For the parent supporting a child grappling with community violence, this memoir offers a powerful, personal account of healing and resilience after trauma.
A parent might reach for this book when their teen is trying to process the fear and anxiety surrounding school shootings or community violence. This graphic memoir is the author's firsthand account of surviving the 2015 Umpqua Community College shooting and its aftermath. It doesn't shy away from the terror of the event, but its true focus is on the long, difficult road of recovery that follows. The book explores complex themes of PTSD, survivor's guilt, anxiety, and the feeling of being numb in the face of tragedy. For mature teens (14+), this powerful story validates difficult emotions, shows the reality of healing, and provides a starting point for vital conversations about trauma, mental health, and resilience.
Focuses on grief, PTSD, survivor's guilt, anxiety, and depression.
LanguageMild
Some instances of profanity are used for emotional emphasis.
Sensitive Topics
The book's approach to violence and death is direct and unflinching. The shooting is depicted visually, focusing on the chaos and fear rather than graphic gore. The handling of trauma and mental health is secular, centered on clinical therapy, peer support, and the healing power of art. The resolution is realistic and deeply hopeful. It makes clear that recovery is not about being “cured” but about learning to live with the scars, a process that is ongoing. There is no simple, neat ending, which is a strength.
Ideal Reader
A teen aged 15-18 who is grappling with anxiety about gun violence or who feels emotionally shut down or “numb” in response to personal or societal trauma. It is for the reader who needs to see the messy, unglamorous reality of recovery and be reassured that their complicated feelings are valid.
Parent Prep
Parents must preview the first chapter (roughly pages 1-28), which depicts the shooting. The scenes are intense and may be very disturbing. A conversation with the teen before they read is essential to frame the book not as a story about a shooting, but as a story about healing from one. The book's value is in the 250+ pages that come after the traumatic event. A parent notices their teen has become cynical or detached when news of a tragedy appears. The teen might say, “I don’t even care anymore,” or express a deep sense of hopelessness or fear about their own safety at school. The parent is looking for a way to open a conversation about these overwhelming feelings.
Age Experience
A younger reader (14) will likely connect most with the visceral fear of the event and the validation of their own anxieties. An older teen (16-18) will better appreciate the nuanced exploration of PTSD, the critique of media coverage, and the complex journey of forging a new identity after trauma.
What Makes It Special
This book's power lies in its focus on the long, un-televised aftermath of a mass shooting. The graphic novel format is uniquely effective at visualizing the internal, invisible experience of PTSD, making concepts like dissociation and intrusive thoughts tangible. It is a rare and vital first-person account of healing for a young adult audience.
Read plot summary
This graphic memoir follows author Kindra Neely in the aftermath of the 2015 Umpqua Community College shooting, which she survived. The book depicts the shooting event itself but dedicates the majority of its narrative to the long-term consequences. Neely documents her struggles with severe PTSD, anxiety, depression, and survivor's guilt. We follow her through therapy sessions (including EMDR), her strained relationships with friends and family who don't understand her experience, and her eventual connection with a community of other survivors. The book is a raw, honest look at the nonlinear process of healing from profound trauma.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.
Discussion Prompts
1
The title of the memoir is 'Numb to This.' How does Kindra illustrate the feeling of being numb throughout the book? Why do you think this is a common response to trauma?
2
Kindra tries different forms of therapy, including EMDR. On pages 158-160, she visualizes her trauma as a monster. Why was it helpful for her to see it as a separate entity she could confront?
3
Throughout the book, Kindra struggles with people saying the wrong thing. What were some examples of unhelpful comments she received? What does her story teach us about how to better support someone who has gone through something terrible?
4
On page 213, Kindra finds a community with other survivors she calls 'The Rebels.' How did finding this group change her perspective on her own healing? What does the book say about the importance of shared experience?
