Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Yan blends slapstick tween humor with a spark of surreal horror in his clever debut graphic novel. Chinese American 12-year-old Eugenia Wang and her "overbearing Asian mom" are at odds. Eugenia's mother won't let the tween celebrate her own birthday on her actual birthdate (April 4, doubly unlucky according to Chinese superstition) and disparages her creative ambitions: when Eugenia requests permission to attend art summer camp for her upcoming birthday, her mother replies, "Art not helping you be a doctor or lawyer." Following a bonk to the head during a gym class rope-climbing incident, Eugenia dreams about her house catching fire in a sequence that trades the illustrations' gentle pastel hues for eerie red tones. Awakening in the nurse's office, Eugenia and races home to draw her dream. As her birthday draws near and the red-tinged nightmare returns, Eugenia realizes that the fire will occur on her birthday, and she's the only one who can avert the impending disaster. Digitally rendered cartoon panels utilizing unique perspectives--including scenes depicted as being viewed from the corner of the ceiling, through stair-rail bannisters, and from high above--inject fresh energy into each scene. A note about intermittent Chinese dialogue, rejected cover concepts, and details about the creator's process conclude. Ages 8--12. Agent: Alexandra Penfold, Upstart Crow Literary. (Sept.)
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Review by Horn Book Review
Twelve-year-old Eugenia Wang wants a few simple things: to hang out at her house with her best friend, Keisha; to attend a summer camp for drawing comics; and to host her birthday party on the date of her actual birthday, April 4 -- the unluckiest of days according to Chinese superstition (the Cantonese word for four sounds like the word for death). Despite her mother's disapproval and her younger brother's snitching, Eugenia makes every effort to realize her wishes in secret. However, after a blow to her head in P.E. class, she starts having strange and scary dreams about her birthday party that manifest as new updates on the comic she is working on for her camp application. But she doesn't remember creating the drawings. As her birthday draws near and the plot of the nightmare escalates, she must figure out a way to prevent the impending catastrophes from occurring. Suspense, comedy-horror, and well-developed character growth come together in Yan's debut graphic novel, which puts a supernatural twist on a familiar premise of intergenerational misunderstandings and conflict in an immigrant family. The exaggerated proportions of his character designs call to mind children's animated shows and suit the offbeat humor of the story well. Romanized Cantonese (Jyutping) is integrated into the dialogue, and the back matter provides a Cantonese glossary as well as process notes guiding the reader through the steps for turning a script into a finished comic. Shenwei ChangNovember/December 2025 p.81 (c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A girl's dark comic strip starts to feel more like a premonitory vision. In Chinese superstition, the number four, which sounds like the Chinese word fordeath, is considered unlucky. Twelve-year-old Eugenia Wang was born on April 4th, making her birthday the doubly unlucky "FOUR FOUR!" Her mother refuses to hold Eugenia's party on her actual birthday--and while Eugenia would rather be drawing comics and making art, Mom ("an overbearing Asian mom stereotype") wants her to study and practice the violin. One day in PE, Eugenia's friend Keisha, who presents Black and has two dads, accidentally gives her a concussion, after which Eugenia has a spooky dream about her house catching fire. To get the dream out of her head, she draws a comic about it. Soon, drawing pulls her into a trance. Each time, she wakes up with more of the comic completed--but no recollection of having worked on it. As more people perish in the dream fire, which seems to be connected to her upcoming 13th birthday, Eugenia grows increasingly desperate to stop it from becoming reality. The panels, which vary in perspective, adding visual interest, support the tone of this dramatic, funny, and touching graphic novel. The fire sequences feature an ominous, predominantly red palette. Readers will relate to Eugenia's struggles over meeting family expectations, following her passions, navigating relationships, and negotiating daily life as a tween. Slightly spooky and filled with humor and heart. (language note, alternate covers, process notes)(Graphic fiction. 8-13) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
