Scan barcode
lunarxcross's review against another edition
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Grief, Blood, Cannibalism, and Death of parent
lifeonasofa's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
The Magic Fish 🐟 Review
Real life isn’t a fairy tale. In fairy tales, the prince falls in love with the princess. But Tien had a different story to tell. His parents are refugees struggling to learn English, and he doesn’t know how to come out to them in Vietnamese. If he doesn’t even have the right words, how can he ever known if his parents will accept him? 💕
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4.5 Stars
STUNNING STORY! I was mesmerised by the way fairy tales were used in this book to move the story forward. The illustrations were SO beautiful and colours used, so simple and clever! With language being a barrier for Tien, this graphic novel captured the story perfectly. 🎨
The relationships were everything in this story. Tien and his mother, his parents, his friendships and his family across the pond. They were so heartwarmingly powerful and necessary when both Tien and his mother felt lost in this world. 🥰
Heads up, this is a really emotional read, check triggers. Some of the illustrations during fairy tale retellings are a little gory. But the representation in this book *chefs kiss* I can hear all the queer hearts singing around the world. 🌈
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Grief, Animal cruelty, Violence, Homophobia, Murder, Religious bigotry, Animal death, Blood, Cannibalism, Death, Outing, and Suicide
idlereader's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal death, Blood, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Homophobia
chrisljm's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
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
This graphic novel is so beautiful. The illustrations are stunning and I loved the utilization of monochromatic colors. The styling is simple, which made all the details stand out and wow they were gorgeous. I really enjoyed all parts of the artwork but what I loved most were, first, the clothing. Some of the dresses designed in the book took my breath away and I enjoyed seeing how they were inspired from real life pieces. The second thing that left me in awe were the illustrations of nature. Just the way the evening sky was drawn and how they transferred so beautifully onto the dresses, or even the flowers in the garden; it’s realistic but still so magical.
The illustrations and the text complimented each other really well, and the integration of fairytales was done so amazingly. This is one of the most beautiful graphic novels I’ve ever read. The illustrations, details, use of color, modern day storyline, memories, and fairytale retellings blended together so perfectly.
The illustrations and the text complimented each other really well, and the integration of fairytales was done so amazingly. This is one of the most beautiful graphic novels I’ve ever read. The illustrations, details, use of color, modern day storyline, memories, and fairytale retellings blended together so perfectly.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Murder, Cannibalism, Death of parent, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Outing, War, Grief, and Homophobia
chave_cempasuchil's review
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
oh my god
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Animal death
brnineworms's review
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? It's complicated
4.5
An enchanting story that weaves together narratives of the past, the present, and fairy tales. The Magic Fish broke my heart and lovingly stitched it back together.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Homophobia, and Outing
Moderate: Animal death, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, and Terminal illness
Minor: Cannibalism, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Stalking, Torture, Violence, and War
temporarilyhuman's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Homophobia, Outing, Child death, Animal death, Blood, Death of parent, Death, Emotional abuse, and Grief
hoiyan's review
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
5.0
okay i'm very emotional right now so get ready for a very emotional 2 am word barf.
just wow. absolutely beautiful and moving and i'm definitely not crying (i am). let me explain:
Tien, a young Vietnamese boy struggling to come out to his Vietnamese immigrant mother, but that isn't the entire premise of this story. Trung Le Nguyen explores how different languages and cultures intertwine within different generations in a single family. Tien's mother, Helen, struggles with English, while her son easily reads and writes in English, even conversing and reading out loud to help her practice.
just wow. absolutely beautiful and moving and i'm definitely not crying (i am). let me explain:
Tien, a young Vietnamese boy struggling to come out to his Vietnamese immigrant mother, but that isn't the entire premise of this story. Trung Le Nguyen explores how different languages and cultures intertwine within different generations in a single family. Tien's mother, Helen, struggles with English, while her son easily reads and writes in English, even conversing and reading out loud to help her practice.
"To me, language is a map to help you figure out where you are. If you can't read the map, you're lost.
"I wonder if I'll ever find my way home."
seeing something i can relate a little too much illustrated and beautifully portrayed made me an emotional mess. as the child of a sino-viet immigrant mother, i saw myself in Tien. i saw how my complicated and unique take on languages were reflected in Tien and Helen's situation. i teared up one too many times.
not only does Nguyen explore the complexity of languages in the relationship of an immigrant parent and their English-speaking child, he also weaves in parallels of Helen's memories with the stories being read out loud by Tien. it was just so beautiful and heartbreaking to see the scene of Helen's future (Tien) reading out a story that directly reflects Helen's past traumas. i really appreciated Nguyen touching on bits of pre-war and post-colonial Vietnam, however vague it was portrayed.
"Don't forget me.
"Do not—
"forget."
i also loved the details in traditional clothing of Vietnam, China, and historical European clothes worn by the fictional characters in Tien's stories.
so much culture and history is embedded in the fictional stories and represented through clothing which i really loved to see. Nguyen's notes at the end really added so many more layers to reveal and dig deeper into.
"Joy is a precious thing. And precious things are few.
"So we learn to hold on to them.
"We keep them close."
can we talk about this being a non-tragic gay story? wow. i went into this expecting to feel completely crushed and be in a pit of despair but i am so glad this graphic novel went in the direction it did. i loved the hopeful ending, especially considering Tien's very asian background. this hurt me a little too much when i looked back on my own family and culture's views on the lgbtq+ community. seeing Tien and his mother's relationship (especially towards the end) tugged my heart and made me wish i could experience that sort of unconditional love and support.
i appreciated how there was an emphasis on Tien's friends and their support. i loved how it showed how important this support system is during times of self-doubt and grief.
though this is for a younger audience, i found so much comfort and relief in this? it was a nice, short read, but sosososo worth it. it's so important and healing to see writers and artists that are just like you, especially at a young age. it's so important that these voices are heard and seen and amplified so all the kids struggling out there can be heard and seen.
the art and flow of the stories were just stunning and absolutely beautiful. i cannot stress that enough. please give this a read. it hurt and healed me so deeply and i will be grabbing my own physical copy of this asap.
if you've read The Prince and the Dressmaker, i guarantee you will love this as well. and vice versa, if you loved this just as much as i did, go check out The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang.
my heart is so full right now.
"So they lived on, together. And they were happy."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Homophobia
Moderate: Death and Religious bigotry
Minor: Animal death, Blood, Cannibalism, and Violence
cassielaj's review
emotional
hopeful
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
This was a great entry into graphic novels for me! The illustrations are gorgeous, and I loved the way the author draws parallels between the fairy tales and the daily lives of an immigrant family and a queer kid. Really cool
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Animal death, Death, Death of parent, and Murder
laurajones's review
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Death of parent, and Grief
Moderate: Murder, Terminal illness, and War
Minor: Animal death, Animal cruelty, Colonisation, Domestic abuse, and Pedophilia