Barely Functional Adult by Meichi Ng (Review by Madhura Mukhopadhyay)

Adulthood is hard. You’re booted off, unceremoniously, into the world to juggle your health, friendships, family, relationships, finances, career, and so on. I am sure all of us have woken up on a weekday morning with a sense of ‘why haven’t I gotten anything figured out?’ (I know I have, far too many times). Barely Functional Adult by Meichi Ng (creator of the webcomics with the same name) is a set of illustrated short stories where the author narrates her own path of trying, and sometimes failing spectacularly, to make sense of adulthood. Possibly my favorite story from this collection is the one where the author narrates her frustration at all her friends suddenly becoming responsible and grown up in their choices. No more staying up till 3 A.M binge-drinking Long Island iced teas. Maybe I related a bit too hard to that one. In other stories, Meichi Ng describes the tumultuous time after the end of a relationship or the uncertainties that prevent us from quitting a job we hate or the doubt that holds us back from making new friends. The stories never come across as holier-than-thou, instead, through hilarious cartoons the author invites us to laugh with her at the ups and downs that make up our lives. I loved this book. I can already picture readers laughing, crying and nodding along with these relatable and hilarious anecdotes!