Reviews with content warning for Racism - All That's Left Unsaid

cw: death of a sibling

very engaging (listened to the audio on long car rides) and i enjoyed the different perspectives and personalities of all the different characters. not so much a mystery in the sense of a "whodunnit" type but an exploration of all the different individual and collective stories that led up to and past the moment of the tragedy.

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moniqueaster's review against another edition

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emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

Fantastic characterisation. A short and powerful story.

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kirstym25's review against another edition

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emotional sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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cathy61r's review against another edition

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4.75

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sangsmiles's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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siobhanward's review

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emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This book was reminiscent of <i> Everything I Never Told You </i> particularly with its themes of family expectations, how to live up to them, and what happens if someone you love might not be the person you thought they were. This narrative explored some heavier themes though, including anti-Asian racism, drug epidemics and the long-term repercussions of the Vietnam War.

Overall this was a decent book. At times it felt as though it went on a bit too long, but it was well-written and heartbreaking. Lien created a strong cast of characters, but sometimes it felt like she wasn't quite sure what to do with them. However, knowing this is a debut, I know that Lien will continue to create great stories and I look forward to seeing what she does next.

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morethanmylupus's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I've seen this book billed as a mystery but I wouldn't say that it, not really. While there's a mystery underlying the story, it's not really the point. What you actually get is a story about the resilience and failures of family, insight into the impact heroin can have on a community, and a look into what it's like to be Vietnamese in Australia. Beautiful but heartbreaking.

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ceedy's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

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