Was That Normal? by Alex Potts

Is it weird that I read this book and immediately assumed that the protagonist must have grown up with a super critical parent or guardian who absolutely failed him in preparing him for an autonomous life?

Lol, the irony there, ofc, being me asking if that’s weird, given the title of this book. And I suppose it isn’t “weird” per se more than it perhaps shows a slightly higher level of empathy than the average person might feel on being confronted with Philip’s story. Philip is in his forties and lives with Caroline, his perfectly lovely older landlady, in a coastal British town. He works from home and is thrilled to finally live in an area that he’s dreamed of for so long. He does not, however, seem to have any friends, and actively avoids Caroline’s company even tho her brand of affability extends more to inviting him out to socialize vs being actually intrusive about his personal life and daily activities. Mostly, Philip keeps to himself and spends his days overthinking everything, tho he does go for long walks in town and the surrounding countryside, appreciating both the views and the history of the place.

One day, he finally gives in and accepts Caroline’s invitation to go to a nearby music venue called The Quagmire. He doesn’t care for the band that’s playing but does find himself fascinated by their beautiful lead singer Gina. When he runs into her at his usual cafe, he thinks it must be fate. Sure enough, the two strike up a friendship, of sorts, as he struggles to get out of his own head. But disaster looms over the town, and over their fragile new relationship. Will introverted, anxious Philip get the happily ever after that he can’t help but pine for?

Alright, I’m going to straight up say that if you’re an animal lover, this probably won’t be the book for you. Philip has several weird fantasies of fighting various animals, and while these are definitely presented as imaginary, they’re also depicted quite graphically, in a way that I personally found off-putting.

Philip himself is a quite realistic depiction of a man who is something of a sad sack. He seems like the kind of person who was so relentlessly brow beaten as a kid that he can’t help but second guess himself constantly, scrutinizing his every human interaction to ensure that it passes muster from the critic he’s internalized. He’s not a bad person, he just doesn’t have a strong sense of himself, and frankly I can see why Gina doesn’t want to be in a relationship with someone who needs so much internal work. She’s old enough to want partnership, not a project. Philip has potential, but at his big age that isn’t a good enough foundation off of which to build a solid relationship, or at least not one where she’s clearly going to be doing the majority of the emotional labor.

In a similar fashion, this graphic novel feels somewhat formless, as if it’s searching for meaning too. It’s a great slice-of-life depiction, and Alex Potts’ art is suitably atmospheric throughout, with exteriors deftly matching Philip’s internal state. Unfortunately, it doesn’t really go anywhere. I was far more invested in Gina’s life than in his because she was doing and trying things. Maybe I’m just too extroverted to fully sympathize, but between the imaginary violence to animals and the bizarre lengths he’d go to in order to avoid his kind landlady, I didn’t really care about him, and you kinda have to in order to fully appreciate a book like this one. It just wasn’t for me, I guess.

Was That Normal? by Alex Potts was published March 26 2026 by Avery Hill Publishing and is available from all good booksellers, including