A review by minimicropup
Bad Kids by Zijin Chen

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful sad 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? Yes

5.0

Atmosphere 👌: Fly-on-the-wall observations with a sympathetic, candid, sincere tone. There were moments with an off-beat, almost whimsical feel that may be translation relics or purposeful (excellent translation btw!).
  • Set in Ningbo, China during the summer break from school
  • People are well described through body language and appearance. You can be creative with imaginings without it being destroyed later, but your imagination doesn't have to work overtime to set a scene

Main POVs: Third party narration with gradual, seamless transitions between POVs.
  • A 13 year-old student. Academically intelligent, conflict-avoidant, and lonely. They are bullied at school and despite the best of intentions often misunderstood by the adults in their life.
  • A 13 year-old who had a rough start in life, but comes through with idealistic resilience. They are loyal, moral, and protective, but also easily distracted and overly trusting.
  • An 11 year-old who faced tragic loss and abuse at the hands of an institutional caregiver. They are stoic, skeptical, and condemnatory, but also loyal, sensitive, and emotionally intelligent.
  • A police officer who is logical, evidence based, and hard working. They set high standards for themselves and that affects how they interpret evidence and treat their family.
  • A mathematically intelligent former police officer who is now a Criminal Logic Professor with a rare gift for merging 'gut feeling' with logical analysis
  • An adult from humble means that has married into a wealthy family. They thought their relationship was based on love, but that seems to be fading away and they are looking for a quick-fix

Cred Rating 👌👮🧒: Realistic to plausible
This story is giving off so much true crime, 'truth is stranger than fiction' energy. The parent-child dynamics seemed very realistic. 

Tail wags 🐕:
  • Main POVs are those of pre-teens, yet the story was not juvenile and didn’t rely on ‘creepy kid’ vibes. It was nostalgic reading about their experiences because I saw the world as a kid again with all the feels, revenge and freedom fantasies, and friendship dramas.
  • The author didn’t overly rely on convenience, coincidence, or police incompetence to drive the story, and didn’t use information delays, interruptions, or hold-backs either. It felt like it naturally unfolded.
  • The thriller/suspense elements don't depend on how much you care for any one character. If you like them you'll be cheering on their plans and hoping they come out unscathed. If you don't you'll be hoping they fail and get caught.
  • As the reader, we usually know more than any one character so the unexpected and mysterious moments are all the more vivid. 
  • Possible Growl for some: Cliffhanger ending open to reader interpretation. It worked for me because it was symbolic of how pre-teens and teens are constantly living in that awkward space where adult intervention can redeem or destroy.

Reading Journey: On vacation exploring a new city. Never been there before, but somehow, it’s nostalgic and familiar. Arrive back home planning a repeat visit. 
 
Mood Reading Match-Up:
  • Light touch of literary fiction with fly-on-the-wall narrative
  • Cat-and-mouse dynamics between police and perpetrators (involving a competent police force)
  • Coming-of-age, found family trope
  • “Good for them” (revenge against the bullies) elements involving blackmail
  • Thought-provoking commentary on kids behaving badly – born, made, or a combination?
  • Complex dynamics between fathers and their children
 
Vibes: 😥🤭🤯
 
Content Heads-Up: Blackmail, Parent Death, and Parental Rejection
 
Format: ARC of the English translation from Pushkin Vertigo and NetGalley

Side Note: There's a TV mini-series available on Youtube in Canada (@iQIYIofficial, English subtitles available). Slightly different plot & characters after episode one, but imma still try it out.

🤗 This was my #1 Favourite Book of 2023 
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