The Well - by Jon Allen (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Cute characters, quarter-life crises, chemical supplements, and corporate catastrophes... Jon Allen's cult-favorite online comic is now a must-read graphic novel!

Veronika is 24 and tired: of her crummy boyfriend, of living with her parents, of feeling stalled out while everyone else moved on. With a new job coding software for a "wellness" company that makes brain-boosting energy drinks, she finally has a chance to turn things around. At this rate, Veronika may never feel tired again!

But as she gets more comfortable with the office and the people in it, Veronika stumbles upon surprises in the dark that leave her questioning everything she thought she knew about the world... and about herself.

With confident cartooning and expert pacing, writer/artist Jon Allen makes his Top Shelf debut as a must-read storyteller whose anthropomorphic animals feel exquisitely human. The Well combines deadpan dialogue with thrilling plot twists, and its skepticism about techno-utopian promises is matched by its affection for relatable characters. Fans of offbeat slice-of-life stories with a hidden dark side (Bojack Horseman, Severance, The Menu, Get Out) will plunge into these pages and resurface, gasping, at the story's end.

Review Quotes

"The Well has it all: the malaise of being an aimless young adult, the euphoria of new experiences, and the horror that your employers are committing crimes beyond your comprehension. This is cinema between two covers." -- Alex Krokus (Loud & Smart)

"Even as the action gets intense and the situations more outlandish, Allen never loses his handle on his characters' quirks, and the snappy dialogue and sensitive narration continue to build a portrait of Veronika and her friends that feels extremely true to life." -- Comics Beat

"Compelling... The Well explores the intersection of nefarious science and mid-twenties apathy in a character-heavy mystery full of twists and turns." -- Booklist

About the Author

Jon Allen studied painting and illustration and has been drawing comics since 2009. He has exhibited his work at comics festivals for over a decade, including SPX, MICE, MoCCA, TCAF, CAB, and more. He makes a living as a UX designer in Brooklyn, New York.