A great concept here. Sixteen is already a complicated age. Add in the strain between mothers and daughters and you have a compelling narrative. This isn't simple entertainment. It encourages contemplation and reminds us that our parents are complex people with their own traumas and influences

I loved "Age 16" by Rosena Fung. Seeing the struggles of each generation of women and how they passed along some of that trauma to each other-particularly in regards to weight and looks-hit hard. I'm sure most women can relate to this story and how caring for one another doesn't always come across as we intend.
Teens and up will have some feels while reading this book!

Say hi to my new favourite graphic novelist 👋 Rosena Fung is back with another hit after Living With Viola and this was so, so good!

Never have I come across a graphic novel that captures generational trauma so well. I love how each timeline had its own colour palette – such a subtle yet effective way of storytelling. The book explores many important issues that women hold close to their hearts and I could relate to all of the characters. I also adore the gorgeous illustrations and style.

A beautiful, moving and evocative read that gives a powerful voice to the many things we don't and can't talk about ❤️

I've read quite a few Asian-authored, multi-generational stories this year, and it is a genre I enjoy. Age 16 by Rosena Fung is a strong addition to this genre, and I appreciate that it comes in the form of a graphic novel.

What I enjoyed:
- Fung's illustrations: I loved the different color palettes for each generation, and I enjoyed the author's distinct illustrative style.
- The Y2K nostalgia: As someone who was a teenager in the early 2000s, I really enjoyed the various pop culture and fashion references. (These elements also made me enjoy Roz's chapters the most.)
- The different perspectives: Fung does a nice job showing how the experiences (and specifically, the trauma) of the older generations impact the generations below them.

Thank you to NetGalley for my advanced reader copy.

I tried and tried to get into this book, but it just wasn't for me. However, the representation and the issues it addresses are important. Readers looking for stories that explore body image or multigenerational dynamics should check this out.

I’m not much of a graphic novel reader, but when I saw this one I immediately requested it, and I’m so grateful I did. This book is a treasure and it’s obvious it comes from the heart. It’s heartwrenching and joyful and incredibly real. The illustrations are adorable, have their own voice, and are carefully designed to tell a story all their own (the color choices!!). I love any story about a girl learning to find her courage and come into her own, and this is a multigenerational story with three brave girls, all of whom I loved.

I also loved the notes the author left in the back about her family’s personal history and the history of China, Hong Kong, and Canada as they related to the story. That’s another reason I loved this book: China’s perspective of World War II is rarely shared, and I had no idea what horrors they went through during that time.

I’m glad to have added this book to my personal library and would recommend it to everyone.

This charming book will leave readers rooting for love and self-discovery! love it would recommend thank you for the review copy

Thank you Annick Press and NetGalley for a copy of Age 16!

Age 16 by Rosena Fung is a powerful exploration of intergenerational trauma, told through the eyes of 3 16-yo girls: Mei in Guangdong 1954, Lydia in Hong Kong 1972, and Roz in Toronto 2000. Each teen's story is distinct yet deeply connected by the emotional scars passed down through their family line.

One of my fave aspects of this graphic novel is how it shows trauma being passed down -- through hesitancy to show affection to our loved ones, controlling our food intake (because sometimes that's all we can control), or perpetuation of toxic habits. A great reminder that what we experience isn't always ours alone but a legacy shaped by those before us. The novel captures how each generation inherits these burdens, sometimes unknowingly, and how it's ultimately our responsibility to break that cycle.

And above all, Age 16 is a great reminder that our parents are products of their own histories!

An easy-read for those looking for graphic memoirs on body image, immigrant stories, intergenerational trauma, and journey to self-acceptance.

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for an early E-ARC of the graphic novel.

I thought this was a great graphic novel. I loved how this was based on the author's own family. It was very heartbreaking and heartwarming coming of age story going through different generations. I highly recommend it.

Book 154 of 300 ~ 2024

🌟🌟🌟🌟

I know what it is like to be a big girl, and seeing her struggles reminded me of mine for a long time.

The transferring of unhappiness with oneself to the next generation is so common and so toxic, yet it seems so difficult to break that bond.

Wonderfully told coming of age story.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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3.5- I’m always intrigued by graphic novels so when I see one with a subject I find interesting, I don’t think twice about reading it. When I saw this one was about mothers and daughters, I knew I had to read it.
Age 16 is a coming of age of three generations of women- Mei Laan in 1954 China, Lydia in 1972 Hong Kong, and Roz in 2000 Toronto. This graphic novel explores the ties that bind mothers and daughters together through the ages and shows how some mothers treat their daughters the way they were treated from generation to generation.
This also touches on the insecurities mothers pass down to their daughters. While it’s a coming of age through the generations, it is also about body insecurities and never feeling like you’re good enough. That really resonated with me as at 46 I finally feel that I am perfect as I am. I hated feeling “less than” when I was in high school and college and I never wanted my daughters to feel like that. Breaking the cycle is hard, but it can definitely be done.
My biggest issue I had with this book was all of the parody names for actual things (“Stephen Queen”, “She Wrote Murder”, and “Cheezos” plus many more. They stuck out like sore thumbs and ruined those parts of the book for me. I’m not a writer or publisher so perhaps I’m wrong, but I believe real names can be used in works of fiction. It’s far better for the author to come up with completely imaginary names then use ripoffs off if using the actual names isn’t possible.
Thank you to NetGalley and Annick Press Ltd for an advanced copy of this. I’m sorry it has taken me so long to get to it. Age 16 hit the shelves on May 28th.

A wonderful graphic novel that truly showcases the teenage years. I wish I'd had this when I was younger as it would've undoubtedly helped. The art was a little messy for me but I can respect the style.

Starting with the story of sixteen-year-old Rosalind, aka “Roz,” in 2000 Toronto, Rosena Fung’s Age 16 draws on the cartoonist’s own family history to tell an intergenerational tale that follows Roz’s mother, Lydia, in Hong Kong, and her grandmother, Mei Laan, in Guangdong, when they too were just sixteen. I liked how a different colour palette was used to differentiate the stories of each of the young women, as the art style, otherwise, remains consistently clean and minimalist for all the characters, with the occasional incredibly detailed backgrounds. What Age 16 does best is show how, through intergenerational trauma, each generation not only bears the weight of the previous generation but also has their own issues. Roz, Lydia, and Mei Laan all struggle with the never-ending pressure of trying to maintain their physical appearance in both similar and different ways, while all they truly want is to be loved and accepted as they are. It was also interesting to see the parallels between the relationship of Lydia and Mei Laan versus Lydia and Roz, especially when it came to what was passed down. Even though Age 16 is focused on Roz’s coming-of-age story, I would’ve liked to see more of Lydia and Mei Laan’s past, as up until the end, Mei Laan remains a figure mostly shrouded in mystery. This is a fast-paced story even for a graphic novel, and I love that the setting of Roz’s story would be recognizable to many Torontonians and that the message of Age 16 can be applied to not only Asian women who grew up feeling ostracized for failing to meet the Asian beauty standards but also to anyone who has ever felt lost and confused about their place in the world.

Generational trauma is something that can be so difficult to separate yourself from. Even when you don’t realize it you start to have the same thinking patterns and shame that your parents and their parents had. It isn’t until you are able to understand that the negative thoughts and feeling aren’t coming from a truthful place that you can start to let go and unravel what you truly believe and what ideas have been handed down to you.

One of the biggest challenges can be to unravel from thoughts of body negativity. Especially in certain cultures if you are bigger it is seen as a huge issue. Fat shaming is a huge problem and it causes all kinds of eating disorders and twisted beliefs about your own body. I love the way this comic tackles that and shows the patterns that you start to develop when you feel like you are unlovable because of your bodies shape.


This comic tackles even more than that, but the idea of parental ownership over you and who you marry. Especially with the oldest generation. You are not a person to your parents you are a means to gain connections. I also love that the level of personhood each woman experiences gets just a bit better with each generation.

It’s never perfect, but the desire for your children to live a better life than you did should always be there. I think that each generation shown in this comic truly does feel that way. It’s really hard to let go of how you’ve been hurt. How hurt you feel towards yourself. Ultimately the message of acceptance at the end was beautiful.

i often feel like graphic novels are limited in their ability to tell a full story, with full characters, and yet this one managed to relate 3 generational tales with 3 women in one family, sharing fatphobia and homophobia and misogyny, and do all of it convincingly and emotionally. plus the art was cute as heck. this is such a good one!

Trigger Warning: Fatphobia, fat shaming, eating disorders, toxic parenting, generational trauma

Told in alternative perspectives, Age 16, shifts between three generations of mothers and daughters as they rebel against stands of gender, race, beauty, and size from Guangdong in 1954 to Hong Kong in 1972, and Toronto in 2000.

Sixteen-year-old Roz is just trying to navigate through normal teenage stuff: high school friendships, college possibilities, body size, and of course, finding the perfect dress for prom. When her estranged Por Por unexpectedly arrives for what seems like an indefinite visit, the already strained relationship between Roz and her mom is tightened some more. With everyone now under one roof, conflicts arise and long, suppressed family secrets bubble to the surface.

One of the things I did enjoy about this novel is being able to see each female member of this family as they struggle with the pressures put on them in their teenage years - rather that’s from society or their mother. Though it didn’t excuse toxic behaviors, it explained them a little more.

I really enjoyed the art style within this graphic novel - it was simple (kind of reminded me a little of Scott Pilgrim). Rosena Fung also used different color pallets for each character, so it helped knowing which narrative was being told.

Overall, I really enjoyed this coming of age, generational graphic novel. Those who are interested in family history, immigration, and/or generational trauma will enjoy this book.

*Thank you Annick Press and NetGalley for an advance digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

What a fantastic and important book! I’m so glad I found this on Netgalley!! I love the art and the story so much! I will definitely be buying a physical copy of this book as soon as I can! I highly recommend this one!

Sixteen can be an exciting age, but also a painful and confusing one. In this clever graphic novel, inspired in part by her own family’s story, the author shines a spotlight on the sixteenth year of three generations of women. Full review at BookBrowse: https://www.bookbrowse.com/mag/reviews/index.cfm/ref/pr310976

Age 16 is about the relationship between mother and daughters. Rosena Fung’s latest book is also about not depriving yourself of what you love and what you need to survive and thrive. Suggested for readers aged twelve and up, Age 16 paints a complex story about three generations of Chinese Women and the way they slowly find themselves back to each other after years of fumbling and rejecting each other.

The author crafted a nuanced story about Chinese Women and the violence they faced whether that be microaggressions in a store in Toronto, cat calling by American soldiers or men feeling that they were entitled to a young woman’s body and status in Hong Kong. One caveat of criticism of Age 16 is that I would have loved longer chapters from Lydia and Mei Laan, especially Mei Laan. As they serve as connective tissue to Roz’s chapters, I felt if they were a bit longer with a bit more context, these two, along with readers would have more closure.

What Rosena Fung really nails in Age 16 is that intergenerational trauma travels from mother to daughter. I think of Roz’s mother making remarks on what the teen is eating and making the girl feel embarrassed or frustrated. While her own mother comes to visit, Lydia sees a snack that she likes but is discouraged to buy because of the cutting remarks from her own mother that it is fattening. There is a narrative thread about body shaming, the very real life consequences of it on one’s self esteem and life–and also on negative body image and how the love of a mother often feels unattainable.

In the author’s note, Rosena Fung writes that this book is the one she always wanted to write, even when she did not know. To quote her: “This work is a book of fiction, but it is also a generational memoir.” She notes that the journey of this book was taking place even before she was born, the story being carried by the women before her.

I love the framing of this book journey by the author as it fills me with such joy to know that she was able to make this book, this love letter to her own mother and por por. Age 16 best embodies the need for tenderness for the women in our lives–especially when the world has been so cruel to them–mothers and daughters must strive to be the greatest example of love and care for each other in this world. I love that Age 16 focuses on the girlhood and womanhood of not one but three Chinese women — an incredible gift in the graphic novel category for those seeking memoirs by women creatives and women creatives of the Asian Diaspora.

https://carriemcclain.medium.com/review-age-16-is-a-layered-necessary-read-about-girlhood-bd211fbfad32

context/trigger warnings:
anorexia
binge eating
body image issues
body shaming
calorie counting
disordered eating
domestic abuse
emotional abuse
fat shaming
fatphobia
generational trauma
physical abuse
racism
sexism
starvation
teen pregnancy
weighing
weight loss