cover image States of Mind

States of Mind

Emilie Guillon, Patrice Guillon, and Sebastien Samson, trans. from the French by Montana Kane. Humanoids, $14.95 trade paper (112p) ISBN 978-1-59465-786-3

A French father-and-daughter author team composed this turbulent account of the younger Guillon’s struggles with mental illness, in order to find meaning in the chaos of their family’s experience. Life was proceeding smoothly for college-age Camille (a pseudonym, though the work is a memoir) , until a breakup and school-related stress trigger a panic attack. Her emotions spiral violently, and Camille descends to feeling so worthless that she makes a noose from an extension cord and attempts suicide. She spends the following years in and out of mental health clinics, fluctuating between “euphoric phases” and soul-crushing bouts of depression and self-harm. Her parents’ nerves run ragged, too. “Please tell me you’re pretending! You can’t stay here doing nothing!” her mother cries during one clinic visit. Eventually, Camille is diagnosed with bipolar disorder, which is treated with lithium and therapy, but she still feels anxious due to lingering regret about having missed so much of her young adulthood. Artist Samson’s simple, adroit characterizations and clean linework, with thoughtful shading, present the violent turns of Camille’s zig-zagging journey, though the script (or translation) often recounts with a neutral distance that limits its emotional resonance. This winding catalogue through the course of mental illness should appeal to fans of Ellen Forney and Rachel Lindsay. [em](May) [/em]