The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen is a graphic novel about a young Vietnamese American boy who struggles to connect with and come out to his immigrant parents. Tien loves his parents, but he is afraid to tell them a secret he has been keeping. He fears that it will change everything between them.
One way Tien enjoys spending time with his family is by reading fairy tales and stories from books he borrows from the local library. Like most kids, it’s hard to connect and communicate with their parents, but Tien doesn’t know how to express his feelings in English because they are still learning and struggle with the language. He is unsure if there is a word in Vietnamese to explain what he is going through.
The graphic novel weaves together fairy tales and the struggles of Tien and his family. I found the book to be interesting and easy to read. There are no unexpected twists and turns, and most of the fairy tales may be familiar to readers. I liked the fairy tale portion of the graphic novel the most. The artwork is detailed and beautifully executed. The book explores themes of familial connection, friendship, identity, and happy endings. I would be open to reading more books by the author.
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