I'm sure that this was a terrific graphic novel, but I had difficulty reading the text. The illustrations were amazing and I loved the premise, but it would've been nice to have a copy that was a bit more accessible to me.

Eugenia, a Chinese girl born on the fourth, just wants to celebrate with her friend on her actual birthday. But her superstitious, overbearing Mom won't let her. "Four" sounds like death in Chinese. Mom refuses to let Eugenia's best friend enter their house and forbids Eugenia from joining the Comic Book Camp. This is Eugenia's tale of standing up for yourself and what you believe in.

Finally, we have a story showcasing the immigrant Asian family where ancestors and their sacrifice seem to dictate the child's life. I love the realistic portrayal of Eugenia's Mom with the inserted Chinese phrases where I sometimes need to guess at the meaning. (There's a glossary in the back for those who don't want to guess.)

I love the red motif to indicate Eugenia's nightmares. Although red is associated with scary, blood, and fire, red is also supposed to be lucky for Asians.

My favorite part of the book was in the back where Stan shows his process for making the graphic novel. Since this story is about Eugenia trying to become a comic book artist behind Mom's back, it makes perfect sense to show kids how they can become a graphic novelists themselves.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy.

The Many Misfortunes of Eugenia Wang by Stan Yan is a witty, heartfelt graphic novel that blends laugh-out-loud humor with a touching coming-of-age story. Twelve-year-old Eugenia is determined to defy her superstitious mom, celebrate her April 4th birthday on the actual day, and snag a spot at summer comic art camp, plus maybe impress her crush along the way. But when a freak PE accident sparks strange visions of disaster leading up to her thirteenth birthday, Eugenia begins to wonder if she’s truly cursed. Yan’s expressive artwork and sharp comedic timing make the supernatural mystery both charming and suspenseful, while the story’s deeper themes of family expectations, creativity, and self-discovery give it heart. It’s a delightful, relatable read for anyone who’s ever felt caught between chasing their dreams and honoring where they come from.

The graphics are great but there weren’t any words so I can’t say much else. Pretty disappointing.

I would like to read this though and see if the story is as great as the graphics

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with the ARC for this book. Such a fun story! Eugenia - "Genie"- is a middle schooler who is also a smart, talented artist, with a devoted best friend, but her birthday falls on the 4th of April and her superstitious mother believes this is bad luck. She is so convinced of this that she won't let Genie have her birthday party on her actual birthday, pushing it to the 5th - and she also won't let her invite her best friend, Keisha due to an unfortunate accident involving fire (Keisha is a bit accident prone).
As the big day approaches, several things happen - Genie suffers a concussion in P.E., she musters the courage to talk to the boy she likes and even invite him to her party, and she begins having a recurring dream about a terrible fire that she subconsciously draws a comic about. Each time she has the dream, someone else is dying in it. And each time she dreams it, she notices something else that makes her think that it might not be a dream at all but a premonition.
This was such a page-turner and so cute - I liked Genie's friendship with Keisha and Keisha's two dads. I also enjoyed the changing relationship between Genie and her strict Chinese mother over the course of the book. Overall, it's a really fun middle grade graphic novel with just a hint of scary.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy

The Many Misfortunes of Eugenia Wang by Stan Yan is a middle grade graphic novel centering the immigrant experience of parents pushing their children away from artistic pursuits because it ‘wastes’ the opportunities America gives them. Eugenia wants to be an artist, but her mother has decided that Eugenia is going to be a doctor instead. When Eugenia gets a head injury and possibly a concussion, she starts to have a recurring dream where her family and friends die in a house fire on her birthday.

The Chinese concept of the number four being bad luck because it sounds the same as the word for ‘death.’ Eugenia’s birthday is actually on the fourth, which means she has never gotten to have her birthday party on her actual birthday due to her mother being convinced it’s unlucky. This gets explored a bit further by Eugenia asking if she herself is bad luck. I thought that was a great thing for Stan Yan to have the character ask because I have always wondered how Chinese kids feel about being born on the fourth if it is so unlucky?

The art style reminds me a lot of the cartoons that we have back in the 90s, though the colors are a bit more muted to allow the use of red during the house fire dreams to really stand out and feel shocking. The repetition of the calendar counting down the days to Eugenia’s birthday as well as the rope in gym class help to show the progression and sometimes regression of Eugenia and her relationship with her mother in a way that is easily digestible.

I really liked how Eugenia’s friendship with Keisha is handled. Keisha is not allowed in Eugenia’s house because she once lit something on fire, so Eugenia can go to Keisha’s house but not the other way around. Keisha is incredibly supportive of Eugenia’s wants and needs, including encouraging Eugenia to ask Enrique, Eugenia’s crush, to a secret birthday party on the fourth at Keisha’s house. But after Eugenia’s head injury and she starts talking more to Enrique (who is as interested in comics as Eugenia is), their friendship does go through a little bit of a rough patch.

Content warning for depictions of house fires

I would recommend this to young readers who are looking for immigrant stories and middle schoolers who are aspiring graphic novelists

There are two storylines going on in this graphic novel. There's the story of a girl trying to understand why her mother refuses to let her draw and focus on the comics she loves making. There is the other story that is a recurring nightmare of a fire and death that is tormenting Eugenia leading up to her birthday. These stories weave together really nicely and makes for a great story.

This was a delight! Tackling often-challenging issues for tweens -- heritage, relationships, responsibility -- the book remains fun and accessible while never sacrificing nuance for pat moral "lessons." It also features engaging and clear visual language as Eugenia learns more about herself, her loved ones, and their shared past and future. A great read for anyone who enjoyed Vera Brosgol's "Anya's Ghost".

The Many Misfortunes of Eugenia Wang follows our main character as she seems to be haunted by spirits, communicating with her through her art and her dreams. The value in this comic for me, lies in the relatability of the immigrant child story and the religious trauma of it all. For those reasons, I think this would be a cool recommendation for certain kids to see themselves on the page. The best lesson here is when Eugenia realizes she might not have been paying as much attention to those around her as they could all need. There was a particularly nice moment of reflection between her and her brother when he vocalize that he only gets attention when he is tattling. This is probably true for many sibling duos who never even come to realize this fact.

The art style is unique and funky, and a lot of the book is red toned as Eugenia’s life goes up in flames. This is a supernatural tale of pubescent woe focusing on Chinese immigrant culture

I physically can’t read this due to technical issues and I’ve waited a week for help with none. The graphics look great and i feel like it would be a great story but unfortunately no text will show.

A cute MG novel about a middle school student whose love of art is not encouraged by her frankly stereotypical Chinese immigrant mother. Nonetheless Eugenia is passionate about becoming a comic artist and her talent seems to be mystically aided by the spirit of her dead grandmother who possesses her at night and attempts to communicate a warning from beyond the grave via Eugenia's comics artist school application portfolio. The drawing style is a bit spare for my taste, but makes narrative and thematic sense.

3.5 stars

I think this book has a wide appeal with age range and interests. I can see many kids picking this up and having a good time.
The story is just suspenseful and spooky enough while also being about Eugenia’s growth. The art is varied and appealing with a retro-revival sort of feel. There were some moments I had trouble reading the text with my old lady eyes. It has a brush quality to it that I wish was a point or two heavier.

As an adult, I was really worried for Eugenia. Like, homegirl had a concussion and was entering a fugue state. If my daughter brought her friend home and presented me with this situation, I wouldn’t be trying to summon spirits like K’s dad, I wouldn’t be trying to get her to a neurologist.
But the author gave enough explanation that made sense within the world. I just had to remind myself to suspend my disbelief throughout the book.

Overall, a fun read! Totally worth the buy for you middle grade and tween shelves.

Content warning: Nothing to worry about here. Minor peril, K has same-sex parents, and there is a tense relationship between Eugenia and her mother that lightens up by the end of the book

Thank you NetGalley and Atheneum Books for the digital advanced copy.

Eugenia's world has the duality of cute kid fun and minor angst juxtaposed with the magical horror show that is her brain's manifestation powers. The tonal shifts between the real world and her trance-like state are enhanced with the effective use of stark red coloring. It was a nuanced choice to use red as an alarming, haunting color when it is also later said to symbolize good luck within their culture. Their culture is woven into all aspects of Eugenia and her family's life so seamlessly, but it's easy to see how her upbringing impacts her in ways that other kids do not experience. Would love to read more of her art adventures!

3.7 Stars
One Liner: Fun!

Twelve-year-old Eugenia Wang never celebrated her birthday on the actual day, 4th April, since 4 is an unlucky number according to Chinese. Her mother is clear about it. She is also very clear about art being a waste of time.
This year, Eugenia is determined to do things her way. She applies for the art camp and plans to have a party on her actual birthday (and invite her crush to it). However, when Eugenia is hit on the head with a sneaker during PE, she starts to see visions of impending doom. Is it her anxiety or the universe sending her messages about something? What if her mother is actually right?
Can Eugenia figure things out before it’s too late?

My Thoughts:
This is a tween book suitable for young YA readers (11-15+). Some of the content can be a wee bit scary for young readers who are not yet used to dark stuff like fire and mentions of death.
The blurb pretty much sets the stage for the book. A stereotyped Asian mom who is almost always frowning and overbearing, an annoying little brother, a cheerful bestie, a good-looking love interest, and a cutesy pug (my favorite part of the book). And of course, our little MC, art-loving, awkward girl who has only one friend at school, is a nerdy girl.
There’s a bit of diversity and inclusivity with the characters, which I like. It is seamlessly incorporated into the plot rather than being an item on the checklist.
We could say this has a comic-in-a-comic model since the MC draws comics, and we get to see them (some of which are a result of her recurring nightmares).
Artwork and presentation are key for a graphic novel, and that’s where this book scores high points. The illustrations are not ‘perfect’ with straight lines and sharp angles. They are softer and rounder with a bit of smudginess that works wonderfully.
I also like how the nightmares appear in orangey-red, making it easy for kids to separate them from the main plot. Moreover, the text comes in two colors – black for dialogues and red for Eugenia’s thoughts.
I read the ARC on my computer. It worked well in the default setting. I didn’t have to zoom in and out constantly, so the whole reading experience was enjoyable.
There’s some crushing and a kissy kissy frame (PG-13). I’m not a fan of crushes and tingling for kids, so I won’t say anything about this.
The pacing is pretty decent. It starts a bit slow (understandable), but picks up momentum over time. The changes in the characters’ actions towards the end are a bit abrupt despite the leads and foreshadowing we get. After so much stress and tension for the MC, the change could have been slowed or phased.
Still, the book ends on a hopeful note. There’s a note and a little glossary for the non-English words. Then, we get a sneak peek into the author’s illustration process. This is again my favorite. I love it when illustrators show us a bit of their creative methods. Young artists might find it very interesting!

To summarize, The Many Misfortunes of Eugenia Wang is an entertaining graphic novel about family, being a tween, parent-child dynamics, and learning to figure things out.
Thank you, NetGalley and Atheneum Books for Young Readers (Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing), for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

This was a fun one. I liked the illustration style and use of colors throughout. I felt it all vibed well with the age of our main character, Eugenia. It was interesting to see where her comic was going and I think it wrapped up nicely.

This is a funny and dark graphic novel about a Chinese American girl who wants to draw comics, go to art summer camp and celebrate her birthday on unlucky April 4th. After Eugenia hits her head in PE, she starts having visions of fire and death, drawing dark comics in her fugue.
Fun story and great art. There is a lot to unpack. It was clever how rope climbing has multiple tie ins but I question when was the last time there was actually rope climbing in gym class.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing for this DRC.
#TheManyMisfortunesofEugeniaWang #NetGalley

This was fun! I did notice a spelling error on page 55 ("completely"), but I enjoyed following Eugenia's brief descent into artistic madness--especially as someone who grew up with a Cantonese-speaking parent. Love to see stories of Asian children's non-medical/legal/accounting endeavors be eventually supported and encouraged by their parents :)

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for providing this ARC!

3,25 - 3,5 stars.
That was a good one. Even though I didn’t really care for the “supernatural” element, I enjoyed the themes explored in this comic. I particularly appreciate the mother-daughter dynamic and how the author wrapped it all up. A nice experience, with great art (love the soft colors).

Many thanks to Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This review and many others can be viewed on my Goodreads page at the following link: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/80102102-ana

A girl who is born on a day considered unlucky in Chinese superstition starts to wonder if she is really cursed when she begins to get troubling visions of doom that will happen on her upcoming thirteenth birthday. Eugenia is a 12 year old girl who just wants to go to art camp and celebrate her birthday with her best friend and her crush.... but when she begins getting visions and drawing some doomed visions of what would be happening during her upcoming birthday party. Can Eugenia stop the disaster before her birthday? This was a really fun read! I thought the artwork was cute and that the overall story was exciting. Eugenia goes through a lot but definitely always tries her best and she's so relatable.

Release Date: September 30, 2025

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing | Atheneum Books for Young Readers for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

Eugenia Wang is a twelve year old girl who’s never had a party on her actual birthday. Her birthday is July 4th, which is considered unlucky in Chinese superstition. And boy, does it look like her birthday is going to be a mess, if the visions she starts having after a head injury are anything to go by!

This story is full of the frustrations and humor of growing adolescence. It’s fun and relatable and heartwarming in equal measure. The art style is cool, the characters adorable. And though there are a lot of delightful characters to meet, Eugenia’s dog Peanut is my favorite. This is a story I’ll happily come back to again and again.

5⭐️s

Thank you NetGalley for providing this book for review. All opinions are my own.