My Lesbian Experience With Loneliness Paperback – June 6, 2017

I'd like to imagine books, let alone comics, seldom ever approach the unspoken side of intimacy–the lack of it and what it makes people amount of it. It's a tough pill to swallow, but if you are in anyway or have ever felt the feelings of being alone, this book does well in formulating those feelings that could even help you describe your loneliness to others (or come to terms with yourself).What attaches me to this comic isn't so much how relatable it is, and it really is, but instead the author's ability to convey the feelings in a realistic and coherent manner. It doesn't matter if you're a lesbian or whatever, you'll definitely see parts of yourself in this, especially if you've struggled with any kind of relationships be it personal or just the common friendship.All in all, it's a huge breath of fresh air, as it lets your mind wander and think, relate and share your experiences with the main character, even if the topic and nature of the book is uncomfortably realistic.

I’ve never felt the need to write a book review before, but I’ve genuinely never felt so seen in something I’ve read. Initially I picked it up because well, I’m a lesbian, and I am indeed lonely (and bits of previews really resonated with me) but I ended up finding far more of myself in her experiences than I thought I would. It certainly doesn’t pull any punches in just how real and often uncomfortable to talk about it gets, but the transparency of it all made me feel much better about parts of myself that I, like her, feel guilty about. It really made me feel less alone in my own struggles. I was especially comforted reading about the constant push and pull of her relationship with her parents—or, more accurately, with her true self and the self that wants to please them. I’m still very caught in the middle of that conflict myself, so it was nice reading proof that I wasn’t alone.While the title implies that it’s intended just for queer readers, I think plenty of other people can benefit from reading it. Sure, you might not understand everything from a personal standpoint, but maybe it can help you understand someone else in your life and have a bit more empathy for those people.Overall, very worth the read, and I can definitely see myself picking up more of Nagata Kabi’s work.

I have so many good thoughts for this manga..I read a lot of books, comics, and graphic novels with LGBT+ characters and added this one to the list finding the title funny and relatable. I wasn't ready for the real and honest life story this artist put into the story.The first couple chapters the mc talks about depression and loneliness(who would've guessed!) but I wasn't expecting to relate so heavily. It feels so raw and real when you read "I told myself I want good enough and I believed it" and explained her thought process through her healing and becoming a more well rounded human. The first chapters for me personally were rough knowing exactly the kind of feelings the mc was going through.She spoke and addressed her mental illness and her vulnerability as she discovered herself. I found as a reader that even if I couldn't relatable to certain parts I absolutely knew where she was coming from. I was happy for the mc when they would heal. I was cheering for her when she was about to do something big.I fell in love with this book and think about it constantly. I re read and appreciated the white grey and pink panels again and am excited to read the sequels to this story.There is talk of depression but it doesn't go heavily into detail. If you are sensitive to that sort of material I would perhaps recommend not reading. How ever this is an amazing story about self healing and dealing eith depression, loneliness, and self doubt.

This is more a tale of the author's personal and ongoing experience with mental illness rather than what it's like to be lesbian drawn out in a manga comic book form. It touches on depression, eating disorders, cutting, and more. Erotic it is not. For me, the book has more of a feeling of commiseration and is an intimate confession where epiphanies are had once the author's first sexual experience occurs....and this is unique in that sex is not glamorized at all.The naked scenes are illustrated in a non-graphic way but the story inside is raw and vulnerable. It's a deep reveal of inner struggles that a reader may or may not relate to.In my own experience, I'm getting to a point where so many people in my life have some form of debilitating mental illness, including myself, ranging from extreme depression or anxiety to schizophrenia. It's almost more surprising to find people who aren't struggling or fought inner demons at some point. Brain chemistry is definitely a factor and I wanted to reach out and give the author meds in addition to hugs. I felt so much empathy watching her handle things completely on her own. Her isolation triggers my own sadness and caregiver at the same time.One note, this is a Japanese comic so everything is read right to left. It took me a few minutes to get used to it.Recommend the read especially if you feel alone in having anxiety, depression and other mental illness issues.

Very well illustrated and the story is clearly very emotionally charged and honest, excellent book.

Relatable and open. I very much connected with a lot of the embarrassing moments and this made me realize a lot about attraction.