I really, truly appreciate the idea behind this collection: a bisexual Chinese author talking about how hard it was to come out to her mother, stipulations that come with being from an immigrant family, the struggles of a conservative mother, and more. All of that said, unfortunately, the execution didn't work for me. I didn't enjoy the art style, some of the layouts of the comics were a bit hard to follow, and the narrative voice as a whole didn't mesh with me. I really wanted to like this more than I did, sadly.

Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This comic collection is definitely for a certain audience. The author identifies as a queer Asian immigrant and it's quite an existential series of cartoons about issues like coming out to disapproving parents, stresses involved in being an immigrant from being afraid to speak out on social media to the legal costs, relationship troubles, depression and much more (favorite spread: the fear bingo, with squares like "racist comments when I'm not prepared" and cancer).

The artwork is often gorgeous and is in full color. It's a pretty sad book, though, and often like reading through a really artistic person's diary and doodles while they're going through an existential crisis. This is not a happy book but it is one that many young people will probably relate to. I know my oldest (21) would probably really enjoy it. I would preview it before purchasing, as it really does seem to have a niche audience. For those who relate though, or who want to understand the complex struggles of folks in Xiao's communities, it is an honest and heartfelt read with some nice art.

I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for the purpose of review.

While I did like some of these comics, I found that most of them didn't really work for me. I wasn't the biggest fan of the art style, although I did find some really beautiful pages, and I found the writing to be unnecessarily complex for such short comics, and overly simplistic at other times. Due to the lay-out of the pages, it was sometimes difficult to follow the correct sequence. Maybe I just read this at the wrong time, but I didn't really end up enjoying this. It's not at all a bad comic collection, it just wasn't for me.

Rep: Chinese bisexual MC

CWs: homophobia, racism

I received an Arc from NetGalley to write an honest review.

Yao Xiao made this graphic novel that tells the story of an Asian girl living in New York.
Although that may not be an experience that fits in with the live story of every boy or girl, this graphic novel will appeal to many young people.

It's a story about being bisexual, about being different, about coping with expectations others can have and you can have about yourself. It gives us a peek in the mind of young people, and all the thoughts and worries they struggle with. But it also tells a story about hope, about finding a way out!

This makes this a book that should be read by young people all over the world, that need to know they are not the only one having doubts, worries and insecurites to battle with.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this graphic novel!

Rating: 4 stars
Rep: bisexual & Chinese MC, mental illness (depression) rep.
Trigger warnings: homophobia, racism, sexism, body shaming.

A graphic memoir all about belonging, forgiveness, connection and identity, with absolutely stunning artwork and a very poetic, captivating writing style.

I adored this! The writing was so emotional and I could feel the MCs struggles to find a place they belong. The artwork was gorgeous and I loved the little "self-care" pages too!

Overall, I highly recommend checking this out if you like graphic memoirs all about identity.