It’s Lonely At The Centre of the Earth by Zoe Thorogood

*spoiler-free*

It’s Lonely At The Centre of the Earth by Zoe Thorogood is an auto-bio-graphical novel where Thorogood records 6 months of her own life as it falls apart, in a desperate attempt to put it back together again in the only way she knows how.

Thorogood uses her art to depict her struggles with mental health such as anxiety, depression and imposter syndrome as she forged a promising career in art and attempts to find herself along the way. This book does discuss heavy topics such as self-harm and suicide so may be triggering to some readers, but it does include a clear warning at the start.

I really enjoyed the art style of this book; I am still relatively new to graphic novels but found that Thorogood has a cool and diverse art style. She uses a mixture of collages, real-life images and dynamic objects. She also uses a combination of more realistic characters and animals to depict people. This is the most visually interesting graphic novel I have read, with something new on every page.

That’s the problem with flirting with the idea of something, sometimes you fall in.

Whilst this is not so much of a story-based book, Thorogood constantly breaks the 4^th wall which is a unique concept to other books I have read. Whilst the book is quite depressing to read, this is expected with the tone of this book. Each page holds so much detail and reveals how Thorogood sees herself. I liked how this isn’t a self-help book, but an artistic way of showing someone navigating their way in the world and telling their story.

As I was reading this book, Thorogood posted online that her brother passed away after committing suicide. This made the emotions of this book hit harder, especially when she talked about her brother in the book and the relationship they had. I really feel for Thorogood and her family, as grief sucks.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book and think it’s a refreshing read for those interested in graphic novels but also for any adults who feel lost navigating today’s world.

4/5 stars