Reviews

Mabuhay!: A Graphic Novel by Zachary Sterling

Only show reviews with written explanations

sara_harvey's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.75

howiedoowinfam's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous funny informative lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

lawbooks600's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Representation: Black and Asian characters
Score: Six out of ten.

Mabuhay by Zachary Sterling is like what happens when a novel combines two entirely different concepts barely linked and fails. I only saw it a few days ago on a library display shelf and I wanted to read it since I remember the algorithm recommending it. However, when I closed the final page, it could've been better.

It starts with JJ and Althea Bulan who have to work for their family's food truck, The Beautiful Pig, while also dealing with school, which is harder for them given they are both Filipino American in the opening pages. The institution is privileged, even though it's majority POC, since it has a gym and a pool (a rare sight.) Why did a literal pool monster try to kill Althea though? If it weren't for JJ, she would've been done for.

Other than that, not much happens in the first half except for nightmares about mythical creatures, which soon play a critical role later. JJ and Althea have a lot to deal with, like racist bullying, family expectations and, most prominently, victim blaming from the school. I felt sympathetic for them as they had to take it all in, but it gets worse when I saw a scene where the characters want to assimilate into American culture and forget Filipino culture, a sign of internalised racism.

Instead of getting help, they resolved their issues themselves and a minor antagonist, a white girl, redeemed herself, which I found unrealistic as she didn't receive any consequences. Sterling could've made Mabuhay either a realistic narrative about Filipinos or an epic based on Filipino mythology. What I got was elements of both, putting Mabuhay in the magical realism category, but I would've preferred if it stuck to one genre. The characters are likable and I know some people can relate to them and they developed when they appreciated their heritage and got magical abilities. I would've liked them more if Sterling focused less on fantasy and more on their roots, as I only got a brief glimpse.

The second half picks up the pace as the tension builds, with JJ and Althea's parents turn out to be magical beings who can summon figures from mythology, but how do the non-magic humans not notice this, I have no idea. Sterling based this world on mythology, and answers why some people have magic, since the world was full of magic people but eventually society moved on and forgot about them. That is until a serpent arrives and only the magic people can stop it, which they do, creating a heartwarming conclusion.

Addendum: What does it mean by first generation? Does it mean JJ and Althea were born in the Philippines and not America? The font is hard to read.

Content Warnings

titalindaslibrary's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

bwguinig's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

saidtheraina's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous informative lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

Is it just me, or are food trucks a really good hook?

JJ and Althea's family owns a food truck, where they serve lumpia, adobo, halo halo, and other yummy stuff. One day a Mysterious Stranger shows up at the food truck and orders some food. What follows leads to JJ and Althea learning some history and secrets about their family that they didn't know about before.

In some ways, this feels plot is a pretty straight-down-the-middle kids-discovering-they-can-do-magic-and-monsters-are-real story. Would fit right in next to many popular titans of kid lit for this age group. It's a bit more unusual putting this in the Graphic Novel medium. An it's extra great and unusual that it's a story centering a FilAm family and legends from the Philippines.

The story's told in full-color, and is pretty easy to follow. Sterling chooses to include footnotes on many of the pages, often translating phrases or words from Tagalog, or describing what's in a certain food. Bopping down into those footnotes took me out of the story a bit, and I kept wanting those footnotes to include some humor or other payoff for reading them, beyond just... you know... <i>knowledge</i>.
I liked how important family was to these kids. You can tell that Sterling is writing about a world he's a part of. Love that he lives in Portland (just down the road from me).

Planning to take this to local schools in May/June 2024. It's great!