Astral Panic

by Katie Hicks

A colourful, punchy, YA, coming of age graphic novel about roommates tackling anxiety, work life balance (or lack thereof), digital overwhelm and the stresses of every day life.

Gale’s trying to master his anxiety, and he’s hoping the latest wonder-cure “Simply Pear” can help. Not turning up to his art classes and feeling like everyone is a lot cooler and more in control than he is, he chugs his Simply Pear products and takes advice from its demanding app. Oh, it’s definitely not working...

His plan is thrown into chaos by the bubbly Aiden, who needs a buddy to help him get a job. Can this colorful and heartfelt romp through shoddy part-time jobs help Gale out of his anxious bubble? There’s only one way to find out.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Young Adult, Comics, Mental Health

192 pages, Paperback

First published October 7, 2025

Reviews

[Jenna Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book design is gorgeous and the inside is just as good!!! The art is so fun, from the colors to the character designs, I loved it. The characters and storyline is also very relatable and cool

[Meggie Ramm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gale has anxiety, which he is trying to manage with the wonder-cure “Simply Pear”. And it’s hella not working.
First and foremost, the PACKAGING ON THIS BOOK. There is a textured cover! There are sprayed edged! Flying Eye is putting in the WORK! As is Katie Hicks, this book is a gorgeously designed book about an anxious art kid that you have definitely encountered in your life. The part of this book that I liked the most is its relatability as Gale tries to fix his anxiety with an overly present phone app. Spoiler alert, the phone app doesn’t work, and Gale has to find a way to sit alone with his thoughts for awhile and deal. A great book for stressy folks.

[Kasey (Mir) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Astral Panic does an excellent job in demonstrating anxiety. The way Hicks shows Gale's anxiety through repetitive thoughts felt all too real. Additionally, the pervasiveness of the Simply Pear app truly illustrates just how detrimental productivity apps can be to our lingering anxieties. Sometimes, a to-do list with a reminder is a bit much!  The art style is lovely, and I enjoyed the vibrant color palette. Thank you again, Flying Eye Books, for the ARC.

[J MaK · Rating 3 out of 5]

(3.3) Gale struggles with crippling anxiety and turns to an app and a juice cleanse for relief, though neither truly helps. Things begin to change when Aiden, his compassionate new roommate, becomes a steady source of support, and the two grow into an equal support system for each other. The psychedelic artwork—full of stark patterns and striking colors—can feel overwhelming, but it effectively captures how anxiety takes hold.

[Kayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED THIS!

[Mal · Rating 5 out of 5]

LUV

[Lucas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gale's a art student suffering from crippling anxiety. He skips class to avoid getting called to the front, and never spoke a single work to his old roommate. When Aiden moves in with him, he takes him along on his job hunt and forces him to confront the world. It's very goofy, kind of chaotic, and really charming. This is true of both the art and the story, but especially the art. There's just something about it that really clicks with me. The colors, the layouts, the character designs and expressions.. There's a bit of Scott Pilgrim DNA in there, I think ? The message can be a bit twee, though the topic is definitely important.

[Matt Glaviano · Rating 3 out of 5]

Conceptually, I kinda dug this. I found the main character's anxiety and panic attacks relateable. Moreover, the pressure he felt from the culture around him to be well, to fix himself, to commit to a consumer lifestyle that would fix him... well, I found that extremely relateable.

The story, however, and the art in particular, didn't do a lot for me.

Overall, just an average shrugh and a meh.

[Sesana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Extremely straightforward and extremely relatable graphic novel about anxiety. For me, the greatest strength of the book was the vivid and realistic portrayal of the main character's anxiety. The art just didn't hit for me, though. It felt too busy a lot of the time.

[Jess Klug · Rating 3 out of 5]

The kid’s extreme anxiety gave me sweaty palms the entire read but I absolutely loved the illustrations.

[Jadyn❀ · Rating 5 out of 5]

*4.5* Before I get into the impressive way this book makes use of the graphic novel medium, I want to say that this book is gorgeous. The art style is cute, detailed, and stylized in a fun color palette. I’m not sure if this goes for all copies but the one I got from my library has a textured cover and sprayed edges that immediately plunge you into the aesthetic of the book. Katie Hicks does a great job portraying the protagonist’s experience with panic attacks through the art. It gets so overwhelming sometimes that it really does convey that feeling of anxiety, creeping in from everywhere you turn. I think the story also serves as a great cautionary tale about the dangers of the “miracle cures” promised everywhere these days. Products like “Simply Pear” seen here insist that if you only just buy their product(s), all your problems will go away, when all they’re actually doing is preying on your insecurities.

I love that this graphic novel encourages readers to put themselves out there, but not necessarily by taking any drastic steps. I love the scene where Aiden reframes what Gale views as a day of repeated failures as a success because he got through it and he’s still standing. He is encouraged to take it one step at a time, and he’s never told that his problems or his anxiety is his own fault. I think this could be comforting to a lot of readers.

[D.T. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This has major quirky energy. If you like Bee & Puppycat and Regular Show, this is for you! I love the cover's texture and the overall book design.

Gale is consumed with anxiety and overthinking. I like how this is portrayed visually, with the Pears/anxiety app doing just as much help as harm. The Pear corporation is a constant reminder of his failures. He's in a cycle of wanting to change but also wanting to hide away rather than to face another panic attack or disappointment in his lack of confidence.

The staring at your phone and playing a mini game to pass the time to avoid looking at other people WAS TOO REAL! Guilty of doing this myself.

The climax is subtle. There isn't a big ending. Gale honestly just commits serious effort to not listen to his anxious thoughts.

Aiden is meant to be a lovable doofus, but his carefree nature may grate on some. And I hope Gale was compensated for his artwork.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

oh I absolutely loved this one. the visual experience, painted in bright colors and an almost overwhelming at times design told such a great story of anxiety and the way our culture-and the companies behind it-promotes the experience of complete overwhelm. katie hicks did an incredible job of capturing the agonizing and surreal experience of crushing anxiety and panic, and gale is so endearing through it all. watching him face what's dragging him down, even if not by his own choice, feels bright and truly heartwarming. all the characters, even those we see for short moments, have personality, and the art style captures the feelings of everyone vividly. it's unlike any graphic novel I've read before, yet deeply relatable and heartfelt. I couldn't get enough!

[Thomas Marino · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who’s struggled my entire life with severe OCD and a wicked panic disorder, it’s nice to be seen. And it’s nice to see someone using temporary or immediate solutions that don’t help in the long run. Gale is like. Incredibly compulsive and ik the book is about anxiety but anxiety and ocd go hand in hand very often. It takes a lot to get to the point of realizing you need to reframe your thinking and stop using quick fixes to get out of your panic attacks, et. Al. Very cute and quick read, incredible art style, great message. Made my heart warm and fuzzy and made me feel proud about where I’ve come in my own mental health

[Kendra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really cute art and loved the coloring!

It's not about what it seems; the social commentary on consumerism, anxiety, a society that wants to keep you sick and fearful, along with striving for a picture-perfect life, are some of the themes tackled in this.

The art can get really overwhelming from the get-go, but I think it was done intentionally to mirror the feelings of Gale as it only becomes hectic whenever he is panicking, and the ending was kind of rushed; nothing too bad but I wish it had taken its time. Other than that, I think this book is really good and highly recommend it!

[Clelia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ooooo how delicious, both visual and through the lovable characters. Such a good representation of anxiety in today's digital age along with the importance of community and friendship. The colors and style of this book were everything I love about graphic novels.

[David Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic graphic novel about panic disorder and anxiety in general. The art strongly reminded me of Steven Universe in a good way. Funny, charming, all around great.

I got a signed copy of this from the Small Press Expo.

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love love love the art!! The colors! The sprayed edge and raised wavy pattern on the cover! Really just immaculate. Anyone with anxiety can relate to the story, and I love the emphasis of community support.

[Matthew Noe]

booklist review pending

[Dylan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had a lot of fun with this and I really want Gale's stuffed snake

[furret · Rating 4 out of 5]

that stupid pear made me so angry

[Dustie · Rating 5 out of 5]

pear of panic and misery

[kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

incredible use of color incredible capturing of the undiagnosed anxiety disorder i suppressed by going into a depressive spiral my junior year of high school