Someone to Talk To by Grégory Panaccione

This is a short graphic novel that packs a punch. One man is celebrating a sad, lonely birthday, calling an ex. This is Samuel’s existence. He is not happy in both his personal and professional lives. The only friends he seems to have is an old couple downstairs. He calls the only number he remembers on his landline, that of his childhood home. Samuel answers, this is himself all those years ago. In this time-slip (I had not known this word before but love the images it conjures up), the Samuel from the future talks to the one from the past and counsels him through a hard phase in his life. In return, he gains the confidence to make changes in his life.
I do not want to go into the rest of the story because it is not a big volume and can be read in one sitting – even with the heavy emotional content. I did not enjoy the love story because it seemed at odds with the rest of the narrative, but the very last set of panels upped the rating again. It was hard not to chuckle at it. It was a pretty ideal way to wrap up such a book.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience .