Woe: A Housecat’s Story of Despair is the collection in a single book of Lucy Knisley’s comics about her beloved family cat, Linney. In the advance reading copy, the drawing styles randomly vary from more simplistic to more refined, which implies that this compilation arranged the comics in an order that facilitates Linney’s story in a narrative arc. There are many depictions of Linney’s daily cat-ish behavior that will make other cat owners smile in recognition. Ms. Knisley’s love for Linney shines through and the comics do convey the unique relationship Linney has with each family member. This book would likely be most enjoyed by fans of Lucy Knisley who have been following Linney over the years. Independent of that prior relationship with the author’s work and when viewed as a stand-alone graphic novel about a cat, the book does not particularly stand-out.
Review of a Digital Advance Reading Copy
Content Analysis:
Profanity/Language: 3 religious exclamations.
Violence/Gore: Death of an animal; image of the administration of drugs to a animal to put it to sleep.
Sex/Nudity: None
Mature Subject Matter:
Euthanasia of a pet.
Alcohol/Drug Use:
Image of a syringe to administer drugs to an animal
