Adult Coloring Books: Great Trend With Even Better Amazon Reviews

art-johanna-basford-coloring-book-artreport — PHOTO CREDIT: Courtesy Abbi Jacobson

The adult coloring book trending has been in the media for a while now, presumably a new fad consumers would quickly forget. However, Johanna Basford’s Secret Garden: An Inky Treasure Hunt and Coloring Book has sold over 2 million copies and has been translated into 14 languages world wide, cementing the adult coloring trend as a very real hobby. Basford has gone on to create two more coloring books, Enchanted Forest and Lost Ocean (in addition to drawing for companies ranging from Vogue to Chipotle).

Apparently the same adults that buy themselves coloring books are also the same people that write really great Amazon customer reviews. From people being pissed off that the drawings are too difficult, to pissed off that they aren’t challenging enough, to down right bizarro internet-trolling, these coloring books and their customer commentary are pure entertainment.

Secret Garden: An Inky Treasure Hunt and Coloring Book by Johanna Basford

By Benibiker “Benibiker” on May 12, 2015: “Pretty nice but I wish it wasn’t printed in China. I don’t trust the paper or ink used. How do I know it isn’t toxic. Won’t buy again or recommend for that reason.”

Coloring Book For Grown Ups by Ryan Hunter and Taige Jensen

By Pole creamer on December 19, 2013: “Gave the book the benefit of the doubt, but a page or two of coloring later and I realized I’d jammed my pants. Now I’m paying three grand to repair my best friend’s sofa.”

Unicorns Are Jerks: a coloring book exposing the cold, hard, sparkly truth by Theo Nicole Lorenz

By Diren on October 16, 2014: “Unicorns are NOT Jerks. One kindly offered to grant my deepest wish. I put $10,000 into his Cayman Island bank account, and in 10 years my wish will come true!!!!”

Color Me Drunk: A Drinking and Drawing Activity Book by Potter Style

By Staff Sgt. Max Fightmaster on March 2, 2015: “This is a big, heavier than expected book with a ton of activities. I’m on major painkillers post surgery and I can tell this is gonna keep me occupied for a good while.”

It Really Sucks When… An Adult Coloring Book of Embarrassing Moments by Ricky Villanueva Castillo

By Yolanda K. on May 8, 2015: “This coloring book is awful. It is not funny and it’s just gross and offensive. […] In real life, people do not have explosive diarrhea in other people’s faces or vomit at the table on a first date or forget to put their shirt back on after nursing their baby.”

Fat Ladies in Spaaaaace: a body-positive coloring book by Theo Nicole Lorenz

By Carl Brown on July 10, 2015: “No company/government would ever spend any money sending a hambeast to space.”

Dinosaurs With Jobs: a coloring book celebrating our old-school coworkers by Theo Nicole Lorenz

By prisrob on December 30, 2013: “At first I had difficulty understanding the point of this coloring book. I thought all dinosaurs were collecting Medicare because they had retired. Dinosaurs are really, really old, and they deserve some time off to relax. They have had busy busy lives, and now I find they are still working.”

The Hipster Coloring Book For Adults: You’ve Probably Never Colored It by Lilt Kids Coloring Books

By Chocophat on December 12, 2014: “Pretty disappointing.[…] There are a few decent animal pictures but mostly odd random pages of sunglasses, bikes, non hipster girls and backpacks.”

Outside The Lines: An Artists’ Coloring Book for Giant Imaginations by Souris Hong-Porretta

By Linda Sayler on June 20, 2015: “Poor lil’ Lulu, Some very adult or teenage humor, not fit for Lulu. Other drawings OK.”

If you enjoyed the above, you may also enjoy the website Coloring Corruptions, which feature childrens coloring books that adults have defaced with their lewd, damaged senses of humor.