The Paradox of Getting Better

by Raven Lyn Clemens

In three vignettes, a young adult deals with different stages of their life, trauma, and mental illness. As their identity transforms, so does their perspective. An intense, incisive look at what it takes to keep surviving.

"Clemons’s surreal imagery and fantasy elements paired with deceptively simple, raw drawings capture the painful uphill struggle of recovery from mental illness with visceral impact and deep empathy. Readers will find this indie comics discovery a diamond in the rough."—Publishers Weekly

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

88 pages, Paperback

First published June 21, 2022

Reviews

[Steph · Rating 3 out of 5]

this graphic novel is rough, visually and thematically. the pencil illustrations are messy, but in a way that matches their subject matter.

three vignettes follow one character through three different points in their life. even when they take new roles in new places, dysfunction follows. mental illness isn't something that's ever "fixed."

it's messy and bizarre and often jarring, like the vague unreality of trauma itself. maybe it's not super accessible or easy to follow for people who have not experienced mental illness firsthand, but maybe it doesn't need to be.

[Kale · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mentally I’ll bitches rise up

[Mackenzie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Felt unfinished. The idea was there but honestly the execution came across as lazy. Also, this felt like it was written solely for an audience who had experienced mental illness firsthand. I think it would be plain incomprehensible to someone who hadn’t. If you want to tell an honest story, you have to be at a point where you want to tell the whole story. It was kind of like reading someone’s therapy journal.

[cafaco]

i love how the overarching narrative unravels! each vignette compliments the others and i love how everything (like the art style, designs, dialogue, and paneling) develops over the course of the stories.
i feel like i understood the first piece much better by the time i finished the final one, and the ending felt like a sweet, reassuring hug.

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this rough-hewn little gem. Very powerful and moving and full of hard-won truths. The drawings fit the subject matter perfectly.

[Zoe (didyoumeanbooks) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25ish Stars -- a casual but solid recommendation <3

context: I read this book on Hoopla through my local library🥳 GO SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY PLEASE AND THANK YOU. IMMEDIATELY!!

thoughts:
I think this is one of those books where the longer you spend thinking & talking about it/dissecting it, the more you get out of it. The moment I finished my first read through, I went back to the start for a second.

While initially jarring (since I went into this book not knowing anything about it -- also jarring is good imo), I think the rough pencil style of the art worked really well for the content.

I want more time to revisit & reflect on this, but my preliminary thoughts follow. This work dives into different responses to experiencing trauma and being othered over the course of one person's life. I think there is a lot of value and truth in the idea that there is no such thing as fully achieving "getting better," and that despite the infinite journey to that point, people remain othered/sent away/separate and conditioned to accept blame and hold onto guilt. Same goes for the internalizing & regurgitating of ideas about mental health and fault and place/belonging forced upon people by others (often as children by their parents); it can be dangerously easy to channel (or rather misinterpret) struggle as deficit or "not trying."

Overall, I do wish this was a bit longer or more involved. It feels like an introduction to a vein of thought, which I think some other readers may have really held against this work. That said, I think doorways are as important as what lives beyond them; presenting an idea is foundational to conversation and every work has its place. Essentially, while I wish there was a bit more here, it is not a fatal flaw to this piece that there isn't -- I'll just explore further on my own hehe.

[timber rose, book witch (semi-hiatus)]

tw: brutal animal death, mental illness

i don't think i'll be giving this stars because it was simply too personal to the author and too jarring. there were certain qualities about it that typically make a book irredeemable to me- such as animal death. i simply do not fuck with it.

but! the cosmic, blurry, fever-dream-esque visuals and themes developed an intensely strong message about the trials and tribulations of mental illness. i think it was well-executed thematically in content, characters, plot, and visuals.

just...definitely not what i was looking for??? c'est la vie. hence, no star rating.

[MV Isip · Rating 3 out of 5]

went into this blind and didn't realize until the end that it's the same character throughout different stages so was very confused lol. love how the drawing style adapts accordingly. very raw, very interesting. 3 stars only cause i wish it were longer!

[BookCupid · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not sure what I missed, but didn't really get into the story or what it was they author wanted to demonstrate.

[King]

I enjoyed the metaphors for never being able to do anything right in your early 20s and how perfectly drawn it all was for that erratic time. My only complaint is that I needed more!

[Ali Dade · Rating 3 out of 5]

While the underlying message is an important one, and I enjoyed the brutally honest portrayal of living with mental illness, the art and hand-written text was sometimes hard to decipher and could have benefitted from some technical manipulation.

[Alyssa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really good (and slightly upsetting) visual representation of mental illness and trying to heal.

[amelie · Rating 5 out of 5]

oh wow!!! beautifully written and easily digestible, i love the metaphor and the character designs and the illustrations it’s all so wonderful and emotionally evoking

[isaiah · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The secret of getting better is that it never really happens. You can only keep going and trying to make the best of it as you can.”

i don't normally read sort of tragic yet cute mental health comic but this one's really interesting and affirmative!!

i love it. 🤟🏻💖

[Peacegal · Rating 2 out of 5]

The rough presentation of this comic makes it look more like a draft than the finished product, but at the same time, I have respect for that. It shows that comics don't have pro-level to be meaningful, and may inspire readers to create their own art.

I liked the quirky character designs--they reminded me of creatures that might appear in "Adventure Time" or similar surrealist cartoons.

Content Warning:
One of the comics includes a scene of character meant to represent a mentally ill person violently killing their family cat. I genuinely hope this is not based upon a real incident. This content is unexpected and shocking, and readers may want to be aware of it going in.

[Tara Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a really phenomenial read. i felt the charactor XXXX was such a good reflection of the experiences of someone really going through. It portrayed XXXX's journey to self understanding, but also portrayed the realism of people leaving your life because "youre unwell". XXXX's emotions were raw and real. Starting with people deeming XXXX as a burden, even tho all he wanted was connection, but at the end he didnt know how to help himself. I really loved the second part portraying "moon school". XXXX seemed to have changed. his face is portrayed as more distinguishable, and he doesnt just shout "XXXX" anymore. he was also portrayed helping other people in similiar situations of struggling. he got frustrated and went down a spiral of his own. In the spiral he really reflected on his desire for connection and love from his loved ones. even though they didnt speak anymore. I love the ending of the book of "The secret to getting better is it never happens". i find this to be such a deep theme. The things that ail us stay with us forever, and we will sometimes spiral into them no matter how much we "change". it lives with us forever. but the acceptance of the fact we cwrry this weight is noticable. but you know in the case of XXXX, he came to a sense of self understanding that these things will bother him for the rest of his life; no matter how much he changes. I found the book relatable and reassuring; even though of course to some "never getting better" isnt. i found it comforting.

[Heidi Wiechert · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Paradox of Getting Better is about a young person who is struggling with mental health issues. These struggles are symbolized in the comic by strangely shaped bodies and surreal art.

The artwork itself is done in pencil with words crossed out and rough edges with lines coming off of it. There's a definite style to this comic. It didn't resonate with me.

I understand this is an indie comic, but I wanted to see a little more polish to the presentation. As it is, the book felt like an art project in its early stages- more like a book proposal than a finished project.

The writing in this comic is fantastic by the end. However, at the beginning, the main character can't even speak in words. They just keep saying, "XXXX", over and over.

I get this is supposed to represent an inability to communicate in the midst of a mental health crisis, but it didn't quite work. The family members of the individual were able to understand what the sufferer was saying, but the readers weren't. It didn't feel fair. I wanted to understand that person too.

This work is very imaginative. I liked the shapes the author incorporated and I also liked the message in the final panels.

If you're going to read this one, I recommend borrowing it from your local library.

[kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

frick i thought i already wrote my review but i liked this!! i’m not gonna say as much as i typed before because it was a lot but i think i would’ve liked this more if the art had the finished quality that the cover art had. i understand that it was sketchy art and messy to show the hectic chaotic breakdown of the main character and i enjoyed piecing together the three different stories about this lil triangular dude. it very quickly became apparent that this is about a person in various states of going through it, some worse some better. but i have to disagree with the main characters claim about the paradox of getting better. while this main character says it doesn’t really happen, we just change and go through different phases, i would argue that it DOES entail getting better. i love the cooky character design and this idea of “moon school” standing in for some kind of behavioral center.

[Zoe M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

An odd, rough little graphic novel. I was intrigued by the neon cover and then the rough pencil art inside. The art did take a bit to get used to, but it was clear the artist has a good handle on form and volume, and that this style is a choice. Some of the panels were so satisfyingly done that I stared at them for several minutes.

However, this book overall seemed too short. Not quite long enough to call for a publication. Each of the three vignettes feel like a poem - complete and whole, if vague and short. But as a whole, three poems does not a book with a comprehensive theme make. Again, this could be seen as a stylistic choice. The title sets us up for a book that tells us there is no end goal, you just keep trying. There is no "getting better", permanently. That's all well and true for real life. But we expect books to operate slightly different.

In the end, this graphic novel gave me some good art, some very resonant moments, but not a lot of satisfaction.

[Lee]

The Paradox of Getting Better is a hard one to review. Even after sitting on it for a week, I'm not sure I've gathered my thoughts about it which feels fitting for how chaotic this read through felt.

Visually and thematically, this was rough. The pencil illustrations made it difficult to make out what was going on at times. It did fit the subject matter, but that didn't make it any easier to digest.

The vignettes follow one character through their different points in life. It really paints a picture of how mental illness can follow someone through life no matter what they do which is a great thing to get out in the world, but I don't know how understandable it's going to be for some people who haven't struggled with mental illness.

[Averil *rat emoji* · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scratchy messy unfinished world reflect Le the feeling well. Their dialogue “XXXX” captures the feeling of not being understood. I’ve been reading plenty of short graphic novels because I’ve been sick in bed and this one stands out. I really hope they didn’t eat the cat tho 🐈🧟‍♀️ Moon school I imagine is the metaphor for therapy or being institutionalised. Feeling disconnected. It’s cute and it’s kooky.

[Cody · Rating 3 out of 5]

The main character has bipolar disorder. The book takes you through how that interferes with family life (from the family's perspective), what treatment can feel like (moon school) and perspectives on treatment after "success", including ongoing alienation from family.

Realistic feelings portrayed through a scifi/fantasy sort of setting, the book offers a relatively rare look into the alienation of illness, treatment, and recovery.

[Lacrimosa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the roughly drawn style of the artist, I think it went well with such a raw emotional story. The story touched on a side of mental illness that is ugly and hard to talk about. The progression of the story made it hard to understand in the very first pages but becomes much clearer as you read. The unique form of story telling used drew me in and lent itself to the overall message.

[kaitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

very harrowing and cathartic how everything (story, writing, artstyle) comes together for a piercing experience of Mental Illness, particularly the depersonalization and isolation that comes with psychosis. recovery is not linear, nor is it pretty, but it sure is evocative, and that's exactly what this feels like!

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can see the DNA of Rebecca Sugar and Don Hertzfeldt in this psychotic little gem of a novel. I genuinely laughed at loud at some points, because who among us hasn't wanted to stab the giant crab of mental illness?

Taken as metaphor for depression or taken literally, either iteration works. I loved it. I *felt* it.

[tessa s · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this short comic, we follow XXXX as they deal with their mental health. Over the course of three short stories we see their perspective change as they work towards healing. Incredibly enjoyable and relatable short read!

[kade · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was an awesome comic.
It represented some of the the bad bits of being neurodivergent really well, and ended optimistically. It was a quick read, and I would seek out more from the creator.

[Tess · Rating 4 out of 5]

I felt this one to my core. Reading through each stage of their depression was like watching back the last ten years of my life. The art style was messy, but it fit the story's tone. Non-binary author!!

[tess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely perfect!! Short, bittersweet, and ties everything together with an incredible art style. Still trying to put together all the pieces, but this was an incredible read overall, easily one of my favorites.

[Dax · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rough and raw in a way that is extremely effective at conveying a specific kind of experience that can be hard to put into words. I don't have much more to say about it but I definitely appreciated reading it.