Lost in Taiwan by Mark Crilley (review)

High-schooler Paul is spending two weeks in Changbei, Taiwan, with his older brother Theo at the insistence of their father, and he has no intention of enjoying the city, choosing instead to lay on the apartment couch playing video games and eating stale American fast food. When Theo leaves to spend time with his girlfriend, Paul decides to go to an electronics store miles away from the apartment, only to break his phone on the way back; now he’s lost, with no way to contact his brother and unable to speak Mandarin to ask for help. Luckily, an English-speaking girl named Peijing is running errands on her motorcycle and offers him a ride all over Taiwan to help him find his way back home. During their trip, Paul unexpectedly makes new friends and sees the world in a whole new perspective. The realistic pencil art, balance of light and shadow, and historical and generational context make Crilley’s graphic novel an immersive, cinematic read, with two-page spreads beautifully capturing Taiwan’s culture, landscapes, and spiritual monuments and architecture. A mix of English and Mandarin in speech bubbles creates a vivid sense of dialogue and action, while the dramatic panel layouts illustrating narrow alleyways and dark old buildings convey Paul’s anxiety about exploring an unfamiliar place. Conversations with the local people add to Paul’s character development, perhaps most powerfully when Peijing confronts him about his ethnocentricity: “Your culture isn’t the ‘normal’ culture. And mine isn’t the ‘weird’ culture.” Balancing humor and thoughtful reflection on identity, this graphic novel ultimately highlights the idea of finding personal growth through new experiences. An author’s note is included.