Age 16
by Rosena Fung
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Pub Date May 28 2024 | Archive Date Jul 02 2024
Annick Press Ltd. | Annick Press
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Description
Best Books of 2024 lists: NYPL, The Globe and Mail,Quill & Quire • Most Anticipated Feminist Books of 2024, Ms. magazine • Kids Indie Next Pick
A powerful coming-of-age graphic novel about how mothers and daughters pass down—and rebel against—standards of size, gender, race, beauty, and worth.
Guangdong, 1954 Sixteen-year-old Mei Laan longs for a future of freedom, and her beauty may be the key to getting it. Can an arranged marriage in Hong Kong be the answer to all her problems?
Hong Kong, 1972 Sixteen-year-old Lydia wants nothing more than to dance and to gain approval from her mother, who is largely absent and sharply critical, especially about the way she looks. Maybe her way to happiness is starting over in Toronto?
Toronto, 2000 Sixteen-year-old Roz is grappling with who she wants to be in the world. The only thing she is certain of is that if she were thinner, things would be better. How can she start living her life, instead of just photographing it?
When Roz’s estranged por por abruptly arrives for a seemingly indefinite visit, three generations are now under one roof. Delicate relationships are suddenly upended, and long-suppressed family secrets begin to surface.
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.
“Moving and emotional.” —Victoria Ying, Harvey Award–winning author of Hungry Ghost
“Crucial.” —Deb JJ Lee, creator of In Limbo
“Beautiful.” —Fiona Smyth, illustrator of Sex Is a Funny Word
Content Warning: body image, disordered eating.
A Note From the Publisher
Please note that body image and disordered eating are covered throughout this story. We advise those who find these topics potentially triggering to proceed carefully and at their own pace.
Advance Praise
"Age 16 is a needed reminder that we are all echoes from wartimes and generations past, a crucial addition to the AAPI graphic memoir collective. Painful but kind, holistic without stretching too thin, this book will live in my head for a long time." —Deb JJ Lee, creator of In Limbo
"Layered, thoughtful, and important, but also a sheer delight to read: I can’t praise Age 16 enough!" —Andrew Woodrow-Butcher, The Beguiling Books & Art
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9781773218342 |
| PRICE | CA$22.99 (CAD) |
| PAGES | 312 |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Ashley D, Educator
Age 16 follows three generations of women who are trying to find their place in the world. Roz is growing up in the fatfobic 2000s, struggling to see that her mother and grandmother want what is best for her, not the world they grew up in. However, with their approach to body image, the communication sometimes gets lost. Showing their backgrounds as well, the readers see why each woman acts the way they do based on the world they grew up in.
The novel was fine. I feel like having read a lot of texts surrounding this idea, it felt underdeveloped. I get that the main struggle was the body image issues, but having seen powerful generational texts like Crying in the H-Mart or even Turning Red, this fell short for me. I liked the art and felt the message was important, but overall I don't see myself going back to grab for this.
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