Review - Sorry I Ruined Your Childhood

Sorry I Ruined Your Childhood
by Ben Zaehringer
Date: 2019
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Reading level: A
Book type: comic collection
Pages: 144
Format: e-book
Source: NetGalley

Berkeley Mews' appealing, accessible art style belies a cartoon world of dark humor, dry wit, and irreverent reimaginings of popular culture. In Berkeley Mews, bad things happen to good people, good things happen to bad people, and everything usually ends in disappointment or death. Satisfaction guaranteed!

A subversive, hilarious, dark-but-uplifting collection of comics skewering the commercial figures, Disney stories, and pop cultural touchstones that Millennials and Gen X-ers grew up with in the '80s and '90s. Ben Zaehringer's versatile art styles and wicked curveballs are sharp, clever and accessible, prompting many readers to comment that the author is "ruining their childhood" in the most delightful way possible.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

I don't think I was that familiar with these comics before reading this book. I may have seen one or two here and there online, but never really paid much attention. Collections like this can be hit or miss; sometimes it seems like there's just too much all in one place. But I actually found that the selections here are so diverse that I didn't really get bored or feel like I was seeing too much repetition.

Some of these are laugh-out-loud funny. Some will make you think. There are plenty of pop-culture references for Generation X-ers and Millennials (and Xennials) that'll have you taking a few trips down memory lane. Some of the comics are a little disturbing, but the drawing style is usually so simple that even when things get gory, they're not too difficult to look at.

Overall, I quite enjoyed these. The book is a quick read (you could easily finish in one sitting, if you wanted) but it's packed full of amusing stuff.

Thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for providing a digital ARC.

Writing & Editing: 4/5
Illustration: 3/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 4/5

Overall Rating: 3.8 out of 5 ladybugs