A review by thesaltiestlibrarian
Messy Roots: A Graphic Memoir of a Wuhanese-American, by Laura Gao
challenging
emotional
funny
informative
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I'm on this kick lately where I'm already looking for stories about other people's experience in lockdown, or stories from Wuhanese diaspora and their experiences knowing the pandemic was right where their families lived.
Laura Gao grew up in Wuhan, and her parents moved their little family to Texas when Laura was really young. What I really loved about MESSY ROOTS was that it didn't deliver a story that centered solely on COVID-19. We got to see a huge struggle that grew up inside of Laura as she fought to reckon her identity as an American and as a daughter of Wuhan, discover her sexual identity, and figure out her passions.
All along the way her family--both near and far--stick close beside her, and I loved to see that. Family stories are my *jam.* The color choices for speech bubbles distinguish for the reader when something is being spoken in English or in Mandarin (with Wuhan dialect thrown in!), which made for a fascinating visual representation, especially when Laura had trouble keeping up with the rapid-fire family conversations. I loved the way the characters are drawn, and Laura's mom's explanation for the way she picked her daughter's Chinese name.
Overall, MESSY ROOTS is a beautiful and sometimes heartbreaking portrait of family and searching for your own identity.
I'm on this kick lately where I'm already looking for stories about other people's experience in lockdown, or stories from Wuhanese diaspora and their experiences knowing the pandemic was right where their families lived.
Laura Gao grew up in Wuhan, and her parents moved their little family to Texas when Laura was really young. What I really loved about MESSY ROOTS was that it didn't deliver a story that centered solely on COVID-19. We got to see a huge struggle that grew up inside of Laura as she fought to reckon her identity as an American and as a daughter of Wuhan, discover her sexual identity, and figure out her passions.
All along the way her family--both near and far--stick close beside her, and I loved to see that. Family stories are my *jam.* The color choices for speech bubbles distinguish for the reader when something is being spoken in English or in Mandarin (with Wuhan dialect thrown in!), which made for a fascinating visual representation, especially when Laura had trouble keeping up with the rapid-fire family conversations. I loved the way the characters are drawn, and Laura's mom's explanation for the way she picked her daughter's Chinese name.
Overall, MESSY ROOTS is a beautiful and sometimes heartbreaking portrait of family and searching for your own identity.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism
Moderate: Cancer and Cursing
Minor: Lesbophobia