(I received this book from the editor and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review)
I think the best way of describing my love for this comic book is confessing that I already read the Spanish original and I was eagerly waiting for the English ARC so I could tell you all how amazing it is.
Joana is a young with who finds a job in London, her favourite city, creating potions, her favourite thing. So far, so good. Then London is not as she imagined, the stress in the job is too much for her to handle and she finds herself lost, lonely and, above all, feeling awful. And there are no potions to cure that.
I feel awful, thanks, is a fantasy comic book, but it is also an amazingly accurate depiction of how mental health can deteriorate and how important it is to find help. The way the author manages to convey her main character’s feelings with the use of cracks and other elements that disturb the appearance of the comic strips themselves is just perfect and makes it very easy for the reader to understand Joana’s mind state. The colours are breathtaking as well, changing throughout the story and exploding in catharsis.
I really liked this comic book and I even wrote some of the advices down; I am sure they will be useful whenever needed. And I know I will come back to the story as well, more than once, more than twice. I just hope it resonates with you as strongly as it did with me.