ASTRAL PANIC

A new friend gives an anxious young man plenty of opportunities to step outside his comfort zone.

Gale is chronically embarrassed about many aspects of himself, including his copious perspiration, lack of self-confidence, and fondness for drawing wizards. To cope, he follows lifestyle advice from the Simply Pear app, though its messages don’t actually make him feel any less anxious. Neither do the multitude of Simply Pear canned drinks he consumes or the dancing, talking pears populating every square inch of his brain space. Enter adorable walking catastrophe Aiden, Gale’s new roommate, who seems impervious to shame. Aiden enlists Gale’s help with his job hunt. He also introduces Gale to the members of his band, Astral Panic; they’re preparing for their “first show with an audience.” The invitation to draw the band a poster may pull Gale further out of his shell—if he can survive the “cycle of pain” brought about by his spiral of self-consciousness and panic attacks. The book’s psychedelic, mostly pink-and-green color scheme suits the retro art style and expressive, cartoonish characters (who seem to be college students). Kaleidoscopic details add plenty of interest, helping readers visualize Gale’s anxious, nonstop inner monologue. Readers, many of whom will identify with Gale’s struggles, will easily forgive the fact that the story is more about feelings and aesthetics than plot. Gale has light skin and jet-black hair, Aiden presents white, and two band members are brown-skinned.

A wryly humorous and brightly creative representation of intense anxiety.