Barely Functional Adult: It’ll All Make Sense Eventually
Published November 24th 2020 by Harper Perennial, Hardcover 416 pages
From the creator of Barely Functional Adult, a painfully relatable webcomic with over 125k followers on Instagram, comes a hilariously poignant collection of beautifully illustrated short stories that chronicle the ever-evolving perspectives of your twenties on work, therapy, identity, heartbreak, friendship, and more.
Wielding her trademark balance of artful humor, levity, and heartbreaking introspection, Meichi Ng’s indisputably relatable collection of short stories holds a mirror to our past, present, and future selves.
Featuring a swaddled, gender-neutral, Barely Functional Adult as its protagonist, who says all the things we think but cannot say, this book is equal parts humorous and heartbreaking as it spans a spectrum of topics including imposter syndrome, therapy, friendships, first loves, letting go of exes, and just trying to find your purpose in the world. Prepare to excitedly shove this book in your friend’s face with little decorum as you shout, “THIS IS SO US!”
In this beautiful, four-color collection compiled completely of never-before-seen content, Meichi perfectly captures the best and worst of us in every short story, allowing us to weep with pleasure at our own fallibility. Hilarious, relatable, and heart-wrenchingly honest, Barely Functional Adult will have you laughing and crying in the same breath, and taking solace in the fact that we’re anything but alone in this world
User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
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When I heard about the concept of BARELY FUNCTIONAL ADULT, I felt personally attacked by the premise-- in a good way. Adulting is hard sometimes, especially if you're feeling depressed, have just switched careers, are struggling with impostor syndrome, or are in the middle of overcoming some sort of personal hurdle. This graphic novel essay collection covers all of that and more, with charmingly simplistic doodles reminiscent of Allie Brosh.
I enjoyed this book quite a bit, especially the introductory essay about her pet dwarf frogs, and the essays about the difficulty of making friends as an adult and realizing you're getting older and therefore aren't as "cool" or fun. I think there's a lot to relate to in this book and for the most part, I found it quite charming. I just wish there had been a little more humor and maybe the stories were a bit more personal. Meichi Ng makes some very interesting connections about the universe and it would be cool to get more insights into her mind.
4 to 4.5 stars
Rating: really liked it
RELATABLE, Y'ALL.
Rating: really liked it
this cover art character looks like a concept art sketch for Among Us and somehow that really pleases me
Rating: really liked it
Are you going through a particularly anxious period? Worries plaguing your mind, keeping you awake? Or are you simply feeling just a bit extra emotional about everything in life right now?
Meichi Ng’s Barely Functional Adult will perhaps give you a few answers. She somehow manages to make you laugh, think, amused, and nod along in heartfelt empathy. You will nod along because her experiences are so unflinchingly honest, so recognisable. Ng talks about dealing with heartbreak, the loss of a pet, getting around to the idea of therapy, getting acquainted with therapy, of letting go, and the importance of “friendships that required little or no maintenance. The kind of friends who if I asked to help bury a dead body, would simply respond, “How many and where?”
I loved that Ng took the relatability factor up by several notches with her mostly gender-neutral characters. By making her story and the characters inclusive she makes that arc of oneness stronger. With that she also reinforces the all-important message of being kind to ourselves and of being vulnerable.
I procrastinate. I struggle to find a footing in social settings. I had much rather be with a book or with my handful of friends who will help me bury dead bodies. I have been known to suddenly break away in the middle of a conversation to chase a colourful butterfly or a bright ladybug for the perfect click. I feel I don’t fit in to certain things that most people seem to easily do. Essentially, I feel like a barely functional adult many a time.
But as Ng says, “in trying to figure out what makes us happy, we're bound to feel a little lost at times. But maybe this sense of feeling lost is necessary. Maybe feeling lost is just the prerequisite of adventure—the first chapter of any good story.”
An insightful yet quick read. Highly recommended!
Rating: really liked it
This book was hilarious! Meichi Ng shares her tales as a kinda sorta / trying my best / WTF am I even doing type of adult. Three words: frog butthole pebbles. I cannot. 😂
Rating: really liked it
This is more of a 3.5, but I couldn't find any good reason to round down to a 3. This isn't what I expected at all, but it's a nice little nonfiction collection of comics and essays. I thought it was going to be exclusively comics and more humor-based, but it's about half comics and half text, and it's a lot more serious than I was anticipating! That said, there are some fun conversations to be had here and a few chapters offer extremely helpful perspectives on things like therapy, mental illness, impostor syndrome, and even simply not knowing what you want to do with your life when you feel like you've reached an age where you should have it all together.
Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with this review copy in exchange for an honest review!
Rating: really liked it
Decent humorous illustrated memoir type thing. A quick read. Unfortunately, it's kind of impossible for me to not compare this to Allie Brosh, and while this definitely has some funny moments, it's nowhere near the
oh my god fucking stop i can't breathe level that Brosh routinely achieves. I also thought the attempts to weave together two separate incidents on a sort of theme or whatever didn't really work well.
My favorite chapters were probably the "The Long Con" which deals mostly with imposter syndrome type stuff and connected some dots on discomfort with praise that I'd never connected myself, and "Oldpocalypse".
Some stuff I highlighted:
“Well you see, he’s ugly cute,” I would later explain to people who never asked. It was a label that acknowledged his homely looks, but also insisted there was some redeeming beauty to be slowly uncovered, like an acquired taste for your eyes.
When you first break up, your friends are there for you. They’re there because they love you, and more importantly, they’re there because they need to talk shit about your ex and this is the window of opportunity they’ve been patiently waiting for.
I grew wary of recognition and even began to fear it. It was as though praise was a powerful spotlight, and every time I stood in it, I risked revealing my true incompetence.
It was hard to explain my feelings without coming across as though I was fishing for compliments, so I stopped trying to explain altogether.
3.? rounding up.
Rating: really liked it
I went into this book expecting only comics. What I got was very word-heavy and at first, it was okay but it kind of soured after I read the first HP reference. Color me surprised that there were quite a few of them sprinkled throughout the book. After what the author of HP did any mention of her or that series makes me cringe and back away slowly. It's mentioned that this book took around 3 years to write, but I still wish that the author just removed the series she name-dropped with something vague. After that, it kind of took the sparkle away from this book. The topics were very relatable but I don't know how much better or worse the comics made it. The comics were just there. The writing was fine though.
Rating: really liked it
This one is worth reading when you have nothing better to do or just want to have the company of a human being that is real but in printed format. Yes, I made it sound so horrible just now. But you know what I mean.
The author would understand me the most when I say this. So I don't see any issues here. Sorry though for those who still think I write horrible things.
Yes, it's people like me who would enjoy books like this. Yes, everyone who can relate to adulting struggles can relate to this collection but us, those who actually cannot move on easily or get attached too easily, can relate more I feel.
The entire book is just not comics though I wish it was! There's actual paragraphs of words and sentences. You see, I cannot write normal anymore 🤦
I love how funny the writing is. Depending on the day you read this book, you might appreciate the writing more than the comics or comics more than the former or just both. For me, it happened to be the comics which I feel was too less in the entire book as compared to the writing and I was expecting a whole lotta comic from the artist in this one.
So putting aside the heartshattering disappointment, I still felt quite entertained while reading the whole book.
This book won't take up much of your time but yes, you will be able to relate to a lot of things in it.
Rating: really liked it
Cute. Relatable. Funny. Somewhat sad. Quick, easy reading.
Meichi Ng is from Vancouver, and I love reading local authors.
I enjoyed the comics. I laughed out loud more than a few times. And I loved the chapter titled Oldpocalypse.
“It was hard to watch. One by one, my friends became unrecognizable monsters as they evolved from their beautiful, barely functional selves into deplorably responsible humans. I, on the other hand, had no intention of surrendering my youth. If my previously cool best friends wanted to be painfully sober, fiscally responsible, well-rested adults, that was fine. To each their own.”
Rating: really liked it
I really love it when I discover a book that covers major real life events that is relatable and I can easily connect with.
Barely Functional Adult by Meichi Ng is a witty and comical novel that is part memoir and part comic strip. It is a collection of illustrated short stories that depict the best and worst of adult life and the joy and fear that we face when learning to navigate it’s difficulties. These laugh out loud illustrations tackles topics such as impostor syndrome, therapy, friendship, letting go of exes, finding your purpose in life, getting older, anxiety, and the stress we encounter in finding the right career. This novel is filled with humor and honesty. It is a reminder that no matter who you are or what struggles you’re dealing with, you are not alone.
I am completely in awe of this amazing book. I mean, I literally finished it in one day and cannot stop gushing about it. While reading, I felt like the author and I were the same person. Every chapter was accurate and 100% relatable. There were moments when I had to pause and take in every detail of what I was reading. This book sure as hell hit close to home. It was scary how much of a connection I made with every topic discussed in each chapter. The stories that the author shared are insightful and full of wisdom. The graphic illustrations made the book very enjoyable. From the moment I sat down to read, I knew I was in for an exciting ride. One minute I was laughing so much and the next I was in my feelings. Barely Functional Adult will make you laugh from start to end. You do not want to miss out on this book.
Thank you to the publishers for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: really liked it
My wife received an Advance Readers Copy of this book from the publisher. I stumbled across it sitting on the kitchen table. I flipped it open to see what it was... and I ended up accidentally reading the whole thing.
Reading this brought to mind David Sedaris by way of Allie Brosh/Hyperbole and a Half, leaning more toward the latter than the former. I thoroughly enjoyed it and found much that resonated with me. Since I wasn't aware of the author's work previously, I didn't really know what to expect when I started reading; but the prose mixed with/illustrated by comics definitely worked for the stories being told, in my opinion.
Rating: really liked it
There are some books I read that make me feel like the author is an old friend of mine. And I would love to give that old friend a hug and pat them on the head. Meichi Ng’s ‘Barely Functional Adult’ is one of those books.
This book is so warm and relatable. So honest and endearing. And so achingly funny. I read it on my sister’s tab and it was worth doing so as the colors came alive. The colors that Meichi Ng paints are our colors. All colors of our rainbow-filled life. Aich. This is a beautiful book that just touched me. You can’t really go wrong recommending this book. Or reading it.
Rating: really liked it
Very relatable as someone who has always had anxiety and was considered "weird". I was also in the perfect age range to have most of the topics covered in the book feel relevant.
With memoir style books it can feel like the person has experienced a very interesting life and at some point I start lose my attachement to the writer. This never happened with BFA. I liked that most of the chapters focused on fairly common events and anything that set the author apart was nothing more than set dressing.
Not quite a graphic novel but also not quite a novel either. It is written almost like a children's storybook with text and comics intermingled. Certainly worth picking up if youre the type of introvert who suffers from emotional baggage and imposter syndrome.
Rating: really liked it
If, like me, you’ve been having a hard time finding a book to hold your attention, I highly recommend this one. It’s funny. It’s relatable. It’s honest. It’s a fast read that is a little short story and a little graphic novel. It’s the 2020 read we are all in need of.
I received an advanced copy in exchange for my review.
