Spent: A Comic Novel

It took me too long to figure out how to read this: is it a memoir? autofiction? pure fiction? There are ambiguous hints of each... and once I gave up on pigeonholing it all flowed so much better. Delightfully. So much so that I went back and reread it as soon as I finished, picking up much more, paying closer attention to the gorgeous artwork, and bumping from four to five stars. It's worth the reread, there's a lot in here. Bechdel is hella smart, and funny, and bitingly sarcastic, and tender, and it adds up to a beautiful moving work. Jabs—often at her own expense—at consumerism, the attention economy, heteronormativity, mononormativity, the dystopia we find ourselves in. Wisdom and insight on relationships, communication, and what really matters. And, for fans of Dykes To Watch Out For, they're all here in exquisite middle-age glory! What a treat to spend time with them again!

Oh, almost forgot: lots of cats and baby goats.