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A powerful coming-of-age graphic novel about three generations of mothers and daughters passing down and rebelling against standards of gender, race, beauty, size, and worth, for fans of Mariko Tamaki. Sixteen-year-old Roz is preoccupied with normal teenage stuff: navigating high school friendships, worrying about college, and figuring out what to wear to prom. When her estranged Por Por abruptly arrives for a seemingly indefinite visit, the already delicate relationship between Roz and her mother is upended. With three generations under one roof, conflicts inevitably arise and long suppressed family secrets rise to the surface. Told in alternating perspectives, Age 16 shifts seamlessly between time and place, exploring how this pivotal year in adolescence affects three women in the same family, from Guangdong in 1954 to Hong Kong in 1972, and Toronto in 2000. Award-winning creator of Living with Viola Rosena Fung pulls from her own family history in her YA debut to give us an emotional and poignant story about how every generation is affected by those that came before and affect those that come after.
Reviews with the most likes.
This was an interesting read. Three generations of women. Three relationship dynamics between grandmother, mom and child. It speaks to generational trauma and how we pick and choose which behaviors to break away from and which ones we stick with knowing they are wrong.
The art concept/execution worked really well. Each lady has their own color on page and in life. There are time jumps or rather going between the past and present. An attempt was made to explain why these people are the way they are. It was sad. I wish them all well.
Netgalley and Publisher: Thank you for the opportunity to read an arc in exchange for an honest review.