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WORK TITLE: A Fox in My Brain
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WEBSITE: https://www.loulubie.fr/
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Foreword Interviews vol. 27 no. 3 May-June, 2024. review of A Fox in My Brain. p. 31.
Kirkus Reviews Apr. 15, 2024, , “Lubie, Lou: A FOX IN MY BRAIN.”. p. NA.
WebOnlyReviewsSLJ vol. 70 no. 5 May 24, 2024, Mahar, Stephanie. , “A Fox in My Brain.”. p. 1.
in French.
Lou LubieShare
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Artist & Scriptwriter
Lou Lubie is originally from Reunion Island, where she published her first five books: two novels for younger readers, and three comic books. In 2008, she founded the Forum Dessiné, a community website that allows artists of all origins and skill levels to create digital comics together. In 2016, she published Goupil ou face, a popular science comic book that humorously explains cyclothymia, a mood disorder. In 2019, her collaborative experience on the Forum Dessiné inspired her to create La Fille dans l'écran, a comic book co-written and co-illustrated with Manon Desveaux telling the story of a long-distance relationship. The graphic novel is unique for its atypical format: each author draws a character on the opposite page, thus allowing their parallel lives to unfold. The graphic novel L'Homme de la situation is her eighth book (Dupuis 2021; The Man for the Job, Europe Comics).
Country of origin: Belgium
Europe Comics Publisher: Dupuis (Belgium)
A Fox in My Brain Lou Lubie, FairSquare Comics (APR 16) Softcover $19.99 (160pp) 978-1-960171-10-8 AUTOBIOGRAPHY & MEMOIR
A young woman grapples with mental illness in the fun, edifying graphic memoir A Fox in My Brain.
When she was sixteen, Lubie was diagnosed with depression by her family doctor. She gave up on treatment when her symptoms improved, not knowing that her troubles were just beginning. Extreme mood swings followed, affecting her life. Across the years, and with assistance from professionals, she learned about cyclothymia, a mood disorder that fit her symptoms; here, it's depicted as a tricky fox and is compared to a huge, powerful wolf representing better understood, more severe forms of bipolar disorder.
The art is outstanding. Its dynamic cartoon style emphasizes impactful emotions and couches information in an entertaining, easy-to-digest format. A bonus section includes invaluable advice for friends, partners, and families on how to best support someone with cyclothymia. And Lubie's psychologist contributes a brief note about the importance of raising public awareness about cyclothymia--a goal that this book achieves with style, on both an educational level and an emotional one.
Lubie is engaging as she describes the biological and social aspects of cyclothymia, drawing on both her own experiences and extensive research. Through hard work and determination and with lots of help, she came to terms with her illness and learned to live a rich, full life. A Fox in My Brain is her superb graphic novel account of that personal growth.
Caption: Image from A Fox in My Brain, by Lou Lubie. Used with permission from FairSquare Comics.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 Foreword Magazine, Inc.
https://www.forewordreviews.com/articles/interviews/
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"A Fox in My Brain." Foreword Interviews, vol. 27, no. 3, May-June 2024, p. 31. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A795724659/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=6ff0b36c. Accessed 14 Sept. 2024.
Lubie, Lou A FOX IN MY BRAIN FairSquare Comics (Teen None) $19.99 4, 16 ISBN: 9781960171108
A young woman chronicles her experience with cyclothymia in this translated title from France.
This graphic memoir opens with Lou, 16, having just begun to experience symptoms of depression. As she goes on to attend art school and video game school, move in with her boyfriend, and create a video game, her significant mood swings cause her distress, at times leading to suicidal ideation. She's told by psychiatrists that she's too young and pretty to be anxious or depressed. Eventually, Lou finds a therapist specializing in cognitive behavioral therapy who helps her realize she has cyclothymia, a mood disorder, and she begins to feel stable thanks to a combination of lifestyle changes and medication. Lou's story is relatable, particularly in depicting medical gaslighting. The narrative is punctuated with lists and infographics that educate readers about mental health. The illustrations are predominantly executed in black and gray, with orange serving as an accent color, a strategic choice due to the depiction of cyclothymia as an orange fox. Early in the book, depression is described as the "little black thing" and shown as a messy black spot or a menacing black fox. The art is expressive, with varied and creative panels. Lou is from Réunion and is portrayed with curly black hair and paper-white freckled skin.
An instructive story of surmounting many obstacles while grappling with mental health. (Q&A with readers, psychologist's note) (Graphic memoir. 14-adult)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
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MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
"Lubie, Lou: A FOX IN MY BRAIN." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Apr. 2024, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A789814721/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=ecb8fdc3. Accessed 14 Sept. 2024.
LUBIE, Lou. A Fox in My Brain. illus. by Lou Lubie. 160p. FairSquare Comics. May 2024. pap. $19.99. ISBN 9781960171108.
Gr 10 Up—Belgian artist Lubie uses personal experience, empathy, and humanity to examine bipolar disorder and drop readers into a vivid graphic memoir, recounting the onset and treatments of a type of bipolar disorder called Cyclothymia. Lou's mid-to-late teens are depicted in a four-color palette as a whirlwind of doctors, medications, and Lou herself desperately try to manage her bipolar symptoms. Lou metaphorically portrays her Cyclothymia as a sly fox that changes in color and size depending on the mood and situation. The fox often encourages Lou to chase her bipolar-related symptoms, however overwhelming they may become. Many of the signs, characteristics, and stigmas of bipolar disorder are conveyed clearly and accurately within the high-quality sequential storytelling. They are realistic descriptions that skillfully explain and entertain in a way that respects bipolar experiences while simultaneously engaging readers through digital artwork to keep them interested. Complete with a letter to readers in the same comic-style format, this graphic novel will help address a dire need in young adult collections and contribute to filling a gap in representation.
VERDICT: Smash the stigma surrounding bipolar disorder with a graphic novel created for young adults and their communities.—Stephanie Mahar
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 Library Journals, LLC
http://www.libraryjournal.com/lj/reviews/xpress/884170-289/xpress_reviews-first_look_at_new.html.csp
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Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
Mahar, Stephanie. "A Fox in My Brain." WebOnlyReviewsSLJ, vol. 70, no. 5, 24 May 2024, p. 1. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A796662190/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=de2b2275. Accessed 14 Sept. 2024.