“A girl like you. Maybe you’re already who you’re supposed to be.”

I've never felt so seen by a book. As a Chinese-Canadian girl living in Toronto whose family emigrated from China & Hong Kong, it felt as if Fung was writing about my life in her latest graphic novel.

There were so many parallels in the details as I kept reading, it creeped me out a bit (in the best way possible). It truly has been one of the most impactful reads of the year for me.

"Age 16" follows the lives of Roz in Toronto, her mother Lydia in Hong Kong, and her grandmother Mei Laan in Guangdong—all from the time they were sixteen, all facing their own unique challenges.

Fung skillfully weaves in themes of intergenerational trauma, self-worth, cultural heritage and more while capturing the universal struggles of the teenage years in a fun yet emotionally raw way. My favourite detail in the book was Fung's use of colour to illustrate & represent each of the three characters' stories/timelines, with important objects brought from each generation into the next retaining their original colour (you'll have to read it to fully understand what I mean by this). And of course, who doesn't love a good Easter Egg? Torontonians may recognize several iconic landmarks & local sites ("Fairlook" Mall, I see you 😜).

Much like with the critically-acclaimed Pixar film "Turning Red", I felt like this book was written for me—for all the 1st generation Chinese-Canadian (& Toronto) girls navigating different cultural identities; for all of us who have gone through - or are going through - the turbulence of teenage-hood; and above all, for everyone who needs a little reminder that they are beautiful & perfect the way they are, and exactly who they're supposed to be ♡