You know when you start reading a book and you know it's going to be a great read? That feeling when the setting is so comfortable you could sink into it or when the characters feel like old friends you're catching up with. That's how reading I Feel Awful, Thanks felt for me. 

I would call I Feel Awful, Thanks a cozy-adjacent fantasy. It's set in a fantasy world where witches, potions, and covens are real. Joana is a young witch who is offered a job at a coven in London to create and develop potions. She eagerly accepts and moves across Europe to start her new job. Unfortunately, things aren't as easy as she hoped. Her boss, boyfriend, and roommate all cause her intense emotions, and Joana isn't equipped to deal with them. With help, Joana learns to take care of herself and understand her emotions. 

If you're looking for a lovely book with great friendships and a focus on mental health, look no further. I Feel Awful, Thanks is incredibly wholesome with a great message. This is a perfect read for the upper-YA and post-YA crowd, but it's a great read for adults as well. Pickle does a great job at making mental health feel more normalized and less stigmatized, which is still lacking in society. I Feel Awful, Thanks also has a great side plot of romance and a heavy dose of an awful boss. What more could you want? 

Art:

Pickle's art in I Feel Awful, Thanks is adorable and heart-warming, with character designs that feel approachable and relatable. The colors in the book are constantly shifting based on Joana's moods and emotions, which has the bonus effect of making this a book perfect for multiple rereads. I've enjoyed rereading it now that I know Joana's struggles and how her emotions are depicted in the art and colors. I also appreciated Vigneault's clear lettering, adding to the graphic novel's accessibility. I Feel Awful, Thanks, is perfect for upper-YA readers and those new to comics and graphic novels. 

Final Thoughts:

I always have a lot to say about books I like, and this is one of those times. I enjoyed so much about I Feel Awful, Thanks. This is a great read if you love translated fiction, books about mental health, or cozy fantasies. I'm so glad Oni Press and Lara Pickle got the English version of Estoy Fatal, Gracias out in the world. 

Thanks to Oni Press for providing me with an advanced review copy! All the above thoughts are my own.

** Back Shelf Books review will go live on February 29, 2024, at the following link: https://backshelfbooks.com/2024/02/29/graphic-novel-review-i-feel-awful-thanks-by-lara-pickle/

This was something I didn't know I needed, but here I am.

The first thing you notice is stunning cover. I'm huge fan of this type of comics drawing -it feels so cozy and just giving me cute, feel-good vibes. That's also reason I was so interested in it without knowing what the story is about.

I enjoyed the witchy world setting. Give me good witch characters and I'm sold! I liked that the story is character driven. I fell in love with Joana and her friend group who was so supportive!

Joana is so relatable. I could see at some moments myself! I enjoyed how the story is about mental health journey and how you shouldn't shut down your emotions and thinking they don't come back in so bigger sequences. It's important learn about your emotions and how you can deal with them.


What pleasantly suprised me was that the graphic novel isn't English origin, but the author tranlated from Spanish to English by herself! And in the end is a word by the author and also interview with her - it's great look inside the creating this beautiful story.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC!

New job jitters, new place, new friends, harsh superiors?? Sign me up haha, this book was a fresh little read that turned out to be so cute and endearing! I love the art style and of course, the diversity of the characters.

This graphic novel about the journey to accepting one's own emotions and learning that it is ok to feel all the feelings felt like a nice and quick adventure as the plot lso follows an early adult in her new job in a new city.

The illustrations are very cute and the colours chosen felt well thought through. The art style personally isn't for me. This does not affect my rating.

The storyline with the toxic boss made me very angry, so I felt similarly to our MC. I consider this part a successful portayal of an unhealthy workplace experience and how it can be mishandled or handled.

There was a first attempt at therapy with a bad therapist. I wish this had been explored more, because the later therapist called a "dragon tamer" (why did you not just call them a therapist?) felt like they were from a whole different profession and between the two therapists, there's a lot of plot. The dragon tamer also explains a lot. This may happen in some therapies but in my experience, therapy is a lot more about finding answers aided by the therapist instead of just getting everything explained.

The relationship to James fell flat at first and only later when they argued more, played a bigger role. I feel like there were so many plotlines in this graphic novel that it might have felt a bit confusing at times.

The bad experience with the unfriendly flat mate also felt very one-sided to me. There is always a reason why someone wants their living space to be clean. I know there can't be resolutions to everything, but just hating on a character didn't feel right, even when their behaviour wasn't healthy.

Overall I'd give this a 3.5 star rating but rounding it up to 4 because the message that it is okay to feel all the feelings and to name them and to learn from them about our needs is very important and I appreciate that this graphic novel shares tools to do that.

Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley for the Advanced Copy.

This was a wonderful story of someone just trying to get out of their own head and make their way through life. Definitely a read for people looking for something that actually shows a character doing the work to help themselves with their own mental health, as well as what leads up to a break down. 10 out of 10.

This was cute and sweet, with lots of useful mental health information. The character designs were fun, and I was really impressed with Pickle’s use of color.

I received a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are my own

I enjoyed the pro cruelty free message of "I feel awful." Thanks. That being said, the comic was slow, and I only got to page 63. There was not enough story on each page to grab my attention

„Its okay to not be okay.“ Witchy and cute coming of age story that tells the struggles of life we all had at some point. Loved the witchy vibes and spells. Very important message!

What a beautiful graphic novel depicting struggles with mental health in a very validating and beautiful way, perfect for young adult audiences! Both art and text are beautiful and complement each other perfectly.

Thank you Net Galley for this e arc. I feel awful. Thanks is a gorgeous graphic nov that delves deep into me mental health issues, the need for perfection and self expression through the lens of our adorable witch heroine Joana. I believe this graphic novel is amazing for describing emotions as well as how they help us through everyday life.

This is incredible!

An approachable incognito handbook to sorting out big emotions and coming into emotional maturity. The world is magical and whimsical, but the topics are very real and tangible. This would be an amazing gift for teens getting ready to head into the adult world. Every page that walked the main character through processing her "dragons" was met with an enthusiastic "yes!" from this long-time therapy user. Helpful, healing, and also just a fun setting. The author goes into detail about her world building in the "appendices" and it just makes me excited to see what else she creates!

There is dating, kissing, and some alcohol use, but nothing obscenely mature.

This tells the story of Joana who is a young adult that is venturing into the real world. She faces issues with work, friends, romance, roommates, and her own mental health. I thought this was a great coming-of-age story of someone who is trying to figure themselves out on their own. Joana eventually seeks help to tame her dragons, which I thought was a great metaphor.
I loved the color and the art style, though I do believe the story was little too long and too wordy in some sections. Overall, I would recommend it to teens and new adults who are entering in the real world and learning more about themselves.

Graphic novels are a hot commodity in middle school. Any time there is potential for a magical graphic novel to hit the shelves, kids are racing for it. The art and plot of this book are fantastic. Thank you so much to Oni Press, Lara Pickle, and NetGalley for the ARC!

I liked this comic a lot. I loved the art and the message.
It contains hard realities of life and of being slowly consumed by anxieties, but it wraps it up in magical elements very beautifully.

I really enjoyed this! A lovely exploration of mental health told in such a way that I felt myself understand parts of me better too !

The thing I appreciate most about this story is the ultimate message that it is okay to not be okay and that we have to own all of our emotions rather than lock them away. The illustrations of the chest growing larger and slowly cracking were great. It was subtle in the beginning (as I wondered why she was carrying this chest everywhere) and then became more clear and present as the story progressed.

Thank you NetGalley & Oni Press for letting me read an ARC of this graphic novel.

I absolutely loved it. The first part does feel rushed, particularly with the forming of the friendship group but honestly the rest more than makes up for it. The explanation of emotions, why we need them and how to manage when they feel out of control is so well written. The artwork is also beautiful and really holds your attention.

This will be great for adolescents and adults alike! I'll be pre-ordering and hope that a hardback edition is released too it was that good!

I really enjoyed this. It was the perfect mixture of magic and dealing with life that I like to have in my books.
The main character is a young witch hoping to do her best in her new job but alas life things get in the way. She tries to do her best but it keeps backfiring on her. To me that is the most relatable you are just trying to do the best and most but some times life doesn't let you. This is also a story that showcases how therapy and good friends can help you. I read this and loved it so much I even told my wife she needs to read it because of how much I think she'd enjoy it. The art in this as well is so well done and cute. I want to own a physical copy so I can re-read whenever I want. Very excited to see what other books this author comes out with in the future.

How nice to see that I'm terrible, thank you for being translated into other languages. Because it really is a graphic novel that mixes magic, friendship, bonds and mental health. What more can one ask for?

I think this story has a very strong message about what mental health is and how it affects the daily lives of both one and the people around them.

I'm terrible, thank you, it's a graphic novel to get excited, laugh, cry, have a terrible tantrum and want to hug Joana, our protagonist. I like that this type of story is made, I like that it is talked about mental health and that it is done seriously.

I feel like it could be read in high school, it would contribute a lot to teenagers.

Thank you Oni ​​Press for the digital copy I read on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Gosh I can't wait to reread this again and again. I really enjoyed the mental health rep in this. The illustrations are beautiful, the characters are likeable, and the story was super enjoyable.