Reviews tagging 'Grief'

The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen

102 reviews

claudiashelf's review against another edition

adventurous 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? It's complicated

4.0

I chose this book blindly, and it’s shockingly good. This semi-autobiographical graphic novel about the Vietnamese diaspora takes up fairy tale retellings to explore immigration, communication, queerness, and love. The story in this book warmed my heart and nearly made me cry, while the graphics were exquisitely detailed and striking. The writing and artwork in this book are well-balanced. Unfortunately, though, I found it difficult to get into the story at first since there were parts of it in Vietnamese that were not translated into English. For a while, I was unable to figure out where the story was heading. Overall, this is such a good read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cannibalism, Death, Grief, and Homophobia

dexkit10's review against another edition

emotional hopeful lighthearted 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Death of parent, and Homophobia

Moderate: Murder, Blood, and Animal death

Minor: War and Confinement

bexi's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Murder, Blood, Emotional abuse, Grief, Homophobia, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Cannibalism, Domestic abuse, Abandonment, and Animal death

shelvesofivy's review against another edition

emotional hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Don't mind me, just literally crying over everything about this book 🥺
The art had me from page 1, and if possible, it just got even more beautiful. I loved the use of color to help move between the fairytale, the modern, and the flashbacks. And of course, the overarching story has me crying, but it's in a cathartic way ♡
I can't recommend this enough, regardless of what you usually read ♡ 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Homophobia, Animal cruelty, and Animal death

Moderate: Blood, Death of parent, Religious bigotry, and Murder

Minor: Hate crime, Cannibalism, and Child abuse

readingmushrooms's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Homophobia, Grief, Blood, Murder, Violence, War, Religious bigotry, and Death of parent

kshertz's review against another edition

inspiring reflective sad tense 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? Yes

4.0

It’s such an interesting graphic novel where a family is connecting through fairytales. The mom dealing with grief, the son with talking to them about who he loves. It was equal parts heartwarming and heartbreaking. It’s definitely gorgeous and worth a read 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Death of parent, Abandonment, Death, Grief, and Homophobia

gimmiiie's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective 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? No

5.0

Beautiful. Beautiful. Beautiful. 

Would recommend this for any one. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry, Terminal illness, War, Death of parent, Grief, Homophobia, and Outing

pastelkerstin's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful reflective

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Murder, Grief, Blood, and Violence

Moderate: Homophobia, Death of parent, Religious bigotry, and War

conversion therapy

indeedithappens's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective sad 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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abandonment, Blood, Classism, Domestic abuse, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Xenophobia, Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Hate crime, Grief, Murder, Physical abuse, and Violence

simone_elizabeth's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Outing, Grief, Homophobia, Blood, War, and Death of parent