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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
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.
"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].
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
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
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.
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.
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!
Muy buena lectura, me mantuvo enganchada todo el libro, el único problema que tuve fue que no vi un desarrollo muy profundo de los personajes.