Reviews May Vary

Hello Readers! I missed giving you a recommendation last month. I have no idea what was going on with me as the deadline passed me right on by, but it seems that 2021 has kicked off with a bang. Did you see me in 585 Magazine talking about how all reading counts and that people should be encouraged to read whatever they want? Well, here I am tooting that same horn with two off the-beaten-path recommendations for you.

Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen (Graphic Novel)

I read this graphic novel as a part of a challenge I gave myself to read one book by every other present at the Greater Rochester Teen Book Festival (TBF). Magic Fish is Le Nguyen’s debut novel about a boy name Tien who wants to come out as gay to his parents. However, they are first generation Vietnamese immigrants and he is not sure that he knows how to convey everything to them effectively because his first language is English. The family shares a love of fairy tales and storytelling. The book weaves together Tien’s present experiences, his mothers move to the United States, and the stories they read together about princesses and their princes. The illustrations are beautiful and the story is touching and relatable. A benefit of a virtual TBF this year is that Le Nguyen’s TBF panel appearances are still available with registration to the festival. His panel topics included Writing Graphic Novels and Writing Authentic LGBTQ+

Jonny Appleseed by Joshua Whitehead (Realistic Fiction)

Johnnu is a young two-spirit/indigiqueer (also how the author identified) who, after moving off the reservation, becomes a cybersex worker. He has learned to give the men who pay him what they want. He hasn’t been home in years and now his stepfather is dying. He knows his mother needs him and he has to raise money to get back to the “rez” Over the course of a week, Jonny takes us on several trips down memory lane as he recalls his life as a young queer native, personal and collective trauma, his beloved grandmother, and the relationship he has with a friend he’s known all his life. This books is a tiny thing but it packs an emotional roller coaster.