Violet and the Trial of Trauma

                The Ladies of Horror Fiction new release list is one of my go-to places for learning about newly released horror titles. That is how I discovered the comic book Violet and the Trial of Trauma. Comic books are a genre of fiction that I do not actively seek out but if one catches my attention I enjoy picking them up. But this one appealed to two areas I am incredibly passionate about: dark fantasy and mental health.

                This past week has been a particularly emotionally intense week for me as I am dealing with the ways that the Corona virus is severely impacting my life…and as I mentioned earlier on this blog, I deal with the realities of being a person who battles daily with an anxiety disorder. I found myself enjoying how the fantasy world that is constructed around Violet training to become a dark agent (a person who fights to keep the balance between the living and the undead) while grappling with the tragic unexpected murder to her parents that occurred in her childhood.

                Reflecting on my own experiences that I deal with on a daily basis this might very well be one of the best portrayals of what it is like to live in a mentally anxious person’s head I have read. It portrays  a demon that changes people’s thoughts into anxious thought and a heroine who is mentally fearful of her own death and constantly questioning how others may be perceive her.  But it also dives into some of the coping mechanisms that counselors, books and podcasts have taught me as the story has mentor who is a therapist that walks through some mindfulness techniques that are utilized in acceptance and commitment therapy.

                It is no surprise that the author of this comic Dr. Janina Scarlet is a therapist. It was clearly written for teenagers who need to learn coping skills for dealing with post traumatic stress disorder and anxiety.  However adults who love comic books and/or are more visually inclined would get a lot out of this comic book if they are dealing with anxiety or even if they want to have a taste about what is going on in an anxious person’s head.  And as we are dealing with a fair amount of anxiety right now as a culture in these days of the Corona virus pandemic I am quite sure that anyone would benefit from reading this gem of a comic book.

I am also posting a modified version of this review on Goodreads and Amazon