The Many Misfortunes of Eugenia Wang
A 2025 Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
Kirkus Best Graphic Middle-Grade Books of 2025
2025-2026 Denver Public Schools Top 100
In this hilarious and heartfelt debut graphic novel, a girl born on a day considered unlucky in Chinese superstition starts to wonder if she really is cursed when she’s troubled by visions of doom set to occur on her thirteenth birthday.
Twelve-year-old Eugenia Wang has never celebrated her birthday on her actual birthday, April 4th, because of her mom’s belief in the Chinese superstition that four is an unlucky number. And that’s not the only thing Mom’s strict about; she won’t let Eugenia go to a summer comic art camp because she thinks art is a waste of time. This year, Eugenia is determined to defy her mom by applying for the camp, having her party on her actual birthday, and inviting her super cute crush while she’s at it, too!
But when Eugenia gets hit in the head with a sneaker during PE, she starts getting unnerving visions of impending doom about her upcoming birthday. It might be the aftereffects of her head injury, or maybe she’s just anxious about turning thirteen. As the visions get worse, even affecting her artwork, Eugenia suspects an unseen force may be sending her messages. If she’s haunted after all, Eugenia will have to figure out why before it’s too late. Even more horrifying, she may have to do the unthinkable: admit her mom was right.
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers (September 30, 2025)
Length: 264 pages
Hardcover ISBN13: 9781665943338
Paperback ISBN13: 9781665943321
Grades: 3 - 7
Ages: 8 - 12
Animated Cover Video
Official Book Trailer (Short)
Official Book Trailer (Long)
Media Coverage
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"Suspense, comedy-horror, and well-developed character growth come together in Yan’s debut graphic novel, which puts a supernatural twist on a familiar premise of intergenerational misunderstandings and conflict in an immigrant family." - Shenwei Chen, Horn Book Magazine (11/24/25)
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Julie Turner highlights THE MANY MISFORTUNES OF EUGENIA WANG on her Mittens and Boots Blog's November Bookshelf (11/16/25)
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Beth's Biblio: Interview with Stan Yan (11/2/25)
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Interview on the Lindsey Byrd in Writing is Hard Podcast: How to Write a Scary MG Graphic Novel (11/2/25)
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Behind the Scenes Halloween Edition: “Making It Scary Meant Facing My Haunted Past” by Stan Yan - Guest blogpost on Beth Anderson's Blog (10/31/25)
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SLJ Starred Review: “VERDICT An excellent purchase where unique, amusing, and compulsively readable coming-of-age graphic fiction is in demand.” -Jamie Winchell (10/24/25)
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Interview on In the Picture with Jyoti Rajan Gopal (10/23/25)
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Interview with Janna Morishima on KidsComicsUnite: How I Made My Debut Graphic Novel with Stan Yan (10/9/25)
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"This will be a huge hit with graphic novel readers, and it will appeal to kids who enjoy contemporaries or fantasy!" -Nicole Hewitt, Bite-Sized Reviews (10/8/25)
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Cynsations blog interview: MG Escapades Authors Stan Yan & Angela Hsieh on Graphic Novels; Plus Sara Shacter on Creating a Debut Author Group (10/9/25)
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Review from the Southern Bookseller Review: "...this one hits on it all things: secret crushes, brilliant best friends, comics, and also important themes of the immigrant experience and how our family’s attempts to protect us might also hurt us." (Morgan DePerno, Bookmarks 10/2025)
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Interview with Joanna Szeto Writes: Author/Illustrator Spotlight: Stan Yan Part 1 and Part 2 (9/25/25)
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The Many Misfortunes of Eugenia Wang – Stan Yan’s Comedy-Horror for Kids, with a Bit of Extra Depth by Edward Picot (Broken Frontiers 9/26/25)
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The Many Misfortunes of Eugenia Wang read aloud with Stan Yan | Read & Learn with Simon Kids (9/24/25)
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Interview on Pint 'o Comics on 88.1 WESU Middletown (9/21/25)
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Interview on Joshua Smeaton's website: 3 Questions with Stan Yan (9/18/25)
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The Growing Readers' Podcast: In Conversation with Stan Yan: Representation and The Many Misfortunes of Eugenia Wang (Transcript and Show Notes) (9/16/25)
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Bookstr Interview: Stan Yan on Comic Tales Where Misfortune Sparks Growth (9/15/25)
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The Bookies Bookstore suggests some fantastic fiction (9/14/25 The Colorado Sun)
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Writing For Yourself First: A Conversation with Graphic Novelist Stan Yan (9/14/25 - Write It Scared)
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Review from The Odd and Bookish: "Such a fun and strange (in a good way) graphic novel!" (9/13/25)
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Voyage Denver: "Life, Values & Legacy: Our Chat with Stan Yan of Suburban Home Studio" (9/3/25)
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Writing and Editing with Jenna D'Lima: How Visuals Can Create Character Driven Stories with Stan Yan (8/27/25)
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“Misfortunes is an understatement” - Review of my book on CannonballRead (8/20/25)
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Bookstr: 20 Exciting New Children’s Books for Back to School TBRs (8/13/25)
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Kirkus Review: Slightly spooky and filled with humor and heart. (7/19/25)
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Book recommendation by Grace Lin on the Book Huddle (6/26/25)
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Highlighted in the July 2025 KCU Newsletter: Graphic Novels at ALA 2025 (7/19/25)
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Publisher's Weekly: Fall 2025 Preview: Middle Grade Comics: Top 10 (7/18/25)
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Top 30 Graphic Novels, Comics & Manga: September 2025 - PAUL GRAVETT (7/5/2025)
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Reviewed on Project Muse by April Spisak: "Genuinely scary details are balanced with light humor...and authentic family drama that is resolved slowly, through honest communication and effort."(6/13/25)
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An Abundance of Stories: 10 Outstanding Must-Read AAPI Graphic Novels (5/2/25)
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SLJ Teen Librarian Toolbox: Take Five: 2025 Middle Grade Debuts, Part Two (4/11/25)
