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

[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.

[Bee · Rating 4 out of 5]

everything about the art of this book was made for me~!! the colors, the shapes, the movement, the characters are so expressive and the art really reflects the emotions happening in the story. I will say there wasn't too much of a plot (which is not a negative for me! I'm into vibes), and because the art is so evocative, the anxiety of the character started to make anxious while reading lol. but overall luv!

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[Matthew Noe]

booklist review pending

[kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

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

[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.