The Magic Fish (graphic novel) - Paul's REVIEW

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Title: The Magic Fish
Author: Trung Le Nguyen 
Release Date: October 13, 2020


Synopsis: Tiến loves his family and his friends…but Tiến has a secret he's been keeping from them, and it might change everything. An amazing YA graphic novel that deals with the complexity of family and how stories can bring us together.

Real life isn't a fairytale.

But Tiến still enjoys reading his favorite stories with his parents from the books he borrows from the local library. It's hard enough trying to communicate with your parents as a kid, but for Tiến, he doesn't even have the right words because his parents are struggling with their English. Is there a Vietnamese word for what he's going through?

Is there a way to tell them he's gay?

A beautifully illustrated story by Trung Le Nguyen that follows a young boy as he tries to navigate life through fairytales, an instant classic that shows us how we are all connected. The Magic Fish tackles tough subjects in a way that accessible with readers of all ages, and teaches us that no matter what—we can all have our own happy endings.

------------------------------------------------------------

Review: This is a beautiful graphic novel that tells an Immigrant Family story through fairy tales. Within these pages, there's Tiến's story of dealing with his own coming-of-age experience of not feeling understood alongside his mother's experience of living in a country removed from her family as well as fairy tales they are reading and telling each other. The storytelling is used as a way to communicate. It's a way to bridge the divide between the generations. Storytelling changes depending on the circumstances of those telling the story and that is shown in such a great way in this book. 

Having grown up in the 90s myself and gone through the experience of coming into my own understanding of myself as a gay man, I saw a lot of myself in these stories. I don't have the personal experience of being an immigrant, but many close to me have had those experiences. Queer people from Immigrant families will find themselves in this book. 

I absolutely loved this book. I will be passing it around to my friends and recommending it often. The artwork is stunning and reflects the character telling the story's perspective so well. Color is utilized excellently. I obviously give this book a 5/5.


--PAUL