A review by jarshi
The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen

emotional hopeful inspiring relaxing 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

 The most interesting aspect of the whole book, funnily enough, was the author’s notes at the end. It was a lot of fun to read through Nguyen’s reasonings behind his creative decisions. I thought that his explanation for the different aesthetics of the fairy tales told and how those design details connected with the narrator of each story was brilliant. Their art history background really shone through, and I felt that it really highlighted how effective graphic novels can be at conveying emotion and telling biographies or autobiographies. I know this story is neither, but the fact that my brain went there seems to be a good indication that Nguyen was effective at humanizing the characters. 

 

Overall, I thought the book was very well done. What a way to debut!