Everything Is Beautiful, and I'm Not Afraid perfectly captures the feelings of a young sojourner in America as she explores the nuances in searching for a place to belong. Baopu is a monthly serialized comic on Autostraddle, and this book includes beloved fan favorites plus new, never-before-seen comics.
This one-of-a-kind graphic novel explores the poetics of searching for connection, belonging, and identity through the fictional life of a young, queer immigrant. Inspired by the creator's own experiences as a queer, China-born illustrator living in the United States, Everything Is Beautiful, and I'm Not Afraid has an undeniable memoir quality to its recollection and thought-provoking accounts of what it's like to navigate the complexities of seeking belonging-mentally and geographically.
This is a collection of the serialized comic Baopu that runs on Autostraddle. The art is lovely and the comics feel like a hug, but this didn't work for me in book form. It felt thematically disorganized, and it was hard to tell when one comic ended and another began. Sometimes titles appeared at the beginning, other times they were in tiny lettering at the end. The reading flow was often interrupted by random theme changes, and it took me a few panels to realize it was a new comic. It was distracting, and I was frustrated that I didn't get into a groove until halfway through the book. It's a shame, because the comics as individual pieces are gentle and soothing.
Reading updates
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Started reading
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18 February, 2020:
Finished reading
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18 February, 2020:
Reviewed