Living With Viola

Author's parents were both born in Hong Kong, and title on mental health. Rosena was diagnosed with an anxiety and panic disorder when she was a teenager. While this book is not strictly a memoir, it is deeply based in Rosena’s life and experiences The intersection of asian identity and mental health is rarely explored territory for middle grade, an even less so with the sense of joy and optimism that Livy has It’s funny! Rosena has a background in strip comics, and the book is full of clever sight gags. Themes: mental health, anxiety, intrusive thoughts, first generation Asian, love for Chinese food, friendships, specifically standing up for yourself, empathy for others Imagine Guts and Ghosts colliding--with an Asian main character