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A review by koreanlinda
The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
The artwork in this book is amazingly beautiful, and the writer's alternating colors for reality and fantasy add to its aesthetic.
The story falls short for adult readers though. This book is clearly for young adults, and the story lacked the depth to be believable to the level of my satisfaction. For example, Tien's mother is fully accepting of his queerness when he comes out to her; however, the story provides no context in which she might have learned about LGBTQ identities. After fleeing the war in Vietnam and working 24/7 with limited English in the US, it is hard to imagine that she had a chance to read much about the LGBTQ community. This resolution makes the book quite idealist and open to debate whether it is beneficial or not for queer YA readers. It can be beneficial by giving them hope about how parents' unconditional love can play out; however, many of them might have a hard time relating to Tien's experience.
One aspect that I enjoyed of the story is the author's reimagination of classic fairy tales such as Cinderella and The Little Mermaid. In the new versions, the author integrates elements from Vietnamese culture and queer community.
Review by Linda (Any Pronouns) in September 2024
Personal essays on DefinitelyNotOkay.com
Artwork on Instagram @KoreanLinda
The story falls short for adult readers though. This book is clearly for young adults, and the story lacked the depth to be believable to the level of my satisfaction. For example, Tien's mother is fully accepting of his queerness when he comes out to her; however, the story provides no context in which she might have learned about LGBTQ identities. After fleeing the war in Vietnam and working 24/7 with limited English in the US, it is hard to imagine that she had a chance to read much about the LGBTQ community. This resolution makes the book quite idealist and open to debate whether it is beneficial or not for queer YA readers. It can be beneficial by giving them hope about how parents' unconditional love can play out; however, many of them might have a hard time relating to Tien's experience.
One aspect that I enjoyed of the story is the author's reimagination of classic fairy tales such as Cinderella and The Little Mermaid. In the new versions, the author integrates elements from Vietnamese culture and queer community.
Review by Linda (Any Pronouns) in September 2024
Personal essays on DefinitelyNotOkay.com
Artwork on Instagram @KoreanLinda
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Homophobia, Violence, and War