Living With Viola

by Rosena Fung

Overview

“unforgettable . . . will shake middle grade readers to the core”—School Library Journal, starred review

"Beautifully illustrated, relatable, and genuine." —Molly Brooks, creator of Sanity & Tallulah

“Everyone needs to buy this book now.  Seriously.  Buy it, read it, share it.”—Colleen Nelson, author and teacher

Honest and funny, this award-winning 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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781773215495
Publisher:	Annick Press, Limited
Publication date:	11/30/2021
Pages:	272
Sales rank:	325,708
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.70(d)
Lexile:	HL310L (what's this?)
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

ROSENA FUNG is an award-winning illustrator and comic artist from Toronto, Ontario. Her debut graphic novel, Living With Viola, received several starred reviews and was included on best of the year lists from the New York Public Library, School Library Journal, Kirkus Reviews, the Bank Street College of Education, and more. Living With Viola was also nominated for the Silver Birch Award, the Jean Little First-Novel Award, the Garden State Teen Book Award, the Panda Book Awards, and the Black-Eyed Susan Book Award. Besides creating graphic novels, Rosena's favorite things are reading, cats, and eating snacks.

Editorial Reviews

★ 10/25/2021

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. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly

Elevates the graphic novel genre with its heartfelt focus on mental health and immigrant experiences.”—Kirkus Reviews, *starred review, 07/27/21

“Intimate and unforgettable . . . This deeply moving graphic novel will shake middle grade readers to the core . . . An essential purchase.”—School Library Journal, *starred review, 10/21

From the Publisher

★ 10/01/2021

Gr 4–8—Olivia "Livy" Siu Leen Tong, a new student at Alison Berry Middle School, is achingly lonely. She has new friends, but they tease her for eating fried rice and salty fish, and she wonders what they'd say if they knew her father is a janitor and that she carries a stuffed unicorn in her backpack. At home Livy tries to be a dutiful Chinese daughter, but after her relatives visit from Hong Kong, the weight of their expectations almost crushes her, and she fears that her dream to become an artist would disappoint her family, much like her cousin Leonard's mysterious moods, which resulted in him being sent to England. Stuck in her head, Livy struggles with feelings of anxiety, fear, and unworthiness that manifest themselves as Viola, an evil twin–like figure who affirms her destructive thoughts. This is an intimate and unforgettable work that focuses on themes of belonging and identity. Confronting mental illness in a perceptive, tangible way, Fung offers a visual window into Livy's world; personifying her anxiety allows readers to understand Livy's reality. Tones of reds and purples illustrate Livy's varied emotions, and the crowded speech boxes give the book a suffocating feel. VERDICT This deeply moving graphic novel will shake middle grade readers to the core and have them rooting for Livy. An essential purchase that illuminates the mental health issues with which many young people grapple.—Claire Moore, Manhattan Beach Lib., CA

School Library Journal

★ 2021-07-27
Do you have a voice in your head telling you to doubt your self-worth?

Enter Chinese Canadian Olivia Siu Leen Tong. She loves art, books, and making dumplings with her mom, but she struggles with being carefree and happy like her peers. Even harder, her parents enroll her in a new, better middle school, where she struggles to make friends. As immigrants from Hong Kong, her parents have sacrificed so much to give her opportunities, but with this come high expectations to be the perfect daughter. All the pressure causes her self-doubt to manifest as Viola, a shadowy version of herself. Viola spews insidious, undermining messages, causing Livy to fall into depression and have panic attacks. Although she finally makes some good friends and even starts enjoying school, Viola lurks in the back of Livy’s mind and sabotages her at every turn. As her life starts unraveling, she must decide whether to reveal her secrets and ask for help. In a debut inspired by her own life, Fung uses bold illustrations in warm shades of red and orange; whenever Viola appears, the palette darkens to purples and grays as swirling, negative thought bubbles overwhelm Livy like waves. Fung delicately balances the heavy subject matter of mental health issues, microaggressions, identity, cultural differences, and belonging with humor and heart.

Elevates the graphic novel genre with its heartfelt focus on mental health and immigrant experiences. (author’s note, Cantonese glossary, character sketches) (Graphic fiction. 9-13)

Kirkus Reviews