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A review by kindredbooks
All That's Left Unsaid by Tracey Lien
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I received an ARC of All That's Left Unsaid by Tracey Lien from HarperCollins Canada in exchange for an honest review.
If you enjoyed reading Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng or This Place is Still Beautiful by XiXi Tian, you may also enjoy reading All That's Left Unsaid. That being said, all three books are among my favourite stories about Asian culture, family, the immigrant story, and racism.
In All That's Left Unsaid, Ky returns home when her brother, Denny, is brutally murdered inside a restaurant in Cabramatta - a place with multiple witnesses who witnessed nothing. Her brother's death is ignored and written off as being drug related as this is happening during the heroin epidemic. Ky knows her brother though - or she believes she did - but she starts to doubt herself and those around her when she starts investigating into what happened on that tragic and fateful night. As she meets with different witnesses, Ky also needs to reflect on her own past and experiences growing up Vietnamese in Australia - as the answer to her questions lies within them.
The story is heartbreaking, eye-opening, and filled with tension. It is as much a mystery about Denny as it is a story about the Vietnamese immigrant experience in Australia. It is a story about family, found family, and abandoned family. There is a sense of loyalty and change of loyalty that changes the course of many lives. All That's Left Unsaid lingers long after you read it.
If you enjoyed reading Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng or This Place is Still Beautiful by XiXi Tian, you may also enjoy reading All That's Left Unsaid. That being said, all three books are among my favourite stories about Asian culture, family, the immigrant story, and racism.
In All That's Left Unsaid, Ky returns home when her brother, Denny, is brutally murdered inside a restaurant in Cabramatta - a place with multiple witnesses who witnessed nothing. Her brother's death is ignored and written off as being drug related as this is happening during the heroin epidemic. Ky knows her brother though - or she believes she did - but she starts to doubt herself and those around her when she starts investigating into what happened on that tragic and fateful night. As she meets with different witnesses, Ky also needs to reflect on her own past and experiences growing up Vietnamese in Australia - as the answer to her questions lies within them.
The story is heartbreaking, eye-opening, and filled with tension. It is as much a mystery about Denny as it is a story about the Vietnamese immigrant experience in Australia. It is a story about family, found family, and abandoned family. There is a sense of loyalty and change of loyalty that changes the course of many lives. All That's Left Unsaid lingers long after you read it.