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iyaa's review against another edition
5.0
"I look at Chma and my two girls. I take in the fires of the sky. Fresh colors to mark a new year. A new day—day one of the rest of my life.
Our lives.
Let's get started."
4.5 stars
The walled city is real.
A real, unreal city.
This was such an amazing and well written book. It took me to a place so dark and surreal that I could not stop reading, hooked to what might happen next. My nails were a victim of this book and I was deeply impressed and moved by this. I loved all the characters, and who knew I'd be so invested in a cat?
The walled city takes readers to a world so dark and gruesome, with no peace and tranquility. It gives readers something new to look forward to, something captivating and tragic. This was truly an amazing work by [a:Ryan Graudin|5228256|Ryan Graudin|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1480517006p2/5228256.jpg].
Our lives.
Let's get started."
4.5 stars
The walled city is real.
A real, unreal city.
This was such an amazing and well written book. It took me to a place so dark and surreal that I could not stop reading, hooked to what might happen next. My nails were a victim of this book and I was deeply impressed and moved by this. I loved all the characters, and who knew I'd be so invested in a cat?
The walled city takes readers to a world so dark and gruesome, with no peace and tranquility. It gives readers something new to look forward to, something captivating and tragic. This was truly an amazing work by [a:Ryan Graudin|5228256|Ryan Graudin|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1480517006p2/5228256.jpg].
votesforwomen's review against another edition
3.0
Man. Ryan Graudin's books are brutal. Tough and brutal. I just wish this one hadn't had quite so much negative content. 3.5 stars
writethruchaos's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
2.0
shiggythefiggy's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
booktallie's review against another edition
3.0
The Walled City had a brilliant and extraordinary plot. The tagline, "There are three rules to the Walled City. Run fast. Trust no one. Always carry your knife. Right now, my life depends completely on the first. Run, run, run", is what got my attention and made me want to read the book that much more.
Told from three different perspectives it follows a girl, Jin, disguising herself as a boy in order to find her lost sister, Mei Yee, the lost sister that was sold to a brother by her own father, and Jin, the boy who is trying to redeem himself. They are in a place known The Walled City, a filthy, dirty, and dangerous world. I really liked how different each character was even though I am not the biggest fan of multiple POVs.
I have to admit though… the book slightly bored me. There wasn't enough romance (more like the book hinted the romance but really didn’t show it) and character depth was quite bland, they explained their situations but I could not feel the feeling behind the stories. I know all three have it tough, but I felt that an emotional connection between the reader and the characters was lacking, and at time non-exist. I do love how Graudin created this Chinese inspired dystopian world after hearing about the real walled city. I'm all for diverse cultural characters and settings. I wish we got to know more people outside of these three, for example hearing Kuan’s story would have been interesting being a small gang leader. I also love the gender bender theme in The Walled City, with Jin disguising herself as a guy, but I wish Graudin played more with the idea, used it to better the book. It just seemed as a convenient placement in the book to allow Jin to search for her sister and keep herself out of a bad situation; I wish it had more of a purpose.
The action scenes though, especially the fight, were fantastic, especially Jin and her quick thinking and smart execution. I really did like Jin and wished she led the show. I would look forward to her chapters as opposed to Mei Yee… who I somehow didn't really like or care for. One thing to note is that Graudin painted a harsh world, but it was very realistic. I dislike how sometimes YA books gloss horrific events and situations in our world and I appreciated Graudin for not shying away from giving us as realistic of a picture as possible. I did end up liking The Walled City; I just wish I liked it more. My emotional disconnection with the characters was the main reason why I didn't enjoy it. So if you think you could connect with these characters, then I suggest you pick up The Walled City.
Told from three different perspectives it follows a girl, Jin, disguising herself as a boy in order to find her lost sister, Mei Yee, the lost sister that was sold to a brother by her own father, and Jin, the boy who is trying to redeem himself. They are in a place known The Walled City, a filthy, dirty, and dangerous world. I really liked how different each character was even though I am not the biggest fan of multiple POVs.
I have to admit though… the book slightly bored me. There wasn't enough romance (more like the book hinted the romance but really didn’t show it) and character depth was quite bland, they explained their situations but I could not feel the feeling behind the stories. I know all three have it tough, but I felt that an emotional connection between the reader and the characters was lacking, and at time non-exist. I do love how Graudin created this Chinese inspired dystopian world after hearing about the real walled city. I'm all for diverse cultural characters and settings. I wish we got to know more people outside of these three, for example hearing Kuan’s story would have been interesting being a small gang leader. I also love the gender bender theme in The Walled City, with Jin disguising herself as a guy, but I wish Graudin played more with the idea, used it to better the book. It just seemed as a convenient placement in the book to allow Jin to search for her sister and keep herself out of a bad situation; I wish it had more of a purpose.
The action scenes though, especially the fight, were fantastic, especially Jin and her quick thinking and smart execution. I really did like Jin and wished she led the show. I would look forward to her chapters as opposed to Mei Yee… who I somehow didn't really like or care for. One thing to note is that Graudin painted a harsh world, but it was very realistic. I dislike how sometimes YA books gloss horrific events and situations in our world and I appreciated Graudin for not shying away from giving us as realistic of a picture as possible. I did end up liking The Walled City; I just wish I liked it more. My emotional disconnection with the characters was the main reason why I didn't enjoy it. So if you think you could connect with these characters, then I suggest you pick up The Walled City.
nicolemhewitt's review against another edition
5.0
4.5/5 Stars
This review and many others can be found on my blog - Feed Your Fiction Addiction
I have to say that I really sort of fell in love with this book. I went into it thinking that it was going to be a dystopian, and it really sort of is, except at the end, if you read the author’s notes, you’ll find that the book is based on a real life place – a place that actually existed. Make sure that you head over to this site to see pictures of Kowloon Walled City, and to find out more about it. There were once 33,000 people living within a one block radius – you honestly have to see the pictures to believe it.
At any rate, back to my review. I was actually forced to put this book down a few times because I had scheduled review books that I needed to read. Usually when that happens, I find myself having a difficult time getting sucked into the book that I had to put down, but this was not the case with this book. I couldn’t wait to get back to reading this book – I kept feeling drawn back to it. I wanted to immerse myself in this insane setting and get to know these characters and their secrets.
What I LOVED:
The setting.
Graudin really captured the gritty, dirty, painfully claustrophobic environment and made you feel like you were there with her characters. From the very start of the story, when Jin is running for her life through the city streets, you get a sense of the various horrors and dangers that lurk in this place. The Walled City is an incredible setting, and the fact that it’s based on a real place makes it that much more unbelievable (ironically). Graudin did a fantastic job of describing what it would be like to live in this kind of place, especially for the street vagrants – the people on the lowest of the low social strata. It was a dangerous and difficult life. I found myself drawn into this place almost immediately.
The characters.
I was completely invested in all three of the main characters and their individual plights. Their stories were often horrifying, but always captivating. These three people were all very different, so they saw the Walled City through different eyes, and reacted to their circumstances in their own unique ways. I loved seeing this world through each of their POVs.
The mysteries and action.
I was immediately pulled into the story, wondering why Dai only had 18 days to escape from the Walled City and what had happened to him to land him there. As the story unfolded, I found myself more and more intrigued, wondering how Dai would escape his fate and whether or not all of the characters I had grown to love would make it out alive. This book was full of danger – the characters never knew if they were going to live through the next day – survival was a constant battle.
Beautiful writing.
I was really drawn in by the poetic language that was used throughout the book (though this may not be as much as a plus for some people who don’t like this type of elevated writing). I loved the poignant moments and the elevated emotions – there were so many times when I found myself thinking, “That was just beautifully described!”
The negatives:
Too much beauty in the ashes?
Sometimes this book did actually feel a little bit too optimistic, considering its gritty setting and horrific subject matter. I don’t want to give too much away about what happens, but certain things were wrapped up a little too neatly and the book lost just a little bit of its realism.
Go now and read about Kowloon Walled City and then pick this book up. This is a book that I haven’t stopped thinking about since I read it. I easily give it 4.5/5 stars.
***Disclosure: I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.***
This review and many others can be found on my blog - Feed Your Fiction Addiction
I have to say that I really sort of fell in love with this book. I went into it thinking that it was going to be a dystopian, and it really sort of is, except at the end, if you read the author’s notes, you’ll find that the book is based on a real life place – a place that actually existed. Make sure that you head over to this site to see pictures of Kowloon Walled City, and to find out more about it. There were once 33,000 people living within a one block radius – you honestly have to see the pictures to believe it.
At any rate, back to my review. I was actually forced to put this book down a few times because I had scheduled review books that I needed to read. Usually when that happens, I find myself having a difficult time getting sucked into the book that I had to put down, but this was not the case with this book. I couldn’t wait to get back to reading this book – I kept feeling drawn back to it. I wanted to immerse myself in this insane setting and get to know these characters and their secrets.
What I LOVED:
The setting.
Graudin really captured the gritty, dirty, painfully claustrophobic environment and made you feel like you were there with her characters. From the very start of the story, when Jin is running for her life through the city streets, you get a sense of the various horrors and dangers that lurk in this place. The Walled City is an incredible setting, and the fact that it’s based on a real place makes it that much more unbelievable (ironically). Graudin did a fantastic job of describing what it would be like to live in this kind of place, especially for the street vagrants – the people on the lowest of the low social strata. It was a dangerous and difficult life. I found myself drawn into this place almost immediately.
The characters.
I was completely invested in all three of the main characters and their individual plights. Their stories were often horrifying, but always captivating. These three people were all very different, so they saw the Walled City through different eyes, and reacted to their circumstances in their own unique ways. I loved seeing this world through each of their POVs.
The mysteries and action.
I was immediately pulled into the story, wondering why Dai only had 18 days to escape from the Walled City and what had happened to him to land him there. As the story unfolded, I found myself more and more intrigued, wondering how Dai would escape his fate and whether or not all of the characters I had grown to love would make it out alive. This book was full of danger – the characters never knew if they were going to live through the next day – survival was a constant battle.
Beautiful writing.
I was really drawn in by the poetic language that was used throughout the book (though this may not be as much as a plus for some people who don’t like this type of elevated writing). I loved the poignant moments and the elevated emotions – there were so many times when I found myself thinking, “That was just beautifully described!”
The negatives:
Too much beauty in the ashes?
Sometimes this book did actually feel a little bit too optimistic, considering its gritty setting and horrific subject matter. I don’t want to give too much away about what happens, but certain things were wrapped up a little too neatly and the book lost just a little bit of its realism.
Go now and read about Kowloon Walled City and then pick this book up. This is a book that I haven’t stopped thinking about since I read it. I easily give it 4.5/5 stars.
***Disclosure: I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.***
paperwitch's review against another edition
5.0
If I could give this book 6 stars I would, it was such a page turner and at some point I didn’t wanted to finish it because I just couldn’t let go of the characters but I am glad I did.
allysonbogie's review against another edition
5.0
The Walled City focuses on the stories of Dai and Jin Ling. They are both trying to survive in the Hak Nam Walled City, an area of Seng Noi surrounded by a wall and left alone by the government and law enforcement. In this lawless place there are three rules: run fast, trust no one, and always carry your knife. However, Dai needs to trust someone--he has to have a partner in order to get information that will help him get out of the city and back to his life on the outside in Seng Noi. He and Jin Ling enter into a partnership and Jin Ling realizes he may be able to accomplish what he came to the walled city for, too--finding his sister.
The book is well-written and engaging, and while it feels a bit like the dystopian novels that are so popular, it is actually quite different. There has not been a disaster, and there is no unfamiliar or futuristic technology. In fact the walled city is loosely based on the Kowloon Walled City, which was torn down and is now a park. This book is not historical fiction but it was interesting to read the author's inspiration for the story. Students may enjoy reading the book and then learning about the Kowloon Walled City on their own, especially after having formed a vivid picture of what it might have been like based on their reading of the book.
Overall I found the plot to be fairly easy to follow although there were a few confusing parts. The characters were appealing and relatable, and were well-developed. I also liked that we got to know each character's family. The story is fast-paced and complex enough for a sophisticated YA reader, but a less sophisticated reader could also enjoy the story without picking up every little detail. I greatly enjoyed the book and have placed it on the order list for my library.
The book is well-written and engaging, and while it feels a bit like the dystopian novels that are so popular, it is actually quite different. There has not been a disaster, and there is no unfamiliar or futuristic technology. In fact the walled city is loosely based on the Kowloon Walled City, which was torn down and is now a park. This book is not historical fiction but it was interesting to read the author's inspiration for the story. Students may enjoy reading the book and then learning about the Kowloon Walled City on their own, especially after having formed a vivid picture of what it might have been like based on their reading of the book.
Overall I found the plot to be fairly easy to follow although there were a few confusing parts. The characters were appealing and relatable, and were well-developed. I also liked that we got to know each character's family. The story is fast-paced and complex enough for a sophisticated YA reader, but a less sophisticated reader could also enjoy the story without picking up every little detail. I greatly enjoyed the book and have placed it on the order list for my library.
naomiiixo's review against another edition
2.0
The start was good until mei yee and dai met then the book went downhill into an instalove spiral that I barely managed to finish!