Lee Lai’s “Cannon” Delivers a Powerful, Queer-Centered Story of Friendship, Family, and Mental Health

Lee Lai, acclaimed for the groundbreaking graphic novel "Stone Fruit," returns with her highly awaited second release, "Cannon," published by Drawn and Quarterly in September 2025. The novel has already drawn praise from critics and fans alike for its nuanced depiction of queer relationships, intergenerational family dynamics, and the delicate interplay between mental health and identity, making it a standout work in contemporary LGBTQ+ literature .

"Cannon" opens amidst chaos: the protagonist, Lucy (nicknamed Cannon by her coworkers), stands in the ruins of a restaurant she was meant to close, her emotional turmoil mirrored by the literal wreckage surrounding her. This image sets the stage for a narrative unafraid to confront the messiness of queer adulthood—a theme that will immediately resonate with LGBTQ+ readers seeking authentic representation of their lived experiences .

Cannon’s closest bond is with Trish, a fellow queer second-generation Chinese friend. Their weekly rituals—cooking and watching Australian horror films—have sustained them since high school, but now, in their late twenties, the glue of their friendship is beginning to show cracks. Trish, the novel reveals, is using Cannon’s family drama as inspiration for her writing, creating a subtle yet poignant tension that underscores the complications of queer friendships, especially those rooted in shared histories of marginalization and survival .

A central thread running through "Cannon" is Cannon’s struggle with her aging gung gung (grandfather) and an emotionally avoidant mother. Lai deftly explores the intersection of cultural expectations and queer identity, portraying Cannon’s attempts to balance filial piety—a deeply ingrained value in many Asian cultures—with her own needs and boundaries. These familial tensions will be familiar to many queer readers, especially those navigating the complexities of being both second-generation immigrants and LGBTQ+ .

Lai’s storytelling is marked by a sharp sense of humor and a sensitive eye, producing a narrative that is both darkly funny and devastatingly honest. Critics have noted the novel’s ability to capture “a wide spectrum of adulthood with nuance and complexity,” unraveling stories about friendships, family obligations, and the pressures of work .

Mental health is a persistent motif in "Cannon." Cannon’s attempts to manage her emotional distress—through running, mindfulness audio tracks, and moments of silent reflection—are rendered with Lai’s signature visual sensitivity. In a recent interview, Lai reflected on her use of silence and visual transitions to convey Cannon’s emotional landscape: “Quiet moments smash-cut to something loud and invasive, like the bandaid to the searing fish,” she explained, emphasizing how the graphic novel form allows for a kind of storytelling that words alone cannot achieve .

One of the book’s recurring motifs is the magpie—a bird that, in Western tradition, signals doom, but in Chinese culture, represents joy and connection. Lai chose magpies as a metaphor for Cannon’s anger and intuition, drawing on the bird’s capacity for self-recognition as a parallel to Cannon’s own struggles with self-awareness and emotional regulation .

Reviewers have lauded "Cannon" as “gorgeous with astonishing story complexity,” noting Lai’s mastery of visual storytelling. The illustrations provide emotional texture and depth, allowing for poignant moments of silence and reflection that resonate especially strongly with queer readers familiar with the unspoken tensions and intimacies that shape their lives .

Adrian Tomine, Ling Ma, Torrey Peters, and Eleanor Davis are among the notable figures who have praised the book, emphasizing its rare ability to feel “alive” and its capacity to surface moments of “truth” in both text and image .

“Cannon” stands out not only as a work of literary and artistic excellence but also as a story that feels deeply familiar to many in the LGBTQ+ community. Lai’s depiction of queer friendship, intergenerational tension, and the private battles of mental health provides much-needed visibility and affirmation for readers who rarely see themselves reflected in mainstream media. The specificity of Cannon and Trish’s identities—as queer, second-generation Chinese Canadians—offers a nuanced perspective on intersectionality that broadens the cultural conversation around what it means to be queer today .

With its release, "Cannon" cements Lee Lai’s position as one of the most vital voices in queer literature and graphic storytelling. For LGBTQ+ readers, the novel offers not only representation but also a compassionate mirror, reflecting the complicated beauty of queer lives with honesty, artistry, and care.