The Hidden Cost of “Working Harder”: When Doing More Isn’t Enough
Have you ever caught yourself repeating the mantra, “Everything is fine, I’ll just work harder,” even when deep down you know it’s anything but? Cara Gormally’s graphic memoir, Everything is Fine, I’ll Just Work Harder: Confessions of a Former Badass, lays bare that uncomfortable truth with a raw, unfiltered lens that’s as illuminating as it is relatable. If you think trauma and perfectionism are worlds apart, think again — this book shows how they intertwine beneath the polished surface of relentless achievement. Gormally’s storytelling isn’t your typical linear ride—it’s jagged, fragmented, and tangled with flashbacks, pulling you into the messy process of healing without the neat bow of resolution. And what struck me most: the quiet rebellion in simply learning to breathe again. Reading this felt like a whispered “me too” amid the clatter of our overachieving, burnout-prone culture. Curious how trauma science and graphic art collide to reveal what staying “fine” really costs? Dive in — it’s a journey worth taking, if only to recognize your own hidden battles. LEARN MORE
Reviewed by Elizabeth Austin
In Everything is Fine, I’ll Just Work Harder: Confessions of a Former Badass (Street Noise Books, 2025), Cara Gormally delivers a quietly radical graphic memoir that explores how trauma embeds itself in the body, mutates into perfectionism, and hides beneath the mask of high achievement.
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