NUMB TO THIS

An intense rendering of one persons experience involved in a tragic event that has become all too commonplace. The novel provides both a vivid telling of such a traumatic incident as well as an honest understanding of how the effects of one event can be rehashed in your brain over and over.The art style is warm and colorful, providing both powerful images of the anxiety and fear felt in the moment as well as the bright color that fills our lives, even when it feels dim.

This book surprised me in that I never thought someone could suffer post-traumatic stress just from being in the vicinity of a mass shooting. As Kindra relates the shooting on her school campus, she hears the gunshots but is several buildings away from the incident. Still, she shows how even that limited exposure left her struggling to cope for years. I’m glad I learned that truth from this book.In many places the book presents a kind of collage of images without dialogue or narration. I sometimes had difficulty understanding what these images were intended to communicate, which was frustrating. Also, the narration at times felt heavy-handed.Despite its shortcomings, the book did move me, especially the scenes at the March for Our Lives. I’m glad that Kindra is in recovery. I recommend this book to all sensitive, thinking people.

Kindra Neely is unflinching in telling of her experience as a survivor of a mass shooting. It’s a story that can be told by far too many, and Neely underscores that survivors are individuals, each with their own path through. Numb to This is beautifully illustrated and told, and ultimately is a story of persistence, friendship, and hope.