Gemma, as a child, in the midst of “the bad feeling.” Art by Gemma Correll.
When some members of my family tree emerge from the birth canal, they receive a gentle backrub to wake them (or a smack on the bottom for past generations) and a lifetime pass to what Gemma Correll calls Anxietyland in the title of her memoir.
I feel for the generations that came before mine, relatives who internalized “nerves” (as they called it) at a time when common mental health problems—and talking openly about them—carried more stigma, and helpful coping resources were scarce. Correll’s Anxietyland is that type of resource. She takes us on a bumpy ride through her mental health journey, candidly recounting her tribulations with “the bad feeling.”
The organizing framework for Anxietyland is a carnival that features harrowing rides and sideshows starring Gemma. The idea to use a carnival as a metaphor is a bold one. The comparison might seem insensitive at first, but Correll reflects on her life from a place of hard-won perspective, often in a darkly comedic way.
Correll describes the mental health struggles she deals with, including anxiety, panic, depression, problematic alcohol use, and several phobias. And she does not shy away from sharing the depths of her anguish:
“It’s not so much that I want to die. I’m just not sure how much longer I can carry on existing.”
Time and place
The story weaves flashbacks around a linear thread that follows Gemma through her therapy. The flashbacks show us four time periods in her life, each with its own challenges and each making us want to reach into the pages and hug Gemma:
Her early childhood, when she assumed her anxieties were just part of life and that everyone felt them.
Her high school years, when mounting internal conflict led to her first panic attack.
Her college years, which included heavy drinking and self-destructive behavior.
Her adulthood, and the unavoidably fraught, painful road to insight and healing.
At each stop, we get to know a different version of Gemma, each facing distinct challenges and possessing a different level of self-awareness.
College-age Gemma on a romp with her bad-influence companion, Boozy. Art by Gemma Correll.
Visual clues
It’s never difficult to recognize when or where we are in her timeline because Correll builds clear visual cues into the storytelling. Gemma’s trademark striped shirt makes her easy to recognize (à la Waldo). The rendering of her face remains relatively consistent as she grows older, but her body and hairstyle change subtly.
The book’s appealing, limited color palette lets us know immediately where Gemma is. Flashback scenes use variations of tomato red, along with black and the white of the page. In therapy scenes, the tomato colors are replaced with teal blue.
Teal blue signals therapy. Art by Gemma Correll.
Correll also assigns colors to three major mental health experiences:
Panic = bold tomato red
Anxiety = midtone tomato red
Depression = black
Calmly illustrated turmoil
The graphic design quality of the book is outstanding. The all-caps lettering is highly readable and consistent. For a book about anxiety, the layouts are notably orderly. Elements are carefully placed, with a comfortable amount of space between them, almost like food arranged on a plate so nothing touches.
Gemma plummets through one of Correll’s panelless layouts. Art by Gemma Correll.
The layouts are panelless. Correll leverages Western reading conventions—left-to-right, top-to-bottom—to move us confidently through the pages.
Characters are flattened and two-dimensional. Correll’s cartoon drawing style is consistent throughout and nicely bridges the gap between humor and empathy.
Interludes
The carnival analogue is used to structure the narrative and provide occasional comedic respites in the often-weighty material. Interlude pages feature illustrations of more than a dozen terrifying-and-hilarious Anxietyland rides, including ‘The Worry-Go-Round,’ ‘The Loop of Anxious Avoidance,’ ‘The Pit of Guilt,’ and ‘Tunnel of Love Things You Don’t Really Want To Do But You Do Them Anyway Because They Are Good For Your Mental Health.’
Gemma billed as an attraction in the Anxietyland sideshow. Art by Gemma Correll.
Sideshow attractions include ‘The Great Catastrophizer,’ ‘The Magical Thinking Show,’ and ‘The Emotion Swallower.’ We also visit a funny-not-funny, liquor-soaked riff on Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory, where our host, Boozy, sings, “Come with me, And you’ll be, In a land of pure intoxication….”
Who should read this book
Everyone, really. But here are my initial thoughts as a non-medical expert:
People struggling with anxiety and depression. Knowing that other people have lived through similar strife can help. For a long time, Gemma feels broken, as though she’s the only person who feels the things she feels. She isn’t alone. Neither are you.
Friends and family of people who are struggling. Too often, people who are struggling are held at a distance by friends and family who are uncomfortable or afraid to engage deeply. Rather than put themselves out there, even close friends can deflect with surface-level advice like the kind Gemma hears: “Think positive!!!!”, “Drink tea,” or “Do yoga.” I get it. Mental health struggles can feel scary. Avoidance is tempting. Better understanding can help us respond with less hesitation and more support.
Teenagers and their parents. So many teens buckle under the massive weight of schoolwork, looming college, outsized expectations, social pressures, body-image concerns, and so on. It all can be too much. As parents, it can be easy to dismiss significant internal struggles as temporary external problems. Knowledge helps.
REACH OUT
If you or someone you know is struggling, in distress, or having thoughts of suicide, immediate help is available. Call or text 988, or chat online at the 988 Lifeline Official Site.
Little bits
There are relatively few characters we’re meant to keep track of, which helps across more than 400 pages. Gemma and her boyfriend/husband Anthony warrant names and distinctive character profiles. Gemma’s “mum” appears early in a few pages. You’ll have to look closely to pick out the names of friends (Alex, Jessica, Mia), perhaps reflecting how difficult friendship was for young Gemma. Practitioners’ names are noted when they achieve caricature status, such as New Age therapist Jan and clown-loving hypnotist Carole. Correll’s pugs, Mr Pickles and Bella, however, receive royal introductions.
If you’re ever in Correll’s home and she actually has an Anxietyland mug, DON’T DRINK FROM IT! Trust me. You’ll understand after you read a particularly forthright passage.
Correll is a British expat living in California. Her move to the United States is part of the plot. Otherwise, her being British is fairly immaterial to the story. My American mind did, however, delight in a few phrases such as “…necking a six-pack of wine coolers…” (meaning guzzling them, not kissing them).
I can sense Correll’s personality coming through the pages in the kind of puerile humor that makes my adult daughters laugh (OK, me too)—like the boy who says in a detail drawing, “Mom, look! It’s one of those dogs where you can see their butthole!”
DETAILS
Anxietyland
Creator: Gemma Correll (Instargram, website)
Published: by Gallery Books; April 2026; hardcover; 448 pages
A cheer for the home team
I am a company of one, but I have a beloved support team, whom I compensate with hugs, dad jokes, and hilarious texting repartee. They’ve shown up for me.
My older daughter, Shannon, a social media lead at a large company, has been my social coach and mentor. Weird.
My younger daughter, Tara, a clinical mental health counselor, has acted as my editor on this post to ensure my mental health references are accurate and sensitive. Also weird.
My amazing wife and chief graphic novel enabler, Michele, surprised me with this mug to commemorate the start of the Flat Donkey journey:
I am blessed.
