Early Reader Review: Unimpressed by Miranda Tacchia

Source: From the publisher in exchange for an honest review, this in no way alters my opinion or review.

Unimpressed by Miranda Tacchia  
Publisher: Fantagraphics
Publication Date:  October 19, 2021

 

Format: Ebook

Rating:


Goodreads Synopsis: 

Have you ever schemed with a friend? Stared at your phone screen well after you should have gone to sleep? Braced for heartbreak? Been told to smile more? Then Unimpressed will undoubtedly speak to you. In a book that bridges comics and memes, Tacchia uses her biting sense of humor and background in animation to create brilliant character portraits of women with only markers, Post-it notes, and tape. A master of expression, figure, and subtle (and other times not-so-subtle) comedy, Tacchia’s protagonists are usually "unimpressed women" — who all share the fact that "they don’t give a shit about you," as Tacchia puts it.

What makes Unimpressed so impressive and entertaining is how Tacchia taps into instantly relatable feelings and situations while simultaneously creating art that exudes confidence and vulnerability. (Sample caption: "When you went from giving him an earful to a mouthful.") Her often scabrous depiction of life as a young single woman today echoes that of Phoebe Waller-Bridge's (Fleabag) or Abbi Jacobsen and Ilana Glazer’s (Broad City). Funny, smart, observant, sexy, gross, and relatable — Unimpressed is a wonderful debut and a great gift idea.

Review: 

Please note this is an adult graphic novel and includes illustrated nudity.

Unimpressed is a collection of two page spreads that include one-liners on one side and an illustration on the other to go along with it. The illustrations are simplistic but also show their emotion well through the expressions - most of which are... you guessed it... unimpressed. 

Reading through this book though, gave me some feels. It was kind of depressing in a way, but also relatable on a lot of levels. The author/illustrator focuses on friendships, self-image, and overthinking things. All of these things I could relate to  and believe a number of others will too. While the book explores the idea of being 'unimpressed' as a theme, I think it also highlights that these are impressionable pieces of our lives. We become so focused on self-image and what the best friendships could look like that we are often in toxic relationships with both - being unimpressed is far more desirable to that. I could be WAY over thinking this book but it spoke to me in a weird way. It wasn't the best thing I have read or seen, BUT it made me think far more as I sat down to write this review than I initially gave it credit for.

A simplistic yet thought-provoking illustrated collection.