Sunmi

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher HarperCollins, and the writer illustrator Sunmi for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. There were high hopes for this graphic novel. A wlw/queer As-Am love story set in the Bay Area/SF sign me up. The execution though, hits hard to the ground as the story fails to deliver on specificity and unique language, imagery, plot, and characters. The plot and characters are familiar beats and the language and imagery are too broad. The backstory of the character's family should have played more of a role within the plot. While a story doesn't need conflict, the story should at least explore themes and ideas. The most interesting imagery comes through the chapters/title cards/intermissions. The graphic novel does explore a bit on the idea of being nonbinary/trans which it should have leaned more into. So while a lackluster start, Sunmi has a lot of room to grow as an illustrator and writer, here's hoping for more of Sunmi's work in the future.
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Sunmi’s Firebird follows Caroline, a Korean-American high school sophomore who struggles to balance her own sense of identity with the expectations of her mother and community. Caroline begins tutoring Kim, a senior girl, and finds herself attracted to Kim as well as wishing her life were as seemingly effortlessly easy as Kim’s. Sunmi alternates perspectives to show how much Kim takes on in order to try to meet all the expectations her friends, family, co-workers, and others place upon her. Together, Kim and Caroline find some solace in each other and the ability to share their concerns as well as their hopes. The title references a mystical firebird, which Caroline envisions amid her hope and desire to be able to “feel openly, and passionately.” Sunmi’s art beautifully brings their characters’ internal and external lives to vivid reality while the story will resonate with anyone struggle to balance the person they feel they should be with the person they are.… (more)