Anxietyland

by Gemma Correll

In the tradition of Allie Brosh and Roz Chast, award-winning popular cartoonist, writer, and illustrator Gemma Correll’s humorous and poignant graphic memoir about her lifelong struggle with severe anxiety.

Gemma brings readers into the surreal world of Anxietyland, an amusement park in her own mind. In essays packed with humor and pathos she captures the experience of mental illness—including severe anxiety, agoraphobia, depression, panic attacks, and disassociation—which can take her to a frightening and darkly funny world that “feels like a place apart from ‘real’ life.”

With humor that is both gentle and precise, and accompanied by her trademark illustrations, Gemma approaches mental illness in a uniquely imaginative and approachable way. And in the ultimate sleight of hand, she’s written a charming and moving book about anxiety that won’t make you feel anxious.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Nonfiction, Memoir, Comics, Mental Health, Biography Memoir, Psychology

Kindle Edition

First published April 28, 2026

Reviews

[Felicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic, fabulous, funny. Loved every second of this
graphic memoir.

[Angie Miale · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful graphic novel memoir about what it’s like to live with severe anxiety and its cousin, depression. Gemma suffered from anxiety even as a child in England in the 90’s, and this book follows her journey growing up to university and to moving to the US into adulthood. A talented artist and writer, this book goes deep into the mind palace of how the mind lies to you, everything she tried to fix things, a variety of medical professionals and medications, and finally, a touching moment where Gemma the adult draws herself talking to Gemma child.

This journey is really well done in the cartoon format, and it would be a good read for anyone who has any kind of mental illness. Even young ones can appreciate what it is like to find panic and to try to run away from our mental health problems. There are a few British-isms but it is very relatable to anyone,
Particularly those recovering people pleasers.

Thank you to gallery books for the finished copy!

[CeCe Jordan]

I think everyone needs to read this. Those with anxiety and those without. The illustrations are beautiful and the story explains perfectly what living with anxiety is like and how people cope with it.

[Goatllama · Rating 3 out of 5]

For me, this needed some serious cutting. The "present day" bits were the most interesting, but they were few and far between the biographical rambling and theme-park thematics... there are some really good pages and jokes in here (the p-cup! my gosh! ... though this has one page too many, too, that kinda messes the timing...), and this is still a very fast read, but I'd rather they not have been so dang diluted.

Still. For those that haven't already been through this, I can see it being very helpful to have a lot of this stuff thrown in your face. And Correll neither beats around the bush nor minces words when it's important. And it is very important.

[Ileana (The Tiniest Book Club) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gemma Correll, cartoonist superstar and queen of puns and pugs, has written a memoir!

It's about her mental health, coping with anxiety disorder and depression. And it is as funny, playful and thoughtful as her cartoons are.

I've known and loved Gemma's work for more than a decade now, collecting all the tote bags, pins, stickers and books I could get my paws on. Following her, her puggies and her journey on the interwebs has build one of those bizarre one-sided connections where you somehow feel like you have known a person for years but have in fact never met them and they don't even know you exist.

Gemma Correll's approachable, honest, not-taking-things-(including herself)-too-seriously artwork makes it very easy to feel a connection. In "Anxietyland", Gemma finds the words and the visuals to describe very complex matters: mental health is a pretty unamusing amusement park full of horrors.

As a regular visitor to Anxietyland and especially The Depression Obstacle Course, I can tell you that a book like this one was missing. It's fantastic!
Highly recommended <3!

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

May is Mental Health Awareness month and I’ve spent it paging through this brilliantly crafted graphic memoir by Gemma Correll. Using cartoons and an amusement park analogy, she makes this refreshingly honest personal journey accessible to everyone.

My daughter is a mental health professional working as a therapist with expertise in counseling adolescents and young adults with severe anxiety, OCD, and depression. She is doing important work. It’s long past time to take the discussion of mental health and its treatment out of the shadows. Gemma Correll’s brave memoir does just that.

[Sabrina Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m in awe of how Gemma captured how multifaceted anxiety and depression can be. It’s important to remember that she is sharing what *her* personal experiences with both are, but even if your anxiety and depression aren’t triggered by the same things mentioned in this book (or feel as “severe”), I feel that you will relate to something. I personally related to “The Depression Obstacle Course.” It was a bit rude for her to call me out for laying down on the couch (reading her book), avoiding taking a shower, feeling like I weigh a gazillion pounds, eating junk food, and not wearing pants. However, it did encourage me to get up and get ready after I finished reading. I hope other people enjoy this read as much as I did.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an incredible comic that really addresses the heart of depression, anxiety, and agoraphobia. I commend the author for being brave enough to create this in the first place and share her struggles with the world. Excellent read!

[Noelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Relatable, humorous. I’ve enjoyed her comics online for years. In the book, I wish she had spent more time talking about what has helped.

Read on my iPad from the library.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m really impressed that Gemma could make reading about anxiety a particularly good time.
I empathized with so much here but especially not doing the CBT homework (yikes on bikes that shits scary) and being the best at therapy (because who doesn’t aspire to be the best at everything and even if we don’t our anxiety damn sure won’t allow for second best).
Here’s to doing the scary thing.

[Nina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Autobiografisches Graphic Novel über das Leben mit Angststörung (und Depressionen).

Hat meine Mama mir in die Hand gedrückt, upsi, war sehr schnell und „lustig“ zu lesen 🙂‍↕️

[Elizabeth A · Rating 4 out of 5]

You'd think that a a graphic memoir about a lifelong struggle with severe anxiety and depression would not be funny. You'd be wrong. The author recounts her experiences with compassion, honesty and humor. No punches were pulled. I knew I'd like the illustration style as I follow the author on IG, and I appreciated the vulnerability of this one.

Rating for Gemma Correll books
The Worrier's Guide to Life - 2
Anxietyland - 4

[Matt Graupman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Through the years, I’ve struggled with my own mental health issues (mostly ADHD misdiagnosed as bipolar disorder and depression) but, thankfully, my experiences with anxiety weren’t nearly as debilitating as Gemma Correll’s. Plagued from childhood by intrusive thoughts, crippling panic attacks, and the persistent impulse to perform elaborate prayers and rituals to stave off disaster, “Anxietyland” is Correll’s raw and unflinching account of literal decades spent exploring therapy, medication, and a dozen other strategies in an effort to control her anxiety. You’d think that her cutesy cartoon style wouldn’t work well with such a serious topic but you’d be wrong; her distinctive, easily identifiable style only reinforces just how personal these comics are for her. “Anxietyland” is a dense (sometimes repetitive) book but it also felt very reassuring, like a gentle hug to a neurodivergent reader like me; my only real complaint is I wish Correll had devoted more of this books’ 400+ pages to the treatment part of her journey (Correll HATES that term), not just the symptoms and outrageous episodes of panic she experienced. This is a great memoir, though, and I think it would be a valuable resource for any anxious - or neurotypical - reader.

[Jeanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I read it in one day. It was spot on.

[isha kantaria · Rating 5 out of 5]

much needed. funny and insightful and most importantly, relatable.

[Corinne · Rating 4 out of 5]

i related to this book so much. i used to have such bad anxiety that i felt like gemma did most days. thankfully i am doing much better now but i am extremely sympathetic towards her situation! i definitely wouldn’t have picked this up if i hadn’t worked on it at penguin during my placement but it was a very nice read!

[Madeline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, I haven’t finished a book crying in a long time but here we are!
Truly a beautiful story of Correll’s struggles with anxiety. It can be difficult to find books that are spot on with anxiety but this!! This story is spot on.
Thank you to the author for sharing your story.

[Tony Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great book (more like a graphic novel?), especially for anyone who's struggled with anxiety / depression.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5

[Ideezy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful depiction of the mental health rollercoaster.

The super cute illustrations coupled with the real, vulnerable story, made this a sweet read.

[Bel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fantastic. Raw and honest and clever and funny. And probably what you are feeling / have felt / will feel. Brilliant

[Anastasia · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Overwhelmed” Ryan Mack

[Lynn Carroll · Rating 5 out of 5]

Relatable, vulnerable, and funny. No notes

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a fun read, despite it being about a serious and saddening experience. Gemma has created a wonderfully drawn graphic memoir of her life's experience of depression and anxiety. She lightens this with her depictions and manages to capture humour within her dark times. It reminded me very much of Allie Brosh's books as they both contain humorous, accurate descriptions of intense events. This makes the book extremely relatable for those who struggle with their mental health but also to a wider audience by making it easy to follow and digest. As someone who struggled and continues to struggle with mental health, this was like a warm hug - seeing how my thought processes and spirals can be more universally felt. It had great aha moments and also those where I'd exclaim, "YES!". I did find that some page layouts and clustered writing to be slightly overwhelming to look at and I wasn't always sure of the flow of the text. Sometimes, I would be reading a section only for my eyes to dart around to try to see which speech bubbles or captions I should read before. It could be distracting from the overall connection at times. This book would be great for anyone who wants to feel seen in their difficulties with mental health or to anyone who would like to understand others' thought processes and everyday challenges. It is also just a very enjoyable and entertaining graphic novel/memoir for those who enjoy that format of book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for this advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

[Nikki Glassley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This may actually be too relatable.

[Kaytlyn Snyder · Rating 5 out of 5]

im very glad she was able to get help but i saw a lot of myself in this book and it makes me sad i don't have the money or support system to do what she was able to do to get better.

[Lyla Davies · Rating 5 out of 5]

She is me I am her. Very relatable and also informative for people who don’t have extreme anxiety and funny.

[Ashley Olson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I chuckled and i felt seen

[Laura Flavin · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Anxietyland is a brilliantly honest, darkly funny, and deeply compassionate graphic memoir that transforms the exhausting realities of anxiety and mental illness into something profoundly human, accessible, and emotionally resonant. Gemma Correll invites readers directly into the surreal landscape of her inner world, using humor, vulnerability, and wonderfully expressive illustrations to explore experiences of panic, depression, agoraphobia, dissociation, and chronic anxiety with remarkable emotional clarity. The result is a memoir that feels intensely personal while also becoming instantly recognizable to anyone who has struggled with mental health.”

“What stood out most was the extraordinary balance between humor and emotional truth. Correll never minimizes the seriousness of anxiety, but instead uses wit and visual absurdity to illuminate how irrational, exhausting, isolating, and strangely surreal mental illness can feel from the inside. The concept of ‘Anxietyland’ as an internal amusement park works beautifully because it captures both the chaos and repetitive nature of anxious thinking while remaining imaginative and emotionally approachable. Her illustrations carry enormous emotional intelligence simple in style but devastatingly effective in expressing fear, self-consciousness, overstimulation, dread, and emotional fatigue. At the same time, the memoir radiates warmth and self-awareness, allowing readers to feel understood rather than overwhelmed. The humor feels gentle rather than cynical, creating moments of relief and recognition even within difficult emotional territory. Honest, empathetic, and profoundly relatable, Anxietyland stands as both a moving memoir and a powerful reminder that vulnerability and humor can coexist in the face of mental illness.”

[Cole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Gallery Books for the #gifted copy in exchange for an honest review!

In this graphic novel/memoir, Gemma Correll walks readers through her own Mental Health Journey™, including severe anxiety, panic attacks, agoraphobia, dissociation, depression, and a brief stint of addiction. From childhood in the UK to moving to Berkeley in adulthood, Gemma Correll's anxiety has followed her across time and space, manifesting in various ways along the way. She checks into a partial hospitalization program (PHP), and goes between her current time in the PHP and her previous experiences with mental health.

Gemma Correll writes with such humor and charm despite the serious topic and debilitating ways in which anxiety impaired her daily life. She is candid about how she self-medicated with alcohol, how therapy didn’t work out at first, and her own experience with antidepressant medications. Anxietyland is a carnival, though not one you particularly want to visit. That said, she names and describes ways in which mood disorders can manifest, and provides the theme park analogy to break it down further. It’s quirky, but honestly one of the best depictions (figuratively and literally) of anxiety I’ve ever seen, and I have already been sharing this with everyone I know!

Reviewed as part of an #ARC from the publisher.

Read this book if you:
👯‍♀️ fangirled the Spice Girls (and low-key still love them)
📝 ever lied on your anxiety questionnaire because it gave you too much anxiety to answer accurately
🧠 loved the Inside Out movies (and saw yourself in the Anxiety character)

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