I was unfamiliar with Lela Lee's work before picking up this collection of cartoons, and I fear this was not the best introduction to her Angry Little Asian Girl universe.

These self-help cartoons are more blunt than humorous and the order seems a bit random, grouped by theme, with one strip appearing before two strips later in the book that it obviously follows chronologically. While most of the characters are named on the back cover, only a couple are actually linked to their names in the cartoons and a couple supporting cast members aren't named at all. And it wasn't entirely obvious to me that one character was supposed to be Korean American and another Latina American.

It was only when I started my review for the book that I discovered the strip's origins in Lee's Angry Little Asian Girl cartoons, which are quite amusing and loaded with salty language. She is obviously talented, so I hope to come across some of her earlier books at some point in the future or find the time to read the strips from the beginning on GoComics.

FOR REFERENCE:

Contents: Process Unhappy Feelings -- Let Negative Thoughts Pass -- Let Go of Grudges -- Stop Comparing. Love and Accept Yourself -- Practice Self-Care -- Manage Your Stress -- Spend Time in Nature -- Keep Good Company -- Look on the Bright Side and Look for the Lesson ( )