SIDE EFFECTS

Great for young people who have anxiety about starting college, and younger people who could be anxious about applying or going at all. The aim is to kindly and empathetically portray experiences that students who have emotions that feel too huge and unmanageable, or possibly suspect they may have some form of mental illness, may encounter away at school. Particularly great for those anticipating a new, overwhelming place and are questioning whether they can handle leaving home, the familiar, and their daily support system. Also great for young people with friends, roommates, or other peers who might be struggling, showing them that being a good friend doesn't have to be a hard, intimidating, draining, or negative experience.A few specific ways it can help young people through what can be a very intimidating stage:--introducing the cast helps the reader test out whether they can identify with what individual characters are feeling and experiencing--gives them a variety of real world examples of how emotional hurdles can feel for others--helps them to judge whether those feelings might be showing up in their own lives--gives them some vocabulary to describe how they are feeling, if they've never tried to put it into words before--gently shows the MC talking to a doctor/therapist for the very first time--helps to remove anxiety about how safe they'll feel talking to a doctor, providing hope--shows what that can be like over time and how doctor's visits are a safe space where relief can be found, rather than a source of terror or evidence of weakness--shows a character being introduced to the concept of meds, and deciding whether it's for them--shows that they have agency and are 100% part of the decision making process, no one is making decisions without them -- feeling agency may be a revelation to them--sets expectations showing them that there are different options, with different benefits and side effects--sets expectations that finding the right med for them is a process and that side effects are real--shows that getting a diagnosis can be a relief, rather than being the end of the world--they are not alone or abnormal -- there are other people out there experiencing the exact same things--they are not alone or broken -- there are other people out there with struggles of their own that the MC relates to with empathy and sympathy--shows how relationships can be built and a broader social life can thrive despite struggles--gives examples of characters making real progress, and what positive strides can look likeReaders will find the following diagnoses represented among the students: depression, anxiety, dissociation, bipolar (2), trauma.It manages to do all of this in the graphic novel format and reduces big, scary, abstract issues down to a simple, relatable, engaging story that moves along swiftly. An easy read in one sitting; literally zero spots that drag. I never once had the urge to put it down and come back to it.If it sounds super heavy, that's the fault of my review -- not a fault of the book. It does not read heavy at all. The tone is one of encouragement and reassurance resulting in a hopeful outlook. And for those struggling, feeling hope can be half the battle itself.

I was offered an advance copy, PDF, from the publisher. I accepted. This is a graphic novel. As an advance copy, it is black and white. The published form is full color, so I can't tell you how color effects the story. In black and white, it's pretty good.Hannah has started college and she's in full panic mode. She has made being anxious a full time activity. She's pretty good at being anxious. She so good at it, she can't leave her dorm room. Even she knows that won't work, not if she wants to graduate. So she goes to the campus health clinic, gets therapy, and is given an assortment of antianxiety medications. Her therapist tells her to check how she feels and what side effects she spots as they go through the drugs and doses to find the best one for her.All drugs have side effects. Mostly it's headaches or sleeplessness or tiredness or something annoying but minor. Not so in Hannah's case. She gets to hear people's thoughts or astral project or shoot lightening bolts. Hannah doesn't want superpowers but she gets them. All she wants is to be normal, get some friends and attend her classes.It's a very charming story. I liked it. It's a different way of looking at mental problems and how to handle them.Like I said, I was offered this graphic novel by the publisher. I wrote this reader review because I felt it was the proper response for a free read and because I write reader reviews for all books I read.

Trigger Warnings: Alcohol, underage drinking, cursing, medication, mental health, sexual harassment, car accidentRepresentation: Sapphic, Black, Bipolar DisorderSide Effects is a graphic novel about mental health. During her first year at college, Hannah has a mental breakdown from the overwhelming feelings of being a new college student. With the help of her roommate, Hannah begins therapy and medication to help with her mental health. The only problem is each new medicine gives her very strange side effects. Hannah learns a lot about herself and helping others through this process, and even meets a cute girl along the way!Wow I really loved this graphic novel! I wish this had existed when I was in college! It would’ve been nice to know that my feelings were not just me and that finding the right pack can really help you through anything. I loved the illustrations in this piece and the moral of the story. I also really enjoyed the therapist and Iz. They were two great characters!I love the brevity of graphic novels because despite there being so many less pages, there’s still and entire story and typically a very important message. I think the author did that very well here. I loved how he tackled the topic of mental health and medications. This story is so real and relatable. A very important book for anyone in college or dealing with their own mental health!