What a sweet little graphic novel this was! Few things pique my interest like a story told through beautiful art that are also set in an urban fantasy setting, and feature witches and/or magic in day-to-day life. "I Feel Awful, Thanks" brings these elements to the table, and shows us the complexities of growing up through young witch Joana's eyes.

Although openly acknowledging mental health in schools, family settings and mass media is important, I find that stories such as IFA,T are key for many young people who might struggle to relate to long diagnostic labels or 'boring' pep talks from adults who don't seem to speak their emotional language. In this sense, this graphic novel was an incredible way to tell younger audiences that it's okay to not be okay; that we aren't meant to be positive and joyful all day, every day; and that all emotions are valuable because they tell us about what we need. For all the bad rep it gets, anxiety is not our enemy, but rather a messenger that wants to help us prepare for whatever might happen next, and I loved that this graphic novel addressed this with as much compassion and nuance as it did.

Self-acceptance and growth have become buzzwords over the last couple of years, and as happens with many terms that are borrowed from one specific discipline, lots of people love to throw them around but few understand exactly what they mean. In this book, both Joana and James offer first-hand insight into what accepting oneself with all of one's flaws, virtues, and neutral quirks, might look like, and I really enjoyed watching them grow throughout their respective healing journeys. In this sense, I'm thinking of acquiring a physical copy I can keep in my workplace as a therapist, because this graphic novel sends a powerful message that many young people who don't know where to find acceptance and a sense of belonging will benefit from.

If you fell head over heels for graphic novels such as "Crumbs", "Mooncakes" or "Season of the Bruja" due to their blend of witchy urban fantasy and contemporary slice-of-life, you need to add "I Feel Awful, Thanks" to your list of graphic novel crushes, because this one's gonna be right up your alley!

Lara Pickle’s I Feel Awful, Thanks (original Spanish title: Estoy Fatal, Gracias) is a beautifully illustrated graphic novel that reimagines anxiety and depression through a tender magical-realism lens. At its heart, the story follows Joana, a young witch who moves to London to work for a big corporation as a potion maker—only to discover that adult life, work stress, and mental pressure are far more overwhelming than she expected. Through clever metaphor, Joana’s emotions manifest as dragons—and she learns how to tame them rather than lock them away. Pickle handles sensitive topics like internalized stigma, therapy, self-care, and workplace toxicity with compassion, honesty, and clarity. The message is simple yet powerful: it’s okay to not be okay, and reaching out for help is a sign of strength—not weakness

The artstyle and the character and also the black-and-white mentality would make you think this is for middlegraders but no, it's an adult looking (and finding way too easily) a job and once they get that job they want to be too ethical when reality is NOT like that at all.
This was a no for me.

I was really excited about this book about magic and mental health. It was quite fun, but unfortunately it wasn't quite as good as I had hoped. The art style is really cute though.

“I’m made of emotions. They make me the person I am—the whole range of them.”
I Feel Awful, Thanks is a graphic novel originally published in Spanish as “Estoy Fatal, Gracias” In a world where magic is a normal part of everyday life, Joana lands her dream job as a potions maker in Paris but quickly becomes overwhelmed with balancing work life, social life, home environment, and her mental health soon declines. She carries her emotions (that turn to dragons if not understood) in a locked box. When the box is cracked open, she goes to a “dragon tamer” (therapist) and learns about her emotions and about herself. It’s a really beautiful story of the “other side” of anxiety and depression (which takes hard work and so much self love and compassion), there’s an emphasis on the goal not being happy all the time, instead to embrace positive and negative emotions and what they can teach you. It’s okay to ask for help, from your family and friends, and from professionals. I would suggest this for Inside Out lovers of all ages. The art style is bold and detailed, really adding life to the story. Definitely recommend.

I really enjoyed this graphic novel! I thought it tackled the subject of anxiety and mental health very well, and in a way that made it very relatable. The art style is beautiful. Overall, really enjoyed this and it's a great addition to the library!

This graphic novel blew my mind in regards to how it symbolically and illustratively showed emotions, mental health and coping. I have never experienced a graphic novel that openly shows struggles with “controlling your inner emotions and finding balance in life. I loved how real this novel felt even though it was set in a magical, witchy world. This was a graphic novel translated from Spanish and now I really want to read it in Spanish too. Beautifully done.

C'est l'histoire de Joana, une jeune soricère qui vit à Londres. Mais les difficultés de la vie la rattrapent vite : elle doit trouver un appartement, gérer le stress au travail... Elle décide alors de se rendre chez le psychologue pour se libérer de ses émotions négatives.
C'est un très beau livre sur la santé mentale, parfait pour les adolescents. On se retrouve facilement dans le personnage de Joana, qui est très attanchante. Les relationsentre les différents personnages sont mignonnes et vont aider Joana a reprendre le contrôle de sa vie.

Je recommande vraiment ce livre éducatif d'une certaine manière, pour se sentir moins seul dans les épreuves de la vie.

Thank you NetGalley, the Publishers and the Author for this extremely insightful graphic novel.

This was a beautifully illustrated graphic novel.
This beautifully depicts our different primary emotions, their use in our lives and how they are all conected, That there are no real "negative" emotions and that all emotions are very essential for our mental welbeing.
This book is adorable and explores themes that I definitely do think need to be more present in book.
All the different characters gave depth to the story and the setting of "magic integrated in corporation" was just perfect.

I absolutely adored this. The story really resonated — a young witch lands her dream job, but then she struggles to keep all of her emotions at bay. The emotions were illustrated as dragons, and she kept them locked away in a chest. Her friends were also extremely supportive, so that was another highlight.

This book felt very generic. Maybe it will be an important book for someone, but I've seen this message in so many other graphic novels, I can't imagine this will be anyone's first book that deals with these kinds of topics.

*Thank you NetGalley and Oni Press for sending me this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.*

I had high hopes for this graphic novel due to its intriguing premise, but I found it to be rather disappointing. The artwork was pretty, but the storyline felt shallow, especially in its handling of mental health themes. Aside from that, the plot unfortunately failed to engage me. This book wasn’t for me.

Firts i want to Say thanks to netgalley, this comic tell the story of Joana a young witch who start his life in a new job, new friends and new lover, but something it's coming she it's starting to feel awful, feeling all the preassure, and she cant tell others how she feels.

I feel so identified with this story, it's so well portrayed the way anxiety feels, and how something the people who wants to help doesnt do it at all, how no all professional know what they are doing. It make me fell like i'm not alone.

Also the illustration style it's wonderfull and mixing Magic with day by day rutine was a Good idea. I give 5 of 5 Star and if You have mental health issues i think this might trigger a little but also make You feel You are not alone

At its core, "I Feel Awful, Thanks" is a celebration of resilience, self-acceptance, and the messy beauty of being human. Pickle's writing is a testament to the power of vulnerability and connection, reminding readers that they are not alone in their struggles and that there is always hope for brighter days ahead.

In "I Feel Awful, Thanks," Lara Pickle has crafted a poignant and relatable collection of essays that will resonate with readers long after they've turned the final page. With its blend of humor, honesty, and empathy, this book is sure to leave a lasting impression on anyone who has ever felt lost, confused, or overwhelmed by life's twists and turns.

Thank you for the opportunity to review this book. Unfortunately this was not for me and ended up not being able to finish. Once again thank you. I have not posted a review online as this was not for me. If you would still like me to post a review, please let me know.

Thanks to NetGalley & Oni Press for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

Brilliant book! I do like Kiki's Delivery Service but my main issue with it was it didn't have enough magic or worldbuilding (which is fine, it's just a me thing) and this book basically covers all the things I wanted to see in KDS--including tackling mental health in a more concrete way. Fantastic artwork, fantastic all around!

3.5 Stars

I forgot to write the review at the time and now I'm a bit stuck on what to write. It's not stuck as much in my mind as I hoped.
The artwork and colouring are nice.

THIS NEEDS TO BE IN EVERY LIBRARY! I really enjoyed I Feel Awful, Thanks. One of my friends recommended it and I was lucky enough to get an advanced copy. The main storyline is a new adult going off to work and realizing that she is not handling life as well as she felt she should. She is experiencing anxiety and depression, along with self-doubt. Dealing with a toxic situation at work and a new relationship, it all boils over.
The coolest part is the story is immersed in magical realism.
Going into a therapy-like situation, she is able to learn to understand and cope with her emotions, in a vivid and visceral way. It is SO cool!
The book helps understand that these emotions and feelings are valid, and the there are ways to work through them. Also, amazing friends and standing up for yourself.

***Thank you to NetGalley and Oni Press for providing me with an advanced reader copy of this book in return for an honest review***
This reminded me of the pixar movie Inside Out but make it young adult fantasy. Very sweet, wholesome and thoughtful look at mental health and the realities of feeling awful even when you get things like your dream job.
I loved the art and colouring. It really reminded me of all the popular cozy fantasy games and all I wanted to do was sit in an Apothecary and drink tea. We love magic and we love therapy.
3.5 ★

Welcome Back,

This graphic novel is near and dear to me (so I want to thank the publisher for the E-ARC in exchange for my honest opinions). I do not think I would have ever found this graphic novel without the E-ARC and it helped me through a really difficult time. I have since re-read the E-ARC copy and pre-ordered myself a finished copy. I want to just go ahead and jump into the summary and my thoughts but I do want to disclose that this graphic novel is already one of my top ten reads of 2024.

SPOILERS AHEAD

Joana is getting her dream job in a location she absolutely loves. Joana is also a witch! She will be taking her dream job in London working with a coven and will be creating potions for wide usage among witches. She is incredibly excited about this new stage in her life. She packs her belongings, and heads off to her new city, at first she stays in a short-term hotel-type place but she begins looking for somewhere else to live quickly. On her first day on the job, Joana meets her team, and her boss (who is definitely not friendly or welcoming). After work, she heads to a local place and ends up meeting some friends who also work at her company in different roles. Their friendships grow quickly and Joana may even be interested in one person at her new job as more than a friend. But every day when Joana goes to work she feels worse and worse. This is supposed to be her dream job in a great location but she is incredibly unhappy. She feels like nothing can go right, and her boss hates her, he even forbids her ideas and tries to push her to go against company values. However, Joana is determined to keep to her principles even if she has to do it in secret. But things come to a head when Joana’s idea for a potion works out but her boss takes credit. At the same time, Joana’s living situation is crumbling and her relationships and friendships are not doing well either.

Joana’s story is a story of mental health struggles, adult problems, and pressures. Her story resonated with me in a lot of ways and I think both the author and illustrator did an amazing job of showing how being an adult and achieving your wants, needs, and dreams can be some of the most difficult times of your life. Joana does her absolute best to hold it all together, doing everything she can think of to make herself happy and maintain good relationships. But nothing works. Eventually, she experiences a bit of a breakdown and heads home for a bit. When she returns she comes back and is slowly getting better. With a clear mind, she is able to make decisions for herself that better her life (such as seeking therapy to help with her emotions, moving into a new location with better roommates, standing up for herself at work, and more). I love this graphic novel so much and I highly recommend it to everyone. I can not wait to get my finished copy on March 5th! Definitely please go check it out!

Goodreads Rating: 5 Stars (deserves so much more)

****Thank you so much to the publisher for the E-ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.