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dogoodwithbooks's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
In a semi-autobiographical take on his coming out experience to his family and friends, Trung Le Nguyen transports readers to the heart of connection through the love of stories in spite of hate and fear.
Not only is this just a graphic novel with pretty illustrations, Trung Le Nguyen has readers sucked into the heart of the story: whether that would be Tiến in the present trying to figure out how he can come out to his family or Tien’s mom reflecting on the sacrifices she’s made to become a U.S. citizen or the various fairytales Tiến reads to his mother.
Full of heart despite the darker topics addressed in the book, readers will absolutely love the underlying message that happy endings are for everyone. If you’re looking for a graphic novel with coming out themes amidst examinations of fairytales throughout the world, you will definitely want to read The Magic Fish.
Not only is this just a graphic novel with pretty illustrations, Trung Le Nguyen has readers sucked into the heart of the story: whether that would be Tiến in the present trying to figure out how he can come out to his family or Tien’s mom reflecting on the sacrifices she’s made to become a U.S. citizen or the various fairytales Tiến reads to his mother.
Full of heart despite the darker topics addressed in the book, readers will absolutely love the underlying message that happy endings are for everyone. If you’re looking for a graphic novel with coming out themes amidst examinations of fairytales throughout the world, you will definitely want to read The Magic Fish.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Homophobia, and Death
Moderate: Religious bigotry, Blood, Gore, and Outing
Minor: War and Cannibalism
tinkeringcheck's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Beautiful and surprisingly layered intergenerational story woven between fairy tales and a real family, but I personally should've minded the content warnings. All of the fairy tales have a more Grimm than Disney edge (and the author's note in the end about their influences was fascinating), but one in particular went pretty dark with animal death, cannibalism, abuse, and murder. Still, the art and story are gorgeously done even if it didn't end up being for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Grief, Animal death, Homophobia, and Murder
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Cannibalism, Outing, Violence, Death of parent, and Religious bigotry
Minor: War
yuvia's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
A lovely and heartwarming story about the struggles of an immigrant family. The artwork is beautiful and the ending is sweet. I loved how it seamlessly wove the fairytales together with what was going on in Tien and his mother’s lives. The awful teacher who outted Tien and made him talk to a homophobic priest can choke though.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, War, and Death of parent
Minor: Hate crime
12dejamoo's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Exactly the right blend of everything. Touching and emotional and oh-so-BEAUTIFUL.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Death of parent, and Child abuse
Minor: War
Emmigrationllorona's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Such a beautifully crafted story with unique and structured tie-ins that are worth discovering as you progress through the book. Truly a gift to the world. Coming from an immigrant family as a queer individual who always struggles with having the right vocabulary to communicate all my thoughts and feelings this book makes me feel seen. Beautifully done, all of it!
Content Warnings
Moderate: War and Homophobia
tinyjude's review against another edition
dark
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
A really beautiful book that focuses on the relationship between a mother and her son, language barriers, feeling isolated and not truly belonging to one place due to forceful migration and colonisation; and how they are able to understand and support each other through fairy tails such as Cinderella and The Little Mermaid. It was beautiful and fascinating to see the different depictions of the same tale depending on the cultural context. The colour palette was used with such creativity, helping the reader identify the past (yellow), the present (red) and the stories within the main story (blue) with complexity and beautiful details. I found myself instantly attached to the characters and the story. It was beautifully crafted and it couldn't come to me in a most precious and sad time to help me too.
The tale she narrates to her child at the end couldn't have been better. I was sobbing and wrecked. So touching.
The tale she narrates to her child at the end couldn't have been better. I was sobbing and wrecked. So touching.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Homophobia, Outing, Animal death, and Child death
Moderate: Grief, Genocide, Colonisation, Xenophobia, and War
Minor: Blood and Gore
readbykatherine's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Homophobia, Outing, Religious bigotry, War, and Violence
theskyboi's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Religious bigotry and Homophobia
Minor: War
alyxinthestars's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: War, Homophobia, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Hate crime
woodiefrog's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Absolutely beautiful. Wonderful old world Andersen’s fairy tale illustration style, mixing two fairy tales with the cross generation of a boy and his mother trying to find the words of love. My last two braincell before dropping dead on pillow here. So breathtakingly lovely and breaks my heart in the best minute ways before mending them.
If you like *fairy tales, *immigration story, *lgbtq+ YA, *Ghibili anime, don’t miss this one!
If you like *fairy tales, *immigration story, *lgbtq+ YA, *Ghibili anime, don’t miss this one!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia
Minor: War and Religious bigotry