"Sleepwalking and Other Stories" by Adrian Tomine

Sleepwalking is a collection of sixteen separate stories written and drawn by Adrian Tomine. Each story is different, but there is a constant in the theme of isolation, desperation, and loneliness in each story. In “Lunchtime”, a little old lady packs her lunch and eats it while sitting in her parked car, remembering better days. In “Supermarket”, a grocery store worker is helpful and chipper to a blind customer, but when she sees him later on the street, her actions are different.
Each of these stories are heartbreaking and a little depressing, yet compelling in how exact and precise they capture human emotion. In “Six Day Cold”, a man must struggle with the feelings he has for his ex who just wants to be friends. Who hasn’t felt that way before? This is a pretty fast read, although some of the stories were a little too depressing for me (“Pink Frosting”) to which I had to put the book down.

4/5 stars