Archival Quality

I really appreciated what this was going for. It didn't quite work, and it wasn't quite as smoothly written as I'd have liked. But it was the writer's first graphic novel, so they definitely have promise. It starts an important discussion. The art is largely charming. Especially the character of Holly, who has impeccable fashion, and Abayomi, who is stuffy and adorable.

The story and its characters are imperfect. I felt that the pacing was decent, it's a little slow in the beginning, but I think that's due to its genre and is therefore fitting. The boyfriend is supportive, but not in the exact way that Cel wishes him to be, which I find true to life in the general way of boyfriend/girlfriend relations as well as with people experiencing mental illness and their support group.

I love this book's messages and I love the various volume that they are sounded at.

Positive LBGT message, sounded at a subtle volume: Holly and Gina are girlfriends. However, it's not a big deal, it's only implied that maybe Gina's father doesn't approve, and it could be cronyism equally as likely as bigotry — or that he just a stick in the mud and might not approve of anyone. Also they have a positive relationship, in which I didn't spot any overt stereotypes.

Positive mental health message, at a loud volume: over and over again it's written that it's ok to get and seek help, to start again, to try again, to engage in self care, and to take breaks. This is amazing and I don't think can be emphasized enough.
Cel was never labeled as crazy by anyone besides herself. And although what Cel was saying was implausible (eg ghost/haunting) her support group still believed in her and labeled her feelings as valid.

Additional message that the field of medicine (and arguably psychology and where they intersect) has a very messy past. Especially when it come to women and people of color...and the poor. I highly enjoyed the afterward

I just had a really hard time suspending my disbelief over the basic premise of “these medical archives will hire a college dropout as an archivist and we provide an on-site apartment for you to live in and you can only digitize things at NIGHT because those are just the hours okay!” Like...yeah sure that's the setup for a haunted house story or whatever but I feel like the author could have tried a little harder to make that setup make...sense?

and then with the reveal that the museum board was selling old bodies/samples/whatever from former patrons who died in care of the old hospital...like sure yes horrifying but also WHAT WAS ANYONE DOING WITH THOSE? would have loved a panel or something for like...idk were goth kids buying them for decor or what.Like I get the CORE of it, that the patients who died from horrible medical care/experiments would haunt this old archives, looking for their stories to be told etc..and I think that's a GOOD idea for a story...but then all these extra trappings around it just don't make sense to me and also don't seem necessary??

That said....the artwork is cute and I appreciate the diverse cast and, I guess I appreciate the inclusion of a clinically depressed main character (although I didn't feel like her whole arc was very fleshed out the way it COULD have been)? But rly would only recommend to diehard fans of haunted house type stories.