Age 16

Starred review from April 22, 2024
Using alternating POVs set in three timelines, Fung (Living with Viola) crafts a poignant tale of generational strife, rebellion, and self-acceptance, inspired by the creator’s family history. In 2000 Toronto—rendered in bright fuchsia hues—Chinese Canadian 16-year-old Roz wants to be thin. Her mother, Lydia, often chastises her about her eating habits, claiming that she knows all too well what it’s like to be a “big girl.” Soft orange washes then depict 1972 Hong Kong, during which 16-year-old Lydia’s passion for dance is repeatedly shot down by her critical mother Mei Laan, who insists that Lydia should be searching for a husband. Then, in a teal-toned 1954 Guandong, 16-year-old Mei Laan longs to be free from the political and economic instability of her home; Mei Laan’s upcoming arranged marriage brings about lasting consequences that all three generations must confront in 2000 upon her unexpected arrival to Toronto. Tensions run high as the family contends with secrets, beauty standards, and their own self-worth. Via emotional character interactions, Fung emphasizes the internal conflict each of the family members experience as their stories overlap, adding resounding depth to this powerful and vividly illustrated graphic novel. Ages 12–up.

April 15, 2024
Grades 7-12 Fung (Living with Viola, 2021) presents the pivotal experiences of three 16-year-olds: Roz in Toronto in 2000; Lydia in Hong Kong in 1972; and Mei Laan in Guangdong province, China, in 1954. Roz is a vivacious, artistically talented high-schooler plagued by her weight. Her single mother, Lydia, too, struggles with body image after enduring the critical scrutiny of her mother, Mei Laan. Mei Laan, who dreamed of escaping oppression in China, landed as second wife to a cruel older man. Resentment and estrangements loom until Mei Laan arrives in Toronto after years of contentious silence. Fung notably color-codes her dynamic panels--purple for Roz, orange for Lydia, green for Mei Laan; overlapping colors cleverly suggest slowly mending bonds. "This work is a book of fiction," Fung explains in her resonating author's note, "but it is also a generational memoir," underscored by striking photographs of Fung, her mother, and her grandmother, which clearly inspired her illustrations. In creating empathic art, Fung alchemizes painful personal history into an empowering homage "to help us realize we're already who we're supposed to be."

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May 1, 2024
A teenager grapples with poor body image and family conflict in her multigenerational immigrant family. It's 2000, and 16-year-old Chinese Canadian Rosalind, who lives in Toronto with her single mother, Lydia, is distressed about her weight. It doesn't help that Lydia labels them "the fat family," makes disparaging remarks about "big people," and constantly comments on Roz's body and food choices. When Roz, who dreams of showing up at prom skinny and wearing a stunning dress, decides to lose weight and Por Por, her maternal grandmother, suddenly visits from Hong Kong, Roz's conflicts with her mother over her body only increase. Roz is further distressed by Por Por's cutting remarks and the heightened domestic stress due to her disruptive presence in the household. Seamless flashbacks to both Lydia's 1970s Hong Kong childhood and Por Por's young adulthood in 1950s Guangdong, China, shed light on the body shaming and misogyny that they endured, showing the roots of their estrangement and the fierce (if misguided) love that's still present. Learning about unspoken parts of their family history ultimately helps Roz, Lydia, and Por Por find some measure of peace and understanding. All three are sympathetically and fully portrayed, and Roz's struggles unfold realistically. The largely monochromatic panels use a shifting color palette to cue each era, allowing Fung to integrate the three colors in a touching and symbolic way in this poignant story's resolution. An affecting story of family estrangement, body shaming, and the journey to self-acceptance. (resources, historical note) (Graphic fiction. 12-18)

COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

May 1, 2024

Gr 10 Up-It's 2000, 1972, and 1954 in this graphic novel that is as much a historical snapshot of these time periods for an Asian teen as it is about how the teen experience is universal. Rosalind, Lydia, and Mei Laan center each of these years with their experiences of growing up female with cultural, gender, and generational expectations thrust upon them. Their reactions move the narrative forward in time and slowly reveal how the three stories interweave. The plot setup is similar to Alan Gratz's Refugee, which also fluidly navigates several time periods and stories that eventually interconnect, but Fung's book has the added benefit of using art to enhance the narrative. Color is the defining feature of each time and place; when one of the colors appears in another time line, Fung's cleverness manifests exponentially. The creator's lived experiences seep into the story; the emotional weight of each of the teens' lives at a tender age is captured with authenticity and realism. Topics like body image and PTSD are delicately but deliberately confronted, as is the mother-daughter dynamic. However, equally recognizable are events like prom and maintaining friendships. VERDICT Getting to see three lives unfold in different locations and times is a gift Fung eloquently unwraps in this graphic novel that increases the visibility of AAPI stories in books for teens.-Alicia Abdul

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