Firebird

by Sunmi

Sunmi's gorgeous two-color teen graphic novel debut examines the power of resilience and reinvention, following the lives of Caroline and Kim, two queer, Asian American teenagers growing up in the suburbs of the San Francisco Bay Area, as they forge an unexpected connection.

Caroline Kim is feeling the weight of sophomore year. When she starts tutoring infamous senior Kimberly Park-Ocampo--a charismatic lesbian, friend to rich kids and punks alike--Caroline is flustered . . . but intrigued

Their friendship kindles and before they know it, the two are sneaking out for late-night drives, bonding beneath the stars over music, dreams, and a shared desire of getting away from it all.

A connection begins to smolder . . . but will feelings of guilt and the mounting pressure of life outside of these adventures extinguish their spark before it catches fire?

Genres: Graphic Novels, LGBT, Young Adult, Romance, Queer, Comics, Contemporary

320 pages, Paperback

First published April 4, 2023

About the author

Sunmi is a cartoonist whose body of work explores emotional distances and gender deviant fantasies, within a framework of queer + Korean histories and mythologies. Their debut YA graphic novel "Firebird" comes out with HarperAlley in July 2023.

Reviews

[s.penkevich [hiatus-will return-miss you all] · Rating 3 out of 5]

Opposites attract in this queer coming of age YA graphic novel, written and gorgeously illustrated by Sunmi. Firebird interlaces the lives of girls, the reserved sophomore Caroline who is already prepping for college, and the outgoing senior, Kim, who are brought together when Caroline begins tutoring algebra. Disoriented by Kim’s teasing and disheveled ways, Caroline can’t stop thinking about her…but is she frustrated or is she flustered?

Character driven and full of a wide variety of nuanced issues from fraught family life, friendship dynamics, anxieties, queer questioning, and identity as a second generation Korean immigrant, Firebird does well to balance a lot of introspective elements that make for a slow but cozy pacing. Moving and cute but with a bit of a misfire of an ending, this was a fun read that plays on some rather lovely tropes in interesting ways. The illustrations are fantastic here and while I was initially a bit disappointed it was only black and white with some clever use of red unlike the full color cover, I ended up REALLY loving the style. It looks like the sort of thing that you would doodle in your notebook in class…well, that is if I was actually good at doodling:

I enjoyed the use of red to denote times of emotional discomfort, be it anxieties or a flood of painful memories, and the book spends some time deep diving into each of the character’s respective personal lives to show how their private life informs upon their personalities in their public lives.

Both girls are Korean immigrants each with various family dynamic struggles, such as Caroline grappling with the absence of her father living back in Korea or Kim who tends to be parentified and takes a lot onto her plate. While Kim seems cool and collected, she too has a lot of anxieties and complex emotions to work through, something that is surprising to Caroline who feels like she is often spiraling in her issues of family, identity and body image. The way the two come closer, with Caroline stressing about having feelings for another girl the whole way, is rather adorable and its shown how empathy and reassuring one another without belittling anxieties can help love blossom and be a very healthy and helpful way to care for each other. There are some really touching moments of sharing and intimacy, like allowing Kim to cut her hair, though this sparks a large fight between Caroline and her mother over having short hair and the mother’s concern about Caroline not being properly feminine presenting. Though there is something moving about how Caroline realizes the way she expresses herself as a person when around Kim is the “her” she feels is the best representation of herself.

Firebird has a lot of good things going for it and I really love the dynamic of the awkward girl and popular girl falling for each other and realizing that once the social labels and expectations are swept aside, they aren’t all that different and Caroline might just be what Kim wants and needs. Unfortunately the end sort of tumbles out and will make you wonder if you might be missing some pages. I was reminded a bit of the graphic novel If You’ll Have Me which I really enjoyed and had a similar relationship dynamic, so fans of this should definitely check that out as well. Cute but a bit clunky, I still quite enjoyed Firebird and I hope you will too.

3.5/5

‘I don’t want to be defined by those relationships anymore.
I don’t want to be defined by absence, by my fears, resentment, regrets…
I want to be someone new.
I want to feel openly and passionately
like the firebird.’

[Eva B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I enjoyed the concept of this one more than the execution. It felt almost unfinished--if there's a second volume, I think I'd look back on this one more fondly as buildup but as it was it just felt incomplete.

[may ➹ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Asian lesbians ❤️

short rtc

[♠ TABI⁷ ♠]

This is not Sunmi as in K-pop Sunmi aka Gashina but it still looks very intriguing and I am here for it
(note: author uses they/them pronouns)

[nat]

omg this looks so good

[Maia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a quiet, gentle coming of age story about two Korean American teens both trying to balance responsibilities of family and school with a search for their own identities and priorities. Caroline is a sophomore whose days are shaped by zero periods, band practice, studying, and reading fantasy romance comics when people aren't paying attention. Kim is a senior failing Algebra 2, possibly because she is in constant motion: picking her younger siblings up from school, working at a mechanic shop, teaching guitar lessons, helping her mom, and showing up at every social occasion even at very last minute notice. Caroline is assigned as Kim's math tutor, and that connection blooms into a friendship which pulls Caroline out of their shell and slows Kim down a little bit. I loved the hand inked line art and the soft way the story unfolded; it felt like real life.

[milliereadsalot · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Harper360YA for providing me with a physical ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I think that this book had great ideas, but it just didn’t develop on any of them enough for me. For example, there was an interesting part of the story involving the main character’s difficult relationship with her mother, and how their specific family dynamics affect her deeply, but it just wasn’t explored very thoroughly. Similarly, the main character goes through a lot of self-discovery in this book, and it appeared as if it was going to focus on her gender expression, but it just never gets fully explored. I do wonder if there might be a sequel planned, because I left the story feeling like there was so much left unfinished. It was a sweet story though, and based off the finished artwork provided in the first two chapters, I think it will be really beautiful in the finished copies as well.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This debut graphic novel was a heartfelt opposites attract Sapphic YA romance between two Asian American teens who bond as Caroline helps tutor Kim in math. I loved these characters and the drawings! All the angst and pain of growing up queer, struggling with body image issues, having absentee fathers, parental pressures, etc. Highly recommended especially for fans of Hungry ghost by Victoria Ying. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

[Sarah Cavar · Rating 5 out of 5]

This wonderful graphic novel has so much: the tenderness of cautious first-love, or at least, interest; the comforting cheesiness of self-discovery, the steadfastness of queer kinship, the devastation and brutal implications of parental abuse, exploitation, anti-queerness, and anti-fatness. Firebird is particular and generous in its depictions of Caroline’s and Kim’s lives, as well as their pasts and dreams. Yet it also gestures at a certain emotive universality whose accuracy to teenage sensations and thoughts took my breath away.

Queer teens, especially fat queer Asian diaspora teens, are very lucky to be living at the same time as this book, and to be accompanied and empathized with in their confusion and stubborn hope by such protagonists as Caroline and Kim.

[Giovanareadshere · Rating 4 out of 5]

Firebird is a cute and hella sweet sapphic graphic novel set in San Francisco and Oakland that hit me with the feelings. It follows two Korean American teens, Caroline and Kim, as they navigate friendship, queerness, immigrant parents, family expectations, and mental health, all while falling for each other in the softest, most awkwardly adorable way. The black and white art with splashes of red was such a vibe, and the story felt both personal and hella relatable. If you’ve ever tried to balance your identity with what your family expects; or just wanted a chill, a queer love story with Bay Area roots, this one’s worth the read. 😍👏🏾

[Anniek · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love coming of age graphic novels, and this is a solid one. Both Caroline and Kim were characters I immediately really liked. I hadn't expected the art work to be in black and white (and I don't think it was unfinished because I read an eARC, it seemed very intentional), but I thought this worked really well. I do have to say I found this slightly too long, and I felt like some parts dragged. Especially some dialogues weren't always very interested, which made me zone out a little at times. So all in all, I ended up feeling a little conflicted. However, I felt like the ending really picked up, and I felt more invested at that point, which is why I would still rate this 4 stars.

[Chey · Rating 4 out of 5]

The art in this was very unique, cute little YA story about 2 girls who are opposites of each other but develop a connection between each other, heartfelt quick read

[Sophie_The_Jedi_Knight · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took a while for the art style to grow on me in here, but I was quite fond of it by the book's end. I wasn't a fan of the black-and-white coloring, but the use of red here and there was well done.

I enjoyed this exploration of queerness and being the child of Asian immigrants in this relationship between Kim and Caroline, and their budding dynamic was very sweet. Maybe it's just the point where I am in life, but I found myself yearning to drive out into the hills and watch the stars and sunrise.

However, it felt like this book ended in the middle of the story. It can't quite be called "coming of age" if the character growth is still being undergone. There's a shocking amount of loose threads and unanswered questions by the final page. I have hope that a sequel is coming - one where Caroline explores their gender expression more and Kim makes the choice to stay or leave for college - because I don't want to be finished with this story yet.

3/5 stars.

[everybookadoorway · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lovely graphic novel, with a beautiful art style, about two queer Asian American teens.

There are so many important topics that this story touches on, however none of them were really explored as thoroughly as I would have liked. I really enjoyed the discussions of sexuality and the conversations about gender expression throughout this book, even if they did lack some depth. Towards the end of the novel, I got the impression that one of the main characters may be on the ace spectrum, so I do wish that it had gone into some more detail about that.

Another thing that I really appreciated, was the mention of Caroline’s relationship with her mum, and what that’s like and how it affects her. I really liked seeing the family dynamics as it added some background to both of the main characters, but again, this could have been explored further.

Though I would have liked there to have been a bit more development, this was overall still a very sweet graphic novel with some great representation and important discussions. I think there is definitely room for a potential sequel. I hope to read more from Sunmi in the future!


Thank you to Harper360YA for providing me with an ARC!

[Brianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Firebird gave me Flamer vibes despite being a very different story!

Firebird is about Caroline, a sophomore, and Kim, a senior. Caroline meets Kim when she starts tutoring her in Algebra 2. There are initial butterflies and over the course of the school year, they become closer and closer friends and finally more. I enjoyed how fleshed out Caroline and Kim felt. They both seemed to have different difficulties they were juggling. I do wish that their friends played a slightly more prominent role (especially Caroline's) but really they just feel like background characters. The story tries to tackle quite a lot: immigrant experiences, the American dream, single motherhood, gender, sexuality, faith, fatphobia, etc. It's hard to feel like any one of these topics gets its due even with how long the book is. Also idk how to describe it but this is one of those books where I don't feel like the cover really matches the vibe? But the prom scene got me in my feels so it's getting a solid 4 stars.

[acorn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Creative, expressive, raw

Caroline starts sophomore year making new friends and meeting Kim, the senior she is assigned to tutor. As she navigates the complexities of identity, self expression, family pressure, and school, Kim becomes a large part of her life. The two girls find moments of love and joy in the middle of their busy and confusing lives.

I really loved the art of this story. The limited color palette was intriguing. I liked both main characters because they felt real and relatable. I enjoyed the unique focus on the chapters as well. The story wasn’t entirely unique in a thought provoking way but it was honest and beautiful. I’m glad I read this!

[Estibaliz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually enjoyed this more than I was expecting, especially once I got used to the nuances of the art, pretty monochrome but still beautiful.

The two main characters were well constructed, and I really appreciated the fact that they felt like more than jus plain stereotypes.

Great coming of age story, delving on some ever present topics like identity, family and expectations, my only complaint would be that the ending was a bit too open when I was expecting a bit more resolution for certain topics. Still, that's how life is...

[Coffeecups]

I really really enjoyed the artwork in this book! The style was loose & sketchy without coming across as messy or difficult to distinguish elements. Each character was recognizable, the body types were individual, not a one-size-fits-all.
The perspective was realistic to teenage thinking-- the main characters were the focus, their family the next, then friends/classmates. That said, I do think a little bit more time on the friends' could have helped round out the story. While I feel having Caroline's fledgling journey on self-discovery as in, her sexuality, gender presentation & identity, her personal style, finding a place in the world as an individual rather than placing herself into roles assigned by cultural/societal expectations, etc be just that-- the beginning, no grand decisions-- was the correct move, I felt a couple of moments were put in the story without completely fitting. Such as her discussion with Minnie and Sal about pronouns/nonbinary-- it was a natural conversation for the three to have, I just felt it a bit forced to be placed in the final moments of Caroline getting ready to leave for prom. Similarly with Eliot's story-- the flashback moments were incomplete in the story they attempted to tell, though I recognize that vagueness goes with natural memory. None of this was bad, I just think they were lacking proper placement/attention. Likely due to the nature of editing and creating a story, not everything can stay in I think the ending was just a tad abrupt, maybe even five more pages of story would have finished it stronger to me. [Not that I wanted everything wrapped up neatly in a bow, but I think the story wasn't quite done being told.]

[Amris · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Whitney · Rating 4 out of 5]

**Thank you to Another Chapter Bookstore for providing an ARC of this title. This in no way changed my rating**

Firebird reminds me a lot of Himawari House in the best way, so if you liked that title, I think you would like this one. I am really excited to see a finished copy because many of the illustrations in the ARC copy are rough sketches, but the finished art from Sunmi in the first few chapters was very aesthetically pleasing. I'm sure the finished art will be beautiful, too. Firebird follows Caroline Kim, who is a sophomore questioning her identity. She is Korean and lives with her mother in California while her father lives and works back in South Korea. It was nice to see a character who is queer questioning (as of the ARC, it's unclear whether she is nonbinary or maybe questioning trans, but she is attracted to women. Since the character is referred to as a girl and it's left in the air what Caroline will decide, I'm using she/her pronouns in this review), as well as plus-size. There is a shopping scene where she mentions she's always been drawn to men's clothing and dressing in a masc way, but she can't figure out clothing that fits her and looks good. She is successful during this trip in finding clothes that fit both her body and identity. Caroline is tutoring and starting to develop a crush on her classmate, Kim, who is Filipino-Korean. She is a very well-rounded love interest. We learn about her family, her job, her interests, and she gets her own POV chapters. It's nice to go back and forth and see that both characters are well developed, but it's still mainly Caroline's story.

There is a secondary conflict with her mother that doesn't get fully resolved, but was still very well-written. Caroline's mom speaks to her almost entirely in Korean and the text reflects that, showing both a Korean speech bubble and an English "translation" bubble. It was nice to see Caroline is bilingual and I think it will be appealing to kids who live that experience to see it reflected, as well as a window for kids who don't live that experience. The conflict basically breaks down to her mother having one plan in mind for Caroline and Caroline having a different plan she's figuring out as she grows up. The story was excellent and would make me interested in more of Sunmi's work.

Overall, I would recommend this title. I could see it being nominated for some YALSA awards. The title is indicative of the firebird myth, but Kim also drives an old firebird, so it works on multiple levels. The book, as well, works on multiple levels of representation while also portraying universal themes of teenage coming-of-age stories.

4/5 stars

[KayKat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to the author and to NetGalley for this arc. I really loved this. I got attached to both Caroline and Kim very quickly. I immediately wanted the best for both of them. Their relationship is adorable. I also love how they are learning things about themselves throughout this story. I hope that there with be a second book. I highly recommend this.

[Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

For me, this novel felt like it was finding it’s footing right as it ended which was a shame to say the least.

Firebird is a story that has a lot of ideas and topics that it is eager to explore. Unfortunately, I don’t think this graphic novel was long enough to properly explore all the topics that the author seemed to want to explore.

When it ends, Caroline is starting to explore her own gender and paired with that there is some exploring of sexuality. I think this really needed more space to breath and given a chance to be figured out. By the time it ended, it felt like all of that discovering was just beginning which wouldn’t be a problem if this otherwise didn’t feel like it was supposed to be such a coming of age story.

I did like the insight into the relationship that Caroline had with her mom. I think that explained a lot of her character, but it’s another thing that felt like the surface was only scratched of how that relationship really functioned.

The art was something that slowly grew on me. It still wasn’t my favorite. There was a sketch quality to it that I think I didn’t entirely vibe with. Though, I did like the use of red. Using it to emphasize certain points was brilliant. I think that was wonderfully down.

Overall, Firebird is a lovely graphic novel that is queer and coming of age. Even if all the topics aren’t flushed out, I am hopeful for more from these characters or at least more from this author as I think has potential.

[Mel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Firebird is a coming-of-age graphic novel about Caroline, a Korean American sophomore who is just trying to figure out who she is. She begins tutoring Kim, a lesbian senior who seems oh so cool.

There are a lot of good things about this novel. First, Caroline is really relatable. She's fat, has a difficult relationship with her mother, is trying to figure out her sexuality, is questioning the church she was raised in, and has low self esteem. There are also times she is very depressed. This novel was at its best when it was exploring Caroline's emotions.

The big stand out in this read is Caroline's relationship with her mom. It's actually really difficult to read and I'd suggest reading TWs. Her mom is very fatphobic, controlling, and yet, Caroline still struggles with wanting to please her.

Where this didn't work for me was the lack of plot and the art. The two-toned art just isn't my favorite and I wish we had all the beautiful colors from the cover. This is just my personal preference and I'm sure others will love the art.

Overall, I would recommend this, especially to parents.

[Manon the Malicious · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was provided an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I jumped into this one not knowing much about it, and I liked it that way. So no summary this time around.

I liked this graphic novel. I loved the illustrations and really enjoyed the story. The two main characters were interesting and flawed which isn't always easy to do in a graphic novel. I really liked the friendships and the family relationships, they were layered and I loved seeing them evolve throughout the book.
I did feel like the end was a little abrupt and I wold have liked just a little more to properly tie it up. I also liked the romance in this. It truly talked of first crushes and first butterflies and it was pretty adorable.
Above all though, the illustrations are what completely drew me in. I liked the penmanship and the rare use of color. Simply beautiful.
I'm really looking forward to more by this author/illustrator.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I was reading this I was totally on board to have like a four and a half almost five star review but then the end happened. The ending is so rushed and cut off and it just made me really sad because I wanted more. I think that there's too much that happens in the middle of this book and by too much that happens I mean almost nothing happens It's just very long and I wish some of that energy had been directed towards the ending of the story.

Don't get me wrong, I love an open-ended story but I feel like we never actually got to see Caroline or Kim do anything beyond question. I really liked both of them and I love seeing the intersectional queer representation, but almost nothing happens in this book.

So we have two queer Korean American teenagers. One is a sophomore and one is a senior. Caroline is a sophomore and she's pretty introverted. She is fat and questioning both her gender and sexuality. She continuously does use she her pronouns and the story refers to her as a girl throughout the story so I'm going to do that in the review, but there is a lot of gender questioning and discussions about feeling like a girl and shopping in the boy section etc. She does like girls so I would definitely say that she's sapphic but there isn't really any labels for Caroline.

Then we have Kim who is a senior and really extroverted and has tons of friends. She is out as a lesbian to pretty much everyone but her mom and spends most of the story figuring out what she's going to do after high school.

Caroline ends up tutoring Kim and it's a very slow burn friendship to tentative romance. I would even say that Caroline gives off asexual vibes from the way that those last scenes go. But I don't know. I don't mind not having specific labels but I do wish there had been just a little bit of resolution. Give me something. I need someone to make at least a one decision.

Overall I think this is a really solid graphic novel with a couple pitfalls. I'm not sure if the finished copy will have more color in it but I definitely think it could use it. Most of the ARC is black and white with sporadic red elements throughout every 50 pages or so.

[Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this graphic novel. While I didn't /love/ the art style, that was just my personal preference, and I do think the author is really artistically talented. This book is very character-led and slice-of-life; there's not really a grand journey or real conclusion to the story, it just kind of...ends in a way that could be unsatisfying for some readers, but I personally didn't mind. The characters lives felt very full and it felt like reading a coming-of-age film. I can't put my finger on one extremely outstanding element, but it was overall a very solid book that I recommend.

[Misse Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely!

I am a huge fan of graphic novels, manga and comics. As well, I love a good coming of age story. Firebird by Sunni is such a beautiful story about what happens when you're journeying through a time of self-discovery and allowing things to occur naturally and synergistically. Thank you to HarperCollins Children's Books and NetGalley for this gifted copy. The opinions expressed here are my own.

Firebird is a really solid story about what ultimately happens when opposites attract. It follows two teenaged queer Asian-American girls who come together and build an unlikely connection. Caroline Kim, a sophomore begins to tutor very popular senior, Kimberly Park-Ocampo and they couldn't be more different. Caroline is struggling with the nuances of being a tenth grader with very little friends and hardly a social life. Kim, on the other hand is a charismatic lesbian that most everyone knows and adores. What results of their tutoring sessions is curiosity building on the one hand and an attraction that is sparking. As they begin to get to know one another, they begin to sneak off together at night and find comfort in their shared issues and later joys.

In addition to the beautiful images on display, I really enjoyed the themes that the author covered with this story: growing up queer, pressure from parents, friends, their communities, and also absentee fathers. I think they did a good job highlighting those themes while still maintaining the integrity of the story. I look forward to reading more from Sunni.

[RaspberryRoses · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the art style on this book, first of all. I think it's one of the only graphic novels I've read where the limited color palette actually adds to the vibe, instead of feeling like a necessary evil.

As for the story itself... I liked it, but it definitely needed a firmer editorial hand. It's trying to tackle a lot of subjects and ideas, and while it does handle all of them *well*, it simply doesn't have enough time to fully go into and explore them. A more limited scope would have led to less weird pacing issues and a more coherent narrative, IMO.

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was initially really disappointed when I found out only the cover was in color. I'm not a huge fan of the art in this one. But I stuck around for the story and it turned out fantastic. Even the unresolved ending worked for me. Some great character development, a little dive into some complex family backgrounds and expectations (but not enough to bog the story down), and a lot of turning expectations on their sides and learning to be true to yourself.

[Emily ~ emhoardsbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

This coming of age, sapphic graphic novel follows Asian American teens Caroline and Kim. The girls connects when Caroline begins tutoring Kim at the start of the school year. The book delves into questions of sexuality (and even gender) as Caroline gets to know Kim who is openly out as a lesbian and begins feelings things for the other girl. But the two connect on an even deeper level over the expectations of their parents, families and even friends. Together they both must learn that they don't have to sacrifice their own desires to please everyone in their lives. I really enjoyed that part of the story. The art was beautifully done as well. Overall it was a really good graphic novel!

eARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.