Published: 2023
Author: Samuel Sattin
Illustrator: Rye Hickman
Genres: YA Graphic Novel, Contemporary, Mental Health
Audience: Grades 8–12
Number of Stars: ★★★★★ (5/5)
Goodreads Link: Buzzing
Content Warnings: OCD, intrusive thoughts, and parental conflict.
Publisher’s Summary
A moving middle grade graphic novel about friendship, belonging, and learning to love yourself despite the voices in your head. Isaac Itkin can’t get away from his thoughts. As a lonely twelve-year-old kid with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), everything from studying to looking in the mirror becomes a battle between him and a swarm of unhelpful thoughts.
The strict therapy his mother insists on doesn’t seem to be working, but when a group of friends invites him to join their after-school role-playing game, the thoughts feel a little less loud, and the world feels a little brighter. But Isaac’s therapist says that exposure to games can have negative effects on kids with OCD, and when his grades slip, his helicopter mother won’t let him play anymore. Now Isaac needs to find a way to prove to himself, to his mother, and to the world that the way to quiet the noise in his head may have been inside him all along.
Full Review
Isaac, the heart of this moving graphic novel, lives with OCD. His constant worries and compulsions are brilliantly depicted as “buzzing bee” characters that swarm through the art frames, illustrating the negative stream of thoughts running through his mind. These “bees” are a perfect visual metaphor for the disorder.
The story follows Isaac as he joins a group of friends playing a TTRPG (Tabletop Role-Playing Game) similar to Dungeons & Dragons. Among them is Micah, on whom Isaac develops a crush. The illustrator, Rye Hickman, beautifully captures both the real-world tensions and the vibrant fantasy world of the game. While Isaac’s mother is generally supportive, she struggles with “helicopter” tendencies, reflecting a very relatable teen struggle for independence.
Dedicated to the “weird kids,” the book includes an author’s note where Samuel Sattin shares his own experience with OCD. He found his community through gaming, and that sense of belonging shines through here. While fans of graphic novels like Awkward or Guts will appreciate the style, Buzzing carries a more mature tone that will resonate with older teens and neurodivergent adults alike.
🎒 Classroom & Curricular Connections
- Health (Neurodiversity): Use the “buzzing bees” metaphor to discuss different ways people experience anxiety or OCD. How does seeing the thoughts as separate characters help us understand the person experiencing them?
- ELA (Visual Literacy): Analyze Rye Hickman’s use of color. How does the palette change when the characters shift from the “real world” into the “Swamps & Sorcerers” game world?
- [Image showing a split-screen: muted blue/grey tones for reality vs. vibrant gold/green for the fantasy world]
- Counseling (Boundaries & Advocacy): Discuss the relationship between Isaac and his mother. How can a student advocate for their own mental health needs when a parent’s “protection” feels like a “restriction”?
- Creative Writing (World Building): Have students create a character for a TTRPG. What “stats” or “powers” would their character have, and how do those traits reflect a hidden strength the student has in real life?
