Literally Me

By Julie Houts

LIVE. LAUGH. LOVE. or
EXIST. SMURK. LURK

Julie Houts has cultivated a devoted following as ‘Instagram’s favourite illustrator’ (Vogue) by lampooning the conflicting messages and images women consume and share with the world every day.
A collection of darkly comic illustrated essays, Literally Me chronicles the daily exploits of ‘slightly antisocial heroines’ (Refinery29) in vivid, excruciatingly funny detail, including:

• The beauty routine of a deranged bride who aspires to be ‘truly without flaws’ on her wedding day
• What happens when Kylie Jenner has an existential crisis and can no longer ‘step out’
• A journey to Coachella by the Four Horsewomen of the Apocalypse
• The true dating confessions of a fembot
• The terrifying description for Alice Staunch’s book How to be the Perfect Feminist

Literally Me marks the launch of a brilliant new social satirist. Julie’s singular voice and beautiful illustrations reveal the truth about the absurdity of life in the social media age: the line between becoming a total ‘Girlboss’ and a 21st-century American Psycho is razor-thin.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
• Release date: Oct 24, 2017
• ISBN: 9781471166686

Julie Houts

Julie Houts is an illustrator and former womenswear designer at J. Crew. She was raised in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and St. Louis, Missouri, before studying at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and Parsons School of Design in New York. Her work has been featured in Vogue, Nylon, Man Repeller, Stylebop, Huffington Post, and Refinery29. She lives in Brooklyn. Visit her website JulieHouts.com.

Reviews for Literally Me

[amellia_fiske · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book immediately caught my eye on our library's shelf. It's "graphic novel" classification led me to a certain expectation; however, the book was more of an assortment of comedic essays mixed with drawings and comics. I read some pretty scathing reviews of the book, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I definitely took it to be more satirical than supportive of today's social climate, pointing a funny/sad finger at the pressures young women face today in an increasingly superficial world. Several times, I laughed out loud and the artwork was wonderful. I showed my coworkers passages that especially stood out, which is something I rarely do. I definitely recommend this book.