My Solo Exchange Diary: The Sequel to My Lesbian Experience With Loneliness: 2 Paperback – 1 July 2018

The art is brilliant and I love the story that she tells, it sounds like someone taking my life and slightly adjusting it.The only real differences are some more complex gender issues and a different age but it reads like my backstory.The end of this book (spoilers ahead) sounds almost precisely like a time I experienced in my life where I made the exact same mistakes that the author did which is why I have a strong suspicion that she does in fact love this person but she is overthinking the situation and is essentially not allowing herself to love them.I seriously want to reach through the book and slap her because I know she is going to wake up in a few years and realise what a horrible mistake it will be if she ends this relationship.To be fair part of the reason I am writing this review is in a hope the author will read it and listen to me when I say that I have been in the exact same situation and I wish with all my hear that I could go back to that time and not do exactly what you are doing.

I really enjoyed Nagata Kabi’s first graphic novel, My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness. So, I was so pleased when I found the sequel, My Solo Exhange Diary which covers the writing and drawing of her first book and is in diary form. Very clever.Over 16 chapters (including the bonus) Naga details her life experiences from leaving home, dealing with her parents, her parents reaction to her graphic novel and her coming out (though not sure if she ever did to her parents) and trying to integrate into her own world and look for female love and friends.It’s a warts and all account which delves a lot deeper then her first book, and remember this is autobiographical. She has strength and bravery to write it and even Naga is surprised when one female love interest is happy to be drawn in the book and referred to.I should have said at the start that Nagata Kabi, both wrote and drew the book. She has many talents.Some of the entries are very deep and thoughtful for example where she considers the balance between happiness and unhappiness. However, I do not want to give the impression that this is a hard read, far from it. Once you get used to reading Japanese manga comics in the reverse manner, to which we in the west read, then its is a breeze and to be honest after a few pages it becomes automatic.Naga deals with friendship and especially her love for her mother and how she needs to deal with that if she is to leave home. It’s a difficult position to be in in that her mother is unwell, her father is not supportive and the family has her father’s mother living there which causes extra stress. Naga has to decide if she has to abandon her mother to get the happiness she requires. Her attempts are pathetic at times and she lacks courage and this is well documented.I thought that the chapter dealing with self-esteem was excellent and I identified with that and also feel a friend has had similar issues at times. I love it when you can identify with the contents of a book. Feels like that they are in your head or talking about you.The book leaves more questions that answers so clearly a follow-up volume is to come. Just looked and its on pre-order for 14th January 2019. Guess who may be one off the first to order it!!

Not as good as the first one.