Reviews with content warning for Alcoholism - All That's Left Unsaid

Really great exploration of 1990s Cabramatta, the impacts of intergenerational trauma, and the toxicity of perfectionism. I liked how each chapter was from a different character's perspective - you really developed so much empathy for each person's situation, and how their own world view / personality etc motivated their behaviour. Having previously worked in the Cabramatta/ Fairfield area myself for a number of years, it was personally really interesting to understand more about what Cabramatta was like 20 years ago (and that some of the struggles of that time are still likely impacting people today).

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jayisreading's review against another edition

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emotional sad medium-paced

4.0

It’s so nice to read stories that focus on the diaspora outside of the United States. In this case, All That’s Left Unsaid focuses on the Vietnamese diaspora in Cabramatta, a suburb outside of Sydney. This is a heartbreaking story in many ways, drawing attention to the difficulties that shaped the Vietnamese community of this suburb, as well as the life of the protagonist, Ky. While this seems to be marketed as a mystery (which it technically is, since Ky is trying to find out who murdered her brother), this didn’t really read to me as a mystery book. To me, it was more a contemplation on the struggles of this Vietnamese community dealing with unchecked racism, immigration, drug abuse and addiction, the traumas of war which, inevitably, leads to generational trauma. In other words, if you’re hoping for a standard murder mystery, this book won’t meet that expectation.

All things considered, I thought Lien addressed these topics quite well, in the sense that none of them read as superficial or an afterthought. That being said, I think the pacing and execution of the story itself was a bit rough. It took some time to get used to the jumping back and forth between the past and present, which I felt disrupted the overall flow of the book. As a result, this affected the pacing. I didn’t feel engaged during some parts of the book, while other moments were gripping.

Ultimately, though, I think it is worth picking up this book, especially if you’re interested in reading diasporic literature that doesn’t center USians.

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kellyung's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional informative inspiring mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

4.25

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daniela_is_reading's review

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4.0

📚 All That's Left Unsaid by Tracey Lien
.
Post Vietnam war, a young Ky Tran and her family immigrate to Australia. They settle in the Sydney suburb of Cabramatta. A suburb notorious in the 80's and 90's for its gang related violence and crimes.

Ky is a conscious student, determined to do well and prove she is a 'somebody'. We watch her navigate family life, cultural traditions, societal expectations and friendships, and all the while attempting to conform and fit in with her Australian peers and lifestyle.

Fast forward to 1996 and Ky's 17 year old brother is gruesomely murdered in a local restaurant. There's plenty of witnesses, yet they all claim to have seen nothing. Ky, now in her early 20's, is determined to find answers and justice for her brother. In doing so, she learns not only more of those around her but also, herself. She reflects on past and present mistakes and regrets, and we see what it looks like to love and hate, hurt and forgive, all in a single moment.

A novel of the life of a refugee.
It's thought provoking and confronting but worth it. Definately my kind of book.

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michelles_book_nook's review

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective fast-paced

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

5.0

⚠️ TW: murder, grief, racism, xenophobia, alcoholism, drug abuse, addiction, misogyny, sexism, fatphobia, gang violence, overdose, domestic violence and brief mentions of child abuse ⚠️ Wow, this was a hugely challenging, dark and emotional read that gave such a vivid portrayal of life as a Vietnamese refugee in Sydney in the 90's. This book follows the Tran family as they journey through their grief left following the brutal murder of their son and brother, Denny, whilst also searching for answers as to what happened on that fateful night. Denny was simply out celebrating his high school graduation with friends at a busy restaurant in the Sydney suburb of Cabramatta, a refugee enclave facing violent crime, an indifferent police force and the worst heroin epidemic in Australian history, when he never made it home. Moving forward to his funeral his sister, Ky, discovers that the police are stumped by her brother's case and that despite a list of people being present that night everyone claims to have seen nothing and they are all staying silent. She then decides to track down the witnesses herself in a quest to learn what truly happened. And as she peels back the layers of the place that shaped her she confronts the complex traumas weighing on those present that night and learns that their silence began well before her brother's murder and so much has been left unsaid about colonialism, the war in Vietnam and the choices everyone made to survive. This book is such a hard hitting read and even though it is fiction with aspects that are based on real life it just absolutely left me speechless. It is beautifully written, compelling, harrowing and so poignant. Overall, I cannot recommend this book enough!

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annabulkowski's review

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challenging dark emotional hopeful informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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