Unfortunately, most of these comics were pretty forgettable to me. I just finished it two days ago and already can’t remember most of them. I do recall that the comic is broke up into sections related to coping with and attempting to act normal within different aspects of your life. Such as yourself, the world, and work. My favorite panels were under the ‘Coping with Love’ section. I definitely found those entertaining.

I’m sure if you’re already a fan of John McNamee and his work then you’ll enjoy this one as well. However, this was my first foray into his work, and I can’t really say I related to much of what was written.

That’s just my opinion though. Your mileage may vary.

Received via Netgalley. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

Such a lovely quirky read. This book has so many little comics in it that there is bound to be something for everyone. I found that so many of them spoke to me and had me chuckling aloud.
The illustrations are perfect even though they are very simple. I read it on my kindle and I found that all of the strips translated very well to black and white, there wasn't any time that I struggled to make out the illustrations. They do also look lovely in colour.
This book was exactly what I needed to cheer me up, especially with everything kicking up again. It is surely one that I will go back to in the future. I am already excited to share some of them with my husband, I mean where does all the toilet paper really go?

A lively collection of cartoons which speak to the statement that there is no such thing as normal. Many of the comic strips, broken into different sections, gave me a chuckle or two. I didn't quite laugh out loud. I would have loved to have had even more drawings included. At 128 pages, this was a breeze to go through.

This collection of satirical comics is bound to make you laugh out loud. The cartoons are hilarious, but brief, making it the perfect book to flick through in a spare 10 minutes. I won't be buying a copy as it isn't suitable for my libraries, but I know a few people who would love this for Christmas.

This collection of comics is my first encounter with the world of Pie Comics.
The comic book is divided into sections like "Coping with Childhood", "Coping with Society", "Coping with Work", "Coping with Love", "Coping with the World", "Coping with Yourself". You'll be able to finish reading this collection within an hour. The comics themselves are pithy and witty, and will leave you chuckling for days when you think of random frames. A few of my favourites are: the whiskey and coffee one, the unavailable father one, the time works differently in the office one and many more.
On a more personal note, this comic book resonated with me because I understood that drawing people in comics does not necessarily pre-empt the use of beautiful faces or perfect bodies, even stick figure comics can make you chuckle with glee.
Thank you NetGalley and Oni Press for this wonderful copy!

This was exactly the laughs I needed today. Goofy graphics with sardonic commentary about all the futilities of life that made me laugh out loud so many times. I will be sharing these comics forever. They are equally hopeful and dark... a little like the Peanuts and Calvin Hobbes met and had a comic baby. John McNamee just gets me.

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is a wonderful collection of comic strips that grows on you as you keep reading.
John McNamee has his own outlook on life, and many might find similar ideas to their own in this collection of musings. I would describe John as a hopeful pessimist, who sees life for the epic fail that it mostly is, but still marches on, with a vague hope for a slightly brighter future.
John's insights on life, relationships, work and hobbies are hilarious and relatable. His illustrations are minimalist, bordering on primitive, and that was the one drawback for me at first. I couldn't relate to the stick figures as well I should have. But then towards the middle of the book, the author gave an explanation to the nature of his style, and that warmed my heart. True, not all people are blessed with natural artistic talents, but anyone who would like to create art has the right to do so, and should be given the chance to succeed in their own way.
All in all, this is an an enjoyable book, perhaps not on par with the most brilliant examples of this genre, but still a great collection worthy of your time.

This collection of simply-drawn, single-page comics is really good. I had a few laugh out loud moments. I would definitely recommend this book to friends.

I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

Just Act Normal is a collection of Pie Comics all centered around trying to look “normal”. I have a dry, sarcastic sense of humor, so when I saw the blurb mentioned that type of humor, I had to check it out! The simple drawings paired well with the tone of the comics. Some of the jokes were better than others for me. I probably wouldn't check out another book by this author.

Nice collection of short comics. It's a slice of life genre. It's related to our current state. Illustrations not bad .All over liked it. Recommended to all!!!

Just Act Normal is the third in the PIE Comics Collection. I didn't love or hate it, but I lost interest towards the end. If you're looking for irreverent humor that is a nice distraction.

What had me pick this up: That cute cover with simplistic art style and it's promise of "dry, sarcastic humor".

It was a short and sweet ride. I enjoyed the art style that complimented the themes of the humor so well. It was quite hilarious at times but still lacked the punch it needed.

This was a collection of comics that brought out several topics like struggles and coping with childhood, society, work, love, world and yourself to the table all while being light and funny. I liked how it was all divided in several parts dealing with each topic.

Overall, it was a very relatable and interesting graphic novel anyone would surely enjoy!

Thanks to NetGalley and Oni Press for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book is a short and fun read about utterly relatable life situations. Some of the pieces were very deep yet it was portrayed in a comical way which I couldn't get enough of. I wanted to continue reading until the very end. It was simple, meaningful yet groundbreaking. The perfect graphic novel to read to pass time.

This book was such a hilarious read!!

The topics it covered were so relatable at times, and then suddenly the characters would do something random and strange and i'd burst out laughing! And i think that's what makes this book so great. It takes what we consider to be normal and then flips it straight on it's head! The adorable drawings were also brilliant, and I loved that the artwork was colored.

I look forward to reading the rest of the books in this collection!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Oni Press for providing the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Just Act Normal by John McNamee is a selection of humorous and quirky comics. A fun look at life and failing. Easy to read and brilliantly illustrated.

𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝟒.𝟖/𝟓

Synopsis: Just Act Normal is a compilation of Pie Comic strips that cartoonist John McNamee published on his Tumblr page.

My Thoughts: The book’s structure is divided into six sections: Coping with Childhood, Coping with Society, Coping with Work, Coping with Love, Coping with the World, and Coping with Yourself. Being a gag-a-day comic devoid of any continuity or recurring characters, the only commonalities the cartoons within each section share are their loosely-connected themes. Not unlike humor webcomics such as Berkley Mews and Jake Likes Onions, Pie Comics uses its simplistic childlike art style to its advantage to make astute observational and wryly humorous jokes regarding the human condition with a full-shot injection of absurdism, existential angst, and trope subversions, the perfect recipe to a bitter yet comforting meal.

Since NetGalley won't let me post excerpts from the book, you can see them along with my commentary on my blog or Goodreads review linked here:
https://sammythecritic.blogspot.com/2020/09/just-act-normal-pie-comics-collection.html
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3557943595?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

Final Thoughts: Overall, Just Act Normal was a funny and relatable comic strip collection worth taking a look at if you’re in the mood for a quick read with a fistful of laughs and light existential dread.

This was a hilarious collection of comics that I think just about everyone can identify with. We all have moments where we just want to lie on the floor and allow the meaninglessness of life wash over us. Or accept the fact that lying on a couch all day *can* be #goals.
If you like comics and you’re a depressed but secretly hopeful millennial, buy this book. It is your spirit animal now.

Need advice for coping with anything? Society, work, love, this book has you covered.
Some were very funny and only one or two that I had seen before.

I really wanted to like this comic. When I read the description, I thought it would be totally up my alley. It was not.

The drawings are incredibly basic and simplistic, but it doesn't detract from the book. The depressing and vulgar quips are what turned me off from this cute read.

There were a couple of pages that made me smile or laugh, but most of them were just repulsive and heart breaking.

It is a wonderful cartoon collection. Few random and simple lines and it creates a hilarious situation. Each cartoon was funny.
It explores circumstances of life from an extreme perspective of a naughty teenager or kid.
It deals with failures and inconveniences of routine life,. What we call a normal life.
And to fit in it we have to act normal.
A very easy read and highly recommended.