Janina Scarlet PhD

Dark Agents by Janina Scarlet,PhD is a therapy/comic book dealing with issues of PTSD & Depression aimed at teenagers. I applaud the effort & I like that the author is trying to present these real world problem in a way teens might engage with. I think this comic has potential but a few things kept it from being a hit with me. The art is colorful but basic which seems aimed more toward younger teens but the dialog gets a bit long in places which seems misplaced for a younger teen. A little more "action" in the Art, especially the backgrounds & a little lighter, or broken down into smaller bites, on the dialog would make this interesting concept more readable.Received as part of the Librarything Early Reviewers for my honest opinion.… (more)

This graphic novel is meant to provide a way for young people who have suffered from trauma to understand their history and work toward a healthy live. Using a story about superhero types fighting evil, it attempts to explain what trauma is and what those who have experienced it might feel or act like because of it. Further it tries to offer techniques like mindfulness and acceptance/commitment therapy to help those sufferers cope. All are good goals but this book as a whole misses the mark. The story is not well flushed out, the characters are not fully constructed (therefore confusing) and this reader didn't come to care about any of them. The "message" part of the story is hard hitting and sounds like a lecture or therapy session not like a superhero story. Although well intentioned, I don't think it hits the mark for an interesting series that a casual, not traumatized young person would want to read.… (more)