4.25/5

Thank you to NetGalley and First Second for an arc. All opinions are my own.

The art in the book is absolutely stunning. I adore the use of color and the bold lineless look.

I found this to be a very moving memoir. Many parts of it are quite mundane, which actually makes it more impactful since it makes it easier for readers to connect to the story. The art definitely adds to the emotional impact as well. My favorite aspect was how empathetic the narration was, both towards Lily’s mother, and towards herself.

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

Until We Meet Again by Lily Kim Qian is a memoir graphic novel that discusses the impact of mental health on children and how it affects them into adulthood. In her early childhood, Lily’s family lived in Canada and seemed to be living the perfect life, until her mother's mental health took a turn for the worse and her parents got a divorce. As an adult, Lily has her own struggles with depression and the scars that her childhood left behind.

One of the things that really hit home for me is Lily’s complex relationship with both her parents because it really reflects my own relationships with mine in ways I very rarely see in media. Like Lily, I think my father made mistakes, but he did the best he could with what he was given and I can acknowledge that there will always be the scars left by my mother, but she was not well and that wasn't her fault. I think that, as a society, we have to acknowledge more that sometimes the mother is not suited to be a parent and sometimes that's not her fault and she needs more tools and support so she can have a relationship with her children because it doesn't mean she doesn't love them. But, sometimes, the mother just should not be the person put in charge of caring for a child no matter what toxic femininity or society claims.

Growing up, talking about depression was just not a thing people did, as if it was a disease that could be caught just by saying it exists. The discussion around the stigma of mental health in China felt deeply familiar, especially in how that stigma impacts a parent in ways it might not impact younger generations when they realize they also have a mental illness. The shift towards acceptance from the people around Lily in America compared to how her mother was treated years earlier in Canada and then in China and Lily questioning whether things would have been different if her mother had more support is something I think a lot of us in a similar situation struggle with. The what ifs keep us up at night and can contribute to depression, but they can also lead towards coming around to forgiveness and understanding.

The color palette is deeply saturated in a way that I can only describe as ‘dream-like.’ The colors are bold and feel carefully chosen to show the darker and lighter moments of Lily’s childhood and the chaos her mother's mental health placed on the lives of her family. Warmer colors are used more strongly during the happier moments of Lily's life and darker colors are strongly associated with the darker moments. There's so much contrast between orange and blue and each instance makes the page pop.

I would recommend this to fans of memoirs discussing how mental health of a parent impacts children and readers of graphic novels looking for something addressing the stigma mental health carries in China

A visually stunning memoir about growing up and past the trauma of youth. Each drawing feel internally and really adds to the emotional weight of the story. This would be a great memoir for teen or adults.

An absolutely beautiful illustration style with fantastic use of color and texture, bringing to mind pastels or block printing. The color changes and more amorphous environments/backgrounds really enhanced different moods in the story. The writing style was not what I usually anticipate from a graphic memoir, as this is told strictly from the author's words and not from conversations with other characters. This does not diminish the book to me, however some chapters felt a little free floating or underdeveloped in relation to the rest of the narrative. I really appreciated the insight into how the world might perceive Lily's mother, and her thoughts around what it must have been like for her mother to have limited support. A very vulnerable telling of the difficult parts of growing up, moving, and finding oneself while understanding where and who you come from.

I could see this being a great choice for a summer reading list, or a library YA book club. This is one of those books that I hope inspires a young person to tell their own story and find their own artistic style.

I received this as an ARC from NetGalley and would like to leave my opinion on it.

This memoir was deep and enlightening. I enjoyed the way the author matched imagery to the words in her story. I appreciate the depths she opened up about and applaud her candidness. I know it took a lot of get it on paper and be willing to put yourself out there like that. It is a solid story and I would definitely recommend it.

I rated this a 3.75/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for an Advanced Reader's Copy of this book. As always, all opinions in this review are entirely my own!!

Forever grateful to authors who allow us glimpses into their lives!! Memoirs are always deeply personal, and I do not take that for granted.

I thought Lily breaking up her life into parts was brilliant, as it helped readers piece together a seamless timeline of events. I was worried that by the end of the book, we wouldn't see Lily's perspective of her mother shift. Thankfully, that was not the case. There are some important discussions had in this memoir about mental health stigma and how vital it is to speak openly and seek help for your mental health. I greatly appreciated that!!

Lily is vulnerable in this memoir. There are conversations around body image issues, scary eating habits, depression, and navigating expectations. A lot of hardships are brought up in this book. Yet, there is an underlayer of hope prevalent through it all!!

I also enjoyed studying the art on every page. The art style on its own is spectacular. Adding on the colors that are chosen and the imagery that is used and I was mesmerized!! This is one of the most beautiful graphic novel memoirs I have ever read in my life!!

The very beautiful illustrations bring this authors memoir to life. Her story is one that will touch many people’s hearts. A lot of people will be able to relate to her life journey. Her story is sad but it also brings hope.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’ll wait to post my public review to social media until next year per your request in you email about the book, but here it is:

Until We Meet Again, a graphic novel memoir by Lily Kim Qian, follows Lily as she moves from city to city, first in Canada and then to China and the U.S. all while navigating the difficulties of familial mental illness, separation, and instability.
The first thing I have to mention is the artwork. It is so unbelievably expressive and full of life; every stroke has so much motion and emotion behind it. The cityscapes made my jaw drop and I stopped on those pages to follow the roads, the mountains, the little specks of light.
Her story is beautifully told through the combination of short lines of writing and the wonderful illustrations. There were some parts I wished were fleshed out or delved into deeper, but the flow was very good so I can’t complain too much.
Definitely will be picking up a physical copy so I can see the renderings in person!

A beautiful book. The art in this graphic novel is beautiful with a wonderful use of colors that are amazing to look at. The story itself is also very nice, covering first the author as she loves from place to place and then the different people in her life also kind of as we move between them. The structure is fun and the overall story is nice. I think more memoirs should be graphic novels. This worked well and I enjoyed reading it.

An interesting graphic novel memoir about the artist/author's childhood, her relationship with her mentally ill mother, and, eventually, her own struggles with depression. Moody but not dark and, in the end, both thoughtful and hopeful