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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
"There are moments you wait for. And then there are moments you wait for. Moments that you spend every other moment preparing for. Points of your life that click and turn. Push you in a completely new direction."
Have you ever read a book so beautiful and RAW that was in your grasp, but every time when something good happens it goes completely in reverse, spins out of control, and you wish you could hold onto it for a minute longer? But then, something happens and it's like the ocean, pushing and pulling you, through the calm, vast, and rough waters?
THAT was this book. Words, words, words. This book was so amazing and I did not hate anything that I read out of this book. The characters were so intricately woven together and connected in ways I didn't know characters could be. Even through the good and bad, the characters were pieced in an unprecedented way, causing me to come out of my book slump.
I want to know more of what happens in this book, I do. But if a sequel doesn't come out, I'll be satisfied with what I have. The detailed pieces, the small or big, were pronounced in a way that was easily understood. Please read this. I think it most definitely has become one of my favorite books of 2016.
Have you ever read a book so beautiful and RAW that was in your grasp, but every time when something good happens it goes completely in reverse, spins out of control, and you wish you could hold onto it for a minute longer? But then, something happens and it's like the ocean, pushing and pulling you, through the calm, vast, and rough waters?
THAT was this book. Words, words, words. This book was so amazing and I did not hate anything that I read out of this book. The characters were so intricately woven together and connected in ways I didn't know characters could be. Even through the good and bad, the characters were pieced in an unprecedented way, causing me to come out of my book slump.
I want to know more of what happens in this book, I do. But if a sequel doesn't come out, I'll be satisfied with what I have. The detailed pieces, the small or big, were pronounced in a way that was easily understood. Please read this. I think it most definitely has become one of my favorite books of 2016.
Read this and other reviews at Ampersand Read.
Chalk this one up to "mature" "Young" Adult fiction. One of our main characters is a prostitute, and the other two are involved in the drug running trade. Death, disease, and famine run rampant in their home town. It ain't a happy place. Rape, drug administration and the resulting addiction, and torture feature prominently at one point or another. It's a story that tries to shock you at every turn...but is actually quite predictable.
Dai has a chip on his shoulder...and it's pretty easy to suss out what it is, based solely on what he's doing now and who he's involved with. For chapters and chapters he "alludes" to a loss in his past. And it's very obvious what it's from (hint: it has to do with what he's running now...) Mei Lee doesn't get to do a lot, as she's locked in a brothel, promised to one customer only, and simply moons out of her window for a boy who leaves tiny presents outside of her window. A poor, rather pitiful, character with so little to do. Jin is searching for her sister, although she's already really figured out where she is (which brothel she's in)...and in my mind it'd be pretty easy to get in there to see her (she could pretend she's a customer. She's already impersonating a boy). So at the story's start, everyone's basically stalling for time. Twiddling their thumbs, as it were. They all know what they need to get, but it's a waiting game to get it. There are some unnecessary obstacles put in their way that seem to be in there just to prolong the story.
The action ramps up appropriately in the last fourth of the novel. The last three days or so, everyone's running places, bleeding out, holding their breath, waiting for rescue, reuniting with people from their past. The author does keep you turning pages then, and hurdle after hurdle is placed before each character, so that at some point you are sure that all of them are dead, that they can't possibly come back from it all.
The conclusion is strong, although there's a lot of nice-nice in the end. Everything is just a little too neat, in juxtaposition with all the nastiness the book tried to shock you with. So, overall, too direct and ugly out of the gate, a little implausible towards the end. Not a very strong contender.
Chalk this one up to "mature" "Young" Adult fiction. One of our main characters is a prostitute, and the other two are involved in the drug running trade. Death, disease, and famine run rampant in their home town. It ain't a happy place. Rape, drug administration and the resulting addiction, and torture feature prominently at one point or another. It's a story that tries to shock you at every turn...but is actually quite predictable.
Dai has a chip on his shoulder...and it's pretty easy to suss out what it is, based solely on what he's doing now and who he's involved with. For chapters and chapters he "alludes" to a loss in his past. And it's very obvious what it's from (hint: it has to do with what he's running now...) Mei Lee doesn't get to do a lot, as she's locked in a brothel, promised to one customer only, and simply moons out of her window for a boy who leaves tiny presents outside of her window. A poor, rather pitiful, character with so little to do. Jin is searching for her sister, although she's already really figured out where she is (which brothel she's in)...and in my mind it'd be pretty easy to get in there to see her (she could pretend she's a customer. She's already impersonating a boy). So at the story's start, everyone's basically stalling for time. Twiddling their thumbs, as it were. They all know what they need to get, but it's a waiting game to get it. There are some unnecessary obstacles put in their way that seem to be in there just to prolong the story.
The action ramps up appropriately in the last fourth of the novel. The last three days or so, everyone's running places, bleeding out, holding their breath, waiting for rescue, reuniting with people from their past. The author does keep you turning pages then, and hurdle after hurdle is placed before each character, so that at some point you are sure that all of them are dead, that they can't possibly come back from it all.
The conclusion is strong, although there's a lot of nice-nice in the end. Everything is just a little too neat, in juxtaposition with all the nastiness the book tried to shock you with. So, overall, too direct and ugly out of the gate, a little implausible towards the end. Not a very strong contender.
THE WALLED CITY manages to uniquely slot a dystopian crisis into a modern-day landscape. The Walled City, Hak Nam, is set right in the middle of a functioning civilisation, and serves as the local melting pot for criminal activity, drugs, prostitution, poverty. What makes the The Walled City a little more striking is that it is a fictional story based on a real place, Kowloon Walled City, which was demolished from 1993 to 1994.
The Walled City revolves around three main characters: Jin Lee, a young vagrant girl running around the city looking for her sister: Mei Yee, trapped in a brothel having been sold by her father, and Dai, a young boy with a tendency to save people, and a pretty big secret, who is dying to get out of the Walled City.
I really enjoyed this novel, the characters were a joy to read, there were some surprising twists and turns in the plot, and the links with a genuine historical place made it feel compellingly significant.
I can't deny that I noticed far too many similes, and clichés, in the narrative for my usual taste. It felt a little like they marred what was otherwise a well-written, beautifully sculpted novel. Definitely would recommend to any fan of fast-paced YA books.
The Walled City revolves around three main characters: Jin Lee, a young vagrant girl running around the city looking for her sister: Mei Yee, trapped in a brothel having been sold by her father, and Dai, a young boy with a tendency to save people, and a pretty big secret, who is dying to get out of the Walled City.
I really enjoyed this novel, the characters were a joy to read, there were some surprising twists and turns in the plot, and the links with a genuine historical place made it feel compellingly significant.
I can't deny that I noticed far too many similes, and clichés, in the narrative for my usual taste. It felt a little like they marred what was otherwise a well-written, beautifully sculpted novel. Definitely would recommend to any fan of fast-paced YA books.
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
*3.5*
It was okay. I was kind of bored for most of it, but it wasn't until I was getting towards the end that it really picked up. I really, really wish we would have gotten more perspective of Mei Yee and her struggle with going against expectations, because up until the end I didn't know why she was even a narrator. I was so freaking excited when she finally took charge of her own future and I was like "YEAH YOU GO GIRL" but until then I just didn't really know what purpose she served? We got a little insight as to how horrible the brothel was and how they were all treated, and it was horrifying to read, but I felt weirdly detached from all of it? And maybe I was supposed to, because Mei Yee was kind of detached, but I just wish her sections could have packed more of a punch. And while I loved Dai and Jin more towards the end, I felt very luke-warm towards them. I got what Graudin was trying to do, but it just didn't quite pack the punch I was wanting it to.
It was okay. I was kind of bored for most of it, but it wasn't until I was getting towards the end that it really picked up. I really, really wish we would have gotten more perspective of Mei Yee and her struggle with going against expectations, because up until the end I didn't know why she was even a narrator. I was so freaking excited when she finally took charge of her own future and I was like "YEAH YOU GO GIRL" but until then I just didn't really know what purpose she served? We got a little insight as to how horrible the brothel was and how they were all treated, and it was horrifying to read, but I felt weirdly detached from all of it? And maybe I was supposed to, because Mei Yee was kind of detached, but I just wish her sections could have packed more of a punch. And while I loved Dai and Jin more towards the end, I felt very luke-warm towards them. I got what Graudin was trying to do, but it just didn't quite pack the punch I was wanting it to.
I feel like I'm the only person who really wanted Jin Ling and Dai to be together...
Please visit What Sarah Read for a full review and more!
I was provided with an ARC of this title by Little Brown & NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to both for the opportunity!
The Walled City is an exhilarating tale of three lives that are brought together in the harshest of circumstances, as they are forced to rely on each other to break free of the confines of the walls they live in, both physical and emotional. One sister risking it all to find the other sister who’s fighting a losing battle, and a mysterious street boy fighting his own demons for salvation. Each character is separate and unique from the other yet their three stories blend together seamlessly.
At first, the stories of our main characters, Jin, Mei Yee and Dai, seem so removed from one another but we soon find that they are also undeniably tied together. I’m normally not a fan of multiple POVs, but Graudin made sure to give each narrator its own distinct voice and I appreciated seeing this story from its different perspectives. It added to the depth and emotion of the struggles each character was facing, while also filling in the gaps and giving the reader a deeper understanding. As the novel progresses all three narrators find themselves more involved in each others destinies and by the end it really feels as though these once individual people were never separate at all. I loved how Graudin slowly developed the relationship between one set of characters, but then super charged another. It came off as authentic and true to the story of people being faced with unforgiving circumstances and the need to do whatever it takes to escape.
I think one of my favorite parts of this book was discovering that the Walled City, which is essentially its own character, is actually based on a real location. Kowloon’s Walled City, a shanty town in Hong Kong that was overrun with crime, prostitution and drugs, acted as the inspiration for this novel. Graudin took this inspiration and ran with it, because once you start reading you’ll get drawn right into the dark and gritty realism of a life lived behind the walls.
Graudin’s writing is exquisite and powerful, adding even more intensity to the emotion of the story. She paints a vivid picture of life within the walled city, which allowed me as a reader to really connect with each character and understand why they made the decisions they did. Jin, Mei Yee and Dai live in an extremely dangerous world and Graudin’s talent for allowing her writing to still be beautiful and haunting while describing these horrific circumstances is pretty impressive!
This book is perfect for readers who enjoy Dystopian novels because, even though it doesn’t take place in a dystopian world, it still has those elements of survival, danger and desperation. I also think people who enjoy character driven novels with really appreciate this book since the development of all three main characters is so well though out and robust. Whatever type of book you prefer, I strongly recommend The Walled City for its emotion, gorgeous writing and non-stop action.
I was provided with an ARC of this title by Little Brown & NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to both for the opportunity!
The Walled City is an exhilarating tale of three lives that are brought together in the harshest of circumstances, as they are forced to rely on each other to break free of the confines of the walls they live in, both physical and emotional. One sister risking it all to find the other sister who’s fighting a losing battle, and a mysterious street boy fighting his own demons for salvation. Each character is separate and unique from the other yet their three stories blend together seamlessly.
At first, the stories of our main characters, Jin, Mei Yee and Dai, seem so removed from one another but we soon find that they are also undeniably tied together. I’m normally not a fan of multiple POVs, but Graudin made sure to give each narrator its own distinct voice and I appreciated seeing this story from its different perspectives. It added to the depth and emotion of the struggles each character was facing, while also filling in the gaps and giving the reader a deeper understanding. As the novel progresses all three narrators find themselves more involved in each others destinies and by the end it really feels as though these once individual people were never separate at all. I loved how Graudin slowly developed the relationship between one set of characters, but then super charged another. It came off as authentic and true to the story of people being faced with unforgiving circumstances and the need to do whatever it takes to escape.
I think one of my favorite parts of this book was discovering that the Walled City, which is essentially its own character, is actually based on a real location. Kowloon’s Walled City, a shanty town in Hong Kong that was overrun with crime, prostitution and drugs, acted as the inspiration for this novel. Graudin took this inspiration and ran with it, because once you start reading you’ll get drawn right into the dark and gritty realism of a life lived behind the walls.
Graudin’s writing is exquisite and powerful, adding even more intensity to the emotion of the story. She paints a vivid picture of life within the walled city, which allowed me as a reader to really connect with each character and understand why they made the decisions they did. Jin, Mei Yee and Dai live in an extremely dangerous world and Graudin’s talent for allowing her writing to still be beautiful and haunting while describing these horrific circumstances is pretty impressive!
This book is perfect for readers who enjoy Dystopian novels because, even though it doesn’t take place in a dystopian world, it still has those elements of survival, danger and desperation. I also think people who enjoy character driven novels with really appreciate this book since the development of all three main characters is so well though out and robust. Whatever type of book you prefer, I strongly recommend The Walled City for its emotion, gorgeous writing and non-stop action.
3.5/5 stars
This was a thrilling, exhilarating book that kept me on the edge of my seat. I am in love with this author's ability to get me hooked into the story and tease the suspense throughout the novel. It was such a captivating premise full of promises of a dark and gritty story from the underworld. To some extent this book fulfilled what I was expecting and beyond, but I was still left a little disappointed in the end. Nevertheless, I was gripped to the story from the very beginning and I can't deny that my heart raced with the action-packed scenes. I really enjoyed our characters, mostly Jin, but I wish they were developed a little more so I could have really fallen into their personalities. I still can't wait to read whatever this author writes because it always gets my blood pumping with excitement.
The Walled City is ridden with crime, slums and people ready to steal and kill at any chance. Jin has come to the lawless city to try to find and save her sister, who was sold to become a prostitute. She has to pretend to be a man to protect herself, and take up jobs with the worst gangs in the city to earn a living. Dai is in the city for a different reason, he's trying to escape his past and find a way to escape. He enlists the help of Jin to help with his drug trafficking jobs, earning them both money and an opportunity to escape. Mei Yee was sold by her father to become a prostitute, she has been trapped in a brothel for the last two years, losing hope that she'll ever escape. In this city where trusting someone is a sure way to be betrayed, these three must learn to survive and perhaps even find a way to escape.
(Real Kowloon Walled City that the book was inspired by)
Undoubtedly, Ryan Grauden has a talent for writing intense, thrilling and action-packed novels. Wolf by Wolf is one of my all time favourite novels and it was so thrilling and fast paced, so I had high expectations for the suspense in this book. Even though The Walled City is completely different than that book, it still had my heart racing and my body full of adrenaline. I read it so quickly because I just couldn't bare to put it down. It was as if I just began the book then I looked up and I was almost finish, the only indicator that I'd gotten so far was my racing heart and excitement to see what was going to happen. This feeling really made me enjoy the book because I was so intrigued by the story. Not only was it written in such a way that I was constantly on edge, but the premise itself was so intriguing and I was just dying to figure out how everything would end.
As I was saying, the premise behind this book was so intriguing to me. I remember picking this book up at the bookshop, seeing the blurb and knowing that I had to buy it immediately. Knowing that this city is based of a real place is also just so crazy to me. It was lawless, ruthless and dangerous. The premise was so strong and some of this was maintained in the story, but I did have a feeling of being underwhelmed in general. I was hoping for a grittier, darker and more complex story which we just didn't receive. I also admit that since I loved previous books by this author so much I had very high expectations, so I was already unfairly judging this book. Nonetheless, I just through the story was too simple and I really didn't the ruthlessness or lawless nature of this city, it was actually quite timid. In saying this, there were still points in the novel where we got to see the underground crime, the danger on the streets and the hopelessness of many residents, but it didn't feel like enough.
I really liked the characters individually, but I wasn't really a fan of the relationships. They were just quite strange to me. Jin and Dai met only a few times then were willing to risk their lives for each other, despite me not feeling any real connection between them. This wasn't the main problem for me, it was the romance. I usually love romance, but I didn't like it at all in this novel. It was out of place, made no sense to the story line and was ridiculous in general. There was absolutely not chemistry between Mei Yee and Dai, and I just hated their relationship. It also became a vital point in the conflict of the novel and the book began t focus around this relationship, which I didn't enjoy. I also wish that we got to know the characters a bit more. I enjoyed the characters but I think we could have been shown more complex personalities and motives from them
"There are three rules in the Walled City: Run fast. Trust no one. Always carry your knife."
This was a thrilling, exhilarating book that kept me on the edge of my seat. I am in love with this author's ability to get me hooked into the story and tease the suspense throughout the novel. It was such a captivating premise full of promises of a dark and gritty story from the underworld. To some extent this book fulfilled what I was expecting and beyond, but I was still left a little disappointed in the end. Nevertheless, I was gripped to the story from the very beginning and I can't deny that my heart raced with the action-packed scenes. I really enjoyed our characters, mostly Jin, but I wish they were developed a little more so I could have really fallen into their personalities. I still can't wait to read whatever this author writes because it always gets my blood pumping with excitement.
The Walled City is ridden with crime, slums and people ready to steal and kill at any chance. Jin has come to the lawless city to try to find and save her sister, who was sold to become a prostitute. She has to pretend to be a man to protect herself, and take up jobs with the worst gangs in the city to earn a living. Dai is in the city for a different reason, he's trying to escape his past and find a way to escape. He enlists the help of Jin to help with his drug trafficking jobs, earning them both money and an opportunity to escape. Mei Yee was sold by her father to become a prostitute, she has been trapped in a brothel for the last two years, losing hope that she'll ever escape. In this city where trusting someone is a sure way to be betrayed, these three must learn to survive and perhaps even find a way to escape.
(Real Kowloon Walled City that the book was inspired by)
Undoubtedly, Ryan Grauden has a talent for writing intense, thrilling and action-packed novels. Wolf by Wolf is one of my all time favourite novels and it was so thrilling and fast paced, so I had high expectations for the suspense in this book. Even though The Walled City is completely different than that book, it still had my heart racing and my body full of adrenaline. I read it so quickly because I just couldn't bare to put it down. It was as if I just began the book then I looked up and I was almost finish, the only indicator that I'd gotten so far was my racing heart and excitement to see what was going to happen. This feeling really made me enjoy the book because I was so intrigued by the story. Not only was it written in such a way that I was constantly on edge, but the premise itself was so intriguing and I was just dying to figure out how everything would end.
As I was saying, the premise behind this book was so intriguing to me. I remember picking this book up at the bookshop, seeing the blurb and knowing that I had to buy it immediately. Knowing that this city is based of a real place is also just so crazy to me. It was lawless, ruthless and dangerous. The premise was so strong and some of this was maintained in the story, but I did have a feeling of being underwhelmed in general. I was hoping for a grittier, darker and more complex story which we just didn't receive. I also admit that since I loved previous books by this author so much I had very high expectations, so I was already unfairly judging this book. Nonetheless, I just through the story was too simple and I really didn't the ruthlessness or lawless nature of this city, it was actually quite timid. In saying this, there were still points in the novel where we got to see the underground crime, the danger on the streets and the hopelessness of many residents, but it didn't feel like enough.
I really liked the characters individually, but I wasn't really a fan of the relationships. They were just quite strange to me. Jin and Dai met only a few times then were willing to risk their lives for each other, despite me not feeling any real connection between them. This wasn't the main problem for me, it was the romance. I usually love romance, but I didn't like it at all in this novel. It was out of place, made no sense to the story line and was ridiculous in general. There was absolutely not chemistry between Mei Yee and Dai, and I just hated their relationship. It also became a vital point in the conflict of the novel and the book began t focus around this relationship, which I didn't enjoy. I also wish that we got to know the characters a bit more. I enjoyed the characters but I think we could have been shown more complex personalities and motives from them
This is a raw, visual and disturbing read you won't easily forget. I may appear as if you are reading about a different world, but everything the characters go through happens now in areas around the world. The Walled City is not an easy read, nor a comfortable read, but it is a read you will never forget and the characters stay with you long after you finished the book. Brilliant!