Solutions and Other Problems, by Allie Brosh. Gallery Books, 2020

We waited a long time for Allie Brosh’s second book, but it was worth the wait. She has presented us with 514 full color, glossy pages that share her unique look at the world with us. After her first book, Brosh went into a period of major depression, adding that to her long standing ADD (and, I believe, anxiety). This may have been triggered by her sister’s violent suicide, as well as escaping from an abusive relationship. This volume doesn’t have the manic hilarity of her first book; it’s deeper and more thoughtful. The humor is still there, though- the book starts with how, as a toddler, she got stuck inside a five gallon bucket- multiple times- because she became obsessed with getting completely inside it. The art has become a little more sophisticated, although her depictions of herself are the stuff of nightmares (seriously, no one is jointed that way, but it WORKS). She pokes fun at her mental health issues, dogs, relationships, family, everything. All of this is new material, as she hasn’t updated her blog in… forever. As someone with depression and anxiety myself, I relate to a lot of the things that have happened to her. I brought the book home in the middle of the afternoon, and finished at 2 in the morning because I didn’t want to stop turning pages- all 514 of them. Read this book!