Lara Pickle is a Spanish-Romanian illustrator and visual development artist based in London. Her work has appeared in animation, video games, and theater production, and her debut graphic novel, Estoy fatal, gracias, was published in late 2022.

"Pickle's whimsical debut employs a fantasy setting to gently untangle issues of mental health and self-care. [...] Pickle's soft, friendly artwork fits the story's cozy vibe, with appealing characters exploring detailed London streets and colorful interiors. The panels break into jagged shards whenever Joana has an anxiety attack, and swirls of color represent her whirling turmoil. The self-help advice may not be revelatory, but the charming art and worldbuilding bolster the reassuring message that "it's okay to not be okay." Readers will be won over. "-- "Publishers Weekly"

"The story captures the slow-burn nature of young adulthood's familiar challenges and models how to manage them. [...] The slightly fantastical setting of a magic-infused London and Pickle's cute-but-cool character designs provide a useful framework to hold the all-too-raw experience of entering adulthood at arm's length, while also offering helpful techniques to understand and manage one's profound and complicated inner world."-- "Library Journal"

"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 also a great read for adults. 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 lovely romance side-plot and adorable, healthy friendships. What more could you want?"-- "Backshelf Books"

Publisher: Oni Press

Pub date: 2024-03-05

Length: 216 pages