Reviews with content warning for Blood - The Magic Fish

This graphic novel was so incredibly clever. The way the fairytales Tiến and Helen tell each other are tied into the narrative not only to reflect particular events but, as the author points out, more overarching themes of immigration. The way the fairytales are used to communicate ideas between the characters - this really highlighted the power of stories. And the fairytales were fantastic in and of themselves! The author also explains so many layers of meaning that I missed my first time reading, so I think this is one of those books where you’ve got to reread to pick up on all the nuances. For example, he discusses how imagery of the fairytale being told changes based on who is narrating, which blew my mind when I flicked back through the book. I could just tell that so much thought and detail went into expressing the story.

At its core this book is about a mother-son relationship which it displays impeccably. The love and the care Tiến and Helen had for one another! Their desire to understand and be understood! I especially loved that Helen was included as a character in her own right, as it is rare for a mother-figure to have this. This inclusion brought the theme of a two-sided relationship to life as both sides of the story were shown.

The art was gorgeous. There was super effective use of colour in that only three were used (in different tones) so as to demarcate parts of the book: red for the present, blue for fairytales, and yellow for the past. The detail of the clothing and hair of the characters was wonderful.

Content Warnings

williamgideon's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

An extremely well-crafted and touching story. I love the intertextuality with the fairytales woven through the main story. I loved the mother-son relationship and the main characters supportive friends. And most of all, I adore the art! This book makes me wanna become a graphic novelist!! Excellent!! Literally 0 complaints!!!

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jay_bubblez's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring 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? It's complicated

5.0

A quiet, heartbreaking, and deeply moving story about identity, understanding and learning to communicate with those you love the most. The art style is simple and endearing, but still holds so much detail, love, and story, and a blend of cultures and time periods is very clearly expressed in the architecture, colour, and clothing.

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redrosemoth's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful 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? It's complicated

4.5

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lilybear3's review

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emotional hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

I loved the use of fairytales in this story and I loved reading the Vietnamese version of them. It is a tearjerker, happy and sad tears. It is a beautiful story with beautiful illustrations. The colors lend themselves when they are in the real world and when they are telling a fairytale.

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