A graphic novel memoir that is a heartwarming yet difficult sharing of the author's experiences with cyclothymia, a mood disorder.
(Buy A Fox in My Brain here)
A Fox in the Brain is an amazing, informative book about a mood disorder that I've never heard of before. In this graphic memoir, Lou Lubie, from Au Revoir island off the coast of the African continent, details her journey in discovering and learning to deal with her cyclothymia diagnose.
As a creative person, Lou saw her disorder like an orange fox in her brain (hence the title). Sometimes this fox was cute, excitable, energetic, and loveable and other times, it was dark, sinister, depressive. And this is representative of how Lubie's cyclothymia impacted moods drastically.
I really liked the use of black and white art with pops of orange to represent the cyclothymia fox. In this way, Lubie's art was simple, yet detailed, making for an engaging and compelling story.
With the help of her own psychologist (who writes a note at the end of the book), Lubie creates a work that is not only fun to read, but also incredibly informative! Readers can learned SO much about mood disorders in a powerful, humanizing way. It's relatable, accessible, and clearly researched.
In short, I LOVED A Fox in My Brain and highly recommend it for all kinds of readers. Everyone can benefit from reading this, especially if you suspect you might have a mood disorder. This book might be a great start to understanding your brain better and helping you seek the right professional help.
