You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
divineblkpearl's Reviews (732)
**Many thanks to Random House Graphic for sending me an ARC!**
Review: ‘The Magic Fish’ is A Stunning, Hopeful Story In Graphic Novel Form
In The Magic Fish, our protagonist is young Tiến, a lovable thirteen-year-old kid who is well-loved by his best friends Claire and Julian, and also his parents. Set in the ’90s, he’s a son to Helen and John, first-generation Vietnamese immigrants, he loves to check out books from the library and take turns reading them with his parents aloud. It is a practice that he enjoys the most with his mother, who loves fairytales as much as her son, initially done in practice to improve her English. From the first chapter, it’s established that it is an intimate sort of ritual, one that both mom and son enjoy. It is also becoming apparent that through stories like the fairytales, both Tiến and Helen are attempting to process past and current experiences like their identities and expectations of who they think they should be in their family structures.
I have to be clear, this just isn’t one story. No. Tiến has a thread in this narrative as does his mother, Helen. Then are a few fairytales, one famously adapted again and again about a girl from the sea and one much closer to home for Helen. Through all these stories there are people who matter, people who have a home even if displaced, people who undergo a great conflict, a tragedy. Tiến who lives in these stories as much as his mother doesn’t have the words to express how he feels. He’s a kid who is figuring out that he’s gay and he doesn’t have the Vietnamese words for what he’s going through, he doesn’t words that will translate to his parents. He’s at a loss. He’s also not sure what people, especially he parents will think. Will they still love him? Will their roles as parents stay consistent–too often the young adults in the stories he reads are without parents or without good ones. Will he end up like them?
With Helen, her narrative thread is one of a mother who left home young as barely an adult and dreamt of home, of her own mother, and the limbo she finds herself in. Escaping Vietnam as a refugee, she’s made a new life for herself in a new land: she has fulfilling work, a family she adores, and a son she sees herself in, a son who loves what she loves fairytales. But when the laughter and chatter at home die down, she thinks of her homeland and her family and loss. She wonders whether she is preserving her culture or her language with her son, who is quickly growing up. She wonders if she’s a good daughter so far from home, even if she can’t visit or call more often. She, like Tiến, doesn’t always have the words to express what she wants to say in either language, her native tongue, and her still growing grasp of English. Through the stories that she and her son, love, she finds herself in them at times, still escaping monsters and wicked men.
Trungles’ art is is, by no secret or exaggeration, breath-taking. Gorgeous pages of princesses dancing the night away in the arms of princes, supportive allies coming to the aid of the one in trouble are lovely. Full of magic. That magic bleeds into the pages of Tiến and Helen’s lives, current and past. Pages of confessions, loving embraces, and worried expressions contain multitudes. I appreciate the research that went into the illustrating of the many costumes and clothing throughout the book, from Tien’s iconic jacket with the perfectly placed patch to the lovely Vietnamese áo dài to the many flowy, princess-like dresses that one might find on a stage.
A note opening the book reveals that in regards to the artwork, the first one hundred and sixty-eight pages were drawn traditionally and the remaining pages were drawn using a tablet using software like Adobe Photoshop. It’ is an illuminating fact as Trungles’ art style is very beautifully detailed. Reminding me of gorgeous storybooks of old but being unique in its own way, it has always caught my eye. Knowing a bit of the process for this work has given me a new appreciation of it and has shed light of the combination of traditional and more digital means in production. I’m sure other readers who are artists and creative souls will appreciate this information as well.
While The Magic Fish is geared for Young Adult audiences, I believe that this is a very accessible story for all ages. With that in mind, I would like to point out that there is a bit of blood and brief written descriptions of violence in the fairy tale portions–which should not come as a surprise as fairy tales of old tend to have a bit of violence in them, some versions more than others. (The Little Mermaid, for example, is my favorite illustrative example, depending on what version you read). There is also the implied violence of what happened in Vietnam in Helen’s memories that caused her to leave home and start anew in a different country–and the trauma she carries because of that.
Read the rest of my review here: https://blacknerdproblems.com/the-magic-fish-a-graphic-novel-review/
Review: ‘The Magic Fish’ is A Stunning, Hopeful Story In Graphic Novel Form
In The Magic Fish, our protagonist is young Tiến, a lovable thirteen-year-old kid who is well-loved by his best friends Claire and Julian, and also his parents. Set in the ’90s, he’s a son to Helen and John, first-generation Vietnamese immigrants, he loves to check out books from the library and take turns reading them with his parents aloud. It is a practice that he enjoys the most with his mother, who loves fairytales as much as her son, initially done in practice to improve her English. From the first chapter, it’s established that it is an intimate sort of ritual, one that both mom and son enjoy. It is also becoming apparent that through stories like the fairytales, both Tiến and Helen are attempting to process past and current experiences like their identities and expectations of who they think they should be in their family structures.
I have to be clear, this just isn’t one story. No. Tiến has a thread in this narrative as does his mother, Helen. Then are a few fairytales, one famously adapted again and again about a girl from the sea and one much closer to home for Helen. Through all these stories there are people who matter, people who have a home even if displaced, people who undergo a great conflict, a tragedy. Tiến who lives in these stories as much as his mother doesn’t have the words to express how he feels. He’s a kid who is figuring out that he’s gay and he doesn’t have the Vietnamese words for what he’s going through, he doesn’t words that will translate to his parents. He’s at a loss. He’s also not sure what people, especially he parents will think. Will they still love him? Will their roles as parents stay consistent–too often the young adults in the stories he reads are without parents or without good ones. Will he end up like them?
With Helen, her narrative thread is one of a mother who left home young as barely an adult and dreamt of home, of her own mother, and the limbo she finds herself in. Escaping Vietnam as a refugee, she’s made a new life for herself in a new land: she has fulfilling work, a family she adores, and a son she sees herself in, a son who loves what she loves fairytales. But when the laughter and chatter at home die down, she thinks of her homeland and her family and loss. She wonders whether she is preserving her culture or her language with her son, who is quickly growing up. She wonders if she’s a good daughter so far from home, even if she can’t visit or call more often. She, like Tiến, doesn’t always have the words to express what she wants to say in either language, her native tongue, and her still growing grasp of English. Through the stories that she and her son, love, she finds herself in them at times, still escaping monsters and wicked men.
Trungles’ art is is, by no secret or exaggeration, breath-taking. Gorgeous pages of princesses dancing the night away in the arms of princes, supportive allies coming to the aid of the one in trouble are lovely. Full of magic. That magic bleeds into the pages of Tiến and Helen’s lives, current and past. Pages of confessions, loving embraces, and worried expressions contain multitudes. I appreciate the research that went into the illustrating of the many costumes and clothing throughout the book, from Tien’s iconic jacket with the perfectly placed patch to the lovely Vietnamese áo dài to the many flowy, princess-like dresses that one might find on a stage.
A note opening the book reveals that in regards to the artwork, the first one hundred and sixty-eight pages were drawn traditionally and the remaining pages were drawn using a tablet using software like Adobe Photoshop. It’ is an illuminating fact as Trungles’ art style is very beautifully detailed. Reminding me of gorgeous storybooks of old but being unique in its own way, it has always caught my eye. Knowing a bit of the process for this work has given me a new appreciation of it and has shed light of the combination of traditional and more digital means in production. I’m sure other readers who are artists and creative souls will appreciate this information as well.
While The Magic Fish is geared for Young Adult audiences, I believe that this is a very accessible story for all ages. With that in mind, I would like to point out that there is a bit of blood and brief written descriptions of violence in the fairy tale portions–which should not come as a surprise as fairy tales of old tend to have a bit of violence in them, some versions more than others. (The Little Mermaid, for example, is my favorite illustrative example, depending on what version you read). There is also the implied violence of what happened in Vietnam in Helen’s memories that caused her to leave home and start anew in a different country–and the trauma she carries because of that.
Read the rest of my review here: https://blacknerdproblems.com/the-magic-fish-a-graphic-novel-review/
Thanks to Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!
Review:’Mermaid Saga’ Collector’s Edition, Vol. 1 is A Supernatural Thrill
Rumiko Takahashi’s classic horror series about mermaid flesh and immortality!
The manga follows Yuta, who became immortal when he unwittingly ate mermaid flesh, and now he seeks a way to become human again. He longs to have a normal life once again where he can one day, die. The world keeps changing and everything and everyone he once knew is mostly gone. His will keeps him sane while he follows rumors and truth to achieving his goal. Hundreds of years later, he encounters a determined and quite volatile young lady named Mana. Her mysterious origins lead him deeper down a rabbit hole that the mermaid myth has roots in several places in Japan and he’s nowhere closer to saving his humanity.
Balancing the horror and romance genres nearly perfect with a supernatural flavor, Takahashi plays up the traditional mythical creatures of her homeland. With a narrative that covers generations, Yuta and Mana are characters thrown into this tale of tragedy and misfortune and the lives of both humans and those not touched by the curse of the existence of mermaids. With each chapter, they find new faces but also more breadcrumbs of where to go and new vessels filled with the horrible cocktail of emotions caused by being in the proximity of being near any parts of a mermaid of old.
There is a revolving door of minor characters; some lured in by the promise of immortality, others changed into monsters in human form by jealousy or hate, others bystanders with little to no agency to truly help those in need. The interaction of these characters not only flesh out the chapters but the overall story. No matter where our duo goes–there’s bound to be someone touched by the stories of the mermaids. Mixed in with all of this are the hi-jinks, the comedic bits (Mana and Yuta’s banter each chapter) that made me chuckle through reading. It is very much the Rumiko Takahashi formula of ‘giving you a bit of everything’ in yet another story that will captivate you and stay on the brain well after you finish reading.
For a manga from the 80’s, the book does seem to have aged well, thankfully. Newer manga fans might find her artwork a bit on the plain side but for folks like me who have a history with her work will probably feel right at home in familiar territory. Reading from page to page draws me back to that artwork that is so familiar–these black and white panels with that element of darkness deliciously flavoring this story. Mana, once confined to a secluded village and kept away from the outside world goes from barely being able to even walk to exploring Japan with Yuta, confronting wicked men, and even standing up to protect those whose lives have been wrecked by circumstances related to the elusive mermaids. It’s that old tied and true Rumic Theater ‘plucky heroine ‘that I love in her work that I refuse to apologize for.
There are tales of young love never realized, sisterly obligation turned obsessive, and more than one plight of someone wishing to obtain in death what in life they desired most. In short, this series is a saga in itself and worth rereading. This newer Collector’s edition features a beautiful cover and –ten pages of fully colored illustrations that are almost too gorgeous to look at. A definite treat to enhance this new reprint of a loved classic from a master. Having longtime translator Rachel Thorn onboard for the English translation is only a plus in my book!
Read the rest of my review here: https://blacknerdproblems.com/reviewmermaid-saga-collectors-edition-vol-1-is-a-supernatural-thrill/
Review:’Mermaid Saga’ Collector’s Edition, Vol. 1 is A Supernatural Thrill
Rumiko Takahashi’s classic horror series about mermaid flesh and immortality!
The manga follows Yuta, who became immortal when he unwittingly ate mermaid flesh, and now he seeks a way to become human again. He longs to have a normal life once again where he can one day, die. The world keeps changing and everything and everyone he once knew is mostly gone. His will keeps him sane while he follows rumors and truth to achieving his goal. Hundreds of years later, he encounters a determined and quite volatile young lady named Mana. Her mysterious origins lead him deeper down a rabbit hole that the mermaid myth has roots in several places in Japan and he’s nowhere closer to saving his humanity.
Balancing the horror and romance genres nearly perfect with a supernatural flavor, Takahashi plays up the traditional mythical creatures of her homeland. With a narrative that covers generations, Yuta and Mana are characters thrown into this tale of tragedy and misfortune and the lives of both humans and those not touched by the curse of the existence of mermaids. With each chapter, they find new faces but also more breadcrumbs of where to go and new vessels filled with the horrible cocktail of emotions caused by being in the proximity of being near any parts of a mermaid of old.
There is a revolving door of minor characters; some lured in by the promise of immortality, others changed into monsters in human form by jealousy or hate, others bystanders with little to no agency to truly help those in need. The interaction of these characters not only flesh out the chapters but the overall story. No matter where our duo goes–there’s bound to be someone touched by the stories of the mermaids. Mixed in with all of this are the hi-jinks, the comedic bits (Mana and Yuta’s banter each chapter) that made me chuckle through reading. It is very much the Rumiko Takahashi formula of ‘giving you a bit of everything’ in yet another story that will captivate you and stay on the brain well after you finish reading.
For a manga from the 80’s, the book does seem to have aged well, thankfully. Newer manga fans might find her artwork a bit on the plain side but for folks like me who have a history with her work will probably feel right at home in familiar territory. Reading from page to page draws me back to that artwork that is so familiar–these black and white panels with that element of darkness deliciously flavoring this story. Mana, once confined to a secluded village and kept away from the outside world goes from barely being able to even walk to exploring Japan with Yuta, confronting wicked men, and even standing up to protect those whose lives have been wrecked by circumstances related to the elusive mermaids. It’s that old tied and true Rumic Theater ‘plucky heroine ‘that I love in her work that I refuse to apologize for.
There are tales of young love never realized, sisterly obligation turned obsessive, and more than one plight of someone wishing to obtain in death what in life they desired most. In short, this series is a saga in itself and worth rereading. This newer Collector’s edition features a beautiful cover and –ten pages of fully colored illustrations that are almost too gorgeous to look at. A definite treat to enhance this new reprint of a loved classic from a master. Having longtime translator Rachel Thorn onboard for the English translation is only a plus in my book!
Read the rest of my review here: https://blacknerdproblems.com/reviewmermaid-saga-collectors-edition-vol-1-is-a-supernatural-thrill/
This books ratings? 4.5
I did not know what I was truly getting into with picking this up for my kindle other than the summary sounded intriguing and the main character seemed to have had a hard, hard life.
Then I started reading and found that author, L.E.H. Light fleshed out a world, one may even call it a kind of dystopian world that doesn't feel too far away from ours: slums that hold the poorest people, luxury and better living conditions available to people who live above in "The Towers", people gaining advanced prosthetics and integrating more and more technology into their bodies...
And I kept reading and found Teach aka Teresa, a survivor. An orphan. A haunted person. A wronged woman. A vessel for a God to speak and act through. And I read on and was given a tale of redemption, love and adventure and a hunger that encompasses so much: for home, for revenge, for answers, for closure and for companionship that Teach didn't know she was looking for.
My only gripe is that I felt the pacing was a bit slow in the beginning. It took me a while to trudge through it BUT once I got through it----I could hardly stand to be away from my kindle to keep reading! Queen of Hunger is an incredible book and YOU SHOULD BE READING IT.
After finishing, I've drove past churches and places of worship of all kinds humoring myself to hear sounds that would be like sounds of worship from The House of the Assembled. I walked past men whom I'd swear reminded me of Wyatt and all his annoying quirks. I've looked for Teach in the stern faces of women that I've stood in lines with at atms and in stores. This is a story that will not leave you overnight. This is a story that will stick with you. This is a hell of a story. It's well worth the price. I wish I owned this is print.
P.S. I know the author too but read on with giving an unbiased review in mind. And you know what? I found that this wasn't hard to do because this book is fantastic.
I did not know what I was truly getting into with picking this up for my kindle other than the summary sounded intriguing and the main character seemed to have had a hard, hard life.
Then I started reading and found that author, L.E.H. Light fleshed out a world, one may even call it a kind of dystopian world that doesn't feel too far away from ours: slums that hold the poorest people, luxury and better living conditions available to people who live above in "The Towers", people gaining advanced prosthetics and integrating more and more technology into their bodies...
And I kept reading and found Teach aka Teresa, a survivor. An orphan. A haunted person. A wronged woman. A vessel for a God to speak and act through. And I read on and was given a tale of redemption, love and adventure and a hunger that encompasses so much: for home, for revenge, for answers, for closure and for companionship that Teach didn't know she was looking for.
My only gripe is that I felt the pacing was a bit slow in the beginning. It took me a while to trudge through it BUT once I got through it----I could hardly stand to be away from my kindle to keep reading! Queen of Hunger is an incredible book and YOU SHOULD BE READING IT.
After finishing, I've drove past churches and places of worship of all kinds humoring myself to hear sounds that would be like sounds of worship from The House of the Assembled. I walked past men whom I'd swear reminded me of Wyatt and all his annoying quirks. I've looked for Teach in the stern faces of women that I've stood in lines with at atms and in stores. This is a story that will not leave you overnight. This is a story that will stick with you. This is a hell of a story. It's well worth the price. I wish I owned this is print.
P.S. I know the author too but read on with giving an unbiased review in mind. And you know what? I found that this wasn't hard to do because this book is fantastic.