Reviews tagging 'Outing'

The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen

54 reviews

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.

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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.

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Cannibalism, Outing, Violence, Death of parent, and Religious bigotry

Minor: War

ms_elchert's review against another edition

adventurous emotional informative 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? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent and Outing

avethebrave's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring sad 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death, Homophobia, and Outing

Minor: Death of parent

sunflowerwork's review against another edition

emotional lighthearted reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Religious bigotry, Homophobia, Outing, Blood, and Grief

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.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Homophobia, Outing, Animal death, and Child death

Moderate: Grief, Genocide, Colonisation, Xenophobia, and War

Minor: Blood and Gore

sapphic_alpaca's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Violence, Child death, Blood, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Outing, Grief, and Murder

Minor: Death of parent

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

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Content Warnings

Minor: Homophobia, Outing, Religious bigotry, War, and Violence

rachelfayreads's review against another edition

emotional inspiring lighthearted 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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Outing, Homophobia, and Death of parent

ktdakotareads's review against another edition

hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Minor: Abandonment, Bullying, Homophobia, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Outing, and Grief