The Walled City
By Ryan Graudin
By Ryan Graudin
Published: November 4, Little, Brown
Jin, Mei Yee, and Dai all live in the Walled City, a lawless labyrinth run by crime lords and overrun by street gangs. Teens there run drugs or work in brothels—or, like Jin, hide under the radar. But when Dai offers Jin a chance to find her lost sister, Mei Yee, she begins a breathtaking race against the clock to escape the Walled City itself.
My Thoughts:
Honestly, who did not want this book after all the BEA buzz around it? I was so excited when Little, Brown approved me for an ARC and read it right away. It was such a great read--so much so that I wasn't sure what to say about it afterwards. I could join the chorus and say how beautiful the writing is (it so is!) or how phenomenal the world building is (truly!) and how tight and intense the pacing was (oh my God, I couldn't stop reading if you tore this one out of my hands!) or how gorgeous the cover is (because I have eyes).
The Walled City was all of that, and yet, it felt like something more. Something I couldn't quite put into words. And then I took a glance at Ryan's note in the back:
Honestly, who did not want this book after all the BEA buzz around it? I was so excited when Little, Brown approved me for an ARC and read it right away. It was such a great read--so much so that I wasn't sure what to say about it afterwards. I could join the chorus and say how beautiful the writing is (it so is!) or how phenomenal the world building is (truly!) and how tight and intense the pacing was (oh my God, I couldn't stop reading if you tore this one out of my hands!) or how gorgeous the cover is (because I have eyes).
The Walled City was all of that, and yet, it felt like something more. Something I couldn't quite put into words. And then I took a glance at Ryan's note in the back:
Even though the city was closed down by the government, the human trafficking still continues. The characters I came to fall in love with: Mei Yee, sold for her beauty and youth and Jin, whose resilience to survive behind the walls in the search for her stolen sister could very well be real. It was chilling and heartbreaking.
So, rather than give a reader review, I want to devote this space on my blog to promote how we all can learn more about this issue. Ryan suggests visiting the International Justice Mission at www.ijm.org.
Read this one, because The Walled City will open your eyes and have you Googling for more information and seeking ways you can help.
Oh, wow, Valerie! This sounds like it would rip my heart out! Is it kind of like a "Hunger Games" read with the can't-put-it-down pace?
ReplyDeleteDefinitely has a can't-put-it-down pace and a dangerous setting. You won't be disappointed!
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