by Jonny Sun
First published 2021
Jonny Sun opens his world through personal essays, stories, and poems that tackle the weight of loneliness and the search for connection. He writes about struggling to feel productive, battling anxiety and depression, and navigating life as someone who often feels like an outsider. His pieces range from extended reflections on isolation to brief humor sketches and sharp one-liners. Sun examines what happiness means and how we find our place in a world that can feel overwhelming. His trademark illustrations accompany the writing, adding visual warmth to difficult topics. The collection includes everything from philosophical meditations to conversations with others to a recipe for scrambled eggs that carries unexpected emotional punch. Sun's honest approach to his mental health struggles creates space for readers wrestling with similar challenges, especially those trying to create meaningful work amid chaos.
Genres: essays, mental-health, adult-fiction, memoir, non-fiction, 21st-century
Vibes: emotional-atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, outsider-perspective
224 pages · Hardcover · Harper Perennial
Content warnings: anxiety, depression, mental-illness