Yao Xiao

I really enjoyed reading Everything is Beautiful, and I’m Not Afraid. As a queer Asian American, this was very relatable for me. I went through similar struggles with the clashing of my identity and my conservative Asian culture. The search for acceptance from family, for belonging, and for self-love was one that I think many queer Asians can relate to.

There are many other topics that Xiao touches upon such as fat-shaming in Asian culture, racism, xenophobia, etc., all of which are present show more in everyday life for Asian Americans. Every page felt like I was talking to a friend who just understands what I’ve been through and am still going through. show less

I came to this book as a fan of comics shared on Autostraddle and this collection didn't disappoint. It's got that dreamy slightly bittersweet feel to it that I've come to enjoy from the Baopu comics. There are so many lovely little self-care insights and relateable musings on mental health, and feeling like an outsider. Even though I have never experienced being a long-term immigrant, it's not hard to understand the kind of longing for home and in-between and out of place feeling that might show more engender. Also, it has one of my favorites in there about not apologizing for taking up space, but saying thank you to your friends/family for being there instead. It's a very nice collection with a simple, but dreamy art style that feels like a warm blanket. show less

A memoir built for social media. The page long meditations are individually lovely. But they fail to align to more than the trite platitudes of a series of motivational posters. There's not enough arc to the story. There is tragedy and gestures toward community and perhaps a kind of growth. But without characters, scenes, and the beats of a narrative those impressions lack shape.

Graphic nonfiction, collection of dynamic, conceptual art comics with poetic musings on family conflicts with queer identity and mental health. The author is a Chinese national with a non-immigrant visa, residing in the US, whose bisexual identity conflicts with her traditional, conservative family in China.

I especially liked the comic about saying 'thank you' for understanding versus apologizing for being yourself.