Veronica Agarwal

Man, I have been on a roll with some fantastic middle grade graphic novels lately! Get it, on a roll XD. But for real, I am loving them! And this one was sooo good! It’s another one that features a big theme of mental health and this time in relation to OCD and anxiety! A new sixth grader who loves playing RPG starts to worry her family when it seems like she needs to roll a d20 for every decision in her life, even the smallest ones like which way to turn down a hallway or whether or not she is allowed to eat a snack before starting homework.

We get to see the everyday worries any sixth grader would go through in starting at their new school, making friends, getting homework done, and joining clubs. But we also get to see how this stress load becomes too much for some people sometimes. Maggie lives in so much fear because she doesn’t understand her OCD at first and is so scared she will hurt the people she loves. But she makes really good friends that support her, already has a family that loves and supports her, and finally decides to try therapy to see if it can help.

I also love the notes at the end of the book about how the graphic novel was made! Always cool to see the behind the scenes stuff like that! And I really appreciate the author note that encourages people to “shop around” with therapists until you find the right fit for you, because it’s really true. I think it’s easy to have a bad experience and decide not to do therapy anymore, so I think this is an important step of the process.… (mehr)

Entering into sixth grade has Maggie worried about everything: Will she make friends? Will she pick the right afterschool club for her? Will she remember to always bring in her homework? Will she live up to the legacy of her two older sisters who were high academic achievers? And most of all, just WHAT is that thing rustling in the grass around the school that leaves everyone spreading rumors about a deadly snake?

Having some worries and fears is a normal part of life, and pretty standard when it comes to entering middle school. But instead of facing her fears, Maggie turns to little compulsions like flicking the light switches several times when she arrives home or constantly rolling her 20-sided dice to make a decision for her, even little things like what to eat for lunch. Her family and friends gently show her how her OCD is starting to control her life, so this book serves an empathetic look at how to help those who are struggling with mental illness and the general stresses of life.

In addition to this detailed look into the mind of someone going through life with untreated OCD, the book has many other diverse characters and situations, including LGBT couples, people of color, etc. Therefore it more accurately reflects what many middle schoolers see in their own schools and lives. The cast of characters is pretty large so it did take me a moment to get a hold on who everyone was and how they all related together, but it's definitely manageable and fairly quickly so.

The illustrations are a little more cartoony than I typically prefer but I think they work very well here, offsetting the more difficult subject matters with these fun and fresh faces. It also helps with keeping track of that large cast of characters by having all of them always wear the same outfit no matter what scene they are in over time and space. Authors' notes at the end of the book explain the process of sketching and inking the artwork as well as how both writer and illustrator had their own battles with mental illness.… (mehr)