A Pros and Cons List for Strong Feelings by Will Betke

A Finalist for the 2022 Lambda Literary Award for Lgbtq+ Comics. A Modern Mrs. Darcy's Best Book of FallA Shondaland Best Book of November. ""Filled with moments of tenderness and humor. "" - Library Journal, Starred ReviewAn unexpected and poignant debut graphic memoir about a close-knit family approaching loss, and the wonder and joy they create along the way. During Will Betke-Brunswick's sophomore year of college, their beloved mother, Elizabeth, is diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. They only have ten more months together, which Will documents in evocative two-color illustrations. But as we follow Will and their mom through chemo and hospital visits, their time together is buoyed by laughter, jigsaw puzzles, modern art, and vegan BLTs. In a delightful twist, Will portrays their family as penguins, and their friends are cast as a menagerie of birds. In between therapy and bedside chats, they navigate uniquely human challenges, as Will prepares for math exams, comes out as genderqueer, and negotiates familial tension. A Pros and Cons List for Strong Feelings is an act of loving others and loving oneself, offering a story of coming-of-age, illness, death, and life that announces the arrival of a talented storyteller in Will Betke-Brunswick.