★ A Fox in My Brain

Lou Lubie, Fairsquare Comics (APR 16) Softcover $19.99 (160pp) 978-1-960171-10-8 AUTOBIOGRAPHY & MEMOIR

A young woman grapples with mental illness in the fun, edifying graphic memoir A Fox in My Brain.

When she was sixteen, Lubie was diagnosed with depression by her family doctor. She gave up on treatment when her symptoms improved, not knowing that her troubles were just beginning. Extreme mood swings followed, affecting her life. Across the years, and with assistance from professionals, she learned about cyclothymia, a mood disorder that fit her symptoms; here, it’s depicted as a tricky fox and is compared to a huge, powerful wolf representing better understood, more severe forms of bipolar disorder.

The art is outstanding. Its dynamic cartoon style emphasizes impactful emotions and couches information in an entertaining, easy-todigest format. A bonus section includes invaluable advice for friends, partners, and families on how to best support someone with cyclothymia. And Lubie’s psychologist contributes a brief note about the importance of raising public awareness about cyclothymia—a goal that this book achieves with style, on both an educational level and an emotional one.

Lubie is engaging as she describes the biological and social aspects of cyclothymia, drawing on both her own experiences and extensive research. Through hard work and determination and with lots of help, she came to terms with her illness and learned to live a rich, full life. A Fox in My Brain is her superb graphic novel account of that personal growth.