Everything Is Beautiful, and I'm Not Afraid: A Baopu Collection by Yao Xiao (graphic novel) - Paul's REVIEW

*I received this book as an eARC from Andrews McMeel Publishing via NetGalley. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

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Title: Everything Is Beautiful, and I'm Not Afraid: A Baopu Collection
Creator: Yao Xiao
Upcoming Release Date: March 3, 2020


Synopsis: Everything Is Beautiful, and I'm Not Afraid perfectly captures the feelings of a young sojourner in America as she explores the nuances in searching for a place to belong. Baopu is a monthly serialized comic on Autostraddle, and this book includes beloved fan favorites plus new, never-before-seen comics.

This one-of-a-kind graphic novel explores the poetics of searching for connection, belonging, and identity through the fictional life of a young, queer immigrant. Inspired by the creator's own experiences as a queer, China-born illustrator living in the United States, Everything Is Beautiful, and I'm Not Afraid has an undeniable memoir quality to its recollection and thought-provoking accounts of what it's like to navigate the complexities of seeking belonging—mentally and geographically. 

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Review: This graphic novel feels like a poetry collection. It is a collection with each page almost self-contained, but it all fits together into a memoir-ish story. There are so many topics of identity dealt with. Each page could stand alone framed on a wall. 

I felt like this would make a great coffee table book to leave out and flip through leisurely. It would be jarring to try and read through all of the book in one sitting. I give this book a 4/5.


--PAUL