour finir par changer de vie... et dans tous ses changements, sa famille l'accompagne et change elle aussi (pour le mieux).
C'était à la fois assez chouette, mais manquait un peu de nuances, et tout semblait un peu trop.. cliché ? Le début de la BD est aussi quelque peu déprimant, tant le monde décrit est très (trop) proche de notre réalité.
En somme une BD sympathique mais pas inoubliable à mon sens, à découvrir à travers un exemplaire issu de votre bibliothèque par exemple !
April 18, 2023
A curious mix of family drama with an alarming apocalypse slowly rolling out in the background, which all feels very European to me. The actual drama is well written, with every family member getting their own story. The whole thing ends on a couple of notes of hope, which is nice, seeing the bad things unfolding on the macro level.
The art, too, is very European, and its sweetness and softness works well for the story.
(Picked up a review copy through NetGalley)
October 8, 2022
No Amalia salí de ahí, ese hombre es un bueno para nada
June 20, 2022
3.75 stars.
I really enjoyed this graphic novel.
In this story, Amalia and her family are encountering a stressful time and as the story progresses, you realize that taking a step back and re-evaluating things might be important for them as something is right about to give.
I enjoyed the story overall and think that this might be a very good read for those who are encountering stress or burnout. Some things I would have liked to see different: I found the font a bit difficult to read (although it's aesthetically pretty charming), the father character in particular was a bit much for me, and some of the language was off-putting, especially early on. However the progression of the story was really good and landed on an ending I was definitely satisfied with.
Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
CW: family conflict, stress, burnout
I really enjoyed this graphic novel.
In this story, Amalia and her family are encountering a stressful time and as the story progresses, you realize that taking a step back and re-evaluating things might be important for them as something is right about to give.
I enjoyed the story overall and think that this might be a very good read for those who are encountering stress or burnout. Some things I would have liked to see different: I found the font a bit difficult to read (although it's aesthetically pretty charming), the father character in particular was a bit much for me, and some of the language was off-putting, especially early on. However the progression of the story was really good and landed on an ending I was definitely satisfied with.
Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
CW: family conflict, stress, burnout
June 10, 2022
Amalia is a slice-of-life graphic novel about a family of four. Amalia is the mother and we get the perfect picture of her chaotic daily routine as she tries to make everything perfect at home, with her children and husband but can't have enough energy for all. Adding to the chaos the world is aggravating her exhaustion.
I love how the choice to not have panels (square frames) added to the anxiety and chaos that this family routine portrays.
It's a little depressing to see that on top of the things we can't control we create more pressure and rules making it harder on ourselves: For example, the teenager measures her existence and love through social media analytics.
I think this is a strong message telling us to slow down and check our priorities.
I love how the choice to not have panels (square frames) added to the anxiety and chaos that this family routine portrays.
It's a little depressing to see that on top of the things we can't control we create more pressure and rules making it harder on ourselves: For example, the teenager measures her existence and love through social media analytics.
I think this is a strong message telling us to slow down and check our priorities.
March 27, 2024
I didn`t connect with the artwork in the beginning, but after a few pages the story took speed and I got used to it. And overall I found out that it`s pretty good for this kind of novel.
I`m a parent myself, so I can`t relate with the stress that the family is confronting, with their daily life overcrowded routine.
Overall I felt that this deserved five stars, because it was really a page turner with a very good story, a easy & colorful artwork and, also, nice characters.
I`m a parent myself, so I can`t relate with the stress that the family is confronting, with their daily life overcrowded routine.
Overall I felt that this deserved five stars, because it was really a page turner with a very good story, a easy & colorful artwork and, also, nice characters.
July 13, 2024
Tierno, pertinente. Vivir despacio, antes de petar.
Tal vez no soy objetiva porque tiene un nombre precioso, pero me gusta mucho Amalia :)
Tal vez no soy objetiva porque tiene un nombre precioso, pero me gusta mucho Amalia :)
July 28, 2022
2.5 stars out of 5.
Thanks so much to NetGalley and Europe Comics for providing the ARC of this book for the reviewers.
In this graphic novel first we start to follow Amalia's chaotic life. She is actually on the verge of burnout because of the troubles she is trying to overcome in regards to family issues, workload and health problems. On the other hand, environmental degradation is pestering the world and Amalia's family suffer the consequences like other people.
I think the author tried to deal with many complex issues at the same time and her suggestions remained superficial. She tries to tackle pollution, negative impact of social media, shady business practices, disconnection from nature, weakening of family ties, etc. I appreciate idea but the execution has fallen short.
When it comes to artistic style, it did not blow me away. My biggest issue was the lettering. It was in cursive and very hard to read. If the letters were darker, maybe I would have read more easily.
Thanks so much to NetGalley and Europe Comics for providing the ARC of this book for the reviewers.
In this graphic novel first we start to follow Amalia's chaotic life. She is actually on the verge of burnout because of the troubles she is trying to overcome in regards to family issues, workload and health problems. On the other hand, environmental degradation is pestering the world and Amalia's family suffer the consequences like other people.
I think the author tried to deal with many complex issues at the same time and her suggestions remained superficial. She tries to tackle pollution, negative impact of social media, shady business practices, disconnection from nature, weakening of family ties, etc. I appreciate idea but the execution has fallen short.
When it comes to artistic style, it did not blow me away. My biggest issue was the lettering. It was in cursive and very hard to read. If the letters were darker, maybe I would have read more easily.
June 29, 2022
A charming and impactful slice-of-life graphic novel, Amalia explored topics of burnout, stress, family issues and environmental issues in a way that was overall easy to connect to.
I enjoyed the overall theme and the more hard-hitting portions of the novel; this book did a great job portraying what burnout feels like, and how all the contributing factors of being a mother, homemaker, businesswoman, etc. play into that.
However, I felt like the multiple storylines weren’t integrated in a way that made the novel feel cohesive; instead, the frequent shifts took away from the story’s momentum, not allowing you to see the importance of these side plots until near the end.
I also loved how the background imagery was illustrated, but wasn’t as big of a fan of how facial expressions were illustrated. In addition, portions of the dialogue felt stilted or unrealistic.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed the overall theme and the more hard-hitting portions of the novel; this book did a great job portraying what burnout feels like, and how all the contributing factors of being a mother, homemaker, businesswoman, etc. play into that.
However, I felt like the multiple storylines weren’t integrated in a way that made the novel feel cohesive; instead, the frequent shifts took away from the story’s momentum, not allowing you to see the importance of these side plots until near the end.
I also loved how the background imagery was illustrated, but wasn’t as big of a fan of how facial expressions were illustrated. In addition, portions of the dialogue felt stilted or unrealistic.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.
February 7, 2022
No me ha gustado nada :(
Antes de empezar a leerlo me dije "bien, se empieza a hablar sobre la carga mental". Pero no creo que este sea el modo en el que debemos hacerlo. La solución a un burn-out familiar y profesional no es irse al monte a respirar el aire fresco, eso está muy bien, pero si tu marido sigue comportándose como un gilipollas cuando vuelvas no habrá servido para nada.
Amalia y su marido no tienen una conversación seria en ningún momento, no comunican, ella tiene toda la carga y él piensa que no f*llan lo suficiente. Por favor. Esto no se resuelve leyendo un libro debajo del árbol, esto se resuelve responsabilizando a los hombres de una p*ta vez. Y punto.
Antes de empezar a leerlo me dije "bien, se empieza a hablar sobre la carga mental". Pero no creo que este sea el modo en el que debemos hacerlo. La solución a un burn-out familiar y profesional no es irse al monte a respirar el aire fresco, eso está muy bien, pero si tu marido sigue comportándose como un gilipollas cuando vuelvas no habrá servido para nada.
Amalia y su marido no tienen una conversación seria en ningún momento, no comunican, ella tiene toda la carga y él piensa que no f*llan lo suficiente. Por favor. Esto no se resuelve leyendo un libro debajo del árbol, esto se resuelve responsabilizando a los hombres de una p*ta vez. Y punto.
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July 6, 2024I wanted a quiet, cozy read for the noon, and though the art feels so, that wasn’t it, unfortunately.
It included things I don’t feel comfortable reading, such as wars, covid, and climate crisis, and, sometimes, I can’t with the overwhelming overgrowing anxiety and anger, especially between group of people.
So, I decided it would be better to stop reading.
July 3, 2025
quel bonbon
March 22, 2022
J'ai beaucoup aimé cette bd très juste qui nous amène à nous questionner sur notre quotidien et sur notre société à travers la vie d'Amalia. Différentes problématiques sont abordées, ce qui peut rendre la lecture de cette bd assez anxiogène mais cela peut aussi agir comme un électrochoc sur ce que l'on s'impose au quotidien, ce que l'on fait subir à la planète et donner envie de changer tout cela.
December 5, 2022
18/20
Avec le portrait d’Amalia et des membres de sa famille, Aude Picault décrit combien notre société nous pousse à courir derrière la performance et la perfection, alors que l’on en oublie souvent de simplement ralentir, pour être un peu plus épanoui. Une très belle lecture qui fait beaucoup réfléchir sur nos vies et nos priorités.
Ma chronique : https://littleprettybooks.com/2022/12...
Avec le portrait d’Amalia et des membres de sa famille, Aude Picault décrit combien notre société nous pousse à courir derrière la performance et la perfection, alors que l’on en oublie souvent de simplement ralentir, pour être un peu plus épanoui. Une très belle lecture qui fait beaucoup réfléchir sur nos vies et nos priorités.
Ma chronique : https://littleprettybooks.com/2022/12...
September 1, 2022
Une oeuvre qui m'a beaucoup plu, car elle me rappelait mes propres enjeux. Une bd avec des préoccupations actuelles.
September 15, 2022
MUST
READ
MASTERPIECE
It is the kind of story that builds slowly but delivers pretty strong emotional moments.
READ
MASTERPIECE
It is the kind of story that builds slowly but delivers pretty strong emotional moments.
April 19, 2023
Amalia, eşi Karim, 4 yaşındaki kızları Lili ve Karim'in önceki evliliğinden dünyaya gelen 17 yaşındaki Nora ile kaotik, kavgası gürültüsü eksik olmayan bir hayat yaşamaktadır. İş hayatındaki yoğunluğu, evdeki bağırış çağırış, en nihayetinde Amalia'nın sağlığını da etkilemeye başlamaktadır. Amalia, ne evde ne de işte arzuladığı verimli hayatı yaşayamamakta, hiçbir şeye yetişememektedir.
Amalia'nın yoğunluğu, Karim'in Nora ile sürtüşmesi, Lili'nin büyüme evresi, Nora'nın sosyal medya bağımlılığı gibi konuların dışında çevresel faktörlerin dünyayı etkilemesi de hikayede önemli bir yer tutmaktadır.
Aude Picault, her konuya değinmek isteyince hiçbir konuda yoğunlaşamadığı, her şeyden biraz biraz değindiği bir metin ortaya çıkmış.
Amalia'nın yoğunluğu, Karim'in Nora ile sürtüşmesi, Lili'nin büyüme evresi, Nora'nın sosyal medya bağımlılığı gibi konuların dışında çevresel faktörlerin dünyayı etkilemesi de hikayede önemli bir yer tutmaktadır.
Aude Picault, her konuya değinmek isteyince hiçbir konuda yoğunlaşamadığı, her şeyden biraz biraz değindiği bir metin ortaya çıkmış.
June 28, 2023
Amàlia • Exemplar de col·laboració
🎖Valoració 4/5⭐️
📖 Còmic per a adults
👉🏽Fresc, lleuger i reflexiu.
El còmic que ha aconseguit treure’m del bloqueig lector! M’ha agradat molt. És fresc i molt amè.
Amàlia és la protagonista. Té una vida frenètica. Vol complaure la família, la llar, la feina… i no pensa gens en ella ni gaudeix de la vida i les petites coses. Aquest ritme de vida tan ràpid li passa factura. I diu prou. Bé, el seu cos diu prou. S’atura i repensa la seva vida.
Una reflexió molt bonica i necessària, explicada amb proximitat i amb unes il·lustracions xulíssimes. M’ha encantat.
🎖Valoració 4/5⭐️
📖 Còmic per a adults
👉🏽Fresc, lleuger i reflexiu.
El còmic que ha aconseguit treure’m del bloqueig lector! M’ha agradat molt. És fresc i molt amè.
Amàlia és la protagonista. Té una vida frenètica. Vol complaure la família, la llar, la feina… i no pensa gens en ella ni gaudeix de la vida i les petites coses. Aquest ritme de vida tan ràpid li passa factura. I diu prou. Bé, el seu cos diu prou. S’atura i repensa la seva vida.
Una reflexió molt bonica i necessària, explicada amb proximitat i amb unes il·lustracions xulíssimes. M’ha encantat.
June 25, 2024
a bit naive but cute reminder that we’re all people. loved the style and read it in one sitting
October 4, 2025
Bon rappel que je veux pas d'enfant, pas de compagnon et pas de ce monde.
Malheureusement, je crois que c'était pas le but de cette bd.
Malheureusement, je crois que c'était pas le but de cette bd.
June 15, 2022
What was it Ferris Bueller reminded us? Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.
This graphic novel is from the same school of philosophy: a sweetly executed reminder to stop and smell the flowers once in a while! Amalia is a harried mom who works full time, with a distracted husband, distant stepdaughter, and demanding preschooler. The need for a slower pace, mindfulness, natural healing, and simplicity benefits every living thing.
Ambrosial and appealing-I think you’ll like it!
This graphic novel is from the same school of philosophy: a sweetly executed reminder to stop and smell the flowers once in a while! Amalia is a harried mom who works full time, with a distracted husband, distant stepdaughter, and demanding preschooler. The need for a slower pace, mindfulness, natural healing, and simplicity benefits every living thing.
Ambrosial and appealing-I think you’ll like it!
June 12, 2022
I received an advanced reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley.
This is one of those books where you keep reading and reading and time simply flies by. It talks about burnout and taking some time for yourself until it is too late. It also mentions the pandemic and the crazy influencers world. It talks about a serious issue, but it a light way. The illustrations are the cutest. I loved the drawings so much! Rating: 5/5 stars.
This is one of those books where you keep reading and reading and time simply flies by. It talks about burnout and taking some time for yourself until it is too late. It also mentions the pandemic and the crazy influencers world. It talks about a serious issue, but it a light way. The illustrations are the cutest. I loved the drawings so much! Rating: 5/5 stars.
July 2, 2022
3.5 stars. There were bits I loved, and bits I didn't.
On the negative side, it could sometimes feel a little unsubtle, and, SPOILER: when Nora changes her outlook the author suddenly showed her receiving lots of likes. I really dislike that. It takes away from the intrinsic goodness of what she achieves. It would have been better to leave that one frame out entirely.
But on the positive side: I found the illustrations to be beautiful and calming, despite how stressful the content could be at times. I appreciated the presentation of wonder and of good whole things being healing, instead of preaching specifics. It has left me with food for thought.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
On the negative side, it could sometimes feel a little unsubtle, and, SPOILER: when Nora changes her outlook the author suddenly showed her receiving lots of likes. I really dislike that. It takes away from the intrinsic goodness of what she achieves. It would have been better to leave that one frame out entirely.
But on the positive side: I found the illustrations to be beautiful and calming, despite how stressful the content could be at times. I appreciated the presentation of wonder and of good whole things being healing, instead of preaching specifics. It has left me with food for thought.
ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
September 30, 2023
Thank you Net galley for providing me with a free copy in exchange for a honest review.
What a short yet impactful read! Exploring the themes of burnout, constant stress over perfectionism as well as family issues and environmental problems Amalia takes you through a perfectly paced journey of a family struggling with daily life. My only complain was that due to the font the book was hard to read at times and although I understand it was for aesthetic purposes it was still annoying at times.
What a short yet impactful read! Exploring the themes of burnout, constant stress over perfectionism as well as family issues and environmental problems Amalia takes you through a perfectly paced journey of a family struggling with daily life. My only complain was that due to the font the book was hard to read at times and although I understand it was for aesthetic purposes it was still annoying at times.
April 11, 2025
Die Protagonistin erkrankt an "Leistungsintoleranz" <3 Eine ganz tolle Graphic novel!
June 21, 2022
*Thank you to Netgalley for sending me a copy book lovers. All opinions are my own*
This was a very sweet but stressing graphic novel. Amalia is the mother of four year old Lili and stepmother of 17-year-old Nora. She has a full-time job and she is always running around doing tasks and chores. Her husband is also not much help, and when she takes more than she can handle and she reaches burnout, she cracks.
I liked this very much because it was such a raw story and highlights the importance of mental health. This talks about how we cannot do everything and sometimes need to take a step back and reconsider our live's priorities. I liked the relation of Amalia with her daughters. The husband was so stressing and always screaming I did not like him very much.
Also I liked the side story of Nora with social media, and how she learns to like herself the way she is and not pretend to be someone else. This was the first novel I have read that mentions covid and wow did I not need that.
This was a very sweet but stressing graphic novel. Amalia is the mother of four year old Lili and stepmother of 17-year-old Nora. She has a full-time job and she is always running around doing tasks and chores. Her husband is also not much help, and when she takes more than she can handle and she reaches burnout, she cracks.
I liked this very much because it was such a raw story and highlights the importance of mental health. This talks about how we cannot do everything and sometimes need to take a step back and reconsider our live's priorities. I liked the relation of Amalia with her daughters. The husband was so stressing and always screaming I did not like him very much.
Also I liked the side story of Nora with social media, and how she learns to like herself the way she is and not pretend to be someone else. This was the first novel I have read that mentions covid and wow did I not need that.
April 14, 2024
Amalia, mère d'une petite Camille et Belle-mère d'une ado, Nora, vit en couple avec Karim. Elle travaille chez Gestion Horizon qui propose des experts en gestion de crises. Et il y en a de multiples sur la planète qui part à vau-l'eau (disparition de la dernière baleine, maladies sur le blé, pollution des eaux...). Entre cet apocalypse, son boulot, la vie de famille, la to do liste à rallonge et les multiples sollicitations, Amalia fait un bien out / une intolérance au rendement ... Comment va t elle s'en sortir ? Par un retour à la simplicité, à la bienveillance et ... À l'action. Comment mange t on un éléphant ? Un morceau à la fois...
Une BD conseillée par ma fille ado, que je vous recommande également.
Une BD conseillée par ma fille ado, que je vous recommande également.
August 4, 2022
I didn’t enjoy this as much as I’d hoped. Even though the premise of a slice of life graphic novel following a family seems like a fun time. It just ended up being kind of boring. I really did not like choice of font for the text, which honestly made it hard to read and take much longer than it should have, I feel like a simpler font would have fit better with the art style as well. The art itself wasn’t my favourite but it was quirky and classic comic feeling. It was easy to consume but not the most pleasing to look at. Overall this was ok, but I don’t think I’ll be reading more from this artist/author.
July 17, 2022
This was such a great read 🤩🤩🤩
An absolute favourite for me. It discussed so many issues like the addiction of technology in our daily lives, environmental pollution, stress, need fir self love, how we try to be different but somehow we all end up being the same.
I felt that I had to re analysis my life and the need to cut back from all this tension & stress. It also made me realise that if we give live and care for nature it will definitely love us back.
An absolute favourite for me. It discussed so many issues like the addiction of technology in our daily lives, environmental pollution, stress, need fir self love, how we try to be different but somehow we all end up being the same.
I felt that I had to re analysis my life and the need to cut back from all this tension & stress. It also made me realise that if we give live and care for nature it will definitely love us back.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 187 reviews