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Just Roll with It #1
Just Roll with It
Starting middle school is hard enough when you don't know anyone; it's even harder when you're shy. A contemporary middle-grade graphic novel about how dealing with anxiety and OCD and can affect every day life.
As long as Maggie rolls the right number, nothing can go wrong . . . right?
Maggie just wants to get through her first year of middle school. But between finding the best after-school clubs, trying to make friends, and avoiding the rumored monster on school grounds, she's having a tough time. . . so she might need a little help from her twenty-sided dice.
But what happens if Maggie rolls the wrong number?
As long as Maggie rolls the right number, nothing can go wrong . . . right?
Maggie just wants to get through her first year of middle school. But between finding the best after-school clubs, trying to make friends, and avoiding the rumored monster on school grounds, she's having a tough time. . . so she might need a little help from her twenty-sided dice.
But what happens if Maggie rolls the wrong number?
336 pages, Hardcover
First published October 5, 2021
210 people are currently reading
1484 people want to read
About the author
Veronica Agarwal
9 books24 followersVeronica Agarwal is a cartoonist and illustrator from NY who loves sunflowers, summertime, and creatures of all kinds!
She's half-Italian, half-Indian, and her comics reflect the diversity she grew up with.
She has a BFA in Cartooning from the School of Visual Arts, and her works celebrate self care, girls of all kinds, and the little things that make every day special.
She's half-Italian, half-Indian, and her comics reflect the diversity she grew up with.
She has a BFA in Cartooning from the School of Visual Arts, and her works celebrate self care, girls of all kinds, and the little things that make every day special.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 364 reviews
March 8, 2022
Everything about this story is top-tier.
The art? Perfect.
The normalization of LGBTQIA relationships and physical disabilities? Chef's Kiss.
The jokes and pop-culture references? Fire.
Using a TTRPG as a backdrop to aid character growth and normalize anxiety disorders for middle grade readers? Priceless.
The art? Perfect.
The normalization of LGBTQIA relationships and physical disabilities? Chef's Kiss.
The jokes and pop-culture references? Fire.
Using a TTRPG as a backdrop to aid character growth and normalize anxiety disorders for middle grade readers? Priceless.
June 2, 2022
Great artwork and a good depiction of a middle school girl with OCD, who is loved by her family and friends, and with their support she’s able to win some battles at school, and realize that some of the battles, she can ask for help to fight. She finally accepts therapy help, and it gives her tools she needs to overcome her fear dragon.
March 8, 2022
This was cute, approachable, and, in my opinion, an accurate portrayal of mild to moderate Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. I wish I'd had something like this to read in middle school during my own struggle, instead of having everyone tell me that Marc Summers had OCD too, and that I was "Just like Marc Summers." Maybe I didn't want to be like Marc Summers, you know?
So anyway, this was good.
So anyway, this was good.
September 8, 2022
Thanks to Max at Completely Full Bookshelf for introducing me to this title.
It is a story about a young girl with anxiety/OCD issues. In spite of this, her new year in middle school starts out well. She makes a new friend, joins an after school club, and seems to be settling in well. Things at home are mostly good.
On the down side, one of her sisters might be leaving home, and there seems to be some kind of low crawling creature/monster lurking outside the school. As her anxiety increases, she starts to have trouble finishing homework.
Maggie is controlled by a kind of magical thinking. Upon arriving home from school she engages in a ritual of switching the lights on and off. She carries a 20 sided die with her and rolls it continuously to help her make decisions. Her parents suggest she see a therapist, but despite the evidence, Maggie insists she is fine. By the end of the book, she realizes she needs help and goes to see one.
I liked a lot about this book. I liked that we see how therapy helped Maggie. I liked the inclusion of the role playing game. It took me back to the days when my sons were engrossed in Dungeons and Dragons. (They still play, but now that they are fathers, less often.) I appreciated the incidental diversity in the characters. I also liked the information in the back matter about how the book was developed.
It is a story about a young girl with anxiety/OCD issues. In spite of this, her new year in middle school starts out well. She makes a new friend, joins an after school club, and seems to be settling in well. Things at home are mostly good.
On the down side, one of her sisters might be leaving home, and there seems to be some kind of low crawling creature/monster lurking outside the school. As her anxiety increases, she starts to have trouble finishing homework.
Maggie is controlled by a kind of magical thinking. Upon arriving home from school she engages in a ritual of switching the lights on and off. She carries a 20 sided die with her and rolls it continuously to help her make decisions. Her parents suggest she see a therapist, but despite the evidence, Maggie insists she is fine. By the end of the book, she realizes she needs help and goes to see one.
I liked a lot about this book. I liked that we see how therapy helped Maggie. I liked the inclusion of the role playing game. It took me back to the days when my sons were engrossed in Dungeons and Dragons. (They still play, but now that they are fathers, less often.) I appreciated the incidental diversity in the characters. I also liked the information in the back matter about how the book was developed.
April 7, 2024
3.5 stars. This was a cute graphic novel about an 11 year old girl who struggles with OCD like tendencies. She is very into a fantasy book series in which she has to roll a 20 sided die to help her make choices. She starts middle school and makes a new friend who really accepts her for who she is and I loved that friendship. She also supports her and champions her in finding HER passions instead of trying to live up to her older sisters. I liked the depiction of therapy and the overall support this young girl has. This was a cute read with a lot of diversity!
January 29, 2022
"Just Roll With It really does have something for everyone. It combines the middle-school fun and excitement of
Click
and its sequels, the interpersonal nuances (especially within family) of
Allergic: A Graphic Novel
, and the truly insightful and realistic look at mental health conditions of
Guts
—and yet this book has a magic all its own too! I would already have been impressed by this story's look at obsessive-compulsive symptoms, but Just Roll With It's refusal to become defined by this issue, and its insistence to remain a fun, exciting, delightful tale of an eleven-year-old girl being totally awesome, is what makes it a truly exceptional story, and one worth picking up if you like stories that aren't just deep, but ultimately fun too!"
– A quote from my review (click here to see the full review on my blog!)
– A quote from my review (click here to see the full review on my blog!)
September 6, 2022
Maggie struggles with anxiety and OCD. One of her coping mechanisms is to roll a D20 to make decisions. Along with worrying about making friends and fitting in at school, she also worries about the monster everyone is talking about that is hiding on campus. With the help of her friends, family, and a therapist, Maggie begins to get a handle on herself.
The RPG aspect of the book was what initially drew my attention. I love that Maggie and her family are unapologetically fans of RPGS. There was great LGBTQ representation in the book both with Maggie's family and her best friend's family. The other kids at the school seemed to come from a variety of backgrounds. I loved that as the book progressed other characters became more and more aware of Maggie's anxiety of compulsions and gradually helped her to see that they were a problem. Instead of being judgmental, they encouraged her to get help.
The RPG aspect of the book was what initially drew my attention. I love that Maggie and her family are unapologetically fans of RPGS. There was great LGBTQ representation in the book both with Maggie's family and her best friend's family. The other kids at the school seemed to come from a variety of backgrounds. I loved that as the book progressed other characters became more and more aware of Maggie's anxiety of compulsions and gradually helped her to see that they were a problem. Instead of being judgmental, they encouraged her to get help.
October 26, 2022
Maybe 3.5. OCD is an important topic to me. And there were certain things I really loved about this portrayal. I loved that it wasn't stereotypical germophobic handwashing OCD. I liked OCD being portrayed as a dragon in her life. However the confrontation with the dragon while spot on to what needs to happened resolved way too quickly and easily. I also didn't love the "monster at my school subplot". Probably would have given it 4 stars but graphic novels are not my thing.
March 13, 2022
Unfortunately I missed pages 301-316 because of a misprint 😭 but overall a very cute story that destigmatizes mental health in an effective way.
January 7, 2024
If you like a book were they face their fears then it is a book for you.⚪️🐊
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 19, 2022
Great story about coping with OCD, normalizing LGBTQIA+ relationships, and showing a fantastic diversity in characters.
Loved the art and the storyline and how Maggie learned about herself and came to terms with her OCD. I was so proud of her for getting the help she needed! Great graphic for D&D fans too!
Loved the art and the storyline and how Maggie learned about herself and came to terms with her OCD. I was so proud of her for getting the help she needed! Great graphic for D&D fans too!
January 31, 2022
I loved this book so much!
February 6, 2025
Just Roll With It
Overall Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ (4/5) or 8.00/10 overall
Characters - 8
Atmosphere - 9
Writing - 8
Plot - 8
Intrigue - 8
Logic - 7
Enjoyment - 8
Overall Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ (4/5) or 8.00/10 overall
Characters - 8
Atmosphere - 9
Writing - 8
Plot - 8
Intrigue - 8
Logic - 7
Enjoyment - 8
September 17, 2024
I knew the ending was going to get to me about halfway through the book and boy howdy sometimes the things you think are the things that happen.
June 3, 2022
This is a must have graphic novel for your MG libraries!
August 29, 2022
Critical hit on pop-sociology bingo: nerd culture, homosexuality, and therapy.
February 27, 2023
Estoy orgullosa de poder decir que mi TFG consiste en la traducción de un libro tan bonito y tan bien escrito e ilustrado. Es un soplo de aire fresco. Ojalá yo hubiera tenido la oportunidad de leer algo tan reconfortante y que me ayudase a entenderme un poco mejor cuando era más pequeña.
Espero realmente que todos los niños puedan darle la oportunidad a esta historia (y ojalá sea con mi traducción, puestos a pedir 😋)
Espero realmente que todos los niños puedan darle la oportunidad a esta historia (y ojalá sea con mi traducción, puestos a pedir 😋)
November 9, 2021
Thank you Netgalley and Random House for this eARC!
Just Roll with It is a super sweet graphic novel about a girl with OCD and how the RPGs she plays connect to that. I really enjoyed it, and think it's a great way to teach kids about OCD, and to make kids that have it feel less alone. I really loved the main character's family and friend group. Her sisters' and their partners were so delightful and I'd read full books about them. It reminded me a lot of Living With Viola, another middle grade graphic novel about mental health that came out this year, which I also really liked. What sets this apart is the RPG element and the fantasy elements that come with that. I wish this leaned into that a little more and we got to learn more about the main character's games and characters. Still, I'll recommend this to student and am happy I got to read it!
Just Roll with It is a super sweet graphic novel about a girl with OCD and how the RPGs she plays connect to that. I really enjoyed it, and think it's a great way to teach kids about OCD, and to make kids that have it feel less alone. I really loved the main character's family and friend group. Her sisters' and their partners were so delightful and I'd read full books about them. It reminded me a lot of Living With Viola, another middle grade graphic novel about mental health that came out this year, which I also really liked. What sets this apart is the RPG element and the fantasy elements that come with that. I wish this leaned into that a little more and we got to learn more about the main character's games and characters. Still, I'll recommend this to student and am happy I got to read it!
June 13, 2022
Just roll with it (Agarwal & Durfey-Lavoie, 2021b) is the brainchild of Veronica Agarwal and Lee Durfey-Lavoie. Partners in life as well as co-creators of this book, Argawal and Durfey-Lavoie live together with their three cats in New York City. They both appear to be just starting out in their graphic novel careers; this is Argawal’s second book that she has illustrated, although she has also contributed to several anthologies and illustrated a few web series, and it was Durfey-Lavoie’s very first graphic novel that he has written. They are currently working together on the sequel to Just roll with it.
This middle-grade graphic novel tells the story of Maggie Sankhar, a grade 6 girl who is just starting middle school. Like many young people her age, Maggie worries about fitting in, finding friends, school, and living up to her family's expectations. There’s also the “monster” that’s been hanging around the school building, messing with things like students’ bikes and, Maggie worries, possibly hurting some of the teachers. However, unbeknownst to her new friends and family, Maggie is also struggling with her mental health, and showing signs of OCD - there are certain rituals that she needs to perform to keep everyone safe (e.g. flicking the lights on and off every time she gets home), and she makes the majority of her decisions by rolling a D20 dice, just like she does in the roleplaying game she plays with her friends and sisters. As she becomes more aware of how these actions are impacting her life will Maggie figure out how to help herself manage them?
Fortunately, the answer to that question is yes, as Maggie, with the support and understanding of her family and friends, eventually is able to recognize that her life might be easier if she was willing to consider seeking out some help. At the end of the story, the readers see Maggie coming to the realization about how difficult her OCD and anxiety are making her life, telling her parents she’d like to get some help, and sitting down with her new therapist, who is explaining in a very open and welcoming way how she and Maggie are going to work together to find ways to help Maggie manage her anxieties and compulsions.
Agarwal and Durfey-Lavoie wrote the story because they wanted to highlight their own experiences growing up with mental health issues (Agarwal was recently diagnosed with OCD herself, and Durfey-Lavoie struggled with depression, anxiety, and ADHD as a teen) (Agarwal & Durfey-Lavoie, 2021a) and you can really sense how much they care through the story that they have told together. The characters are portrayed with kindness and sensitivity, both Maggie’s friends and family clearly want only the best for her, and, once Maggie decided she wants to explore that option (on her own terms), therapy is presented in a very positive light. I am sure that many students and adults will be able to see themselves reflected in Maggie, and hopefully see that having mental health issues doesn’t have to be scary, and can be treatable.
In addition to these important messages, Just roll with it is also simply a really sweet and fun story about life as a middle schooler. I personally loved the inclusion of the roleplaying game (RPG) CAT (the book’s version of a game that seems very similar to Dungeons & Dragons), as I myself am a fan of playing the game, and have had the pleasure of starting an RPG club at the school where I teach. The characters are nuanced and interesting, and I was very pleased to see that they were also diverse (Maggie, her family, and her best friend Clara are BIPOC, and one of Maggie’s older sisters as well as Clara’s moms are members of the LGBTQ+ community).
The art and layout of the book work with the words to tell the story in a clear manner. Agarwal’s cartoon-style drawings help the reader to identify with the characters by allowing readers to see themselves in the story rather than the story being about other people (McCloud, 1994). Careful choice of colour and texture within the illustrations allow the reader to easily interpret how Maggie is feeling, including the use of black squiggles encroaching on Maggie to make her anxiety visible, the use of muted or darker colours for Maggie’s flashbacks or internal dialogues with herself, showing negative feelings, or the use of brighter colours when showing the fantasy world of the RPG (Sardo, 2021). The majority of the panels focus on only a few characters, without much detail in terms of background, interspersed with occasional larger panels used to showcase a location or to situate a scene. Occasionally, Agarwal includes images that are not enclosed within panels, usually depicting an event or important object that is interwoven throughout the action in several panels, such as an image of Maggie’s hands sewing when she is trying hand stitching for the first time in her home economics class, or a full-page spread of her sister's car driving down a street that has been placed behind several panels depicting the conversation in that car ride. Overall, these elements combine to make the story easy to follow, while still providing lots of visual interest.
I think that the major significance of this book lies in its depictions of mental illness, and its normalization of both them and their treatment. According to the Canadian Mental Health Association (2014) approximately 1 in 7 children will experience some kind of mental illness at some point. They point out that if left untreated, mental illnesses can have lasting impacts on a child’s development, impacting an individual throughout their entire life. The normalization of treatment shown in Just roll with it may help to decrease the stigma of mental illness. This book joins other recently published middle-grade graphic novels, such as Living with Viola (Fung, 2021), that explore this important but often avoided subject.
I wasn’t able to find too many other reviews of the book out there, and what I did find were from smaller websites or Youtube channels, so I think the book may still be flying under some people’s radars. The reviews that I did read were also very positive, highlighting the caring family relationships, overall positive messages in the story, and the education that it can provide to students about anxiety and OCD (Graphic Policy, 2021; Herrick District Library, 2022; Hewlett-Woodmere Public Library, 2022). Hopefully, this book starts gaining the recognition that it deserves; and to any elementary school teacher-librarians out there - get this one for your collection!
Agarwal, V., & Durfey-Lavoie, L. (2021a). About the authors. In Just roll with it. RH Graphic.
Agarwal, V., & Durfey-Lavoie, L. (2021b). Just roll with it. RH Graphic.
Canadian Mental Health Association, British Columbia Division. (2014). Mental illness in children and youth. https://cmha.bc.ca/documents/mental-i...
Fung, R. (2021). Living with Viola. Annick Press.
Graphic Policy. (2021, December 18). Comics review: Just roll with it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_sAd...
Herrick District Library. (2022, February 7). Just roll with it by Lee Durfey Lavoie and Veronica
Agarwal. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJN7j...
Hewlett-Woodmere Public Library. (2022, March 9). HWPL book review—Just roll with it by Lee Durfey-Lavoie. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMlw3...
McCloud, S. (1994). Understanding comics. HarperCollins Publishers.
Sardo, M. (2021, December 14). Deep dive with the creators of Just roll with it, Lee Durfey-Lavoie and Veronica Agarwal. Monkeys Fighting Robots. https://monkeysfightingrobots.co/deep...
This middle-grade graphic novel tells the story of Maggie Sankhar, a grade 6 girl who is just starting middle school. Like many young people her age, Maggie worries about fitting in, finding friends, school, and living up to her family's expectations. There’s also the “monster” that’s been hanging around the school building, messing with things like students’ bikes and, Maggie worries, possibly hurting some of the teachers. However, unbeknownst to her new friends and family, Maggie is also struggling with her mental health, and showing signs of OCD - there are certain rituals that she needs to perform to keep everyone safe (e.g. flicking the lights on and off every time she gets home), and she makes the majority of her decisions by rolling a D20 dice, just like she does in the roleplaying game she plays with her friends and sisters. As she becomes more aware of how these actions are impacting her life will Maggie figure out how to help herself manage them?
Fortunately, the answer to that question is yes, as Maggie, with the support and understanding of her family and friends, eventually is able to recognize that her life might be easier if she was willing to consider seeking out some help. At the end of the story, the readers see Maggie coming to the realization about how difficult her OCD and anxiety are making her life, telling her parents she’d like to get some help, and sitting down with her new therapist, who is explaining in a very open and welcoming way how she and Maggie are going to work together to find ways to help Maggie manage her anxieties and compulsions.
Agarwal and Durfey-Lavoie wrote the story because they wanted to highlight their own experiences growing up with mental health issues (Agarwal was recently diagnosed with OCD herself, and Durfey-Lavoie struggled with depression, anxiety, and ADHD as a teen) (Agarwal & Durfey-Lavoie, 2021a) and you can really sense how much they care through the story that they have told together. The characters are portrayed with kindness and sensitivity, both Maggie’s friends and family clearly want only the best for her, and, once Maggie decided she wants to explore that option (on her own terms), therapy is presented in a very positive light. I am sure that many students and adults will be able to see themselves reflected in Maggie, and hopefully see that having mental health issues doesn’t have to be scary, and can be treatable.
In addition to these important messages, Just roll with it is also simply a really sweet and fun story about life as a middle schooler. I personally loved the inclusion of the roleplaying game (RPG) CAT (the book’s version of a game that seems very similar to Dungeons & Dragons), as I myself am a fan of playing the game, and have had the pleasure of starting an RPG club at the school where I teach. The characters are nuanced and interesting, and I was very pleased to see that they were also diverse (Maggie, her family, and her best friend Clara are BIPOC, and one of Maggie’s older sisters as well as Clara’s moms are members of the LGBTQ+ community).
The art and layout of the book work with the words to tell the story in a clear manner. Agarwal’s cartoon-style drawings help the reader to identify with the characters by allowing readers to see themselves in the story rather than the story being about other people (McCloud, 1994). Careful choice of colour and texture within the illustrations allow the reader to easily interpret how Maggie is feeling, including the use of black squiggles encroaching on Maggie to make her anxiety visible, the use of muted or darker colours for Maggie’s flashbacks or internal dialogues with herself, showing negative feelings, or the use of brighter colours when showing the fantasy world of the RPG (Sardo, 2021). The majority of the panels focus on only a few characters, without much detail in terms of background, interspersed with occasional larger panels used to showcase a location or to situate a scene. Occasionally, Agarwal includes images that are not enclosed within panels, usually depicting an event or important object that is interwoven throughout the action in several panels, such as an image of Maggie’s hands sewing when she is trying hand stitching for the first time in her home economics class, or a full-page spread of her sister's car driving down a street that has been placed behind several panels depicting the conversation in that car ride. Overall, these elements combine to make the story easy to follow, while still providing lots of visual interest.
I think that the major significance of this book lies in its depictions of mental illness, and its normalization of both them and their treatment. According to the Canadian Mental Health Association (2014) approximately 1 in 7 children will experience some kind of mental illness at some point. They point out that if left untreated, mental illnesses can have lasting impacts on a child’s development, impacting an individual throughout their entire life. The normalization of treatment shown in Just roll with it may help to decrease the stigma of mental illness. This book joins other recently published middle-grade graphic novels, such as Living with Viola (Fung, 2021), that explore this important but often avoided subject.
I wasn’t able to find too many other reviews of the book out there, and what I did find were from smaller websites or Youtube channels, so I think the book may still be flying under some people’s radars. The reviews that I did read were also very positive, highlighting the caring family relationships, overall positive messages in the story, and the education that it can provide to students about anxiety and OCD (Graphic Policy, 2021; Herrick District Library, 2022; Hewlett-Woodmere Public Library, 2022). Hopefully, this book starts gaining the recognition that it deserves; and to any elementary school teacher-librarians out there - get this one for your collection!
Agarwal, V., & Durfey-Lavoie, L. (2021a). About the authors. In Just roll with it. RH Graphic.
Agarwal, V., & Durfey-Lavoie, L. (2021b). Just roll with it. RH Graphic.
Canadian Mental Health Association, British Columbia Division. (2014). Mental illness in children and youth. https://cmha.bc.ca/documents/mental-i...
Fung, R. (2021). Living with Viola. Annick Press.
Graphic Policy. (2021, December 18). Comics review: Just roll with it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_sAd...
Herrick District Library. (2022, February 7). Just roll with it by Lee Durfey Lavoie and Veronica
Agarwal. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJN7j...
Hewlett-Woodmere Public Library. (2022, March 9). HWPL book review—Just roll with it by Lee Durfey-Lavoie. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMlw3...
McCloud, S. (1994). Understanding comics. HarperCollins Publishers.
Sardo, M. (2021, December 14). Deep dive with the creators of Just roll with it, Lee Durfey-Lavoie and Veronica Agarwal. Monkeys Fighting Robots. https://monkeysfightingrobots.co/deep...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 6, 2022
Just Roll With It follows Maggie, a girl who struggles with OCD and is just trying to get through her first year in middle school. To help make all of her decisions, she uses a d20 dice, but what happens when it doesn't give her the answer that she wants?
This was an absolutely adorable graphic novel! What I liked the most about it was the way it dealt with Maggie's OCD. Like many kids, she's hesitant at first to actually ask for help. When her parents approach her about therapy, she doesn't think she needs it, mostly because of the stigmas that exist around mental illness and going to therapy. But once she finally realizes that she needs help, therapy is portayed as something positive and useful.
Maggie's friend Clara is also super supportive and helpful for Maggie. She realizes that Maggie might be having anxiety attacks and she helps her through them. I loved seeing their friendship grow throughout the book. Starting 6th grade is scary, and being able to find friends is one of the most nerve wracking things. But their friendship is so easy, and I was happy to see them get closer as the book goes on.
The art in this is fantastic, especially the way Maggie's anxiety attacks are depicted. Incorporating the role playing game will also bring in a lot of middle grade readers, I think. The way this is incorporated in Maggie's every day life also helps in building Maggie's character and the rest of this world.
The only reason this isn't getting a full 5 stars is because I do think it gets a little long. There are pieces of the story that probably could have been edited out and the story would have still made sense.
All in all, if you're looking for a middle grade graphic novel that deals with anxiety, this is definitely the book for you!
This was an absolutely adorable graphic novel! What I liked the most about it was the way it dealt with Maggie's OCD. Like many kids, she's hesitant at first to actually ask for help. When her parents approach her about therapy, she doesn't think she needs it, mostly because of the stigmas that exist around mental illness and going to therapy. But once she finally realizes that she needs help, therapy is portayed as something positive and useful.
Maggie's friend Clara is also super supportive and helpful for Maggie. She realizes that Maggie might be having anxiety attacks and she helps her through them. I loved seeing their friendship grow throughout the book. Starting 6th grade is scary, and being able to find friends is one of the most nerve wracking things. But their friendship is so easy, and I was happy to see them get closer as the book goes on.
The art in this is fantastic, especially the way Maggie's anxiety attacks are depicted. Incorporating the role playing game will also bring in a lot of middle grade readers, I think. The way this is incorporated in Maggie's every day life also helps in building Maggie's character and the rest of this world.
The only reason this isn't getting a full 5 stars is because I do think it gets a little long. There are pieces of the story that probably could have been edited out and the story would have still made sense.
All in all, if you're looking for a middle grade graphic novel that deals with anxiety, this is definitely the book for you!
May 29, 2024
I can't give this more than five stars, but if I could I would. I just picked up this book because I saw it in the children's section of the library and saw it had something to do with DnD (CAT in the book). I am so, SO glad that I did. As someone with OCD, I wish that I had this book as a kid!! Not only does it demonstrate an incredibly accepting best friendship and what a healthy one can look like, along with a healthy friend-group dynamic and family life, but it uses the conceit of CAT to explore the experience of OCD. Of course, this representation of what OCD can look and feel like won't fit everyone's experience, which the authors helpfully mention in the author's note. However, Maggie's experience very closely mimics the way my OCD feels and it made me nearly weep at many of the frames. Not only is the representation of OCD excellent, but the way the author's illustrated how Maggie came to meet her brain where it was and decided to go to therapy, along with the actual advice from the therapist, were all amazing. I honestly wish that I could get this put in every library and into the hands of any middle schooler, but also specifically those with OCD. Still, those without may see themselves represented in the sentiments of Maggie's support system or in the other struggles of just being in middle school, like dealing with bullies and finding your people, which this book handles fantastically.
With a diverse cast, both a fun and compelling storyline, and fantastic representation, this is one of my new all time favorite books and I can't wait to get a copy of it on my shelf. I wish it was published when little Jaime was Maggie's age so that I could give her a copy and a hug <3
With a diverse cast, both a fun and compelling storyline, and fantastic representation, this is one of my new all time favorite books and I can't wait to get a copy of it on my shelf. I wish it was published when little Jaime was Maggie's age so that I could give her a copy and a hug <3
February 15, 2024
*4.5 Stars*
CW: OCD, anxiety, bullying
Maggie is anxious about starting middle school, and who wouldn't be? With two amazing older sisters to live up to and anxiety about fitting in, Maggie turns to her trusty D20 to help her decide how to survive middle school. After all, the dice knows all! But when friendships, bullies, clubs, and her growing OCD start to overwhelm her, Maggie must learn how to accept help from the people who care about her most.
This story is adorable! The art is colorful and fun, (most) of the characters are uplifting, and the lessons are invaluable. I LOVE the endorsement of therapy as a tool that can teach new skills, rather than a way to fix something that's broken. Abundant representation, including students of various nationalities and LGBTQ+ family members of Maggie's. The only thing I didn't see that I was hoping to see was some sort of resolution with the school bully, but it still wrapped up nicely.
Strong potential for a youth book club, especially if they are fans of D&D.
Adjacent Reads:
1. Guts by Raina Telgemeier
2. Awkward by Svetlana Chmakova
CW: OCD, anxiety, bullying
Maggie is anxious about starting middle school, and who wouldn't be? With two amazing older sisters to live up to and anxiety about fitting in, Maggie turns to her trusty D20 to help her decide how to survive middle school. After all, the dice knows all! But when friendships, bullies, clubs, and her growing OCD start to overwhelm her, Maggie must learn how to accept help from the people who care about her most.
This story is adorable! The art is colorful and fun, (most) of the characters are uplifting, and the lessons are invaluable. I LOVE the endorsement of therapy as a tool that can teach new skills, rather than a way to fix something that's broken. Abundant representation, including students of various nationalities and LGBTQ+ family members of Maggie's. The only thing I didn't see that I was hoping to see was some sort of resolution with the school bully, but it still wrapped up nicely.
Strong potential for a youth book club, especially if they are fans of D&D.
Adjacent Reads:
1. Guts by Raina Telgemeier
2. Awkward by Svetlana Chmakova
February 1, 2023
My heart broke for Maggie every time she rolled that die and struggled with what she wanted to do, or believed was best for her, and followed her compulsion. Also her feeling that her decisions were cause and effect to other people like Mr. Anry. It's such a big burden for anyone to feel that they are holding up the entire world.
Another reviewer mentioned the dragon as a manifestation of Maggie's OCD/anxiety and I like how that was depicted. I also liked the artwork. My chief complaint, a very minor one, is that I felt like people and things were not introduced very well. It took me awhile to figure out all the family members or some of the words like CAT. I thought it was me but there wasn't really a "hi, this is my sister Eli", just a mention of sisters. A little 4th wall breaking might have helped.
Enjoyed the story and I'm all for a graphic novel that highlights youth struggles that are not usually discussed.
Another reviewer mentioned the dragon as a manifestation of Maggie's OCD/anxiety and I like how that was depicted. I also liked the artwork. My chief complaint, a very minor one, is that I felt like people and things were not introduced very well. It took me awhile to figure out all the family members or some of the words like CAT. I thought it was me but there wasn't really a "hi, this is my sister Eli", just a mention of sisters. A little 4th wall breaking might have helped.
Enjoyed the story and I'm all for a graphic novel that highlights youth struggles that are not usually discussed.
April 15, 2022
Awesome graphic novel to add to the collection. Maggie has a couple of little foibles that she needs to help her make decisions and keep her loved ones safe - saying hello to the house in a special way when she gets home from school will keep her family safe, rolling her dice and basing her decisions on that will make them be good ones, and finishing her homework and turning up to class will keep her teacher safe. Once she hears the term OCD and starts to talk over some of her anxieties with her family and friends, she tackles it herself and takes steps to overcoming it. All told in a middle school setting, celebrates being your own person, normalises LGBTQ+ relationships and fantastic artwork. Will be an immediate hit with our GN fans but hits the mark with handling of issues.
May 5, 2022
It would have been great to have books dealing with anxiety and OCD around when I was growing up (and growing older). So many people will be able to relate to Maggie and the techniques she tries to use to cope with her worries about fitting in at a new school, living up to the achievements of her older sisters, finding friends, keeping the family safe and avoiding the school bullies.
There is so much to like about this junior graphic including the supportive family and friends, the LGBTQI+ aspect, the RPG community and their approach to life, the authenticity of the anxiety and how to come to a place of accepting that help may be required. It's a lot to pack in and at just over 300 pages, this is a longer book than similar graphics, but well worth the read.
There is so much to like about this junior graphic including the supportive family and friends, the LGBTQI+ aspect, the RPG community and their approach to life, the authenticity of the anxiety and how to come to a place of accepting that help may be required. It's a lot to pack in and at just over 300 pages, this is a longer book than similar graphics, but well worth the read.
April 29, 2024
Intersecting storyline between a role playing game and middle school life highlight the main characters anxiety, how she deals with it, and eventually comes to terms with it. A supportive non-judgmental cast of characters represent a variety of skin tones and gender identities. An author's note and information on how a graphic novel page takes shape are included. I hope we see more from this team.
March 30, 2022
I liked it. Good introduction to OCD without being overbearing. I liked that the main character had a personality besides her OCD and how kind her friends were. Debating if I should have my 11 year old who has some OCD tendencies read it. I'm always worried books like this will create new worries for her....she loves graphic novels though, so I'll likely let her and I'll update my review!
June 12, 2022
4 - This book went in a direction I didn't expect it to go and I enjoyed every page. About halfway into reading it, I hit a reading slump but once I picked it back up, I couldn't put it down. I feel like this book perfectly depicts life with OCD and anxiety and how it can overtake you and take control of your life and how doing certain things helps keep it at bay.
September 10, 2022
One for the sweet and anxious souls just figuring it out.
Great exploration of tween struggles and successes with mental health, school and friendships. Loved how the illustrations visualised the symptoms and tendencies of OCD.
Cute same-sex relationship features too! Makes me want to get back into gaming too 😌
Great exploration of tween struggles and successes with mental health, school and friendships. Loved how the illustrations visualised the symptoms and tendencies of OCD.
Cute same-sex relationship features too! Makes me want to get back into gaming too 😌
September 21, 2022
3.5/5 stars. Fans of Cece Bell and Raina Telgemeier will definitely like this book. A bit long and meandering for me, but the story length served its purpose of portraying OCD with respect and care while also showing how overwhelming and anxiety inducing it can be over a period of time. Great book for elementary age readers.
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