In this graphic memoir, debut author Gao wrestles with questions about her evolving sense of identity while navigating the frequently choppy waters of growing up. From her early childhood in Wuhan, China, to her years in Texas and later San Francisco, Gao's memories spring to life: adapting to life in the U.S., struggling with being stereotyped as a math whiz, journeying back to China with her family, dealing with anti-Asian hate during the COVID-19 pandemic, and eventually developing a crush on her first girlfriend. Whether satisfying her craving for White Rabbit Candy (a Chinese confection), reflecting on the Moon Maiden folktale, or imagining a video-game avatar for herself, Gao personalizes her experiences with insight and humor. Through sketched line drawings rendered with often comic expressions and complemented by warm reds and yellows, this book delivers a coming-of-age story that tackles themes of immigration, assimilation, racism, sexuality, and self-identity. An affecting and candid depiction of the universal search for one's place in the world. Jerry Dear March/April 2022 p.(c) Copyright 2022. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

In this fresh, frank, and tender debut, author-illustrator Gao offers a compellingly layered graphic memoir, which navigates recollections of an early-aughts adolescence as well as Covid-19-era anti-Asian racism. When her parents, who had earlier moved to the U.S. for graduate school, bring Gao from Wuhan, China, to Coppell, Tex., four-year-old Gao struggles to assimilate. But amid familiar incidences such as the "lunchbox moment," the narrative delicately highlights myriad Asian diasporic experiences that Gao encounters over the years while expertly peppering frames with humor and pop cultural allusions. Video game quest sequences and references to High School Musical and "H&M&M" further conjure not-so-distant decades past, while snacks such as White Rabbit candy and Haw Flakes evoke many an Asian childhood. Interspersed Chinese vocabulary, themes of China's modernization paralleling personal change, and a folkloric Moon Rabbit motif add structure as Gao grapples with self-discovery--particularly a burgeoning awareness of queerness. Colorist Weiwei Xu adds atmosphere to Gao's fluid, expressive cartoons, employing vivid reds, oranges, and yellows, and cooler-toned washes. A multidimensional, thoroughly entertaining account of growing into queer Asian American identity. Final art not seen by PW. Ages 14--up. Agent: Brenda Bowen, Book Group. (Mar.)■

Gr 7 Up--In this poignant memoir, Gao conveys her love for her home country and her journey as an immigrant. Born in Wuhan, China, young Yuyang grows up surrounded by rice paddies, riding water buffalo with her mischievous cousins under the watchful eyes of her grandparents. But soon she joins her parents, who are attending graduate school in the United States, and she finds herself in a frightening, overstimulating world. Her teachers and classmates can't pronounce her name, and she drops her Chinese name for "Laura," after then--First Lady Laura Bush. Gao describes the American public school system, where she felt desperate to fit in and become the star basketball player; the University of Pennsylvania, where she was able to carve out her identity; and life as a young professional in San Francisco before circling back to Wuhan today and the specter of the COVID pandemic. Her voice is grounded yet humorous; she illustrates a more nuanced Wuhan than the one depicted in current media, while conveying the difficulty of being a part of American society yet never feeling truly at home. Underpinning her external struggles is Gao's deeper understanding of herself as she reckons with her sexual identity, eventually coming out as queer. Depicting her hometown in thick, organic brushstrokes and a warm palette, she evokes a sense of peace and beauty and a longing to return to her origins. For scenes in America, Gao relies on a muddy palette that suggests the challenges of fitting into an uncomfortable environment. VERDICT A tender story of self-acceptance that lifts the story of Wuhan beyond COVID and shines light on a region with a rich culture and history.--Elise Martinez

In this beautifully illustrated graphic memoir, debut author/artist Gao does an excellent job of representing the complexity and challenges that came with growing up as young Chinese immigrant in a small, predominately white town in Texas. It begins with Gao's carefree early childhood in Wuhan, China, which consisted of listening to folktales told by her grandmother, eating delicious Wuhanese dishes made by her grandfather, and playing outside with her cousins for hours. After this, the story addresses themes similar to other recent coming-of-age memoirs focusing on the immigrant experience in this country, such as acceptance, anti-immigrant hate, racial discrimination, family expectations, and cultural and social adaptation. Beyond Gao's circumstances as an immigrant, her depiction of her experiences as an athlete, daughter, sister, and a young woman wrestling with her identity and sexuality will resonate with a wide range of young adult readers. Overall, this heartfelt and relatable graphic memoir will appeal to readers interested in learning about just how messy and complex life can be for young immigrants growing up in the U.S.

A Chinese American woman from Wuhan examines her multifaceted identity. This autobiographical account opens in San Francisco in January 2020. Responding to xenophobic and racist attitudes brewing among sectors of American society as the Covid-19 virus spreads, the narrator recalls the Wuhan she knew as 3-year-old Yuyang, "with no internet and too much energy." Comical sketches illustrate romps through rural landscapes with cousins and visits with her urban-dwelling grandparents, who nourished her with stories and food, before she is launched into the "strange, new world" of Texas. Yuyang celebrates her symbolic arrival as an American when her mother renames her Laura after the then--first lady. The narrative overlays immigrant community dynamics with the intersections of race, ethnicity, and gender in young adults' identity development while drawing on Chinese cultural icons old and new, such as White Rabbit candies. Most compelling is Gao's retelling of the legend of moon goddess Chang'e, who is able to "escape her suffocating home"--something Gao manages by attending college in a faraway state and encountering a diverse student body beyond the "white-washed" conformity of her high school. Gao comes out as queer and embraces her tangled roots as she continues writing her life story with pride and confidence. The dynamic, clean, and energetic artwork colored in soft tones features bold linework and ample white space. Splashes of red emphasize the emotional impact of many scenes. A nuanced representation of being Asian and transnational in the contemporary U.S. (Graphic memoir. 13-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.