i didn’t know the author, but the book is okay, i liked the title and the illustrations are simple but cute.

it was difficult to read some parts, i had a lump in my throat because i identified with the situations in the comics (the gloomy days, i'm falling...).

but, even thought the book shows the complex life of the author, it lacked context and maybe a litte of sympathy to understand/like more the book.

Everything Is Beautiful, and I’m Not Afraid: A Baopu Collection is a queer coming-of-age comic book following a Chinese woman living in America and ultimately facing the challenge of finding where she belongs as a queer immigrant.


I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was not familiar with Yao Xiao and her Baopu comic prior to this book, but apparently, it is an existing comic that is part of the online queer women magazine Autostraddle. This comic book follows the story of a bisexual Chinese immigrant living in New York City and the journey of finding her home in the world.

The book is very much a reflection of situations that happen and issues that people face, whether a woman, queer, or an immigrant. I find that comics are very powerful at this kind of look into the world since it is so visual, and although Xiao’s illustrations are simple in look they are still powerful.

The one downside of the comic is that some of the ordering of comics reads a little strange. It feels, in some sections, that is bounces around the timeline of the character’s overall journey so it is a little weird. However, it is not book ruining and the book overall has a clear introduction and conclusion of sorts. To me, it is a small issue that doesn’t terribly ruin the experience.

Overall, I find Xiao’s messages powerful and eye-opening. Since I only relate to Baopu as a woman, and not the queer and immigrant pieces of her, it is interesting to see things from that perspective. And the art is very nicely done and strengthens the messaging. I definitely think people should read this comic, regardless of if they are queer, female, or an immigrant, because it is so eye-opening to the issues those people face.

Everything Is Beautiful, and I’m Not Afraid: A Baopu Collection publishes on March 3rd, 2020.

I appreciate the opportunity to read and review this title. Unfortunately, this title was not for me and I am not able to finish it at this time.

I came to this book as a fan of comics shared on Autostraddle and this collection didn't disappoint. It's got that dreamy slightly bittersweet feel to it that I've come to enjoy from the Baopu comics. There are so many lovely little self-care insights and relateable musings on mental health, and feeling like an outsider. Even though I have never experienced being a long-term immigrant, it's not hard to understand the kind of longing for home and in-between and out of place feeling that might engender. Also, it has one of my favorites in there about not apologizing for taking up space, but saying thank you to your friends/family for being there instead. It's a very nice collection with a simple, but dreamy art style that feels like a warm blanket.

It has a cute and fun art style. I felt the story did lack substance, but it did have a semi-okay representation of mental health. However, I was overall a little underwhelmed. Recommend it if you are looking for something quick, but that still deals with a serious topic in a lighthearted manner.

The main character is a queer immigrant from Asia. Via a series of comics, we see them go through ups and downs, strained relationships with their conservative family and more.

The illustrations are really beautiful. There isn't much of a story. I would have liked to known more about the main character apart from their internal thoughts.

LOVE this! Beautiful little poems about life, love, family, being an immigrant, feeling isolated, mental health and finding your sexual identity illustrated with adorably little cartoons that reflect the pain, confusion and beauty of the author's own life.

The Chinese American females tells about her unwelcome coming out to her parents and following life. The author tries to make herself believe that life is better than it seems.

I enjoyed this page turning book. It was well written. Glad that I read it. Will be checking other books by this author.

I've read all the Baopu comics on Autostraddle and enjoyed reading this collection of new comics. The artwork and meandering storyline are almost dreamlike, as the author explores life as a queer person and an immigrant to the US.

I think I wanted to find something that wasn't there in this book, which is, admittedly, not the book's fault. It's not so much that I need the perfect representation of my particular identity in everything I read - which is for the best, because, if that were the case, I might as well just stop reading altogether. That said, when I do find a book that I hope will speak to at least a part of my experience, I tend to expect more than it can ever deliver.

There were parts when this book did deliver. And, boy, did it pack a punch then.

But then there were parts when it didn't deliver, and I was left trying to piece together what it was trying to say without the personal experience to fill in all the gaps. And, ultimately, that's the thing - I want a book that won't require me to leap so much to fill in the gaps. Not that I don't want to think, not that I can't handle some parts being jumbled, not that I don't understand that people are complicated and messy, but this ultimately wanted more of me than I was ready to give. I needed more of a thread joining the pieces together, more cohesion, more clarity than were ultimately there.

Still, there were gems to be found here, from lovely pastel artwork that just made me gaze at how beautiful it was, to All. The. Depictions. of New York, which I couldn't help but adore. Ultimately, the book was worth reading for those alone.

2,5 stars, rounded down.

This book is beautiful. It documents the author's journey as they processed through their different identities and the places where they want to belong or don't feel that they belong. Although the book doesn't always have clear transitions, it feels as though you are following the author's thought process. I would highly recommend reading it.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

It is about sadness enveloping someone who is alien to everything surrounding. To his own blood as well as to foreign land.
It is about misfit who cannot escape traditional restraints and also cannot survive in the cage. So he is caught between two worlds, both of which are out of his control.
It depicts with extreme sadness how everything falls apart for main character.
Artwork is very good, eye-catching and innovative in most part. .
It is the artwork that kept me going inspite of it being a very sad book.
Overall a nice read for particular group of readers.
Cannot recommend it to everyone except may be to look at innovative use of artwork and changing backgrounds.
Thanks netgalley and publisher for review copy.

Beautiful. This was dark and sad and wild and strong and happy and vulnerable... I enjoyed it so much. I felt the emotions so strongly throughout. Really well done. It’s the real people behind these type of books that bleed through and show who they are and what has made them.

I didn't know what to expect going into this one, but the description made me want to pick it up. When I first dug into it I worried that the art style was too simple compared to the messages within, but I was happily surprised. The art and messages mix and blend perfectly and communicate what the author is expressing perfectly. There's a number of subjects discussed, in many ways centering around self acceptance but also touching on immigration issues, cultural acceptance, racism and more.

Though the comics are brief they are very poignant and thoughtful. They provide a window to a perspective of someone going through the issues presented. I would definitely recommend checking it out.

I could relate to some of the themes in this poetic comic, so i can appreciate that side of it, however this did not flow well as a reader. It seemed to jump from subject to subject, and some of the art seemed like it was either done at different times or by different people, which again upset the flow.

Ratings: 3.5/5

At first, I was very excited to read this book because it sounded like it would be an incredibly inspiring story conveyed through adorable illustrations. However, after reading it, I was a little disappointed.

The art style was very adorable but it was not as breathtaking as I hoped and certain pages appear to be rather messy. The visual just did not measure up to other graphic novels that I have read and I did not click with the art style as much as I hoped, which devastated me. Perhaps it was because the edition I received is in black and white, which hindered the beauty of the illustrations.

I did enjoy the story and message that the author/artist is trying to convey. I love the representation she presents and I did find her journey to be inspiring and heartwarming. However, I think the style of the book did not convey the story and its message to me well enough since I was not incredibly hooked to the illustrations and language.

Overall I was quite disappointed because it did not meet my expectations and I had really hoped to enjoy this book. However, if you are someone looking for a quick read/ loves her style of art/an inspiring story with great representation, I think you should give this a chance.

This just didn't work for me. It's a self-reflective look at the author trying to belong. It's almost like a book of private journal entries the author decided to share. The artwork and lettering were really difficult to follow making this a no-go for me. I started skimming halfway through.

From the cover and title, I honestly didn't expect this to be such a 'blue' book. It has a very strong focus on mental health and low self esteem. I was hoping for a much lighter, empowering and positive read, but unfortunately I felt there was very little of that. Some of the illustrations are lovely and a lot of them are extremely clever which I enjoyed, but ultimately this book left me feeling quite low so this wasn't a good fit for me.

This book is considered a memoir, but I didn’t find a plot-driven through-line. The book seemed to be a lot of rumination/questioning the world and our identities and how we come to accept ourselves as we are. The illustrations are often beautiful and the sayings and observations are interesting, but they may be suited more as a card line or framed photos. There wasn’t enough of a story to keep me invested. I understood the backstory - a daughter moves away to the US, misses her parents in homeland China, but feels especially isolated and lonely when she tries to come out as bisexual, She feels rejected by family and friends, and has to come to terms with who she is, regardless of anyone else’s opinions. The book is mostly just the narrator’s reactions and thoughts along her journey of self-discovery and acceptance. Important to the person experiencing it for sure, but not that interesting to me as the reader.