by Kaylie Seed
Manjit Thapp’s gorgeous graphic novel Feelings is a story about how feelings change with the seasons and how that is only a natural human experience. Feelings takes the reader through six seasons: high summer, late summer, monsoon, autumn, winter, and spring. In each chapter, Thapp focuses on the feelings that she associates with that season, and at the same time, she has chosen colours and drawings that reflect those feelings. Thapp has written Feelings like a graphic novel, where the illustrations have more power than the words used, however she manages to blend the two exquisitely, leaving the reader to ponder their own feelings.
Thapp’s main theme is mental health and she has captured the highs and lows we all experience so fluidly. The graphics Thapp has drawn for Feelings are soft, dainty, and truly help express the feelings that Thapp is portraying. I personally really resonated with Feelings and found Thapp’s writing to be sincere and to the point; the entire book is a stunning piece of art. This quick read can be finished in one sitting but the reader will find themselves opening Feelings even after they’ve read it just to admire the artistry.
Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review!