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A review by theshiftyshadow
All That's Left Unsaid by Tracey Lien
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I really liked this book but I didn't feel a lot while reading it. It's impact was more in a thoughtful sense.
It uses the murder of Denny, a 17 year old Vietnamese Australian boy, as a framing device to explore intergenerational trauma, the refugee experience, addiction, community, and family relationships. He's beaten to death in a restaurant with multiple witnesses present but nobody will talk to the police, and the police don't really care.
The main focus is on Ky, the sister of Denny, as she tries to speak to witnesses to find out what happened the night her brother died. Chapters alternate between her and multiple other characters, mostly the witnesses, and then also her family. It's very well structured and as we learn about each person, and why they lied or won't talk to the police, we get a much broader picture of the community they live in, and their experiences in Vietnam, in refugee camps, and then as second class citizens in Australia.
It's a pretty easy read considering the subject, and as I said, I didn't really feel a whole lot while reading it, which is why I've gone with 4 stars rather than 5. It did however leave my mind spinning off in lots of different directions which is, for me, still a sign of a very good book.
It uses the murder of Denny, a 17 year old Vietnamese Australian boy, as a framing device to explore intergenerational trauma, the refugee experience, addiction, community, and family relationships. He's beaten to death in a restaurant with multiple witnesses present but nobody will talk to the police, and the police don't really care.
The main focus is on Ky, the sister of Denny, as she tries to speak to witnesses to find out what happened the night her brother died. Chapters alternate between her and multiple other characters, mostly the witnesses, and then also her family. It's very well structured and as we learn about each person, and why they lied or won't talk to the police, we get a much broader picture of the community they live in, and their experiences in Vietnam, in refugee camps, and then as second class citizens in Australia.
It's a pretty easy read considering the subject, and as I said, I didn't really feel a whole lot while reading it, which is why I've gone with 4 stars rather than 5. It did however leave my mind spinning off in lots of different directions which is, for me, still a sign of a very good book.