Content warning: emotional child abuse, visceral images of surgery and bodies

A quick read, lots of rich imagery. I'm enamored by Small's gorgeous line work.
Reminds me of Asterios Polyp, maybe because of all that imagery and the heavy themes ( )

Relentlessly depressing until the very, very end. Most of the characters were one-dimensional in their villainy, which was the book's biggest failing. I want to say something like, "Just because you had a horrible childhood, doesn't mean you need to turn your pain into a book," but that sounds cold and I really like David Small as an illustrator. So instead I'll just say that it's not nearly as good as [b:Fun Home|38990|Fun Home A Family Tragicomic|Alison Bechdel|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1169226694s/38990.jpg|911368]. ( )

I only read this book because I saw the author speak at a conference and he discussed it. I am so glad I chose to pick it up.

This book is heart breaking and brilliant. I flew through it not because of its length but because I couldn't stop reading. Small's childhood was tragic, with having both cancer, an evil mother, and a crazy bitch for a grandma.

This is probably one of the best graphic novels I've read, ever. ( )

Terribile e magnifico. ( )

Wow. It's been a while since I've read a graphic novel, but this memoir was worth it. I'm incredibly shocked and angry with characters in it, and I feel so much pain. The drawings are great. It was a fast read, but I feel heartbroken for Small. ( )