The Magic Fish

 

The Magic Fish

Trung Le Nguyen

Random House Graphic, 2020

229 pages

Grades 6-8

Graphic Novel

Set in the recent past, Tien lives with his immigrant Vietnamese parents as an only child. He and his mother are very close. They go to the library together and select their favorite kinds of books: fairy tales. Back at home, Tien reads out loud, while his mother sews. Three different tales, twists on the familiar stories of Cinderella and The little Mermaid, are shared throughout the book and parallel what is happening in real life. It is not easy fitting in when you are the child of immigrants and to further complicate his situation, Tien has a crush on his friend, Julian. He is afraid of what Julian would do should he find out, and has no idea how to tell his parents that he is Gay; the words simply don't exist in Vietnamese. Meanwhile, the homecoming dance is approaching and Tien's friends want him to go. Will it be weird? And what should he wear? Right before the big dance, Grandmother in Vietnam dies and Mom must return to her birth country to take care of business. While she is gone, school administrators discover Tien's secret and plan on "reconditioning" him. What will Mom say when she comes home and finds out?

Debut graphic novelist, Nguyen, offers a beautiful and unusual coming of tale about a boy's struggles and the tales that shape and color his life. The story is lyrical and quiet, yet moves along at a clip and never lags. Nguyen thoughtfully alternates between purple and pink shading to clue readers into whether we are in the real world or that of the fairy tale. The artwork has a manga sensibility and is ethereal in nature. Empty panels allow the reader to breath in places of emphasis and some illustrations take up multiple panels, adding interest. The story has a lot to say. The characters that count accept Tien for who he is and love him unconditionally. Unfortunately, some of the adult characters are not so accepting. One would hope that this attitude is left in the past, yet hard to say in our current social climate. We also get a glimpse of Tien's parent's harrowing journey, escaping Vietnam on a boat, adding an extra layer to the narrative. Readers will root for Tien and be that much more sensitive to the struggles of others in similar situations. Those that can personally relate to his circumstances, will find companion-ability and inspiration in his successes. A beautiful book, carefully crafted, with some important messages.