Living with Viola
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5.0 • 1 Rating
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- $14.99
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
Heartbreakingly honest and quietly funny, this graphic novel from a debut creator is a refreshingly real exploration of mental health, cultural differences, and the trials of middle school.
Livy is already having trouble fitting in as the new girl at school—and then there’s Viola. Viola is Livy’s anxiety brought to life, a shadowy twin that only Livy can see or hear. Livy tries to push back against Viola’s relentless judgment, but nothing seems to work until she strikes up new friendships at school. Livy hopes that Viola’s days are numbered. But when tensions arise both at home and at school, Viola rears her head stronger than ever. Only when Livy learns how to ask for help and face her anxiety does she finally figure out living with Viola.
Rosena Fung draws on her own early experiences with anxiety and the pressures of growing up as the child of Chinese immigrant parents to craft a charming, deeply personal story that combines the poignancy of Raina Telgemeier’s Guts with the wacky humor of Lumberjanes. Exuberant, colorful art brings Livy’s rich imaginative world—filled with everything from sentient dumplings to flying unicorns—to life on the page.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
After transferring to the " ‘better' school in the district" to pursue her family's lofty expectations of eventual career success, sixth grader Olivia "Livy" Siu Leen Tong struggles to adjust in this slice-of-life graphic novel, inspired by Fung's experiences growing up in Canada as the daughter of Hong Kong immigrants. Viola, a dark periwinkle twin representing Livy's anxieties, perpetually assails her with large, warping speech balloons that steal Livy's concentration and confidence. Joyful activities such as making dumplings with her mother and drawing keep Viola at bay, until Livy befriends classmates Maddy Mehta, cued Indian; Beth D'Agostino, cued white; and Charlotte Zhang, also Chinese Canadian, and the trials of friendship, class, and race begin to affect her self-perception ("You're still okay, Livy, even if your food is Chinese-Chinese. You're still kinda normal-Chinese," Beth says). Interspersed Cantonese, plus loose, brushlike ink strokes colored in warm reds and oranges, enliven Fung's story. Livy's culturally specific concerns, including her family's reluctance to discuss mental health, will resonate with diasporic readers, though the exceptionally poignant moments that arise from her work navigating her anxiety reinforce the importance of asking for help for any reader. Back matter features an author's note and a Cantonese-English glossary. Final art not seen by PW. Ages 9–12.
