???? UNDER THE LAMPLIGHT-

Hyperbole and a Half: A humorous and candid memoir examining depression. Allie Brosch’s memoir complete with her own comic illustrations recounts humorous and relatable human experiences, with a lot of stories from her childhood. Brosch garnered a following online sharing stories using illustrations and words on what it feels like to be depressed and conveying the gap between inner feelings and external behavior. In one example, she attempts to shift her face into suitable facial expressions throughout conversation: “How do you make the face for ‘yay’? Am I doing it? I hope I’m doing it,” she writes.

Bill Gates gave the book a stellar review: “I must have interrupted Melinda a dozen times to read to her passages that made me laugh out loud,” he wrote in his review of the book. “It must be empowering for those who have struggled with depression to read this book, see themselves, and know they’re far from alone. It might be even more valuable for those who have a friend, colleague, or family member who has experienced depression.”