God damn this book was fantastic. In Limbo was a very difficult book for me to read. I thought multiple times about DNFing, not because it was bad, far from it, but because it hit so close to home. I have experienced extreme depression largely due to extreme academic pressure and worsened by toxic (to say the least) relationships with peers and parents, all of which this book touches on. And it does an excellent job. It was painfully accurate but also cathartic in how seen I felt.

I would be remiss not to mention the strong focus this book has on the Korean-American experience. I am giving less focus to that part of the book in this review because it is not something I can relate nor speak to, but I greatly appreciated reading about it. As much as I related to Deb’s story, we are not the same, and I loved learning about the parts of their story that are different from mine just as I loved the parts that made me feel seen.

The art of this graphic novel was gorgeous and did such a good job guiding the story. Depression is already a difficult thing to write about, but drawing adds a whole other level. Depression is ugly, and when drawing it, you want to be real, but you also don’t want to sensationalize it or use it for shock value. In Limbo did a wonderful job striking this balance.

Definitely check trigger warnings for this one. It’s a difficult read, but if you’re able, so worth it.