A review by spenkevich
The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen

4.0

‘We tell ourselves stories in order to live,’ wrote [a:Joan Didion|238|Joan Didion|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1640504428p2/238.jpg]. Stories help us contextualize the world around us and at a young age has been shown to shape our empathy and help us grow. The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen is a stellar graphic novel that shows the interplay between life and literature and the ways storytelling can empower and shape us. The book follows Tiến and his family through a period of griefs and struggles centering around familial relationships. As a first generation American born to Vietnamese refugees, the language barrier between him and his parents is a daunting obstacle in his plan to come out to them as gay and meanwhile his mother is processing her grief over her aging and ill mother she hasn’t seen since she left Vietnam. To help them process the sadnesses of life, they read Vietnamese fairytales to each other, and the three retellings here probe deeper into the psychology of their lives through brilliant juxtaposition of the interwoven narratives. The beautifully intricate artwork and heartfelt storytelling sends the reader on an emotional investigation of generational traumas, alienation, and queer struggles through a stunning portrayal of an immigrant family trying their best to reach and love one another.

‘Joy is a precious thing. And precious things are few. So we learn to hold on to them’

This graphic novel is a real emotional deep dive that manages to remain shimmering with beauty even through the darkest moments. The fairy tales, retellings of Vietnamese versions such as Cinderella or The Little Mermaid, feel fresh and exciting but perfectly compliment the current lives of the characters. An empathetic reader often packs the stories they are currently obsessing over into their lives and personalities a bit, which is a notion I’ve often felt and truly comes alive here. Reading a book you are engrossed in becomes like a pair of colored sunglasses that temporarily tint the world with its atmosphere. The Magic Fish reminds us of that and explores the way storytelling can have a healing power and help us see more clearly when we step outside ourselves and view it as a story.

Trung Le Nguyen approaches the character’s lives with the slightest of touches, entering their struggles and griefs without dwelling too much which leaves so much of the deeper understanding to grow within the readers mind like an emotional participant. There is a playfulness and soft whimsicality threaded through the book that paces out relief from the ever growing tensions. Threading is what this book does best, with each narrative drawn in one of three hues to denote if it is their life, the stories they read, or a memory. The yellow memory frames crop up to seamlessly thread timelines and, which they are sparse and only offer hints, completely expand your understanding and deliver some of the strongest emotional punches.

The use of color allows multiple narratives to interact on the page in cool and dynamic ways.

There is a lot going on here, with generational struggles, language barriers and a coming out that sparks the ire of a teacher. Tiến is sent to a priest and the shame of being gay is attempted to be forced upon him, but the balance between the acceptance of his friends really makes this a comforting and empowering queer narrative that doens’t shirk away from the problems of acceptance. It becomes a form of alienation from the general public--one that claims to want everyone to integrate but then pushes people away for their identities--as a parallel to the alienation his parents feel as refugees in new place with only a modest grasp on the language. This is a story that is sure to spark empathy and leave you thinking about many forms of identity, perfectly handled in a way that will resonate and stick with the YA audience it is aimed at but equally as powerful to adult readers.

A truly magical and beautiful book about the power of storytelling and the struggles of living, The Magic Fish is a massive success. Also it is perfect for Pride Month, so definitely check it out!

4.5/5