I really enjoyed and identified with this story of a young witch trying to find her way in a toxic work environment and learning how to cope with her unwieldy emotions.

I Feel Awful, Thanks is a graphic novel about a young witch, Joanna, who moves to London to start a new job as a potion maker. At first, the book seems like it will be a slice-of-life story about this witch but it is SO MUCH MORE.

It explores her struggles with mental health which is depicted so wonderfully. Her emotions and struggles are very much physical - compared to dragons - and are also metaphorically shown to be in a chest which she keeps with her all the time. The struggles are shown in all aspects - her professional life, her personal life - until she reaches a breakdown and the chest opens up. The part of the book that shows her seeking help from a dragon trainer (sort of a therapist but also different from mind healers in the book) as they are called in the book - has to be favourite part. The conversations with her dragon trainer are about Joanna’s different emotions, why we feel these emotions such as happiness, anger, pride, etc., and how her dragon trainer helps her manage her emotions as well as the actual physical representation of her emotions which is her dragons.

While she struggles, they have also shown how an annoying boss at work makes her feel like shit and also pulls a stunt and credits himself for her work and the way she deals with it slowly. Her progress with her partner in terms of learning their differences, their miscommunications is also explored in a mature and sensible manner.

I think the fact that the book shows a normal person with a job they love, friends they love, and with no major crisis in their life struggling with their mental health sends a message across to those who are dealing with this and trying to understand someone else in their life.

Have already highly recommended it to people in my life and would re-read it again once the book is published and I can buy a physical copy. Thanks to Oni Press and NetGalley for the eARC.

Thank you NetGalley and Oni Press for providing me with this arc in exchange for my honest review.

I didn't know this author, and i must say she is a pleasant surprise.
The protagonist is Joana Shell, who transfers to London for her dream job.
She is a junior potions maker.
I looooved all the London's drawings, very accurate.
When Joana moves to London, it's not easy as she thought.
Of course, as you'd expect, the move is tough. The distance from home, the absence of friends, the search
for a house to live make everyone stressful felt, and Joann experiences very bad moments.
fortunately the situation does not degenerate because she manages to immediately make friends with new colleagues and understands
that she needs support from a professional. Everything ends well. I really liked how mental health was treated in this comic.
It's good to normalize the need for mental health help.
Eventually, after a bad breakdown, she learns how to manage her emotions and stand up for herself.
Adulting is hard.
I love the drawings, but i didn't like her friends.
Four stars for this one!

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for a chance to read an early digital copy of this graphic novel!

I really enjoyed reading this. The art was adorable and beautiful. I found it to be very easy to get invested in.

I appreciated how the side characters didn't cosign the main characters rudeness. This showed the way emotions can build and build and manifest through anger and mean behaviors, but the side characters pointed that out. They didn't excuse the toxicity of it and encouraged the main character to get help.

I enjoyed the help she got, too. The metaphor of emotions as dragons was cute. The advice given made my heart happy too, as someone who works in mental health. I found it overall to be a really cute graphic novel with some good advice.

The challenge with work was also an important conversation starter, I think. This kind of thing happens often and it's unfair and hard to speak up about. Especially with anxiety.


The build up of emotions felt relatable to me, too.

I think I almost would have preferred this storyline to be broken up in a few volumes and given more time.

Ultimately though, I really enjoyed this quick read.

I'll be posting a review to Instagram closer to pub day! ✨

This graphic novel is now one of my favorite reads of 2023, and I was excited to learn at the end of the book that the author is a fellow Romanian (and also half Spanish, to be precise!).

I Feel Awful, Thanks tells a story of the resilience, courage and hard work involved to deal with depression and anxiety in a whimsical, magical universe. Our protagonist Joana is a witch, and a brilliant one at that. She has everything going for her - big brains, a great new job as potion maker in a new town, the best of friends, a new relationship with a dreamy guy. So there's no reason why she should be feeling anxious or spiraling into a deep depressive episode, is there? You know where this is going - of course there is.

Reason number one why I adored this book was the art. You see visual cues of Joana's composure breaking along the way. There's also an incredibly imaginative depiction of feelings as literal chests full of colorful personified blobs. Neglect or push them away for too long, and these feelings burst out of the chest and turn into uncontrollable dragons! And who better to help you manage your feeling/dragons but a dragon tamer (read: therapist).

Another thing I absolutely loved is the fact that the author didn't romanticize Joana's journey and experience in any way. There's people being toxic to each other, missteps fueled by good intentions and ultimately lots of self-destruction and the self-work and healthy communication to fix it all. You see other mental health workers not fit Joana's needs and that it sometimes takes a few tries to click with a therapist who works for you.

If that wasn't enough, you get a few bonus goodies at the end of the book - sketches of the characters, a few words about world building and the background story of Joana's universe and flavor of magic, and an interview with the author about the themes addressed in the book.

Loved every second of it! Recommended for fans of witchy stories, beautiful whimsical art, and excellent portrayal of mental health struggles and how characters overcome them. There is also a curated page of mental health resources you can reach out to if you or your loved ones experience any of these mental health challenges, which is a very welcome addition to any conversation about mental health.

✨ Disclaimer ✨ I received a free copy of this book and this is my honest review.

This graphic novel is just lovely.

Modern witch Joanna moves to London to start her dream job as a potion maker. She makes new friends, finds a cute apartment, tours the sights - and everything is wonderful! Except that it's not, and Joanna doesn't think she can admit that. She doesn't have any <i>real</i> hardships, so surely if she just tries hard enough things will get better on their own.

Joanna's journey with depression and the hard work of recovery is told gently and lovingly in this small volume. She is surrounded by supportive friends and family who love her through the hard parts. The careful descriptions of therapy (in this fantasy world, "taming dragons") and learning to understand and embrace emotions are fairly detailed and based on the author's experiences.

The worldbuilding of this story is fantastic (literally)! There's a lot of wonderful witchy aesthetic in a fantasy version of our world where magic is commonplace. Joanna and friends deal with realistic workplace dynamics and visit real-world museums and landmarks with a touch of whimsy.

The art is a simple, expressive style that uses colorful backgrounds and bright colors skillfully. The enjoyable art makes the very honest and important story attractive for a wider audience. I'm so happy this book has been translated into English!

Joana just wasn't a character I connected with. The corporate-type world, the way she navigates relationships etc, actually made me uncomfortable - let me be clear. I'm autistic. The book did nothing wrong. I can read prose about this type of thing and find it helps me to explore that world, but when it's graphic novel format it just... makes me feel the awkward interactions more? I can't quite describe it, but unfortunately, whatever it is, it meant I struggled to enjoy this. When Joana blew up because she expected someone to stay the night but hadn't communicated that, I cringed, when the boss was stubborn, my fight or flight kicked in.
Actually that's a good way to describe it. I felt like I was stuck in fight or flight while reading and i don't know why.
It just wasn't for me. I didn't connect with Joana and honestly, I was expecting more witchiness from the get go but it just felt like any old office job..

The one positive I do have is the artwork was gorgeous. And I'm sure this book will appeal to plenty - maybe it was just a bad time for me to pick it up - but it just didn't do it for me.

I really liked this book a lot.
I think it is an exceptional book for its context and how it demonstrated and developed the story.

The problems start to grow and the character loses control of herself and her emotions, but she has a strong personality, and tries always to find a solution to improve or try to do something about it, even if it's not the best decision.
I really like the secondary characters, what they bring to the story, showing that we all need to improve and work on ourselves.

The book deals with mental health, and how life starts to crumble when we are not in our best mental state, but then it helps us understand emotions and gives us tools on how to deal with them.

The designs are wonderful, full of color, personality and strength. And I loved how the characters always changed their clothes and hairstyles, it's really one of those details that fills the heart, and shows the artist's dedication.

Thank you NetGalley and Oni Press for providing me with this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Joana Shell is a young modern witch from Spain, who gets her dream job as a junior potions maker, in her favorite city: London!

I really love London myself and almost feel at home there when visiting. The beautiful illustrations with a vintage feel, really made London and this whole story look amazing.

When Joana moves to London, a lot of stressful things happen. Moving and getting a new job are stressful for everyone but she has the misfortune of not getting the best roommate and a real jerk of a boss. And she’s very sensitive, anxious and insecure so even tho she almost immediately made some amazing and supportive friends, she slowly descends into a huge mental breakdown. She tries to find help but it just doesn’t work out and her insecurities and building anger also drive away the guy she starts seeing.

Eventually the breakdown happens and she goes back home and the time out from everything and the help she gets there are just what she needed. She learns how to deal with emotions and stand up for herself and the break and therapy make her able to solve everything when she goes back to London. Adulting is hard. I’m glad she learned how to manage and deal with things.

I loved the illustrations and the start of the story. I just didn’t connect with any of the characters and I got what Joana went through but it all just felt like a bit too much. And some things being put in a bad daylight at some points in the story, felt a little irresponsible to me.

I loved the beautiful art of this book. It's really really beautifully drawn. I also really enjoyed the story and I liked how even if you have someone who loves you and really good friends, life can still feel like a lot. I loved the way therapy is conveyed in this book. I loved so much of this book. I did think things magically resolved themselves a little too conveniently but otherwise i enjoyed this beautiful story and the magical illustrations.

with gratitude to netgalley and Oni Press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

I enjoyed this book.
The art style was really cute and it was great to see the depiction of depression and especially therapy in a graphic novel. I feel like books often shy around addressing mental health issues and to see a character struggle and then get better after getting professional help was really refreshing.

I started reading this and couldn’t put it down. The story was very relatable. It has such an important message “it’s okay to not be okay.” I feel like a lot of reader will relate to Jo and the struggles with doing it all. I really loved how the art visually represented emotions at times. Example, the shattering whenever Jo experienced anxiety.
Overall I will definitely buy and gift.

Such a good representation for people struggling with mental health.
Jo gets her dream job working in potions in London, everything is going her way. Until it's not and she has to learn how to manage her big emotions and not let them manage her.
Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book!

Thank you to NetGalley & Oni Press as always for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I love a good graphic novel, and Oni Press delivers as usual. Joana is a young witch who’s finally gotten her dream job and a place to live on her own. She has friends and a boyfriend. Things are great, right?

This graphic novel goes into how depression creeps up on you. How everything seems perfect on the surface and how every little thing gets under your skin until it overflows. Toxic work environment, toxic roommate, and your brain telling you that everything is your fault. I really liked Joana and her character. She seemed like me so much here. People thinking she’s “over sensitive” people trying to belittle her, people talking down her thoughts and feelings. Her friends were amazing and I was so glad they had her back. The fact this goes into great detail about therapy and how it can help you also was amazing. Joana’s therapy sessions could help anyone who was feeling like her.

The art was cute and I loved all the different colors of witch hat and how it matched with everyone’s outfits. I wish I could just wear a witch hat with every outfit. I’m always on board for books that are pro therapy and pro helping people with their mental health. This one showed healthy ways to manage your depression and help you get through the day. This was a great debut book and I’ll be looking forward to more from this creator!

An emotional yet uplifting graphic novel following Joana the witch as she navigates an exciting new job, spontaneous friendships and a bag full of emotions in the magical city of London.

Reading this felt like free therapy~
As someone who also frequently struggles with their mental health, I found myself relating to Joana's character and her need for control in her daily life. Lara Pickle does a wonderful job depicting how someone may find themselves experiencing a depressive episode even when everything in their life is seeming perfect - and I loved the dragon analogy that was used!

There were a few instances when the dialogue felt a little "off", in the sense that the conflicts had been resolved entirely too quickly.. however, I appreciate how everything was tied up nicely by the end. My favourite part of the story though was definitely Joana's chats with Alex about her different emotions, and there were even a few points that made me reconsider a thing or two.

To quote the novel, "it's okay to not be okay", and this graphic novel truly conveys that message to the fullest~


— Thank you to Netgalley and Oni Press for providing the eARC in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own

This took me no time at all to read but it was incredibly impactful. I found the main character very relatable as someone who also enjoys making lists and making plans. She struggles with stress, anxiety, her relationship with her friends, roommate, and her boyfriend. She struggles with complex work situations and in everything, is trying to maintain a happy demeanor. It isn’t until it becomes unruly and impossible to handle that she finally seeks help. This too is very relatable. This is a must read for everyone. No matter what station of life you’re in, what Inside Out did for kids with mental health issues, this book will do for young adults and beyond for theirs.

I Feel Awful, Thanks is a graphic novel about a young witch, Joana, who is just starting her dream job at a potion making company. She starts the story thinking she has everything she wants. but runs into a bunch of issues that start to cause her mental health to deteriorate. With the help of her friends, Joana seeks help for her mental health issues, which allows her to try and get her life back on track.

Something I think was done really well in this graphic novel was the depiction of mental health struggles. You see Joana have outbursts when her depression and anxiety become too much for her, and it affects those around her. I loved how supportive her friends were despite her struggles. I also felt it very realistic that the first time she tried to see a therapist, he was useless. This happens sometimes, I think people give up on therapy just because they don't get the right help the first time!

Another thing I liked was the art style. The characters were really cute, and the color palette was bright and cheerful, which made the graphic novel have a lighter tone despite the darker subject matter.

I think this woud be a great novel to read if you are struggling with anxiety or depression, as it has a hopeful message and also a lot of tips on getting the help you need. A good audience for this is teens+.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review. 4/5 stars

A beautiful and incredibly wholesome graphic novel of a young witch learning about her self, how to express self-love, and process the world around her. In this story, there are many positive changes occurring in the beginning, and then, many negative changes occur as well. This book reminds us that it’s okay to have struggles with both, whether it’s an exciting new job or a conflict in an interpersonal relationship. It’s okay to be yourself, and it’s okay to not be okay. Also, the artwork is very beautiful, and expressive.


I got my copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A graphic novel about coping with anxiety and depression. I liked this story a lot! I thought it was a beautiful narrative and enjoyed how much Joana grew. I also liked that it had a magical spin. Definitely recommend!

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A gorgeous and emotional journey of a witch who explores her emotions in a struggle of self-acceptance, work place drama, and new experiences. Joana is a young witch who has secured her dream job with a coven in London. She's starting a new job in a new city and has to learn to adapt to a whole new environment and making new friends. Yet the reality of a new job is vastly different from the dream she built, now she's dealing with a difficult job environment, stressful and lonely thoughts as she struggles with a hard roommate, relationship drama, and her own feelings spiraling. She feels like everything is falling apart... until she begins talking to a professional who helps her realize that in order to take care of herself she has to learn more about herself and self love. This was a really sweet read and I enjoyed the journey we went on with Joana as she learned to stand up for her work, to love herself, and to open herself up.

*Thanks Netgalley and Oni Press for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*