Just Another Meat Eating Dirtbag: A Memoir is a grown up graphic novel, that surprisingly, turns out to be a heartwarming story of love, compassion and compromise. It tells the tale of an Iraqi war vet medic and a woman so full of compassion and empathy that she can’t bear the thought of suffering in humans or animals. That guided her decision to become a nurse. And after attending a few animal activist meetings, she decides to forego meat and animal products in her diet and expects her boyfriend to join her. Which is not exactly what he had in mind.

Then a drama unfolds in which said boyfriend tries to use “psychology” to turn the tables, which does not go exactly as planned. All of this is told in graphic novel style, with superb illustrations throughout. I would go so far as to say, perfect illustrations. They really made the story come alive for us. Understandably, there are a few violent, graphic illustrations depicting some of the horrors our medic experienced in the war and in addition to that gruesomeness, some of the gruesome descriptions and depictions of the cruelty in the meat (and a few other food) industries.

We really grow to care about this couple and are rooting for them all the way!

It turns out this was the first graphic novel that the illustrator had done, and I was blown away by that information. Kudos to the author and the illustrator for an outstanding job! ( )

I'm not a fan of books built around a big lie.

The memoirist tells his girlfriend, who has recently become a vegan and animal rights activist, that she has persuaded him to take on the same beliefs. He lies to her in order to get her to drop her guard so he can launch a subtle counteroffensive of mind games intended to get her to eat meat again.

Immediately annoyed with him, I then got bored with his endless plotting and moments of angst on the road to the inevitable reveal and revelation.

Meh. ( )

This book was not at all with that what I was expecting. It was quite fun and very interesting. It is a memoir about Michael and his girlfriend, Coconut and how she tries to turn them vegan. Michael is a veteran and Coconut is a nurse. She goes down the vegetarian/vegan tunnel that leads to animal rights activism. She wants Michael right there beside her. But for Michael, watching the bloody documentaries and reading the horrible books about slaughterhouses, don’t convince him. What they convinced him of is that Coconut and he might be getting too far apart. So, he hatches a plan to get her to like meat again. This book was quite funny, but you could feel the heart, and you could feel the real experiences of a veteran who could relate his day-to-day life to what he experienced over in the Middle East. I really like that this had a happy ending. It always felt like it would, but with the title and the subject it could have gone the other way. Apparently, this author has a few other graphic novels illustrated by somebody different and I think I’d be interested in checking them out. ( )

In this graphic memoir, the complex and turbulent relationship between a young veteran and his girlfriend, who transforms into an animal rights activist and vegetarian, is explored. The artwork is reminiscent of early 2000s cartoons, and the author's narrative voice is captivating. However, the memoir fails to delve into the nuances of the problems that arise from the clashing beliefs of both parties, and the problematic means used by them are glossed over. The quick resolution leaves a lot to be desired, leaving me yearning for a more profound exploration of the intricate issues. Though I prefer a non-vegetarian diet, I hold no animosity towards those who opt for a solely plant-based diet, as long as they respect my choices without attempting to denounce them.

The lucid writing and vivid conversations made the book readable and enjoyable.

I received a free copy from Netgalley to provide an honest feedback and my review is unbiased. ( )

Just Another Meat-Eating Dirtbag by Michael Anthony is about the existential inquiries made by a war vet as he navigates the quirks of falling in love. The main character, Michael, is an Iraq war veteran and "dirtbag meat-eater." Despite being a meat-eater, he ends up falling in love with a vegetarian, Coconut. Not long into their relationship, Coconut takes Michael to a lecture about animal rights activism and why killing and eating animals is murder. Soon Michael is following his girlfriend through her own existential journey while he still struggles with his own issues around war, religion, ethics, and last but not least, if he should become a vegetarian for real and not just to make things easier in his relationship with Coconut by pretending to be vegetarian. In the end, he genuinely questions what motivates him and others, like his girlfriend, to fight for or not fight for causes, especially when those causes can make or break our relationships.

Opinion:
I would rate this book a 5 out of 5 stars for its quality story-telling and relatable humor. Chai Simone's artwork is the perfect style to illustrate the story-telling writing style and makes the reading of the story feel effortless. I haven't read many graphic novels, but I felt that I more clearly understood what the author was trying to convey through the emotions drawn on the faces of the characters and the backgrounds of each scene. Ms. Simone's illustration debut is a great success!

I would recommend this book for adults and mature audiences because of its philosophical themes, and in particular, anyone honest enough to acknowledge the same existential questions as Michael about war, love, and the causes we join. In the end, love may be the worst, but more often than not, it will prevail and change us for the better. A thought-provoking and enjoyable read! ( )