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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
The book started out good and there was a big lull. It did pick back up again and it was a great finish. Definitely a good thing that this book is a standalone. I would not read a second book. Endgame
I don't know what I was expecting from The Walled City but this book exceeded my expectations! In The Walled City, we follow three POVs, a girl pretending to be a boy while on a mission to rescue her sister, a boy with 18 days to complete a mission, and a girl imprisoned in a brothel these two both find themselves in on their missions. I loved all of their POVs. For a moment there, it was hard to keep the three straight but their journeys are all so different and distinct, it soon becomes very clear where each of them are on those journeys and how they all connect. I loved all three perspectives, I felt very grounded in each one and I really enjoyed seeing the different dynamics each person had with the people around them, relationships that often helped them live to see the next day.
The setting is China which was wonderfully brought to life by Graudin. Round of applause for her research here because it shows and pays off so well. The setting of this walled city, ruled by drugs and human trafficking, is actually based on the real life Kowloon Walled City which astounded me because I didn't even know about Kowloon. Talk about danger and mystery. This is not an easy book to read as it's set in a very dark and disturbing setting where the stakes are very high and the tension is so thick, your heart will race. You will root for these characters to stay afloat in a city where everyone seemingly drowns. There's plenty of action in this novel but there are also very poignant moments and the balance in tone here is beautiful. I really enjoyed it all.
If you're looking for a pick me up book, The Walled City is the exact opposite of that. You have to have thick skin to read this book. It's not an easy one to get through simply because of the subject matter at hand. But the characters. They fight. They fight to survive and they fight to tear down the walls in their lives and seeing that fight is worth every single minute. I knew that I'd like this book but I didn't know I'd enjoy it as much as I did and I'm so happy to say that this one really surprised me in the best way. I loved how the story unraveled and came together and I think Graudin is a fabulous storyteller and writer. Definitely give The Walled City a read if you're looking for a really intense stand alone novel.
The setting is China which was wonderfully brought to life by Graudin. Round of applause for her research here because it shows and pays off so well. The setting of this walled city, ruled by drugs and human trafficking, is actually based on the real life Kowloon Walled City which astounded me because I didn't even know about Kowloon. Talk about danger and mystery. This is not an easy book to read as it's set in a very dark and disturbing setting where the stakes are very high and the tension is so thick, your heart will race. You will root for these characters to stay afloat in a city where everyone seemingly drowns. There's plenty of action in this novel but there are also very poignant moments and the balance in tone here is beautiful. I really enjoyed it all.
If you're looking for a pick me up book, The Walled City is the exact opposite of that. You have to have thick skin to read this book. It's not an easy one to get through simply because of the subject matter at hand. But the characters. They fight. They fight to survive and they fight to tear down the walls in their lives and seeing that fight is worth every single minute. I knew that I'd like this book but I didn't know I'd enjoy it as much as I did and I'm so happy to say that this one really surprised me in the best way. I loved how the story unraveled and came together and I think Graudin is a fabulous storyteller and writer. Definitely give The Walled City a read if you're looking for a really intense stand alone novel.
**I received an ARC of this book while attending BookCon 2014.**
It's never easy to read a book that deals with human trafficking, but this book combined the right amount of action and despair that allowed me to finish without too much need for emotional breaks (i.e., putting the book down). I enjoyed the characters and their back stories. The book could've been a bit shorter, but this is an ARC review so maybe so things will be cut out in the final copy. I would recommend this book!
It's never easy to read a book that deals with human trafficking, but this book combined the right amount of action and despair that allowed me to finish without too much need for emotional breaks (i.e., putting the book down). I enjoyed the characters and their back stories. The book could've been a bit shorter, but this is an ARC review so maybe so things will be cut out in the final copy. I would recommend this book!
Although I wasn't as invested with this book as I was with Ryan Graudin's other series Wolf by Wolf, I still think it's an enjoyable read. I mean enjoyable in the sense that it'll constantly keep you guessing and wanting to learn more.
I couldn't keep the book down, and most of that has to do with Graudin's very active, energetic writing style that works really well with the high intensity action scenes in this book. The content is dark, but it will keep you on the edge of your seat.
I'm not sure why, but there was something that disconnected me from getting more invested with the characters. I was invested with them as I was reading the story because I wanted them to succeed, but I probably will not remember them after reading.
I would recommend this book if you're looking for a PG-13 YA action novel with a little bit of romance thrown in.
(Also, I learned in the author's note that the Walled City was a REAL PLACE, so that's really cool. It helps put the story in perspective.)
I couldn't keep the book down, and most of that has to do with Graudin's very active, energetic writing style that works really well with the high intensity action scenes in this book. The content is dark, but it will keep you on the edge of your seat.
I'm not sure why, but there was something that disconnected me from getting more invested with the characters. I was invested with them as I was reading the story because I wanted them to succeed, but I probably will not remember them after reading.
I would recommend this book if you're looking for a PG-13 YA action novel with a little bit of romance thrown in.
(Also, I learned in the author's note that the Walled City was a REAL PLACE, so that's really cool. It helps put the story in perspective.)
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
4.5 stars
Wow, I loved this book! The writing style was fantastic and I fell in love with all of the characters. My only complaint is that I didn't like the romance at the end--I thought it unnecessary and put in quickly at the end for no apparent reason. However, the writing was beautiful, the world was fascinating, and the characters amazing.
Wow, I loved this book! The writing style was fantastic and I fell in love with all of the characters. My only complaint is that I didn't like the romance at the end--I thought it unnecessary and put in quickly at the end for no apparent reason. However, the writing was beautiful, the world was fascinating, and the characters amazing.
There was once a walled city in Hong Kong. This city was called Kowloon. Here the biggest brothels and worst drug lords dwelled. The people suffered on the streets and the buildings towered so close together that the vagrants living in the street couldn't see the light coming from the sky. Girls were sold by their families to work in the brothels and here outlaws ran to a new home where the law could no longer touch. This city stood over a century.
The Walled City by Ryan Graudin tells the stories of those who struggled in the walled city in Kowloon with fictional names and places. Mei Yee is sold by her drunk father for alcohol. Jin is disguised as a boy in the streets, looking to find her sister. Dai, with his mysterious past, is looking to find freedom of his own.
I absolutely loved this book! It reads a little bit like a dystopian YA trilogy, but then it wraps everything up at the end instead of giving you a cliffhanger for another book. I really enjoyed the nostalgia the writing gave me. I predicted the plot pretty early on, but in this situation, I was perfectly okay with it. Most of this high rating comes from how truly enjoyable I found this story.
I read this book thinking it was absolutely fictional, and saying there was no way it was based on truth. I was simply marveling in how graphically and vividly the world was described. (It is pretty graphic for YA.) However, when I finished the novel, I learned about Kowloon. I researched everything I could find on the topic. I'm still shook to the core that something could exist under our noses in such modern times, without my ever hearing about it! The rating was boosted even further because of the historical and cultural importance this book has. This is a topic that should be talked about, and I'm very grateful to the author for bringing it to my attention.
The Walled City by Ryan Graudin tells the stories of those who struggled in the walled city in Kowloon with fictional names and places. Mei Yee is sold by her drunk father for alcohol. Jin is disguised as a boy in the streets, looking to find her sister. Dai, with his mysterious past, is looking to find freedom of his own.
I absolutely loved this book! It reads a little bit like a dystopian YA trilogy, but then it wraps everything up at the end instead of giving you a cliffhanger for another book. I really enjoyed the nostalgia the writing gave me. I predicted the plot pretty early on, but in this situation, I was perfectly okay with it. Most of this high rating comes from how truly enjoyable I found this story.
I read this book thinking it was absolutely fictional, and saying there was no way it was based on truth. I was simply marveling in how graphically and vividly the world was described. (It is pretty graphic for YA.) However, when I finished the novel, I learned about Kowloon. I researched everything I could find on the topic. I'm still shook to the core that something could exist under our noses in such modern times, without my ever hearing about it! The rating was boosted even further because of the historical and cultural importance this book has. This is a topic that should be talked about, and I'm very grateful to the author for bringing it to my attention.
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes